Agenda item

(1)               Opposing Closure Plans of Wealdstone Police Station

To be moved by Councillor David Perry and seconded by Councillor Navin Shah:

“This Council firmly opposes The Metropolitan Police Authority’s (MPA’s) decision to dispose of Wealdstone Police Station, a listed building with a distinctive character located in Wealdstone High Street. This shocking decision is a repeat of previous such plans in 2003 and 2008 which were then firmly opposed by the Council and local MPs to ensure that the High Street and the surrounding areas were kept safe from anti-social behaviour, crime and the fear of crime.

This Council notes that the existence of this police station is vital to maintaining the current ‘Wealdstone Anti-Social Behaviour Partnership’ (WASP) in the area together with the team of volunteers based in the existing building. Although members of the public do not have direct access to the building, this outrageous proposal to close the Police Station by the MPA is short sighted and will damage local policing initiatives being taken in an area which is of great concern to the Council and Harrow’s community.

Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Mayor of London, the MPA, Harrow’s three MPs and Brent and Harrow’s London Assembly Member:

·             conveying Council’s strong objections and opposition to the closure of the police station

·             seeking immediate withdrawal of the closure plan.

·             asking for their support to the Council’s opposition to the closure.”

(2)               Harrow Council Partnership with Schools

To be moved by Councillor Brian Gate and seconded by Councillor Bill Stephenson:

“This Council is proud of its record of support, over many years to all of the schools in its care. It refutes the description of Harrow Council by Bob Blackman, MP as “the dead hand of the Local Authority".

This Council calls upon Mr Blackman to apologise for this gross mis-representation of the valued partnership that Harrow Council enjoys with all its schools, and would be more appropriately described as the "supportive hand of the Local Authority". Mr Blackman’s description is an insult to all elected members, past and present, from allpolitical parties, as well as officers and colleagues in our schools. It is dismissive of the strong cross-party support this valued partnership has enjoyed with its schools and colleges over many years.

For instance, the Local Authority has set up the Harrow Skills Centre, successfully changed the Age of Transfer to Secondary Schools from Year 8 to Year 7 as well as setting up a highly successful Sixth Form Collegiate. It is also delegates a higher percentage of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) directly to its schools than any other Local Authority in London.

This Council calls upon Mr Blackman to apologise to all of the Council’s officers who have provided, and continue to provide strong high quality professional support, and to elected members past and present from all political parties who have served and continue to serve willingly on governing bodies and Local Authority Committees, for devaluing the hard work and commitment they have shown in supporting our young people.

This Council is committed to continuing to support all schools irrespective of whether they become academies or not.

This Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East, with Copies to Gareth Thomas, MP for Harrow West, and Nick Hurd, MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner informing them of this motion.”

(3)               Saving the NHS

To be moved by Councillor Margaret Davine and seconded by Councillor Victoria Silver:

“This Council notes that:

1.   the cross-party Commons Health Committee has urged a rethink of the proposals contained in the Health and Social Care Bill;

2.   on 4 April, Andrew Lansley was adamant that there would be no changes to the Bill; yet within 24 hours of his statement David Cameron intervened to put the Bill on hold to allow more time for consultation.

This Council welcomes this decision and believes that the proposed implementation of GP commissioning will overload doctors, thus resulting in services being outsourced to private providers over which local people will have no control. This is in total contravention of David Cameron’s election promise that ‘we will cut the deficit not the NHS’.

This Council further notes that many health professional bodies are opposed to these proposals, which have been introduced with undue haste.

This Council therefore calls on the Government to think again and drop its current proposals and enter into discussions with all those concerned to find a way forward to preserve and enhance the NHS, bearing in mind the need for accountability.

This Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Health, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health, all three Harrow MPs, the London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow informing them of the above motion, and asking them to use their good offices to deliver the above outcome.”

(4)               Academies

To be moved by Councillor Susan Hall and seconded by Councillor Barry Macleod-Cullinane:

“This Council would welcome the adoption of academy status by:

·                    the seven Harrow high schools currently considering the proposals.

·                    any other Harrow schools that may wish to become academies in the future.

This Council believes in the merits of academies, and believes their introduction into Harrow will further improve the borough’s already strong educational performance and benefit both our schools and our students.”

(5)               Councillor ‘Code of Conduct’

To be moved by Councillor Barry Macleod-Cullinane and seconded by Councillor Paul Osborn:

“This Council pledges that Harrow Councillors will:

·                  treat residents with respect.

·                  treat present and past councillors with respect.

This Council therefore pledges that no Harrow councillors will be involved with or affiliated with any blogs, websites or other media forms or activities which in any way contravene the above statements.

Additionally, this Council instructs the Director of Legal & Governance Services to issue reminding guidance to Councillors on their obligations towards residents under the Code of Conduct.”

(6)               Grants Advisory Panel

To be moved by Councillor Paul Osborn and seconded by Councillor Susan Hall:

“This Council notes that the Grants Advisory Panel was established at the Extraordinary Council meeting of 27^th May 2010.

This Council, with regret, calls for the removal of the Grants Advisory Panel from Part 3 of the Constitution; given that its recommendations are continuously ignored by the Executive, and that therefore the Executive clearly believes it serves no practicable or useful purpose.”

[Under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 14.6, it is considered that the subject matter of this Motion refers to matters within the powers of the Cabinet and the Motion therefore stands referred to its next meeting.

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].

(7)               Pollution Funding

To be moved by Councillor Barry Macleod-Cullinane and seconded by Councillor Susan Hall:

“This Council welcomes the additional £5 million in funding announced last week by the Transport Secretary Phillip Hammond to help combat pollution across London.

This Council is also greatly concerned by the looming threat of £300 million of fines that could be imposed on councils across London by the European Union if certain anti-pollution targets are not met.

This Council therefore instructs the Chief Executive to refer these concerns to the Transport Secretary, Harrow’s three MPs, and other relevant bodies, as such fines being forced on Harrow Council would have a significant impact on frontline services.”