Agenda and minutes

To sign as a true record the minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 9 October 2013 (attached).

The minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 9 October 2013 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 on 9 October 2013 be signed as a correct record.

There were no disclosures of interest. 

To receive announcements (if any).

The Mayor expressed his disappointment at unseemly events concerning the attempted taking of photographs prior to the recent Remembrance Sunday parade and expressed a wish that such behaviour would not be repeated in future.

A procedural motion was proposed by the Administration that the emergency motion concerning remarks made by Councillor Tucker be heard as the first item of business under agenda item 16 (Motions for Debate). The procedural motion was CARRIED by 46 votes to 3 (see division 1).

            A procedural motion was proposed by the Administration that agenda item 16 (Motions for Debate) be heard prior to agenda item 15 (Council Questions). The procedural motion was CARRIED by 45 votes to 3 (see division 6).      

To receive a presentation on the proposed Shared Services agreement with London Borough of Newham.

Council received a presentation from the Leader of the Council on the proposed shared services agreement with London Borough of Newham following which Members asked questions concerning aspects of the proposals. The presentation by the Leader is set out at Appendix 1 to these minutes.

Reports of Cabinet (subject to approval by Cabinet) and Governance Committee (attached).

Deemed motion: That the reports be adopted as submitted.

NOTE: The deadline for amendments is midnight, Monday 25 November 2013.

NOTE: Members are reminded to bring with them the agenda papers from the Cabinet meeting of 20 November 2013.

A report of Cabinet outlined the main benefits of a shared service with London Borough of Newham and recommended that the decision on this matter be supported by Council. A report of Governance Committee recommended some changes to the Constitution to accommodate the establishment of a Joint Committee to oversee the shared service.

            Deemed motions on behalf of the Administration

            That the Cabinet decision be adopted by Council.

            That the recommendations of Governance Committee be agreed.

            Amendment by the Independent Residents’ Group

            That the Council rejects merging our back-room services with Newham as a false economy that puts our lean but well run Council at risk.

            Following debate, the amendment by the Independent Residents’ Group was NOT CARRIED by 46 votes to 3 (see division 2) and the deemed motions by the Administration were CARRIED by 46 votes to 3 (see division 3).

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet decision be adopted by Council.

            That the recommendations of Governance Committee be agreed as follows:

1.      That Council agrees to the formation of a joint committee with the London Borough of Newham to deliver various back-office functions for both Councils.

And that the section of the Constitution dealing with Joint Working Delegations (Section 2.8) be extended to include the following:

2.      The following amendment to the constitution is made:

In section 2.8 Joint Working Delegations add:

(c) Shared Services Joint Committees

This is an executive committee of this Council and the London Borough of Newham with a membership of 3 councillors from the executive of each Council.

The committee’s functions will be from the 1^st April 2014 to control and co-ordinate the back-office functions of both Councils, in the case of Havering these will be:

(a)       Finance & Procurement

(b)      Exchequer Services

(c)       Asset Management

(d)      Legal Services

(e)       Democratic Services

(f)        Strategic HR and Organisational Development

(g)      Business Systems

These functions are set out in detail in Schedule 2 of the Joint Committee Agreement with the London Borough of Newham.

The Joint Committee will, prior to the 1^st April 2014 determine the senior management arrangements for the proposed shared service.

To receive any petition pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 23.

There were no petitions presented.

To consider a report of Cabinet (attached).

NOTE: The deadline for amendments is midnight, Monday 25 November 2013

A report by Cabinet recommended that Council approve funding for the conversion of 6,000 sodium street lights in the borough to more energy efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights. These would generate substantial savings over time in both energy and maintenance costs to the Council. Cabinet had agreed to proceed to tender for the conversion of the existing 6,000 sodium street lights and to apply for the maximum interest free loan (£770,000) available under the Salix Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme in order to part fund the project.

            The recommendation of Cabinet was APPROVED without division and it was RESOLVED:

That Council add the funding of the scheme as set out in Appendix 2 to these minutes to the Capital Budget for 2013/14.

To consider a report of Cabinet (attached).

Note: The deadline for amendments is midnight, Monday 25 November 2013.

The Council had submitted bids under the Mayor of London’s ‘Building the Pipeline’ budding round for a number of affordable housing schemes to be built on Council-owned land held within the Housing Revenue Account. These proposals focused on the provision of bungalows for older people and general needs houses and flats in line with locally-defined strategic priorities.

            The proposed schemes, which had been supported by Cabinet, were in keeping with the Council’s Asset Management Plan. Details of the schemes are shown at Appendix 3 to these minutes.

            The recommendations of Cabinet were APPROVED without division and it was RESOLVED that:

1. Approval be given for an allocation of £1,001,863 from the proceeds of right-to-buy council property sales accruing between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013 for this new build programme

2. Approval be given for an allocation of £3,399,936 resources from the HRA Business Plan, including £353,000 already approved for Hidden Homes works, for this new build programme

3. Approval be given for an allocation of £311,891 of section 106 commuted sums for this new build programme

4. Approval be given for an allocation of £110,000 from the Adult Social Care capital budget, from Department of Health grant, to enable the addition of assistive technology to a scheme specifically for Adult Social Care clients for this new build programme

5. Approval be given for a virement of £655,949 from unallocated capital resources held in the Housing General Fund previously earmarked to support vulnerable and/or disabled residents

To consider a report of Cabinet (subject to approval by Cabinet) - attached.

Note: The deadline for amendments is midnight, Monday 25 November 2013.

A report of Cabinet sought Member approval to finalise negotiations with Morrisons to ensure that the Romford Leisure Development can proceed. An increase of £2 million to the budget had been recommended due to factors such as construction inflation, planning requirements and ground condition issues.

            Following debate, an amendment to the report by the Residents’ Group that the recommendation of Cabinet be amended to read:

It is recommended that Council receive a full and transparent review of the viability of the capital cost projections and revenue assumptions in respect of the proposed Romford Leisure Centre before committing any further funding to the project.

was LOST by 27 votes to 18 (see division 4).

Following debate, an amendment to the report by the Independent Residents’ Group that the recommendation of Cabinet be amended to read:

This Council has an aspiration for a new Leisure Centre but rejects the proposal to make a £2 million payment from reserves towards a prestige project at this time of Government imposed cuts to jobs and local services.

was LOST by 45 votes to 3 (see division 5).

The motion of the Administration that the expansion of the Capital programme be approved by Council such that:

Council agrees to an increase of £2m to this budget, making a revised capital budget of £28.848m, subject to the Agreement with Morrisons becoming unconditional.

was APPROVED without division.

RESOLVED that:

Council agrees to an increase of £2m to this budget, making a revised capital budget of £28.848m, subject to the Agreement with Morrisons becoming unconditional.

To consider a report of the Governance Committee (attached).

Note: The deadline for amendments is midnight, Monday 25 November 2013.

A report by Governance Committee advised that, following the sad death of the previous incumbent, Council was required to appoint a new Deputy Independent Person as part of the arrangements for regulating Members’ Standards of Conduct. Governance Committee had received information about the experience and skills of the new Deputy Independent Person – Ms Sarah Cooper James and it was confirmed that Ms Cooper James’ allowances for the position would be funded by Redbridge, with whom the Council had an informal mutual support arrangement for these roles.

            The recommendation of the Governance Committee was APPROVED without division and it was RESOLVED:  

            That Ms Sarah Cooper James be appointed as Deputy Independent Person for Havering.

To consider a report of the Governance Committee (attached).

Note: The deadline for amendments is midnight, Monday 25 November 2013.

A report by Governance Committee recommended that Council approve an amendment to the Constitution whereby planning applications by the Council could be determined by the use of delegated powers, provided that such developments covered less than 1000m2 floor space, were in accordance with development plans and/or national planning policies and that no third party objections had been received. It would remain open to any Councillor that wished to, to refer such an application to the Regulatory Services Committee for its consideration. It was felt that this policy would reduce bureaucracy and result in a quicker and more cost effective method of dealing with planning applications submitted by the Council itself.

The recommendation of the Governance Committee was APPROVED without division and it was RESOLVED that:

Section of the Constitution 3.6.6 be extended to include the following category:

(xv)   To decide any application by the Council, or concerning Council land/ premises, involving buildings or structures/changes of use of no greater than 1000m² floor space, where the proposal accords with development plan and/ or national planning policies and no third party objections have been received.

To consider a report of Cabinet (attached).

Note: The deadline for amendments is midnight, Monday 25 November 2013.

            Cabinet had recently considered the proposed approach to the Council’s financial strategy and the proposed approach to the development of a long term financial strategy. Cabinet had, as part of this process, approved and recommended to Council the adoption of the revenue budget strategy statement set out in Appendix 4 to these minutes.

            The recommendation of Cabinet was AGREED without division and it RESOLVED that: 

            The revenue budget strategy statement as set out in Appendix 4 to these minutes be adopted.

Attached.

It was AGREED without division that answers to Members’ Questions would be given in writing. It was noted that question 1 was withdrawn by the Residents’ Group and that this would be resubmitted to the next meeting of Council.

                        The text of the questions, and their answers, are set out in Appendix 5 to these minutes.

See attached paper.

During the discussion on the first motion, the Mayor terminated the meeting of Council owing to the conduct and behaviour of some Members, which had disrupted the smooth running of the meeting and prevented orderly debate.

The record of voting divisions is attached as Appendix 6.