Agenda and minutes

MRS GERRY FOULDS

The Mayor informed Council of the sad news that Councillor Foulds’ wife, Gerry Foulds, had passed away.

PRAYERS

The Mayor’s Chaplain, Rabbi Andrew Shaw, then led the meeting in prayers.

That the minutes of the Council (Council Tax) meeting held on 22 February 2007 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

[Note:  The 22 February minutes are published on the Council's intranet and website].

RESOLVED:

THAT THE MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL (COUNCIL TAX) MEETING HELD ON 22 FEBRUARY 2007 BE TAKEN AS READ AND SIGNED AS A CORRECT RECORD.

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Committee, Sub Committee, Panel or Forum;

(b)               all other Members present in any part of the room or chamber.

No interests were declared by Members in relation to the business to be transacted at this meeting.

Prior to consideration of the tabled report on her engagements, the Mayor, on behalf of Council, congratulated Councillor David Perry on having completed the London Marathon on 22 April 2007.

Having been invited to speak, Councillor Perry expressed his gratitude to all those who had sponsored him and to the Mayor for her support, and reported that he had raised approximately £3,000 for MacMillan Cancer Support.

The Mayor welcomed Michael Lockwood, the new Chief Executive, to the Council on this, the occasion of the first Council meeting since he formally commenced in post.

On behalf of the Council, the Mayor also extended thanks to Jill Rothwell and Andrew Trehern for serving as Acting Chief Executive during the interregnum.

To receive any announcements from the Mayor.

[Note:  Information as to recent Mayoral engagements will be tabled].

RESOLVED:

THAT THE COUNCIL RECEIVE AND NOTE THE REPORT OF THE WORSHIPFUL THE MAYOR, AS TABLED, UPON HER OFFICIAL DUTIES, TOGETHER WITH THE OCCASIONS ON WHICH SHE HAD BEEN REPRESENTED BY THE DEPUTY MAYOR, THE HONORARY ALDERMAN AND PAST MAYORS, SINCE THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING.

To receive and consider any procedural motions by Members of the Council, under relevant Council Procedure Rules, in relation to the conduct of the business for this Council Meeting.

[Note:  Notice of such procedural motions, received after the issuing of this Summons, will be tabled].

(i)            Council received notice in the tabled documentation of an Urgent Motion requested to be admitted to the business to be transacted at this meeting, relating to the Local Government White Paper.  However, Councillor Chris Mote indicated at the meeting that it was no longer proposed to seek to admit the Urgent Motion, and that it was withdrawn.

(ii)         Further to the Motion at Item 12(2) having been indicated as standing referred to the Strategic Planning Committee and the Development Management Committee, being a matter within their delegated powers, and the Motion at Item 12(3) having been indicated as standing referred to the Cabinet, being a matter within its delegated powers, Councillor Bill Stephenson moved a procedural motion under Rule 15.6 that these referrals should not apply and the Motions should rather be considered at this meeting.

            Upon a vote, the procedural motion was not carried.

(iii)        Further to amendments to the Motion at Item 12(1) having been received from both the Conservative Group and the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Chris Mote moved a procedural motion under Rule 26.1 that the rules of debate be varied for the purposes of that Item, in order that the substantive Motion and all the amendments be debated jointly.

            The proposal received the general assent of the Council.

RESOLVED:

THAT (1) IT BE NOTED THAT THE URGENT MOTION SET OUT IN THE TABLED DOCUMENTATION WAS WITHDRAWN;

(2) THE PROCEDURAL MOTION UNDER RULE 15.6, SEEKING THE CONSIDERATION AT THIS COUNCIL MEETING OF THE MOTIONS AT ITEMS 12(2) AND 12(3) OF THE SUMMONS, BE NOT AGREED; AND

(3) THE PARTIAL SUSPENSION OF THE RULES OF DEBATE BE AGREED FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE DEBATE ON ITEM 12(1).

(See also Resolutions 138 and 139 below).

To receive petitions (if any) submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11 and presented:-

(i)                 by a representative of the petitioners;

(ii)               by a Councillor, on behalf of petitioners; or

(iii)             by the Director of Legal and Governance Services, on behalf of petitioners.

No petitions were submitted to this meeting under Rule 11.

A period of up to 15 minutes is allowed under Council Procedure Rule 12 for members of the public to ask questions of members of the Executive, Portfolio Holders and Chairmen of Committees, of which notice has been received no later than 5.00 pm two clear working days prior to the day of this Meeting.

[Note:  Confirmation of any such questions will be tabled].

No questions had been submitted by members of the public under Rule 12.3.

Further to Item 7 on the Summons, the Leader of the Council, Councillor Chris Mote moved Recommendation I of the Cabinet meeting of 15 March 2007 in this matter.

RESOLVED:

THAT (1) THE COUNCIL PARTICIPATE IN THE PRODUCTION OF A JOINT WASTE DEVELOPMENT PLAN DOCUMENT (DPD) FOR WEST LONDON;

(2) THE TIMETABLE FOR PRODUCTION OF THE JOINT WASTE DPD BE INCLUDED IN THE UPDATED LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEME;

(3) MEMBERSHIP OF THE STEERING GROUP BE DELEGATED TO THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING SERVICES (OR HIS NOMINATED REPRESENTATIVE);

(4) THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING SERVICES BE AUTHORISED TO ENTER INTO THE SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT TO BE AGREED; AND

(5) THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND ENTERPRISE BE NOMINATED TO REPRESENT THE COUNCIL.

The Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee, Councillor Joyce Nickolay, moved Recommendation I of the Standards Committee meeting of 26 March 2007 in the above matter.

RESOLVED:

THAT THE REVISED PROTOCOL FOR DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS, AS AMENDED BY THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE, BE ADOPTED.

It is anticipated that there will be a Recommendation arising from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 24 April 2007 on the above matter.

The Recommendation will be circulated on a Supplemental Summons.

Recommendation I of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 24 April 2007, together with the Scrutiny Annual Report for 2006-07 (as amended at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting), had been circulated in the tabled documentation for the meeting.

The Recommendation was adopted as printed.

RESOLVED:

THAT THE COMMITTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2006-07  BE NOTED.

Report of the Director of Legal and Governance Services.

Council received a report of the Director of Legal and Governance Services, which set out a proposal for a long-service award for Councillor Richard Romain.

The Council on 18 July 1985 (Resolution 192) had agreed that the completion of 25 years’ service on the part of Members of Council should be recognised by awarding a framed, illuminated copy resolution of appreciation.

Councillor Romain would attain 25 years’ service in May 2007.

The proposal was agreed.

RESOLVED:

THAT THE FOLLOWING FORMAL RESOLUTION BE ADOPTED:

Councillor Richard Romain:  Recognition of Long Service

“The Council of the London Borough of Harrow do hereby record their appreciation of the twenty-five years’ service by Councillor Richard Romain to the London Borough of Harrow.

Councillor Richard Romain was first elected in May 1982 as Councillor for the Stanmore South Ward, which he represented for the first 4 years.  He was re?elected in May 1986 for the Canons Ward, which he has represented continuously until the present time.  He is currently serving his seventh consecutive period in office.  Councillor Romain was Leader of the Conservative Group from 1994 to 1996.

Councillor Romain has served on various Council Committees, including the Education Committee and the Development Control Committee.  However, his particular interest has been with environmental issues, giving rise to extended service on the General Purposes Services Committee and subsequently the Environment Services Committee.   In that time he variously held the offices of Chair of the Environment Services Committee, Vice-Chair of the General Purposes Services Committee and Chair of the Traffic and Transport Sub?Committee.   He was the Chairman of the Anne Frank Committee, from 1988 to 1989, and was successful in bringing the Anne Frank Exhibition to Harrow in 1989.  Councillor Romain first served on the Policy and Resources Committee in 1988/9, commencing a period of continuous service over the next ten years on that Committee in its various strategic guises, and additionally on the Resources Committee when this operated as a separate entity.  When these arrangements were overtaken by the restructuring under the Local Government Act 2000, Councillor Romain served as a member of the first Cabinets between 2000 and 2003.   Councillor Romain has also served on the Audit Committee and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.   Councillor Romain has represented the Council on numerous outside bodies including 12 years on the West London Waste Authority, serving as Chairman from 1991 to 1996,Brent and Harrow Trading Standards Service, the London Home and Water Safety Council and Age Concern Greater London.

In recognition of his completion in May 2007 of twenty-five years of public service to Harrow, this Resolution be engrossed on vellum and publicly presented to Councillor Romain by the Mayor, at the Annual Council Meeting in May 2007.”

A period of up to 15 minutes is allowed (Council Procedure Rule 13.2) for the asking of written questions by Members of Council of a member of the Executive or the Chairman of any Committee:-

(i)                 of which notice has been received at least two clear working days prior to the day of this Meeting;

(ii)               or which relate to urgent matters, the consent of the Executive member or Committee Chairman to whom the question is to be put has been obtained and the content has been advised to the Chief Executive by 12.00 noon on the day of the Council Meeting.

(Confirmation of any such questions will be tabled).

The following two questions had been submitted by Members of Council in accordance with Rule 13.2:

[Note:  The above questions were both answered orally and, under the provisions of Rule 13.5, a supplementary to each question was additionally asked and answered].

The following Motions have been notified in accordance with the requirements of Council Procedure Rule 15, to be moved and seconded by the Members indicated:-

(1)            Mayoral Nominations

To be moved by Councillor B E Gate and seconded by Councillor Bill Stephenson:

“The Council acknowledges the successful cross-party arrangements, which operated between 1994 to 2006, when Mayoral nominations were agreed with an overriding principle of fairness and not based on the political control by any one party.

The Council is now in the danger of making Mayoral nominations on the basis of political appointments as the privilege of the ruling party.  The Council agrees to continue the non-political approach to the nomination of Mayors by rotating the Mayoral nominations between all political parties, and further resolves to set up a working party comprising of members and ex-mayors on a cross-party basis to facilitate nominations of Mayors from the three political parties for the future”.

(2)            Development Control

To be moved by Councillor Thaya Idaikkadar and seconded by Councillor Keith Ferry:

“Council notes that both the Strategic Planning Committee and the Development Management Committee are quasi-judicial in nature.  In the light of this it is important that all members of these committees should have equal and full access to any information and advice provided by officers and similarly for site visits, and this should take account of members’ work commitments and disabilities.

Accordingly, the Council agrees:

·        To hold briefing meetings after normal working hours, not in any case before 6pm.

·        To arrange site visits at times convenient to the majority of members and not dictated by the chair or members of the administration.

·        To arrange site visits in a manner that cater for the access needs of all members”.

[Note: Under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 15.6, it is considered that the subject matter of this Motion refers to matters within the powers of the Strategic Planning Committee and Development Management Committee and the Motion therefore stands referred to the next meetings of those Committees.

It may be moved that such referral should not apply and any procedural motion moved and seconded to that effect shall be voted on without discussion].

(3)            Voluntary Sector Funding

To be moved by Councillor Bill Stephenson and seconded by Councillor Ms Nana Asante:

“The Council regrets that the current administration has failed to listen to the pleas of Harrow’s Voluntary Sector to withdraw cuts in their grant funding and SLAs.  Given that the Voluntary Sector has played a leading role over decades in working for the benefit of Harrow’s multicultural community and provided excellent value for money to the Council and the local community they deserve the Council’s full support and do not deserve the appalling treatment they have received from the current administration.

Council notes that the current administration has buckled under pressure from the Voluntary Sector and the Labour Group by reducing the level of cuts to the SLAs of some organisations; that the cuts have caused and will continue to  ...  view the full agenda text for item 137.

(i)            Councillor B E Gate moved and Councillor Bill Stephenson seconded the Motion at Item 12(1) of the Summons.

(ii)        In moving the Motion, and with the consent of the meeting, Councillor Gate altered the Motion under Rule 17.7 as follows:

            In the first sentence, after “1994 to”, to insert the words “1998 and 2002 to”

(iii)            Councillor Chris Mote moved and Councillor Paul Osborn seconded an amendment to the Motion which had been circulated in the tabled documentation.  In moving the amendment, however, Councillor Mote indicated his agreement to this matter being referred to a cross-party working group for consideration.

(vi)       In light of an assurance from the Leader of the Council that this matter would be referred to a cross-party working group, the mover and seconder sought leave of the Council to withdraw the Motion under the provisions of Rule 17.8, to which the Council assented.

RESOLVED:

THAT THE MOTION SET OUT AT ITEM 12(1) BE WITHDRAWN.

Further to the provisions of Rule 15.6,

RESOLVED:

THATTHE MOTION AT ITEM 12(2) ON THE SUMMONS STAND REFERRED TO THE NEXT MEETINGS OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE AND THE DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, AS BEING A MATTER WITHIN THEIR POWERS.

(Resolution 129 above also refers).

Further to the provisions of Rule 15.6,

RESOLVED:

THATTHE MOTION AT ITEM 12(3) OF THE SUMMONS STAND REFERRED TO THE NEXT MEETING OF THE CABINET, AS BEING A MATTER WITHIN ITS DELEGATED POWERS.

(Resolution 129 above also refers).

In accordance with Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 23.6 and Access to Information Procedure Rule 17.3, it is a requirement to report those decisions taken as a matter of urgency and the use of the special urgency procedure since the previous Council Meeting.

Those requirements are met in the attached paper from the Director of Legal and Governance Services.

The meeting received a report of the Director of Legal and Governance Services which provided a summary of the urgent decisions taken by Portfolio Holders, the Leader and Cabinet, and the use of the special urgency procedure, since the last meeting of Council on 22 February 2007.

RESOLVED:

THAT (1) THE URGENT DECISIONS TAKEN BY THE PORTFOLIO HOLDERS, THE LEADER AND CABINET SINCE THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, AS NOW REPORTED, BE NOTED;

(2) THE ONE OCCASION ON WHICH THE SPECIAL URGENCY PROCEDURE HAD BEEN USED SINCE THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING BE NOTED.