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

By Minute 116 (20 January 2009) it was agreed that, in the light of the success of pilots carried out in five areas, to roll out across the Borough the provision of wheelie bins for household waste.

The decision was subsequently called in, and at a meeting of the Scrutiny Management Board (Minute 71, 9 February 2009) it was decided to ask the Executive to defer the implementation of the scheme in order to give all Members of their respective parties the opportunity to receive a presentation, thus allowing them to ask questions on how the roll out of the scheme would affect their constituents before a final decision is made.

Consequently, all Members were invited to attend a presentation from the Corporate Director of Customer Services and to ask questions and/or seek clarification at a pre-Assembly briefing earlier this evening.

In the light of the presentation, the Corporate Director of Customer Services represented the report outlining the results of the wheelie bin pilots. Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve its Community Priorities of “Making Barking and Dagenham Cleaner, Greener and Safer” and “Raising General Pride in the Borough”, to the adoption of the wheelie bin scheme throughout the Borough, the capital and revenue implications of which have been included as part of the Council’s budget process approved by the Assembly.

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 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

(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.)

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Customer Services on the proposal to seek a judicial review of the national housing subsidy system which, due to this Council’s prudent management of its finances over the years, means that Barking and Dagenham is classified as a ‘negative subsidy’ Borough and, as such, has to pay money from the HRA to the Government for redistribution amongst those boroughs considered to be “in greater need”.

Noted that for 2007/08 this Council, and effectively its tenants, were required to pay the Government £17 million due to the negative subsidy status and this figure is due to rise to £22 million for 2009/10.  As a consequence of this and also the impact of the negative subsidy requirements on the longer term viability to maintain a balanced HRA, the Council has sought advice from leading Counsel on the grounds for a legal challenge of the Government’s position.

Agreed, in order to ensure that the Council is able to maintain the HRA in balance for future years and to ensure that homes managed by the Council are brought up to and maintained at a good standard, to:

(i)  The Council seeking a judicial review of the HRA Subsidy Determination on the basis of the advice and information contained within the report; and

(ii)  Authorise the Chief Executive to decide on the most appropriate courses of action in the light of further advice from leading Counsel.