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 Customer Services on debts written off for Quarter Four of 2007/08 in relation to moneys collectable by the Council’s Income and Collection and Rents and Benefits sections.  The report also sets 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 good debt management reporting, to:

(i)  Note the report, in particular the list of debts written off for 2007/08 to date and the list containing the top ten debtors along with their individual details;  and

(ii)  The Council, in accordance with Minute 69 (6 November 2007), to publicise individual details of certain debtors in appropriate circumanstances.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Resources providing an update on the Council’s revenue and capital position for 2007/08 as at the end of February 2008.

The position for revenue expenditure at the end of February 2008 remained broadly unchanged from January and highlighted various pressures across Council departments totalling £1.2m.  Departments are continuing to address these cost pressures and will be closely monitored to ensure the full reduction in these pressures.

For the Housing Revenue account, pressures exist around housing subsidy, income from rents and repairs and maintenance costs and it was currently forecast that there will be an underspend of £315,000 at the end of the financial year, which will be added to its balances, resulting in an estimated opening working balance of £3m for 2008/09.

Regarding the Capital programme, Corporate Directors will continue to review the delivery of individual capital schemes to achieve maximum spend by the year end.

The final adjustments for the year end 2007/08 are currently being undertaken and a report will be presented at the Executive on 3June 2008.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve all of its Community Priorities, to:

(i)  Note the current position of the Council’s revenue and capital budget as at 29 February 2008 as detailed in the report;

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

(iii)  Note the action plans being undertaken to alleviate the budget pressures to ensure a balanced budget for the Council is achieved by the end of the financial year.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Customer Services and the Corporate Director of Regeneration to support the implementation of the East London Transit (ELT) route along roads in the Borough with the works due to commence in September 2008.

The Council will retain the overall traffic management functions as set out in the Traffic Management Act and Officers in the Highway Group will work closely with the ELT project team to ensure co-ordination of all other additional works, including utilities, being undertaken on behalf of the Council and others.

It was confirmed that Transport for London/ELT would bear all costs, including remedial works, as set out in the report.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council in achieving its Council Priority ‘Regenerating the Borough’ to recommend the Assembly:

(i)  Approve the terms to enter into an agreement with Transport for London pursuant to Section 101 of the Local Government Act 1972 and Section 8 of the Highways Act 1980 as set out in the report;  and,

(ii)  That the Corporate Director of Customer Services, in consultation with the Corporate Director of Regeneration and the Divisional Director of Legal and Democratic Services, be given delegated authority to agree the detail of the Agreements.

Received a report from the Director of Adult and Community Services attaching the draft Libraries Strategy which would ensure the library service will meet the needs of the Borough’s growing and changing population and make a significant contribution to key borough priorities relating to skills and wellbeing.

Agreed, to assist the Council to achieving its Community Priorities of ‘Raising General Pride in the Borough’, ‘Improving Health, Housing and Social Care, ‘Providing Better Education and Learning for All’ and Regenerating the Local Economy’:

(i)  The Draft libraries strategy, as appended to the report, subject to consultation with staff and the community;  and,

(ii)  In principle to the development of plans for a reprovisioned library at Rush Green as part of a redevelopment of the Barking College site, subject to a further report on detailed proposals including capital funding.

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).

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Regeneration setting out the proposed procurement route and process in order to deliver the Beacontree Heath Leisure Centre during 2011 within the budget of £23,115,000.

Following receiving professional and legal advice on the proposal to tender for a comprehensive development of the whole of the Beacontree Heath site to include both leisure and housing, concerns were raised regarding the current market conditions and the unique complexities with the Beacontree Heath site.  It was considered that the proposed route was not the best method to deliver the leisure centre to the timescale required.  The remainder of the site could be developed later to maximise the value of the site.

It was, therefore, recommended that the Council should go out to tender for a contract to build the leisure centre only.   

Agreed, in order to assist the Council in achieving its Community Priorities of ‘Providing Better Education and Learning For All’, ‘Regenerating the Local Economy’ and ‘Raising Pride in the Borough’ and deliver one of the Council’s major pledges within the Borough’s Olympic prospectus to fulfil a key objective of the Sports Facility Strategy and deliver a state of the art leisure facility for the Borough:

(i)  In accordance with the Constitution (Contract Rules 3.6), to authorise the Corporate Director of Regeneration to tender through the OJEU restricted procedure for the delivery of the leisure centre;

(ii)  To authorise the Corporate Director of Regeneration to appoint S&P architects to undertake the design (and appointment of sub consultants) via the Parks and Leisure professional services Framework agreement as detailed in the report;

(iii)  The content of the leisure centre, as set out in the report, the total capital budget of £23,115,000, and the increase in future years savings target of £558,000 to meet the additional borrowing costs;

(iv)  To seek tenders for the demolition of Seabrook Hall;

(v)  To the inclusion of additional car parking spaces and, subject to the PCT agreement and appropriate funding arrangements, space be allocated for a new health facility as part of the surplus land disposal thereby reducing the capital receipt by £2.5million;

(vi)  To the design and development parameters for the leisure centre as set out in the report;

(vii)  The Nomination of Councillor C Fairbrass, Councillor S Kallar and Councillor Mrs L Reason to be part of the tendering packaging and evaluation procedures panel;  and

(viii)  To the submission of a lottery bid being made to Sport England to support the provision and future revenue costs of the new leisure centre.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Resources seeking agreement to the commencement of the tendering process for the procurement of a Microsoft Enterprise Software Licence for the core desktop software on the terms set out in the report and a three year contract with the preferred supplier.

Microsoft and the Office of Government Commence (OGC) have a framework agreement enabling government bodies to take advantage of its combined purchasing power.  The contract entitles the Council to upgrade to the latest versions of the Microsoft Office suite that are available and at the end of the contract the Council will own the software.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council in achieving its Council Priority ‘Improving Performance Across the Board’:

(i)  To the proposed procurement of the Microsoft Enterprise Software Licence as detailed in the report and the entering into of a three year contract with the preferred supplier;  and

(ii)  The inclusion in the Council’s Capital Programme the sum of £1.6m.

Received a report and presentation from the Corporate Director of Regeneration, seeking approval to create a Barking and Dagenham Local Housing Company (LHC) in partnership with a private sector partner.  LHCs add value to the development process and enable the Council to be at the centre of transforming places and act as a master developer for new communities.

The Borough is one of only two local authorities to pilot the first LHC in line with the Government’s Housing Green Paper.

The LHC will be a jointly owned and controlled development and long-term asset owning company and will provide up to 8,000 new housing units in the borough, 50% of which must be affordable. 

The LHC will enable the Council to:

(i)  Directly influence development standards;

(ii)  Speed of development;

(iii)  Support community sustainability;  and,

(iv)  Deliver the Council’s localism agenda.

The LHC must produce a business case and this will be brought back to the Executive for approval.

Agreed, to assist the Council in achieving its Community Priorities, ‘Improving Health, Housing and Social Care’ and ‘Regenerating the Local Economy’, to:

(i)  The establishment of the Barking & Dagenham Local Housing Company on the terms set out in the report;

(ii)  The appointment of First Base Limited as the private sector equity partner for the Barking & Dagenham Local Housing Company, subject to satisfactory due diligence as set out in the report;

(iii)  The transfer of land at the Lintons (Barking) to the Barking & Dagenham Local Housing Company on a leasehold basis on the terms set out in the report and subject to a viable business plan being agreed by the Corporate Director of Regeneration, Section 151 Officer and the Chief Executive;

(iv)  Entering into an exclusivity/option agreement with the LHC in respect of land at Gascoigne Estate, Thames View, London Rd/ North Street (Barking), Marks Gate and Goresbrook Road (Dagenham) area;

(v)  The transfer of the land in (iv) to the Barking and Dagenham LHC under leasehold basis when the terms of the Exclusivity/Option agreement are fulfilled;

(vi)  Note that the Council will continue to seek from the Department of Communities and Local Government funding for pump priming the site;

(vii)  The governance arrangements for the Board as set out in the report, and note that the Assembly will be asked to appoint the three Council board members to the LHC at its Annual meeting;

(viii)  Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Regeneration in respect of the nomination of the two senior Council officers who will have observer status on the Board; and

(ix)  The LHC providing insurance for nominated board members.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Customer Services setting out proposals for the procurement, through the Office of Government Commerce Catalist framework agreement, of the new Housing ICT system under the Housing Modernisation Programme (HMP) to replace the existing mainframe system.

Agreed, to assist the Council in achieving its Council Priorities ‘Delivering Outstanding Customer Service’ and ‘Improving Performance Across the Board’, to approve the procurement of the new Housing ICT system as part of the Housing Modernisation Programme.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Regeneration concerning the tender proposals for a term contact for the maintenance of all the Council’s catering equipment within public buildings and schools.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council in achieving its Community Priority ‘Making Barking and Dagenham, Cleaner, Greener and Safer’ and provide a safe and cost effective repair, maintenance and minor works service for the catering equipment within schools and public buildings to approve the procurement proposals of a term contract for the maintenance, repair and minor works of catering equipment in schools and council buildings, as set out in the report.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Regeneration, Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services and Corporate Director of Customer Services providing further financial details, including proposals to reduce the amount of prudential borrowing required as well as setting out the full revenue implications and provide a civic facility delivering a flagship library and information service.

Rather than a 125 year lease as set out in the recommendations of the report, a 128 year lease was requested to enable sub leases of the civic facilities, retail unit and residential flats for at least 125 years (standard long lease period).  It also assists lease variations being made with the Mall owners, ensuring that servicing rights are provided to the same period.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council in achieving its Community Priorities of ‘Providing Better Education and Learning for all’, ‘Regenerating the Local Economy’ and ‘Raising Pride in the Borough’ and to assist in good planning of the area promoting the social, economic and well being, to:

(i)  The vision and objectives of the Dagenham Library and One Stop Shop as outlined in the report;

(ii)  The Dagenham Library replacing Rectory and Fanshawe libraries and the One Stop Shop replacing provision at Stour Road;

(iii)  Authorise the Corporate Director of Regeneration to enter into a Development Agreement and a 128 year lease with Bouygues UK for the development of the new Dagenham Library/One Stop Shop with the sources of identified funding as set out in the report being utilised to minimise the requirement for prudential borrowing;

(iv)  Allocate £3.367m from Capital resources in 2008/09 -2010/11 to bridge the current project funding shortfall, to be funded from borrowing at an annual cost of £269,400;

(v)  The reallocation of capital resources of £4.471m from Regeneration initiatives, the interim One Stop Shop and other existing capital resources be reallocated to the Dagenham One Stop Shop / Library project;

(vi)  Where financial resources are held in 2007/08, that they are rolled over into 2008/09 and future years;

(vii)  The additional borrowing costs of £269,400, operational costs of the One Stop Shop £471,000 per annum, and the library £445,000 per annum be included in the medium term financial model;

(viii)  Not progressing the interim One Stop Shop at Stour Road;  and

(ix)  The closure of the walk-in facility at Stour Road and the Cash Office at Dagenham. 

Received and noted a report on the action taken by the Corporate Director of Children Services, under the urgency procedures contained within paragraph 17.1 of Article 1, Part B of the Council’s Constitution, in authorising the extension of the contract to deliver a Parent Support Advisers’ Service through the voluntary, private or public sector.