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.

None declared.

Agreed.

Received and noted a report from the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services concerning progress that the Adult Safeguarding Service and the Safeguarding Adults Board has made against the 2008/09 business plan.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priorities, ‘Safe’, ‘Fair and Respectful’ to receive a further report from the Board in March 2010.

Following on from a review of the Parks Police Service, received and noted a report from the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services concerning progress in implementing the review recommendations.

Arising from the discussions, asked that the Safer Parks Team look further into tackling issues of excessive drinking, motoring offences and dog fouling within the borough’s parks.

Received a report from the Facilities and Activities for Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel which included a review of the facilities and activities in the Borough for children and young people up to the age of nineteen and  considered the uptake and usage data and the accessibility of facilities and activities currently available, with a view to identifying any barriers to access that may exist.

The Panel considered evidence from a wide range of people involved in using or delivering activities for young people. Members also undertook a number of site visits to observe projects and clubs providing activities for young people, as well as hearing directly from young people themselves through visits to school councils.

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

Agreed, in order to assist the Council achieve its Community Priorities of ‘Safe’, ‘Inspired and Successful’, to recommend the report to the Assembly for adoption.

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

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Resources providing an update on the Council’s revenue and capital position for the first month of the 2009/10 financial year.

The current position for revenue expenditure indicates a balanced budget for the year, although all departments have identified areas of concern where budget pressures may arise and these will need addressing as part of the Council’s ongoing budget monitoring process.

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

  (i)  the current position of the Council’s revenue and capital budget as at 30 April 2009;

  (ii)  the position for the Housing Revenue Account; and

  (iii)  that where potential pressures have been highlighted, Corporate Directors are required to identify and implement the necessary action plans to mitigate 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 Resources regarding the Annual Treasury Management Statement which details the Council’s outturn position in respect of its treasury management activities.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve all of its Community Priorities and as a matter of good financial practice, to approve the Treasury Management Annual Report for 2008/09.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Resources regarding the Council’s provisional revenue and capital outturn position for the financial year 2008/09.

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 final outturn position of the Council’s revenue budgets for 2008/09 (Section’s 1 and 2 and Appendix A of the report);

  (ii)  Approve the final in-year budgets adjustments as set out in paragraph 2.7 of the report;

  (iii)  Approve the use of the Council’s General Reserve balances to fund the minimal 0.3% 2008/09 overspend (Section 2.8 of the report);

  (iv)  Approve the carry forwards from the Revenue budget to be incorporated into the relevant 2009/10 Departmental budgets (Section 2.16 of the report);

  (v)  Note the position of the working balance for the Housing Revenue Account (Section 3 of the report);

  (vi)  Note the outturn position for the 2008/09 Financial Health Indicators (Section 4 and Appendix B of the report);

  (vii)  Note the final outturn position of the Council’s Capital programme  and approve the additional budget adjustments (Section 5 and Appendix C of the report);

  (viii)  Approve the carry forward of categories A and E (i.e. committed and rolling programmes) from the 2008/09 Capital Programme to be incorporated into future years service capital programmes subject to a review by CPMO (Appendix D and D(i) of the report);

  (ix)  Approve that the appropriate 2009/10 Capital budgets be adjusted for advanced expenditure in 2008/09 of £7.9m (Appendix E of the report); and

  (x)  Note the outturn position for 2008/09 Prudential Indicators (Section 6 and Appendix F of the report).

Received a report from the Corporate Directors of Customer Services and Resources concerning the Council’s housing investment highlighting the progress made in delivering the programme and detailing on-going financial commitments.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priorities of ‘Safe’, ‘Clean’, ’Fair and Respectful’ to,

  (i)  note the current position on the delivery of capital investment in the Council’s housing stock, including works to make homes decent and associated outputs for 2008-2009;

  (ii)  The prioritised housing investment programme of works for 2009-10 to 2011-12 periods, for resources previously approved by the Executive on February 17 2009 and by the Assembly on 25 February 2009 and revised resources as detailed in appendix 1. The Capital Programme is adjusted for the relevant re profiling of resources and projected spend contained in this report; and

  (iii)  Delegate authority to the Divisional Director of Asset Strategy & Capital Delivery and Divisional Director of Housing Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Legal Partner to agree the detailed programme with the programme heads, and award the contracts for the projects identified for the housing investment programme.

Agreed to congratulate

  (i)  all Parent Governors and staff at Robert Clack Comprehensive School for their hard work, and the head teacher Sir Paul Grant, who was recently knighted in the Queens Birthday Honours for his services to local and national education; and

  (ii)  Councillor Milton McKenzie who was awarded a MBE for his services to trade unionism and to diversity and equal opportunities in the borough.

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 and contractual matter (paragraph 3)

Received a report from the Chief Executive concerning proposals to provide affordable housing and regenerate Thames View.

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

  (i)  Authorise the Director of Resources (subject to funding) to acquire the remaining five properties at the eastern end of Thames View Estate at above market levels if necessary on the grounds that this will enable the Council’s proposals for the eastern end of Thames View estate to go ahead without the delay and additional costs that would be entailed through a CPO process;

  (ii)   The main principles of the Masterplan for Thames View as outlined in section 2 of the report;

  (iii)  Approve the medium density option at the eastern end of Thames View and to housing development on the former garage sites;

  (iv)  To further sites (as identified in section 2.2.3 of the report) being explored at Thames View for possible redevelopment;

  (v)  That the principles of the Thames View Masterplan be incorporated into a draft Supplementary Planning Document for public consultation;

  (vi)  That the draft Heads of Terms be used as the basis for concluding contract negotiations with Southern Housing Group;

  (vii)  That the Legal Partner Procurement, Contracts and Property and the Divisional Director of Corporate Finance be jointly given delegated powers to negotiate and settle final contract documents as anticipated by the draft Heads of Terms;

  (viii)  Note that a further report will be brought to Executive once contractual documentation has been finalised (including details of any substantive variation from the transactions contemplated by the Heads of Terms) which is anticipated to be in September 2009.  This further report will set out details of

·  contractual terms

·  funding terms provided by HCA and EIB

·  BRHIC business plan and financial model

·  other relevant information;

(ix)  That the Council enters a Development Agency agreement with SHG  whereby the Council indemnifies SHG for costs (estimated at up to £500k) incurred in obtaining a detailed planning permission for land at Thames View in the event that the BRHIC is not established; and

  (x)   That the Legal Partner, Procurement, Contracts and Property and Divisional Director of Corporate Finance are collectively given delegated powers to negotiate the Development Agency agreement terms.

Concerns a land disposal matter (paragraph 3)

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Resources regarding proposals to dispose of land at Bridport Avenue.

Arising from the discussions, deferred a decision pending further officer consultation with Eastbrook Ward Members and Havering Council.

(*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.)