Minutes:
The Leader of the Council presented a verbal statement updating the Assembly on the following matters:
At the end of last week the Leader received confirmation that the Council had secured £41m of funding from the GLA to support the delivery of 2,000 new homes and 4,000 new jobs in Barking. The investment was in addition to the ongoing work the Council was doing with the Barbican and, alongside the cultural offer at the Icehouse Quarter, Barking was now being recognised as a cultural hub for creative arts.
The Leader stated that he had asked officers to push ahead with plans for improved public spaces as well as new leisure facilities including a new cinema to complement the new leisure centre which is due to be opening soon.
The Leader referred to the recent conference he had attended with other Cabinet Members and senior officers regarding future prospects of devolving powers down to London Boroughs. Eight other London borough Leaders attended from the NELSA group (North East London Strategic Authority) to discuss ideas about what a devolved Greater London could look like.
The Leader commented that it was vital that Barking and Dagenham puts itself centre stage in the debate about the future of local government and that the conference built on the effective working already achieved with the Mayor and GLA on the growth agenda for the Borough.
The Leader was pleased to announce that this month the Council was putting forward a ‘new deal for Council tenants’ which aimed to:
- bring massive investment in the existing Council homes;
- create more Council houses;
- tackle neglected housing blocks; and
- retain one of the lowest rent levels in London.
The Leader congratulated Cllr Carpenter and the Education Team after Ofsted had published its report into the inspection of Barking and Dagenham School Improvement Services. The inspection found strong leadership in the Council with Members and senior officers providing clear direction and demonstrated that the Council was continuing to turn the tide, recognising that there were no barriers when it came to providing the best quality education for our children.
The Leader expressed his heartfelt thanks to all those involved.
The Leader was delighted to announce the inaugural celebration of Women’s Empowerment Month in March as part of the Borough’s 50th anniversary celebrations. The event aimed to promote pride and to honour the many influential women who had lived and worked in Barking and Dagenham throughout the years.
The Leader advised that the Council was hosting a community awards event to recognise the achievements of the borough’s women across nine different categories, with an overall ‘Woman of the Year’ selected from the category winners. Councillors Ashraf and Bright were also giving presentations linked to the awards and the Leader encouraged all Members to get involved.
Following on from the Mayor’s commitment made at last year’s inaugural Youth Parade, the Leader congratulated Angelica Olawepo who had recently been elected as the Borough’s first Young Mayor.