Agenda, decisions and minutes

Attached.

Noted by Council, without division.

The protocol on the operation of the Council meeting during the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions was noted by Council, without division.

To receive apologies for absence (if any).

Received from Councillors Tele Lawal (part of meeting) and Natasha Summers.

Apologies were received from Councillors Tele Lawal (part of meeting) and Natasha Summers. Councillor Tony Durdin was absent from the meeting.

To sign as a true record the minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 3 March 2021 (attached).

Minutes agreed as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting of full Council held on 3 March 2021 were agreed as a correct record, without division.

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

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

There were no disclosures of interest.

There were no disclosures of interest.

To receive announcements (if any).

A minute’s silence was held in memory of former Councillor David Cure. Tributes to Councillor Cure were paid by a number of Members.

The Leader of the Council reminded Members that the first anniversary of the initial Covid-19 lockdown was approaching. The Council had provided a number of areas of support including Business Support Payment to more than 10,000 Havering businesses, the Havering Helps scheme and support to vulnerable members of the community. Consultation would begin in due course on the location of a Covid memorial for Havering.

The Chief Executive advised that Havering had seen 91 new cases of Covid-19 during the previous week, equating to a rate of 35 per 100k. This was the same as the London average and lower than the average for England.Residents and businesses were encouraged to continue following the rules as lockdown was eased. There had also been a fall in the number of Covid patients in hospital and no outbreaks in care homes this week, for the first time in Havering. The vaccination programme was also progressing well but people were urged not to be complacent.

No Members have given notice of intention to present a petition pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 14.

There were no petitions presented.

There were no petitions presented.

NOTE: The deadline for amendments to all reports published with the Council agenda is midnight, Monday 22 March 2021.

To consider a report of the Governance Committee on the Staff Employment Procedure Rules (attached).

Report agreed without division.

A report of Governance Committee proposed for agreement by Council some changes to the Staff Employment Procedure Rules. The revised rules sought to improve the wording and formatting of the text, remove obsolete job titles and reflect decisions taken by Governance Committee at its meeting on 13 January 2021. The report was AGREED without division and it was RESOLVED:

1.    That the revised Staff Employment Procedure Rules, as shown in appendix 1 to these minutes, be agreed.

2.    That the Monitoring Officer be authorised to update the Constitution and make all necessary consequential changes.

To consider a report of the Chief Executive on Pay Policy Statement 2021/22  (attached).

Report agreed without division.

As required under the Localism Act 2021, a report of the Chief Executive set put for approval the Council’s Pay Policy 2021/22.

The report was AGREED without division and it was RESOLVED:

That the Pay Policy Statement 2021/22 (as shown at appendix 2 to these minutes) be approved.

To consider a report of the Chief Executive on Dates of Council Meetings 2021/22  (attached).

Report agreed without division.

A report of the Chief Executive asked Council to agree the dates of its meetings for the Municipal Year 2021/22 and, on a provisional basis, the balance of 2022.

The report was AGREED without division, and it was RESOLVED:

1.    That the Council fixes (as shown in the report of the Chief Executive) the dates of its meetings for the Municipal Year 2021/22 and, on a provisional basis, the balance of 2022.

2.    That changes to the date of meetings of Council be determined by the Mayor, following consultation with Group Leaders.

To consider a report of the Chief Executive on Overview and Scrutiny Rules – Exception to the Call-in (Requisition) Procedure (attached).

Report agreed without division.

As required under paragraph 18e of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, a report of the Chief Executive listed recent Executive Decisions where exemptions from call-in had been granted.

The report was AGREED without division and it was RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

Attached.

Fifteen questions submitted and answered at the meeting.

Procedural motion to suspend Council Procedure Rule10.7 to allow completion of Council questions, AGREED without division.

A procedural motion to suspend Council Procedure Rule 10.7 to allow the completion of Council questions was AGREED without division.

Fifteen questions were submitted and answered at the meeting. Answers to all questions as well as summaries of supplementary questions asked and answers given are shown at appendix 3 to these minutes.  

Attached.

A.   PLANNING CALL-IN PROCEDURE

Amendment by Conservative Group CARRIED by 27 votes to 17 with 6 abstentions and AGREED as substantive motion by 28 votes to 21 with 2 abstentions.

B.   RAINHAM CREEK, BRIDGE ROAD, RAINHAM

Amendment by Conservative Group CARRIED by 39 votes to 5 with 4 abstentions and AGREED as substantive motion by 43 votes to 5 with 2 abstentions.

C.   NHS TEST, TRACK AND TRACE

Amendment by Conservative Group CARRIED by 43 votes to 6 with 1 abstention and AGREED as substantive motion by 43 votes to 7 with 1 abstention.

D.   GOVERNMENT PLANNING PROPOSALS

Amendment by Conservative Group CARRIED by 29 votes to 18 with 3 abstentions; amendment by Independent Residents’ Group NOT CARRIED by 29 votes to 20 with 2 abstentions. Amendment by Conservative Group AGREED as substantive motion by 30 votes to 19 with 1 abstention.

A. PLANNING CALL-IN PROCEDURE

Motion on behalf of the Upminster and Cranham Residents’ Associations Group

This Council requests Governance Committee review the current Planning Call in procedure, with a view to enabling call-ins for applications which are recommended for refusal. To allow such call-ins would be a return to pre-2018 arrangements where ward members were able to contribute to planning decisions.

Amendment by the Conservative Group

Following the changes to Havering Council’s planning system, as a result of a review by the Planning Advisory Service in 2017, this Council requests that a further review is commissioned to establish whether any amendment(s) are warranted. The outcome of this review will be reported to Governance Committee.

Following debate, the amendment on behalf of the Conservative Group was CARRIED by 27 votes to 17 with 7 abstentions (see division 1) and AGREED as the substantive motion by 28 votes to 21 with 2 abstentions (see division 2).

RESOLVED:

Following the changes to Havering Council’s planning system, as a result of a review by the Planning Advisory Service in 2017, this Council requests that a further review is commissioned to establish whether any amendment(s) are warranted. The outcome of this review will be reported to Governance Committee.

Motion on behalf of the Independent Residents’ Group

That Council calls upon the Executive to take action to clean up the Rainham Creek next to the Angel Public House, Bridge Road, Rainham.

Amendment by the Conservative Group

The Council requests that the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee undertakes a review of Rainham Creek and the surrounding area and brings forward a set of recommendation to a future Cabinet meeting.

Following debate, the amendment on behalf of the Conservative Group was CARRIED by 39 votes to 5 with 7 abstentions (see division 3) and AGREED as the substantive motion by 43 votes to 6 with 2 abstentions (see division 4).

RESOLVED:

The Council requests that the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee undertakes a review of Rainham Creek and the surrounding area and brings forward a set of recommendation to a future Cabinet meeting.

Motion on behalf of the Labour Group

This council has rightly acknowledged the major success of the NHS and local health and community networks in their management and oversight of the covid vaccine programme.

This success is in sharp contrast to the test, track and trace system which has been largely managed and overseen by private companies and consultants, with SERCO misleadingly badged as NHS.   The test, track and trace system is still not operating to an acceptable level despite costs to public funds to date in excess of £22bn.

It is time to learn lessons from the success of the vaccine roll-out programme.   This has shown how much more successful the established contact networks of the NHS, local public health, local government, community networks and GPs can be in working closely together with the local populations within their localities.  This Council recognises that in addition to a successful vaccine programme, the pathway to an effective control of the current pandemic requires, inter alia, a viable and reliable test, track and trace system.  The past 12 months have demonstrated that the present providers have been, and continue to be, incapable of delivering this.

 Accordingly, this council resolves to make representation to the government to urgently transfer the responsibility for test, track and trace to where it should have originally been placed, namely with the NHHS and local health and community based organisations.

Amendment by the Conservative Group

In readiness for the devolution of the test and trace system to Local Councils, this Council requests the Administration bring forward a report to Cabinet on how to maintain and improve the system across the Borough.

The on behalf of the Conservative Group was CARRIED by 43 votes to 5 with 3 abstentions (see division 5) and AGREED as the substantive motion by 43 votes to 7 with 1 abstention (see division 6).

RESOLVED:

In readiness for the devolution of the test and trace system to Local Councils, this Council requests the Administration bring forward a report to Cabinet on how to maintain and improve the system across the Borough.

Motion on behalf of the Labour Group

This Council expresses concern at the Government’s Planning proposals to increase the new housing delivery targets for metropolitan areas including Havering which will result in a 35% increase in the current target to 1,600 new homes a year. This Council also wishes to place on record its opposition on the effective removal of its ability to determine planning applications as a “Growth” area. The Council therefore requests that the three Members of Parliament representing constituencies in the Borough take note of its position and oppose the measures when they come before Parliament.

Amendment of behalf of the Conservative Group

This Council welcomes the infrastructure led approach to housing development across Havering, which will see quality developments being brought forward; is dismayed at the approach of the Mayor of London who had sought to increase Havering’s housing targets to 1875; and welcomes the steps taken by the Administration to establish an outer London design code to protect and maintain the characteristics of suburban London.

Amendment on behalf of the Independent Residents’ Group

This Council expresses concern at the Government’s Planning proposals to increase the new housing delivery targets for 20 metropolitan areas, which in Havering's case will result in a 120% increase of our current target to 2,666 new homes a year! This Council also wishes to place on record its opposition on the effective removal of its ability to determine planning applications within any “Growth” areas.

The Council therefore requests that the three Members of Parliament representing constituencies in the Borough take note of its position and oppose the measures when they come before Parliament.

The amendment by the Conservative Group was CARRIED by 29 votes to 18 with 4 abstentions (see division 7); the amendment by the Independent Residents’ Group was NOT CARRIED by 29 votes to 20 with 2 abstentions (see division 8); the motion on behalf of the Conservative Group was AGREED as the substantive motion by 30 votes to 19 with 2 abstentions (see division 9).

RESOLVED:

This Council welcomes the infrastructure led approach to housing development across Havering, which will see quality developments being brought forward; is dismayed at the approach of the Mayor of London who had sought to increase Havering’s housing targets to 1875; and welcomes the steps taken by the Administration to establish an outer London design code to protect and maintain the characteristics of suburban London.

The record of voting decisions is attached as appendix 4 to these minutes.