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.

Following the strategic review of the services provided to Homeless and Young Persons, received a report from the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services concerning the Commissioning Plan which proposes to implement substantial improvements to the services provided to the community.

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

  (i)  The Strategic Review and Commissioning Plan for Support Services to Homeless and Young People;

  (ii)  Commissioning of a support service to residents of Bevan House and Summerfield House through tendering of a contract;

  (iii)  Commissioning a supported accommodation scheme at Circle Anglia’s Vineries for young people and teenage parents through tendering of a contract;

  (iv)  Commissioning a multiple needs service through tendering of a contract;

  (v)  Commissioning of a single ‘floating’ support service to replace the current Tenancy Sustainment Team and Teenage Parents Floating Support services;

a)  Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Adult & Community Services to decide the best means of securing that service in consultation with a working group including staff and Trade Unions.

  (vi)  Commissioning of a support service for residents of Boundary Road.

a)  Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Adult & Community Services to decide the best means of securing that service in consultation with a working group including staff and Trade Unions.

  (vii)  Not recommission a supported accommodation contract at the Romford YMCA.

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

The current position for revenue expenditure indicates a potential £400k overspend in Children’s Services due to providing transport services for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). Other departments are also identifying areas of concern where budget pressures may arise and these are being addressed by the relevant Corporate Director and as part of the Council’s ongoing budget monitoring process.

Arising from the discussion, asked that officers provide further information on the reasons for the increase in transport costs and concerns were raised with regards to items which have been added in year to the capital programme.

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 May 2009;

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

  (iii)  Note 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; and

  (iv)  the additional budget of £192k for demolishing the properties known as 16-18 and 20 Cambridge Road and The Lawns. The cost of these works will initially be funded from the Council’s internal capital and borrowing resources, which will then be offset by both the revenue savings and future capital receipts arising from the disposals.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Children’s Services regarding details of grant funding awarded to the Council by the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) to support two initiatives; (a) The fund to improve School Kitchens and Dining Rooms and (b) to support the co-location of workers onto school sites and the need to reflect these additional resources in a revised and updated investment plan.

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

  (i)  the addition of new projects into the Capital Programme, as  follows:

-  Investing in School Kitchens (DCSF grant) £908,632

-­  Co-location Capital Grant (DCSF grant)    £641,000; and

  (ii)  note the success of these two bids and that additional grant funding has been secured to support existing programme initiatives.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Children’s Services regarding proposals to expand Roding Primary School at Cannington Road to provide more school places.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priorities of ‘Inspired and Successful’ and ‘Fair and Respectful’ to:

  (i)  the procurement route as set out in Section 4 of the report and delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children’s Services in consultation with the Corporate Director of Resources to place an order with an appropriate construction company in accordance with the Council’s Rules and its Constitution;

  (ii)  the financial provision as set out in the financial implications section of the report; and

  (iii)  acknowledge that due to the speed of this project, we were not notified of the intention to go to tender before this report, but that no tenders will be accepted or contracts awarded prior to our consideration of this procurement matter and our consent to proceed given.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Children’s Services regarding proposals to increase charges at Butler Court for room lettings for teachers’ accommodation 1 September 09.

Arising from the discussion, deferred a decision pending a full detailed business case on the charging policy and costing arrangement of Butler Court covering both teaching and hospitality accommodation.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Children’s Services requesting permission for sixth form students to travel to Krakow, Poland on the annual Holocaust memorial educational trip.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priority of ‘Inspired and Successful Young People’ to one sixth form student from each secondary school and a Councillor to travel to Krakow, Poland on the annual Holocaust memorial educational trip in March 2010.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Children’s Services regarding proposals to introduce a Youth Access Card in the borough which aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the youth of the borough.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priorities of ‘Healthy’, ‘Safe’, ‘Inspired and Successful Young People‘, to:

  (i)  A Youth Access Card being introduced with the following functions:

(a) Secondary school cashless catering;

(b)Leisure (Concessions, Membership, promotions and rewards);

(c)Libraries (Membership);

(d) Youth Reproductive and Sexual Health Initiative

(e) Primary school cashless catering.

  (ii)  Costs and funding sources for this project, as set out in section 4.1 of the report, with the Schools Forum supporting the relevant funding from the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG);

  (iii)  approve the use of £68,000 from corporate balances in 2009/10 to meet the required shortfall in the project costing;

  (iv)  the budget model reflects the financial impact of the project on the general fund from 2011/12 onwards;

  (v)  delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Resources to explore the procurement options (described in paragraph 4.3 of the report), in consultation with the Legal Partner, Corporate Procurement and the Divisional Director of Corporate Finance;

  (vi)  authorise the Corporate Director of Resources, in consultation with the Legal Partner, Corporate Procurement and the Divisional Director of Corporate Finance, to either:

(a)  report back to us with recommendations of the procurement route; or

(b)  select the preferred procurement option, execute the procurement, award the contract and report back to us after the contract has been awarded.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Customer Services outlining proposals to consult on a new Parking Strategy for the borough.

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

  (i)  Draft Strategy profile, (attached as appendix A of the report) is adopted as the basis for consultation and development for the detailed Strategy;

  (ii)  Consultation plan,( attached as appendix B of the report) is adopted for use in developing the detailed Strategy; and

  (iii)  Business case for a new parking service computer is presented to the Business Applications Board as part of the One B&D programme for approval and if approved this will be reported back to Members for consideration for inclusion in the capital programme.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Customer Services setting out details in support of broadening enforcement of moving traffic violations and proposing a new appointed day for it to come into effect.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priorities of ‘Safe’ and ‘Clean’ to recommend that the Assembly approve the 22 November 2009 as the ‘appointed day’ for the broader range of moving traffic violations under Section 4 of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003 within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

Following the decision agreed by Minute 148 2008/09 to establish a Skills Centre on the London Road /North Street site, received a report from the Corporate Director of Children’s Services regarding funding options to implement the proposals.

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

  (i)  Confirm their support for the Skills Centre as a priority project , and the subsequent rationalisation of the Capital Programme to accommodate this scheme, the impact of which will be advised to Members at a later date;

  (ii)  Approve the inclusion of this scheme within the current capital programme;

  (iii)  Prudential borrowing for this scheme for the sum of £8.97m subject to any sum identified from (iv) below; and

  (iv)  officers seeking a financial contribution from Barking College towards meeting the capital costs of building the Skills Centre as a condition of the partnership arrangement.

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 Chief Executive concerning proposals to establish a mixed use development consisting of commercial and residential units in the area between London Road, East Street and North Street.

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

  (i)  the Council’s parameters on the London Road / North Street site for the redevelopment of up to 6,500 sqm (gross) of commercial floorspace, up to 150 units of housing (subject to financial viability), the provision of a permanent public square to accommodate the Market and the creation of better pedestrian linkages for the area;

  (ii)  Authorise the publishing of a Contract Notice in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) calling for expressions of interest from developers regarding the regeneration of the mixed use development on London Road / North Street;

  (iii)  Authorise the use of the Council’s Compulsory Purchase Order making powers pursuant to Section 226 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) for the acquisition of any outstanding freehold and leasehold interests from the properties outlined in the report, for the purposes of securing the site for redevelopment;

  (iv)  the principle of the delivery of an element of housing subject to financial viability of this component;

  (v)  the principle that a portion of the costs associated with works to the Methodist Church be funded, in due course, from any capital receipt received from the commercial development;

  (vi)  Note that a further report will be made, in due course, with regard to any capital receipt arising from the commercial development; and

  (vii)  Note the net loss :-

a).  General Fund revenue income to the council of £80,000 in a full year from loss of car parking income arising from the proposals and agree that these reductions are reflected in the medium term financial strategy and the relevant service budgets.

b).  HRA revenue income of £68,000 from shops on North Street / London Rd in a full year arising from these proposals and agree that these reductions are reflected in the HRA medium term Business Plan and the relevant HRA service budgets.