Agenda and minutes
Venue: Council Chamber, Brent Town Hall, Forty Lane, Wembley, HA9 9HD. View directions
Contact: Peter Goss, Democratic Services Manager 020 8937 1351, Email: peter.goss@brent.gov.uk
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Minutes of the previous meeting PDF 171 KB Minutes: RESOLVED:-
that the minutes of the previous meeting held on 13 September 2010 be approved as an accurate record of the meeting. |
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Declarations of personal and prejudicial interests Members are invited to declare at this stage of the meeting, any relevant financial or other interest in the items on this agenda. Minutes: Councillor Powney declared an interest in item 6 by virtue of being a member of the West London Waste Authority. |
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Mayor's announcements Minutes: The Mayor was pleased to welcome five new members of the Corporate Management Team to the meeting. They were Clive Heaphy attending his first meeting of the Council as the new Director of Finance and Corporate Services. The other four other new appointments were:
Krutika Pau, the new Director of Children and Families Sue Harper, the new Director of Environment and Neighbourhood Services Andy Donald, the new Director of Regeneration and Major Projects, and Fiona Leaden the new Director of Legal and Procurement.
The Mayor announced that Brent Council had been awarded the London Council’s Charter Mark for Member Development Excellence. This was in recognition of the Council’s work to provide training and support to its members. He thanked those officers and members who were involved in working on this.
The Mayor announced that the Council and the local community joined forces again for the celebration of Brent Diwali, the Festival of Lights, on Saturday 30 October 2010. The event attracted in excess of 60,000 people and is one of the largest Diwali celebrations outside India. The Mayor added that the Council was honoured to work with a range of community groups who produced the fantastic floats and provided the performers for the parade. He thanked everyone who made the event such a huge success.
The Mayor informed members that he was having a Christmas Party on Thursday 16 December in the Blue Room Restaurant in aid of his chosen charities. Tickets would be available from his office and he hoped it would be well supported.
The Mayor referred to the list of current petitions showing progress on dealing with them which had been circulated around the chamber.
The Mayor stated that it was Richard Cotton’s (Labour Group Office Manager) last Council meeting before he left the Council at the end of December. On behalf of all members he wished him good luck for the future. He then invited the Leader of the Council to speak. Councillor John added that Richard had served the Labour Group since 1987 and had worked in the public sector since 1974. She outlined the many additional roles he had carried out, many involving fund raising for charity and wished him well for the future. |
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Appointments to committees and outside bodies and appointment of chairs/vice chairs Minutes: RESOLVED:-
That the following appointments be made:
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Procedural motion Minutes: Councilor Moloney moved a procedural motion relating to the discussion of items 7(a) and (b).
RESOLVED:-
That in respect of Summons items 7 (a) & (b), 1st Reading Debate – 2011/12 to 20014/15 Budget:
The Leader be permitted up to 10 minutes in which to present the reports,
The Leaders of the Liberal Democrat Group and the Conservative Group be permitted up to 10 minutes to debate the item,
with the general debate to continue in accordance with Standing Order 44 (b). |
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Report from the Leader or members of the Executive PDF 55 KB To receive reports from the Leader or members of the Executive in accordance with standing order 42. Minutes: a. Items reported by the Executive
Day Centres
Councillor R Moher reported that the consultation exercise had ended in October and a report was due to be submitted to the December meeting of the Executive. There had been 27 meetings to discuss the proposals so it had been a full consultation exercise.
Emission based parking
Councillor J Moher reported that the consultation exercise was ongoing and due to be completed by 30 November. He added that to date 10 responses objecting to the proposals had been received despite the extensive press coverage the issue had been given and the posters and leaflets produced.
Waste and recycling
Councillor Powney declared a personal interest in this item by virtue of being a member of the West London Waste Authority. He reported that the Executive had agreed a waste strategy and the decisions had been called-in for scrutiny. He looked forward to hearing what alternatives would be proposed.
Libraries transformation
Councillor Powney reported that the Executive had agreed to consult on a libraries transformation programme and the decisions had been called in for scrutiny. He looked forward to hearing what alternatives would be proposed.
Meeting with Head Teachers over cuts in Building Schools for the Future (BSF) funding
Councillor John reported that regular meetings had been taking place with Heads, including one that day, since the abolition of the BSF programme had been announced. There was concern over a lack of information on how future funds for schools would be made available.
Comprehensive Spending Review
Councillor Butt raised the difficult decisions the Council would face in trying to reduce its budget by up to £100M over the next four years. The cuts that would be necessary would affect the poorest and most vulnerable in the borough. They already included the imposition of a housing benefit cap, Council Tax benefit cuts, increased rents, loss of child benefit, and even school funding was technically being cut. The council was faced with saving £37M in the first year and £24M in the second year.
London Councils summit
The Leader reported that she had attended the summit but did not stay long in light of her view that the Local Government Minister, Eric Pickles, had demonstrated little support for local government.
Member Development charter
Councillor Jones referred to the award of the charter to the Council as reported by the Mayor. She pointed out that this was the culmination of work spanning several administrations and recognised the support given by the Council to help councillors to be more effective. Councillor Jones thanked the officers who had provided this support over the years.
b. Decisions taken by the Executive under the Council’s urgency provisions
RESOLVED:
that the decisions taken by the Executive under the Council’s urgency provisions relating to the following item be noted:
Authority to appoint to a framework for leaseholder right to buy insurance and to award a call-off contract. |
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Questions from the Opposition and other Non- Executive Members Questions will be put to the Executive. Minutes: Councillor Beck asked what mechanisms would be put in place to prepare for the repatriation of monies from London Councils for funding voluntary organisations. Councillor R Moher replied that she had attended a meeting at London Councils at which it looked as if at least half the monies from the London Boroughs Grants scheme would be repatriated. She stated that consultations would take place with the larger organisations in receipt of these monies to ensure a cohesive approach was adopted that would mean they worked together across borough boundaries to deliver their services. Councillor Beck wondered how much money was involved and whether this would be ring-fenced to provide for additional voluntary sector funding, to which Councillor Moher responded that this would be a decision for the Executive. Councillor Colwill asked if the Executive considered it right to force people to give up their allotments at Elms Gardens and have to travel by car to alternative sites, He added that people should be encouraged to grow their own vegetables. Councillor Crane answered that it was not. He pointed out that the Elms Gardens site was derelict and had not been used as allotments for a number of years. It had been earmarked for sale by the previous administration and it had been decided to continue with the sale to Notting Hill Housing. It was considered necessary to sell the site in order to provide housing for decanting from the Barham Park estate to allow for its redevelopment and alternative allotment provision existed in Gladstone Park Gardens. Councillor Colwill responded that it had not previously been agreed to sell the site and residents had attended the Executive to object to the sale so he was amazed at the suggestion that the site was not used. Councillor Shaw asked a question on behalf of Councillor Green. She asked if organisations which already received funding from the Council could also apply for funding from neighbourhood funding. In Councillor Green’s ward a scheme had been agreed but there was a lack of clarity over how it could be approved. Councillor Jones replied that there was no bidding process involved. It was for the three ward councillors to decide how they wanted it spent. Councillor Shaw responded by asking for the Executive to intervene in getting funding agreed to support a bid by Brent Private Tenants Rights Group but Councillor Jones made it clear that it was not for the Executive to intervene. Councillor Van Kawala referred to the abolition of the Future Jobs Fund and asked if the Executive agreed that apprenticeship schemes provided people with valuable work experience. Councillor Arnold replied that the Council was doing quite well on providing apprenticeships and outlined the current provision within the Council. There were gaps in the areas of health and social care which needed to be addressed but in such difficult times she was pleased to confirm that the Council still retained some apprentices.
Councillor Hunter asked the Executive, if it was decided to close ... view the full minutes text for item 7. |
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The First Reading of the 2011-2012 Budget Priorities for the Administration PDF 68 KB This report should be read in conjunction with the Council’s new Borough Plan ‘Brent our Future 2010-14’ and the concurrent report from the Director of Finance and Corporate Services. Minutes: Discussion of this item was combined with the following item. |
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First Reading Debate on the 2011-2012 to 2014-2015 Budget and Medium Term Financial Plan PDF 158 KB Reports from the Director of Finance and Corporate Services attached. Additional documents:
Minutes: Councillor John opened the debate by stating that the Liberal Democrats gave politics a bad name because they were a party that would say anything and do anything to win votes. She added that the local Liberal Democrats had, while in power, spent four years blaming the Labour government for lack of funding when the government had increased funding to local government by more than 40% in real terms. Now that the Liberal Democrats were in power the Council was faced with cuts of nearly one third, made worse by being front loaded. The Building Schools for the Future programme had been cut and local government was bearing a disproportionate share of cuts in public spending. Councillor John maintained that there was no need for cuts on such a scale because Britain’s debt as a proportion of national income was one of the lowest in the EU and it appeared from recent reports that the country was able to afford to offer significant financial support to Ireland. She submitted that cuts were being made to further a political agenda which was the destruction of the welfare state. Councillor John submitted that when Labour left office in 2006, Brent Council was an improving council but progress had stalled between 2006-10 in the chaos of a joint administration between two parties who did not speak to one another often enough to make a decision. The cuts now faced by the council were on an unimaginable scale and the sort of cuts that the Liberal Democrats had opposed in the run up to the general election. The previous administration had a lot of choice in how to spend the resources at its disposal in contrast to being faced with having to make cuts such but, Councillor John said, there was a choice in the way that the cuts were made. Councillor John stated that the council could not justify keeping open branch libraries which hardly anybody used when there were disabled and elderly people who needed home care. She acknowledged that money had been spent on improving library buildings but nothing had been done to secure value for money and now thegovernment was forcing the council to choose between empty branch libraries and meals on wheels. New ways of working had to be found and it was the intention of the administration to develop a library service fit for the 21st century. It was not the intention to salami slice or impose unidentified savings on departments but instead, priorities would be identified and everything possible would be done to defend front line services. Councillor John stated that the government had embarked on a programme of centralisation that included schools, social housing and welfare being removed from local democratic control with the services and facilities being offered to a mixed bag of organisations with vested interests.
Councillor Lorber referred to a past Labour government in the 1980’s having to approach the International Monetary Fund for assistance and he accused the last ... view the full minutes text for item 9. |
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Reports from the Chairs of Overview and Scrutiny Committees To receive a report on behalf of the Chairs of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees in accordance with standing order 41. Minutes: Councillor Gladbaum (Chair of the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee) reminded members that the new overview and scrutiny structure had been agreed by Full Council on 13 September 2010. Because of the flat structure adopted, each of the committee chairs would be taking it in turn to keep Full Council informed about the work of overview and scrutiny. Councillor Gladbaum stated that she was pleased to be able to present the first report
To launch the new overview and scrutiny committees the chairs had hosted a consultation event on 28 September – One Community Many Voices. The aim of the event was to:
Ø provide an opportunity for members, partners, voluntary groups, and residents and members of the youth parliament to network and gain a better understanding of each others’ roles, Ø launch the new overview and scrutiny structure, Ø help inform the committees’ work programmes, and Ø form part of the council’s contribution to local democracy week.
Councillor Gladbaum was pleased to report that the event was very well attended and feedback from participants had been positive. The views expressed at the event would influence the areas that the committees would focus on over the next year.
Councillor Gladbaum reported on the work of each committee.
The Budget and Finance Overview and Scrutiny Committee had met on three occasions since the last Full Council and heard evidence from a variety of sources while following the budget setting process. The committee had received regular updates on the council’s current budget position and at its last meeting members had explored the comprehensive spending review, what it was likely to mean for Brent and what steps were being taken to meet the resulting challenges. The Leader of the Council and the Lead Member for Resources also attended the meeting.
The main focus of the first meeting of the Partnership and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee had been on crime and community safety. The meeting was attended by Genny Renard, Head of Community Safety Partnerships and Inspector Claire Smart and it considered the impact of government announcements on the work of the Crime Prevention Strategy Group and the proposed changes to Anti Social Behaviour Orders. It had been agreed to set up a task group on diversion and exiting strategies for gangs. Members of the task group are:
Cllr Van Kalwala Cllr Mathews Cllr HB Patel Cllr Ogunro
The committee had also agreed to set up a further task group when resources become available to look at community reassurance, particularly in relation to CCTV.
The One Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee received an overview of the two Adult Social Care One Council projects. Proposals resulting from the Direct Services Transformation Project would be discussed in more detail at the next meeting prior to those proposals going to the Executive. As well as council performance information this committee would receive regular updates on all of the projects within the One Council Programme to help members decide which of the projects ... view the full minutes text for item 10. |
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Changes to the constitution PDF 82 KB This report proposes a series of changes to the council’s constitution arising out of the council’s departmental restructuring and other miscellaneous and incidental changes. Additional documents:
Minutes: Members considered a report which proposed a series of changes to the Council’s Constitution arising out of the Council’s departmental restructuring and other miscellaneous and incidental changes.
RESOLVED:-
(i) that the changes to the Constitution set out in Appendix 1 to the report in relation to the departmental structure changes be agreed;
(ii) that the delegation of functions to officers as set out in Part 4 of the Constitution attached as Appendix 1 to the report be agreed;
(iii) that the Borough Solicitor be authorised to make such changes to the Constitution as are incidental to the changes set out in Appendix 1 to the report;
(iv) that where the Council, Executive or Committee of the Council has delegated a function, decision, power or action to a Director and that Director no longer has responsibility for that matter under the terms of Part 4 of the Constitution (as revised by members), or the directorship no longer exists, such delegations shall with effect from 22 November 2010 be deemed to have been made to the Director who now has responsibility for the matters to which the delegation relates;
(v) that the changes to the Constitution set out in Appendix 2 to the report in relation to contracts Standing Orders be agreed;
(vi) that the change to the membership of the Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing Sub Committees set out in Appendix 3 to the report be agreed;
(vii) that the recent minor changes made to the Constitution by the Borough Solicitor using her delegated powers set out in Appendix 4 to the report be agreed. |
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Motions To debate any motions submitted in accordance with standing order 45. Minutes: White Ribbon Campaign
Councillor Matthews moved the motion circulated in her name urging support for the White Ribbon Campaign and expressed the hope that it would be uncontroversial.
Councillor John expressed her support for the campaign and Councillor Beswick did likewise but added that resources would be needed. Councillor HB Patel referred to some of the history to the campaign and expressed his support.
Following a vote the motion was declared unanimously CARRIED.
RESOLVED:-
(i) that it be: - noted that the White Ribbon Campaign is the largest effort in the world of men working to end men's violence against women, by encouraging men to pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women, - understood that raising awareness plays a huge part in changing the cultural and social norms which are recognised as being highly influential in shaping individual behaviour, including the use of violence, - recognised that local councils such as Brent working directly in the community are ideally placed to raise awareness and notes the excellent work Brent has undertaken, supported by all political parties, in tackling domestic violence and dealing with its consequences, - noted that White Ribbon Day takes place on 25 November (United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women);
(ii) that a commitment be made to organising, encouraging and supporting local initiatives that commemorate and mark this day as a major opportunity to raise awareness and involve the entire local community in the activities;
(iii) that the Council commits to become a White Ribbon Accredited Authority.
Library service
Councillor HB Patel moved the motion circulated in his name which deplored the plans to close six libraries subject to consultation. It urged the Leader of the Council to reconsider the matter. Councillor Patel referred to previous plans to cut the library service being resurrected. He disputed that closing six libraries was the sign of a progressive Council as referred to in the Borough Plan.
Councillor Hashmi felt the issue was extremely important to people and questioned the future of the investment put into the library service. He urged that careful thought be given before any library was closed. Councillor Lorber added that he was surprised that the discussion seemed to suggest a decision to close the libraried had already been taken when it was still subject to public consultation. He felt this undermined the validity of the consultation process. Councillor Lorber stated that the Council only had twelve libraries left and that they should be retained by improving efficiency.
Councillor Powney disputed that there had ever been previous plans to close libraries. The decision of the Executive had been clear in going out to public consultation on a library strategy. He stated that 82% of the local population did not use the library service and so the vast majority of residents were not benefitting from it. The issue confronting the Council was one of having to make significant cuts very quickly in response to government actions. There needed ... view the full minutes text for item 12. |
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Urgent business At the discretion of the Mayor to consider any urgent business. Minutes: None |