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.

There were no declarations of interest.

Agreed.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Regeneration on the proposal to extend the Automotive Upskilling Training and Development Programme until December 2008, with a programme management function being retained for administrative purposes until March 2009.

Agreed, in order to safeguard local employment, help secure the future of the Ford Dagenham Engine Plant and to contribute towards the Council’s Community Priority of “Regenerating the Local Economy”, to authorise the Corporate Director for Regeneration, in consultation with the Divisional Director of Legal and Democratic Services, to agree the terms of the proposed extension of the Upskilling Programme.

Further to Minute 124 (23 January 2007), received a report from the Corporate Director of Regeneration seeking approval to the adoption of the Urban Design Framework Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) following an extensive public consultation exercise on the draft document.

Agreed, in order to assist in achieving regional and national policy objectives to enhance the environment and a number of the Council’s Community Priorities, particularly “Making Barking and Dagenham Cleaner, Greener and Safer”, to:

(i)  Adopt the final draft Urban Design Framework SPD; and

(ii)  Authorise the Corporate Director of Regeneration to make any non-material changes to the Urban Design Framework SPD prior to publication, including those referred to in the report.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Customer Services on debts written off during 2006/07 and the first two quarters of 2007/08 in relation to monies collectable by the Council’s Income and Collection and Rents and Benefits sections.  The report also set out proposals relating to the publication of certain details of individuals whose debts have been written off.

Agreed, as a matter of good financial practice and debt management reporting, that:

(i)  Lists containing the individual details of certain categories of debts written off (i.e. names, addresses and value) are provided in future reports to the Executive along with the overall write off summary; and

(ii)  The Council publicise these individual details where its right to demand the debt has been legally ratified via Court action or contractual agreement, with the exception of those types of debt write offs as listed at (a) to (e) in paragraph 6.3 of the report.

The appendix to this report is private and confidential and attached as agenda item 18.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Customer Services on proposals relating to the entering into of a Partnership Agreement with Havering Council for the delivery of a National Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR) shared service. 

Agreed, in order to assist in achieving the Council Priorities of “Delivering Outstanding Customer Service” and “Improving Performance Across The Board”, to:

(i)  Recommend the Assembly to agree:

(a)  To the entering into of a Partnership Agreement with the London Borough of Havering in respect of the delivery of a NNDR shared service;

(b)  To the allocation of appropriate financial resources and the procurement of external support as required, as detailed in the report and accompanying Business Case*, and

(c)  To authorise the Corporate Director of Customer Services, in consultation with the Divisional Director of Corporate Finance and the Divisional Director of Legal and Democratic Services, to agree the final details of the Partnership Agreement.

(* This document was contained in the private section of the agenda by virtue of paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.)

Received a report from the Corporate Directors of Customer Services and Adult and Community Services on the Tenant Participation Compact 2007/10, which represents the written agreement between the Council and its tenants and leaseholders regarding participation in housing management issues.

Discussed the involvement of private and non-Council social housing residents in Housing Revenue Account (HRA) funded initiatives and also the need to review participation and membership arrangements in this context and with the emergence of Neighbourhood Management across the Borough.  In this latter respect, the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services advised that she will work with the Lead Member for Neighbourhood Management and the new Group Manager to establish formal arrangements through the Neighbourhood Management forum.

Agreed, in order to comply with the legislative requirements and contribute towards the Community Priority of “Developing Rights and Responsibilities with the Local Community”, to adopt the Tenant Participation Compact 2007/10 as appended to the report, subject to appropriate amendments by the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services to reflect the points raised at this meeting.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Children’s Services introducing the review of the first year’s performance against the Borough’s Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) 2006/09. 

The Head of Children’s Policy and Trust Commissioning also tabled the draft final version of the formal annual review document “CYPP 2006/09 - One Year On”, which includes an in-depth analysis of the first year’s activities and the priorities and areas of focus for the Council and its partners during 2007/08.

Agreed, in order to assist in improving the lives of children and young people in the borough across the five “Every Child Matters” outcomes, to:

(i)  Endorse the outcomes of the review of the Children and Young People’s Plan 2006/09 and approve the revised vision and priorities as set out in the report and tabled document; and

(ii)  Authorise the Corporate Director of Children’s Services to sign-off the final version of the annual review document “CYPP 2006/09 - One Year On” on behalf of the Council.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Resources on the position of the Council’s revenue, capital and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budgets as at 31 August 2007.

Agreed, as a matter of good financial practice and to bring relevant budgets into line with agreed expenditure at the year end, to:

(i)  Note the current position of the Council’s revenue and capital budgets as set out in the report;

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

(iii)  The implementation by Corporate Directors of current and new action plans to ensure that projected overspends are addressed to enable the full delivery of balanced departmental budgets by the end of the 2007/08 financial year;

(iv)  An in-year budget adjustment of £3.5m to assist with the current position in the Children’s Services department on children’s placements and for children leaving care, to be funded from the Council’s corporate balances and reserves; and

(v)  Note that the base budget position for children’s placements will be a key consideration as part of the 2008/09 budget process.

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).

Concerns a financial matter (paragraph 3)

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Regeneration on the proposed inclusion of three further properties in the Council’s extensions and de-conversions programme.

Agreed to defer the report pending further investigation into the suitability of the proposed erection of the property named in paragraph 3.7 of the report and, if appropriate, the identification of alternative funding to support the overall project programme.

Concerns a financial matter (paragraph 3)

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Resources on the performance of the Council’s Pension Fund in 2006/07.

Agreed, as a matter of good financial practice, to approve the Pension Fund Annual Report for 2006/07 as set out in the report.

Concerns a contractual matter (paragraph 3)

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Regeneration seeking approval to re-tender the contract for the provision of Professional Services in relation to the Council’s property management functions, the current contract for which is due to expire in May 2008.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council in achieving its Community Priorities of “Regenerating the Local Economy” and “Raising General Pride in the Borough” through the procurement of specialist property management services, to the proposals for the tendering of the Council’s Professional Services contract for 2008/12 on the terms set out in the report.

Concerns a contractual matter (paragraph 3)

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Regeneration seeking approval to tender a contract to undertake internal and external refurbishment works at Millard Terrace, Heathway, Dagenham, to bring the housing stock up to the Decent Homes Standard.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priority of “Improving Health, Housing and Social Care”, to the procurement of the Millard Terrace Refurbishment Contract on the terms detailed in the report.

Concerns a contractual matter (paragraph 3)

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Regeneration seeking approval to tender a contract for the replacement of eight passenger lifts at five high-rise blocks in the borough and the repair of a further thirteen lifts in seven blocks.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priority of “Improving Health, Housing and Social Care”, to the procurement of a Lift Renewal Programme contract on the terms detailed in the report.

(# The Chair agreed that this item could be considered as a matter of urgency under the provisions of Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 so as not to unnecessarily delay the delivery of the project.)