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 Resources providing an update on the Council’s revenue and capital position for the period April to August of the 2008/09 financial year.

The position for revenue expenditure indicates that current budget pressures exist across four departments amounting to £6.3million. Overall this reflects a £400k reduction from the position reported in July. 

However the largest pressure continues to remain within the Children’s Services department where significant budget pressures continue to arise from Looked after Children Placements and in meeting the Councils’ Leaving Care responsibilities.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve all of its Community Priorities and as a matter of good financial practice, to:

(i)  note the current position of the Council’s revenue and capital budget as at 31 August 2008;

(ii)  approve the action plan to reduce the forecasted overspend in 2008/09 for Looked after Children Placements and in meeting the Council’s Leaving Care responsibilities, requiring in-year savings to be achieved across all service departments and a provision for a contribution from Corporate contingencies and balances;

(iii)  approve the following proposals within the Temporary Accommodation service being:

a)  that in consultation with the Executive Portfolio Holder (Deputy Leader) the Corporate Directors of Customer Services and Resources urgently review the level of weekly management charges applicable to temporary accommodation lettings and set revised charges as necessary to protect the Council’s financial position;

b)  that 28 days notice of any proposed  increase in the weekly charges be given to all current occupants;

c)  that a report on a “Working Families Policy “ be brought to the Executive as soon as possible;

(iv)  note the position and projected out-turn for the Housing Revenue Account; and

(v)  note that where pressures and targets exist, Corporate Directors are required to identify and implement the necessary action plans to alleviate these budget pressures to ensure that the necessary balanced budget for the Council is achieved by year end.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Customer Services highlighting the need for further changes to the allocations policy due to the Council’s commitment to continuous improvement through service improvement plans and from feedback and recommendations following the Audit Commission Inspection of Homelessness, Allocations and Lettings in February 2008.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priorities of ‘Promoting Equal Opportunities and Celebrating Diversity’ and ‘Improving Health, Housing and Social Care’, to:

(i)  the amendments to the Allocations Policy to maximise MCIL and facilitate move on accommodation;

(ii)  the updating and streamlining of the sheltered housing assessment criteria;

(iii)  delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Customer Services in consultation with the Housing Portfolio Member to authorise the inclusion of sheltered housing stock in MCIL subject to satisfactory further consultation with that client group;

(iv)  delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Customer Services in consultation with the Executive Portfolio Holder (Deputy Leader) to authorise the inclusion of further supported accommodation following further consultation with Adult and Community Services,

(v)  to allow applicants who require smaller accommodation due to changes in circumstances the right to retain their waiting time;

(vi)  that special schemes client group be considered through MCIL; and

(vii)  that the effective date of homeless acceptances cases be amended to the date of homeless application case taken.

Received a report from the Places of Religious Worship and Associated Community Facilities Policy Scrutiny Panel which considered a policy on support for premises of religious worship in the borough and how places of religious worship may be provided for in future regeneration schemes, as well as the availability of council resources to meet demand.

The Panel took into account evidence from a number of relevant religious organisations, and internal and external witnesses, considering the nature and scale of demand and reference was also made to relevant experience from elsewhere in the UK. The panel reviewed relevant planning and other policy guidance including that relating to race equality and social cohesion. 

Councillor McDermott thanked officers for their hard work in assisting the Scrutiny Panel.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council achieve its Community Priority of ‘Promoting Equal Opportunities and Celebrating Diversity’, to recommend to the Assembly the adoption of the proposed policy.

The Executive thanked Councillor McDermott and the Scrutiny Panel for their work.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Regeneration concerning improvements to Shopping Parades around the borough.  It is recognised that the shopping parades play an important function in providing local employment and also play a key role within the community.

The project aspires to assist with halting the local economic decline being experienced within these parades, to attract private sector investment into these areas, to deter anti social behaviour and to raise the level of local pride by residents.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council achieve its Community Priorities of ‘Making Barking and Dagenham Cleaner, Greener and Safer’, ‘Raising General Pride in the Borough’ and ‘Regenerating the Local Economy’, to:

(i)  the list of identified shopping parades in paragraph 3.1 of the report as the priorities for improvement,

(ii)  the undertaking of further feasibility studies around these identified shopping parades including consultation with residents and retailers to understand the needs and aspiration of parade users,

(iii)  the commissioning of urban designers to undertake a design strategy for the identified shopping parades, and

(iv)  the re-profiling of the allocated £500,000 in 2008/09 and 2009/10, to £200,000 in 2008/09 to undertake feasibility, consultation and design and £800,000 for the implementation of the proposed project in 2009/10 subject to Capital Programme Management Office (CPMO) appraisal.

Agreed to exclude the public and press from 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 contractual matter - paragraph 3

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Regeneration requesting authority to seek tenders for a new term contract for water monitoring in non-housing Council owned properties, over (1) a full four year term, and (2) on the basis of a two year term with an option for the Council to extend the contract for a further two years.

Agreed in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priority of ‘Making Barking and Dagenham Cleaner, Greener and Safer’, to the procurement strategy for the Term Contract for Water Monitoring in schools, operational and public buildings 2009-2013 as detailed in the report.

Concerns a contractual matter - paragraph 3

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Children’s Services concerning the procurement and delivery of the Inclusion Service.  The service will provide inclusion services to support all early education and childcare settings in the borough and will focus on supporting the settings to meet their statutory duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 1985 through helping to ensure the provision of equality of access to the curriculum for all children including disabled children and those with special educational needs. 

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priorities of “Better Education and Learning for All” and “Promoting Equal Opportunities and Celebrating Diversity”, to approve the procurement of an Inclusion Service for a period of two years, with an option to extend for a further one year dependent upon funding and satisfactory performance on the terms detailed in this report.

Concerns land disposal matters - paragraph 3

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Regeneration concerning a number of Council owned sites which have been included in the Council’s Land Disposal Programme for disposal and potential development.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve all of its Community Priorities, to the disposal of the properties detailed in the report subject to reconsideration being given to the Wellington Drive Garage Site and officers providing clarification regarding the status of Becontree Toilets.

(*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.)