Agenda and minutes

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interest they may have in any matter which is to be considered at this meeting.

Councillor Collins declared a personal interest in respect of agenda item 6 (Budget Monitoring Report 2007/08) as his wife is a Council employee affected by the Single Status Agreement.

Agreed.

Received a report proposing amendments to the Council’s approved panel of preferred Registered Social Landlords (RSLs).

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priority “Improving Health, Housing and Social Care”, to:

(i)  The inclusion of Springboard Housing Association on the preferred RSL Panel; and

(ii)  Defer a decision in respect of the Circle Anglia Housing Trust pending further clarification of issues by the Corporate Director of Regeneration.

Received a report on the Government’s proposals within the White Paper “Planning for a Sustainable Future” together with the Council’s draft response to the proposals.

Agreed, in order for the Council’s views to be considered as part of the public consultation exercise, to:

(i)  The Council’s response to the Planning White Paper as set out in Appendix A to the report, subject to the amendments to the wording agreed at this meeting and the refocusing of a number of issues to reflect the needs of the local community; and

(ii)  Authorise the Corporate Director of Regeneration to sign-off the final version of the response.

Received a report on the Council’s revenue and capital position for 2007/08 at the end of the first quarter.

Agreed, as a matter of good financial practice and to bring budgets into line with agreed expenditure, to:

(i)  Note the current position of the Council’s revenue and capital budget as at 30 June 2007;

(ii)  Note the position and projected out-turn for the Housing Revenue Account;

(iii)  Note that Directors are continuing to identify and implement the necessary action plans to alleviate current budget pressures to ensure that the necessary balanced budget for the Council is achieved by year end;

(iv)  An in-year budget adjustment of £1m in relation to the budget pressures in the Adult and Community Services department, resulting from recent Member reconsideration and decisions regarding the Older Persons Modernisation savings, to be funded from central provisions (contingencies);

(v)  Adjustments to both the Temporary accommodation and Revenues and Benefits working budgets as detailed in the report;

(vi)  The sum of £165,000, representing the costs of the continuing implementation of Single Status, being funded from the central resources budget set-aside to fund the Single Status Agreement;

(vii)  The re-profiling of individual capital schemes as detailed in Appendix D to the report; and

(viii)  Note the Prudential Indicators and the key Financial Health Indicators for the first quarter period.

Agreed to exclude the public and press for the remainder of the meeting by reason of the nature of the business to be discussed which included information exempt from publication by virtue of paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

Further to Minute 108 (28 November 2006), received a report on proposals to progress the delivery of the new Dagenham Library and One Stop Shop.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priorities “Better Education and Learning for All”, “Regenerating the Local Economy” and “Raising General Pride in the Borough”, to:

(i)  Authorise the Corporate Director of Regeneration to enter into the necessary Conditional Development Agreement with Bouygues UK to allow the delivery of the project;

(ii)  Any funding gap being met by prudential borrowing; and

(iii)  Authorise the Corporate Director of Regeneration to enter into negotiations with Bouygues UK in respect of the potential sale of the Fanshawe Library site and to report back on the options.

Also requested the Director to provide the Lead Member and relevant Ward Members with information in relation to the works currently underway at Dagenham Heathway.

Further to Minute 171 (27 March 2007), received a report proposing the appointment of consultants for the design of the Barking Business Centre and also the production of a master plan and planning application for the redevelopment of The Lintons.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priorities “Regenerating the Local Economy” and “Raising General Pride in the Borough” and to progress the delivery of a flagship project under the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI) programme, to:

(i)  The appointment of Karakusevic Carson Architects as the architects for the Barking LEGI Business Centre on the terms set out in the report, and

(ii)  The appointment of Halcrow as the Development Planners (with Urhahn as Master Planner) to develop the master plan and planning application for The Lintons site on the terms set out in the report.

(*Item considered as a matter of urgency with the consent of the Chair under the provisions of Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.)