Agenda and draft 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.

By invitation: Councillor Milton McKenzie, Executive Portfolio Holder for Street Scene and Sustainability.

Councillor McKenzie, the Executive Member with responsibility for Street Scene and Sustainability, had been invited to the meeting to discuss his portfolio. Councillor McKenzie was supported by David Woods, Corporate Director of Customer Services, and Darren Henaghan, Head of Environmental and Enforcement Services.

Councillor McKenzie advised that the key areas within his portfolio were:

i)  The East London Waste Authority

ii)  Street Scene, Parking and Highways

iii)  Enforcement and Street Wardens

iv)  Environmental health and consumer protection

v)  Sustainability

During the question and answer session that followed, Councillor McKenzie and supporting officers made the following points:

• That there was a need to review parking arrangements across the borough, in combination with efforts to reduce car use.

• That the Council had been awarded Beacon Status in 2008 for its work on tackling climate change.

• That the number of Street Wardens had been significantly increased from six to twenty-four. The intention is to maximise this resource by increasing joint-working arrangements amongst frontline services.

Agreed that the Group Manager for Regeneration and Economic Development be requested to circulate a briefing note to all SMB Members regarding the carbon footprint associated with Barking Learning Centre.

Members thanked Councillor McKenzie and supporting officers for attending the meeting and providing full answers to all the questions raised.

Further to minute 68, received a report on the Review of Scrutiny Arrangements which, for consultation purposes (now underway), put forward two main options for consideration. Several questions were raised for clarification around issues such as the timing of meetings, reporting lines and memberships, in relation to Option Two.

Considered that, in order to accommodate Councillors and members of the public who were employed during the day, Committee meetings should be scheduled to start at 6pm, where possible.

Received and noted the Race, Gender and Disability Equality Schemes Update report, as presented by the Group Manager for Equalities and Diversity.

Noted that the new policy was more inclusive, as well as taking into account specific borough priorities and being aligned to other corporate policies.

Received and noted a progress report from the Health Scrutiny Panel.

Councillor West provided a verbal update on the 3 March Four-Borough JOSC meeting and the 4 March Pan-London JOSC meeting.

Considered the Forward Plan. Requested that further information be circulated to Members regarding the item ‘Barking and Dagenham Local Housing Company’.

Received and noted the report.

Councillor Denyer updated the Board that the final report of the Bailiff Services Informal Scrutiny would be delayed until the 22 April 2009 SMB meeting.

Agreed that Councillor Waker would provide a final summary of the work of the Energy Savings Informal Scrutiny to the 22 April SMB meeting.

Agreed that the proposed reviews of ‘Housing Supply’ and ‘Delivery of Decent Homes’ be delayed until any changes to the Scrutiny structure are implemented and then proposed as possible review topics to the relevant Committee.

Agreed that the draft Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report should be brought forward to be heard at the 22 April SMB meeting.