Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Committee held on 11 March 2015, and to authorise the Chairman to sign them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 11 March 2015 were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

A report had been presented at the previous meeting of the Committee on 11 March 2015 setting out proposed changes to the call-in procedure for planning applications brought before the Regulatory Services Committee.  At that meeting, Members deferred making a decision so that further thought could be given to the proposed revisions.

The revised report before Members retained the proposal for the call-in of a planning application to be restricted to the councillors for the Ward in which the planning application site was located.  It was recognised however that there may be exceptional circumstances whereby non-ward councillors felt it was necessary for an application to be brought for the consideration of the Regulatory Services Committee.  In such exceptional circumstances, it was proposed that approval needed to be sought in writing, setting out detailed reasons for the call in which had to be related solely to matters of material planning concern and obtained from the Head of Regulatory Services for the application to be brought before the committee.

This issue was subject to comment from various members of the Committee with the strongest objection being that some planning matters had political aspects to them and by referring them to a senior officer, that officer’s political neutrality would be compromised.  This was countered by reference to the fact that the process required the Member making the call-in to show that the call-in was based on planning principles alone and therefore the Head of Service’s political neutrality would not be compromised.

Having discussed the matter at length, the issue of whether to accept the recommendations as set out in the report was put to the vote.

In favour of the motion: Councillors: Michael White, Roger Ramsey, Melvin Wallace, John Crowder, Joshua Chapman, Clarence Barrett, Barbara Matthews, Stephanie Nunn, Barry Mugglestone, Darren Wise and Ian de Wulverton

Against the motion: Councillor: David Durant

Lawrence Webb abstained

The motion was CARRIED by eleven votes to one.

The Committee RESOLVEDto recommend to Council that:

1.            That Committee Procedure Rule 13(e) of the Council’s Constitution be revised to read as follows:

(e)          Only a Councillor representing the ward in which the planning application is located, or in exceptional circumstances any member of the Council, may call-in an application before the Regulatory Services Committee. Any such request for call-in must be received by the Head of Regulatory Services in writing (to include email and facsimile) and must set out detailed reasons for the call in which must be related solely to matters of material planning concern. Any Member of the planning committee calling in a matter must take care to express themselves in a manner which would not amount to bias or pre-determination should they intend to take part in the meeting.

2.         That Section 3.6.6(d) be revised to read as follows:

“Members of the Ward in which a proposal is situated may request that an application be referred to the Regulatory Services Committee for determination.  Such request must be made in writing to either the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.

The Committee was reminded that the Governor Appointments Panel considered applications for the LA governor positions on school governing bodies and recommended individuals to the Director of Children, Adults and Housing.

The Governance Committee appointed three Members to the Panel on an annual basis and in June 2014 it appointed the Cabinet Member for Children and Learning, Councillor Gillian Ford and Councillor Lawrence Webb to serve as the Council’s representatives for the current municipal year.

On 1^st April 2015, Councillor Webb resigned from the Governor Panel and the Committee was asked to note the vacancy, which would be considered with the annual appointments to Outside Bodies at the end of May meeting.

The Committee noted the position in respect of the Governor Appointments Panel.

Members considered a report of the Monitoring Officer containing various changes to the Constitution.

The Committee noted the changes within the appendices to the report.

The Committee was reminded that the Council had the power under Section 249(5) of the Local Government Act 1972 to confer the title of “Freeman of the Borough” on persons who had, in the opinion of the Council, rendered eminent services to the borough.  For the purposes of the Act, ‘person’ included organisations.  The Council’s Constitution (Council Procedure Rule 24) provided for Council to confer the title of Freedom of the Borough.

At the time of the meeting, the Group Leaders had been unable to reach agreement on whether there should be any nominations for the award.  It was for the Governance Committee to decide whether to make a recommendation to Council in accordance with the ‘protocol on thenomination and appointment of Honorary Freemen and Honorary Aldermen for the London Borough of Havering.’

Members discussed this at some length but could reach no agreement on any names to be put forward.

The Committee agreed that as no-one had been put forward under the protocol it could not recommend anyone to Council, but that if any Group put forward a nomination by the closing date (May 5^th) they could do so.

The Committee carefully considered the issues surrounding the setting-up of a Roll of Honour in recognition of those armed forces personnel from the Borough who had died on active service between 1 April 1965 and 1 April 2015.

The Committee recommended to Council that a roll of honour in recognition of Lance Corporal Kirk Redpath and Warrant Officer Class 2 Ian Fisher, both of whom died on active service between 1 April 1965 and 1 April 2015 should be created; and that any other members of the armed forces from the Borough who died on active duty during that period should be added to it as they came to the Council’s knowledge.

The following minute refers to a late item submitted with the agreement of the Chairman as an urgent matter pursuant to Section 100B (4) of the Local Government Act 1972

The Chairman introduced a late item concerning changes to the Constitution relating to powers delegated to the Head of Regulatory Services which had been ratified by Council at its meeting of 28 January.  Council had agreed that Section 3.6.6(p) be altered to: "To issue Enforcement Notices, Stop Notices and Listed Building Enforcement Notices."  Due to an oversight however, the wording of the altered text should have continued to say the following words brought forward from the existing Section 3.6.6(p):

"… and to take any action necessary to achieve compliance with a notice, including commencing proceedings for injunctions and demolishing buildings."

It was therefore requested that this additional wording be noted as a supplementary alteration to the previously agreed change to Section 3.6.6(p).

The Committee agreed and noted the addition of wording to the original recommendation.