Full Council audio 15 March 2018

Agenda item 8

8 (a)

8 (b)

To receive deputations in accordance with Standing Order 20

King George Hospital Site

Redbridge Local Plan 

42:19

44:51

01:02:33

Agenda item 9

9 (a)

9 (b)

9 (c)

To receive and consider the following report from Officers

Calendar of Meetings 2018/19 (Pages 15-30)

Draft Pay Policy Statement 2018-19 (Pages 31-43)

Adoption of the Redbridge Local Plan: 2015-2030 (Pages 44-406)

01:18:18

01:18:24

01:18:50

01:26:44

Consider the following Business Motions - 02:26:16

I. To be moved by Councillor Khayer Chowdhury and seconded by Councillor Jas Athwal - 03:29:40

This Council notes that:

• The Ilford Recorder recently had an exclusive article about a meeting held on Friday 19 January 2018 attended by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, The Right Honourable David Gauke MP on a visit to Redbridge Town Hall, but sadly neither informed or considered it appropriate to invite the Leader of the Council, Cabinet Members or the Local Members of Parliament to attend the meeting which was held in secret with Conservative Councillors and campaigners.
• The issues that were purportedly discussed at the meeting are ones of great importance to all residents of Redbridge and those from all sides of the political divide.
• The day prior to this meeting at a meeting of the Full Redbridge Council a motion was unanimously passed by the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative groups noting the closures of Wanstead, Woodford, Chadwell and now Barkingside stations in the Redbridge.
• The motion expressed concern over the Metropolitan Police’s budget being reduced by £600 million with a further £400 million of savings still yet to be found, both of which are due to cuts from both the current Conservative Home Secretary, Amber Rudd MP; and the former Home Secretary and now Prime Minister, Theresa May MP. This is a significant cut estimated by the National Audit Office Statistics as an 18 per cent cut from the police budget since 2010 to now.
• Given the clear interest in these matters in Redbridge by the Secretary of State, as well as his concern in the increase of burglary rates across the borough, this Council would have thought it very important that he would seek to meet with the Leader of the Council, as well as the Cabinet Member responsible for policing and enforcement; as well as strategic officers who are charged with ensuring the safety of our borough.
• The role of Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary should be above politics and this Council urges David Gauke to give it the respect it deserves.
• The Leader of the Council has already written to the Secretary of State seeking an explanation and urgent meeting with him and to date had not heard back.

This Council therefore asks:

• That the Chief Executive write to the Secretary of State for Justice and the Prime Minister seeking an explanation as to why the Secretary of State for Justice did not undertake to meet with any of the decision makers in Redbridge; as well as an assurance that the Secretary of State for Justice will seek a meeting with the Leader of the Council at the earliest opportunity, but before the May 2018 elections, to discuss these and other important matters affecting the London Borough of Redbridge.”

II. To be moved by Councillor Paul Canal and seconded by Councillor Robert Cole - 03:57:34

This council notes the very high level of spending on Temporary Managers and Interim Managers at Redbridge Council and also notes that in November 2017 Redbridge Council was spending over £100,000 a week on temporary managers and interim consultants.

This council further notes that 14 individuals were costing Redbridge Council Tax Payers in excess of £130,000 per year , with two costing Redbridge Council taxpayers in excess of £156,000 a year , a sum even greater than that received by the Prime Minister.

Council agrees that this £5m per year cost is too high and must be reduced.

Council therefore agrees that these costs should be reduced by 50% within three months and by 90% within 6 months

Council further agrees to ask the Chief Executive to present a report to the next cabinet meeting outlining a plan that will achieve these costs reductions within the timescale outlined above.

III. To be moved by Councillor Paul Canal and seconded by Councillor Robert Cole - 04:17:24

1. This council notes the Labour administration’s plans to borrow a further £100m to invest in the speculative property market
2. This council notes that such speculative investments are being considered across the UK, and not just within the borough of Redbridge
3. This council believes that such investments should have effective oversight, transparency and scrutiny by members of the council and members of the public
4. This council notes that capital borrowing ultimately backed by residents council tax is being considered outside the borough, and believes it is preferable that capital investment should be to the immediate benefit of Redbridge and the residents of Redbridge
5. Council therefore resolves that:

1. All and any capital investments should be made with the boundaries of Redbridge, unless agreed otherwise at Full Council
2. All capital investment schemes should be considered by the monthly Overview Committee.
3. All Capital Investments over £10m should be considered by full Council
   
   

IV. To be moved by Councillor Robert Cole and seconded by Councillor Paul Canal - 04:18:42

This council believes that a fair and trusted electoral system is a cornerstone of local democracy.

This council notes with concern the on-going issue of voting fraud.

This council notes in particular the issue of voter impersonation, postal vote fraud, and voter intimidation.

This council agrees that all efforts must be made to restore confidence in the voting system following the evidence of rampant electoral malpractice in Tower Hamlets.

This council calls on the Chief Executive to convene a meeting between the Group Leaders, Electoral Officers and the police to ensure a robust plan is in place to protect the residents of Redbridge from the impact of voter fraud and electoral malpractice at the 2018 local elections.

V. To be moved by Councillor Baldesh Nijjar and seconded by Councillor Bob Littlewood - 04:19:24

This council urges the government to take up the recommendations which were published in January 2017 by the All Party Parliamentary Group, in their first Annual Report for Women Returners. We would further urge the government to make it mandatory for employers to provide support and coaching during the transition from long term leave back to work, in order to prevent this influencing the difference in the gender, and also long-term sick, pay gap.

Further this Council urges the Office of National Statistics to gather information on the retention rates and career progression within 1-5 years post leave, in order to understand how maternity and long te rm sickness impacts the UKs workforce.

This Council therefore asks the Leader and Chief Executive to write to the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group and the Office of National Statistics expressing these views.

VI. To be moved by Councillor Jas Athwal and seconded by Councillor Kam Rai

Since 2010 the council has lost close to half its funding from central government. Local residents have continually spoken about the reduction in civic pride and facilities over the years and the importance of improving the environment they live in. In 2014 the council had 10 enforcement officers and Street sweeping had been cut, by the then Conservative Liberal Democrat administration, to once every two weeks, they had also closed the Seven Kings swimming baths leaving the borough with one pool, charged for bulky waste collection and more.

The current administration has:

• Built the pool in Goodmayes, due to open in May 2018, agreed public access to the pool in Loxford school and committed funding for another in Wanstead, with work to commence in Autumn 2018.
• Reinstated weekly street cleaning and committed funding for an additional 90 extra rounds.
• Increased Green flag parks to 9 and committed £1.6m to improve play equipment.
• Provided free bulky waste and continued to fund it within the current budget.
• Increased enforcement officers from 10 to 21, and funded a further 9, bringing the total to 30.
• Redesigned and reintroduced free green garden waste collection, after government funding ended, at half the cost.

Council commends the measures taken by the administration to improve civic pride in borough, and the commitments made in the Budget agreed in February 2018, especially in light of the backdrop of savage government cuts to funding. Council urges the administration to continue to keep civic pride and the environment at the forefront of decision making.

 Motion to exclude the public

The following motion will be moved where it is desired to discuss business containing exempt information in private:-

“That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in the paragraphs indicated of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act.”

Category of Exemption by
Virtue of Schedule 12A to
The Local Government Act
1972