Agenda and minutes

The Mayor referred to the recent death of Christine Dooley, former Assistant Chief Executive Legal & Democratic Services.

All present stood in silence as a mark of respect.

Councillors Michael White, Clarence Barrett, Keith Darvill, Jeffrey Tucker and Denis O’Flynn paid tribute to Mrs Dooley.

To sign as a true record the minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 13 June 2012 (attached)

The minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 13 June 2012 were before the Council for approval.

The minutes were AGREED without division and it was RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Council held 13 June 2012 be signed as a correct record.

Members are invited to disclose any pecuniary interest in any of the items on the agenda at this point of the meeting. 

Members may still disclose any pecuniary interest in an item at any time prior to the consideration of the matter.

There were no disclosures of interest.

The Mayor’s Announcements are attached as Appendix 1 to these minutes.

No notice has been given of an intention to present a petition.

There were no petitions presented.

NOTE:

The deadline for amendments is midnight, Monday 16 July 2012

To consider the Annual Reports of various Committees (attached, as a separate document)

Council received and considered the Annual Reports of the following:

Children & Learning Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Crime & Disorder Committee

Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Individuals Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Partnerships Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Towns & Communities Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Value Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Audit Committee

Each Annual Report was ADOPTED without debate or division.

RESOLVED:

That the Annual Reports as listed be approved.

Note: amendments to this report may be submitted at any time prior to debate at the meeting

To consider a report of the Cabinet (to follow, as a late report)

The Group Leaders and a number of Members spoke about aspects of the capital programme provision for the new Rainham Library.

At the conclusion of the debate, The Cabinet’s recommendations were ADOPTED without division and it was RESOLVED:

That the Council approve the addition of £1.8m capital budget to the Council’s capital programme, for the new Rainham Library development.

See attached paper

Five questions were asked and replies given.

The texts of those questions, and their answers, together with those not asked orally, are set out in Appendix 2 to these minutes.

NOTE: The deadline for amendments is Monday 9 July 2012

See attached paper.

Motion on behalf of the Labour Group

That this Council review its constitutional arrangements to ensure that the commonly-held view that we have in the Borough an “elective dictatorship” is addressed and reversed.

Amendment on behalf of the Administration

Amend to read

That this Council recognises that its constitutional arrangements are based on the rules imposed by the last Labour Government and that these have been implemented in a fair and democratic manner.

Following debate, the amendment by the Administration was CARRIED by 31 votes to 17 and the Administration amendment was AGREED as the substantive motion without division.

[Note: For the Administration amendment – Councillors Michael Armstrong, Robert Benham, Becky Bennett, Jeff Brace, Wendy Brice-Thompson, Dennis Bull, Andrew Curtin, Osman Dervish, Ted Eden, Roger Evans, Georgina Galpin, Peter Gardner, Lesley Kelly, Steven Kelly, Pam Light, Robby Misir, Eric Munday, Barry Oddy, Frederick Osborne, Gary Pain, Roger Ramsey, Paul Rochford, Geoffrey Starns, Billy Taylor, Barry Tebbutt, Frederick Thompson, Linda Trew, Melvin Wallace, Keith Wells, Damian White, Michael White;

Against – Councillors June Alexander, Clarence Barrett, Nic Dodin, Brian Eagling, Gillian Ford, Linda Hawthorn, Ray Morgon, Ron Ower, Linda Van den Hende, Denis Breading, Keith Darvill, Paul McGeary, Pat Murray, David Durant, Jeffrey Tucker. ]

With the agreement of the Council, the following motions were withdrawn:

Item 10B   – Olympic Torch Relay – by the Independent Residents’ Group

Item 10C – The Right to Buy: Review – by the Independent Residents’ Group