Agenda, decisions and minutes
Venue: The Council Chamber, 1st Floor, Town Hall, Mulberry Place, 5 Clove Crescent, London, E14 2BG
Contact: John S Williams, Service Head, Democratic Services Tel: 020 7364 4204, E-mail: johns.williams@towerhamlets.gov.uk
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE To receive any apologies for absence. Decision: No apologies for absent were received.
Minutes: RESOLVED
No apologies for absence were received.
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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST To note any declarations of interest made by Members, including those restricting Members from voting on the questions detailed in Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992. See attached note from the Chief Executive.
Decision: Please see minutes.
Minutes: Councillors made declarations of interest in items included on the agenda as follows:
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TO RECEIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS (IF ANY) FROM THE CHAIR OF COUNCIL OR THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE Decision: No announcements were made at this meeting.
Minutes: No announcements were made at this meeting.
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TO RECEIVE PETITIONS The Council’s constitution provides for the Budget Council Meeting to receive a maximum of three petitions, which must relate to the Council’s budget or the setting of the Council Tax.
The deadline for submission of petitions for this meeting is Noon on Thursday 17th February 2011.
Details of the petitions that were received before agenda despatch are set out in the attached report. Any further valid petitions that may be received by the the deadline will be notified to Members before the meeting. Decision: 4.1 Petition from Mr. Terry McGrenera and others re: the Council’s budget strategy
Mr. Terry McGrenera addressed the meeting on behalf of the petitioners. The Mayor then responded to the issues raised.
DECISION
That the petition be referred to the Corporate Director, Resources for a written response on any outstanding matters within 28 days.
(Action by: Chris Naylor, Corporate Director, Resources)
4.2 Petition from Mrs. Dinah Glover and others regarding East End Life
Mrs. Dinah Glover and Mr. Daryl Stafford addressed the meeting on behalf of the petitioners and responded to questions from Members. Councillor Rania Khan, Cabinet Member for Regeneration then responded to the issues raised.
DECISION
That the petition be referred to the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal Services) for a written response on any outstanding matters within 28 days.
(Action by: Isabella Freeman, Assistant Chief Executive (Legal Services))
4.3 Petition from Ms. Lil Collins and others regarding the budget proposals
Ms. Lil Collins and Mr. Brian Nicholson addressed the meeting on behalf of the petitioners and responded to questions from Members. Councillor Alibor Choudhury, Cabinet Member for Resources, then responded to the issues raised.
DECISION
That the petition be referred to the Corporate Director, Resources for a written response on any outstanding matters within 28 days.
(Action by: Chris Naylor, Corporate Director, Resources)
Minutes: 4.1 Petition from Mr. Terry McGrenera and others re: the Council’s budget strategy
At the invitation of the Chair of Council, Mr. Terry McGrenera addressed the meeting on behalf of the petitioners.
Mayor Lutfur Rahman then responded to the petition. He said that he had never claimed to be anything like George Lansbury and Tower Hamlets was a high performing borough and the Council was in this position not from its own making but that of Central Government which had compelled it to make £72 M worth of savings. Services that were delivered to the people would be protected and these principals had been the basis that had been used when putting the budget papers together. Efficiencies had been found that would protect the Council’s services and workforce and he hoped that all sides could agree the budget this evening.
RESOLVED
That the petition be referred to the Corporate Director, Resources for a written response on any outstanding matters within 28 days.
4.2 Petition from Mrs. Dinah Glover and others regarding East End Life
At the invitation of the Chair of Council, Mrs. Dinah Glover and Mr. Daryl Stafford addressed the meeting on behalf of the petitioners and replied to questions from Members of the Council.
Councillor Rania Khan, Cabinet Member for Regeneration then responded to the petition. She said that the Government’s proposals mentioned by the petitioners took the form of guidance not legislation. The actual cost of producing the paper was £370K. If East End Life was abolished then the Council would have to pay to advertise statutory notices and housing choice in other publications and it also raised concerns about information reaching the vulnerable and disabled residents of the borough.
RESOLVED
That the petition be referred to the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal Services) for a written response on any outstanding matters within 28 days.
4.3 Petition from Ms. Lil Collins and others regarding the budget proposals
At the invitation of the Chair of Council, Ms. Lil Collins and Mr. Brian Nicholson addressed the meeting on behalf of the petitioners and replied to questions from Members of the Council.
Councillor Alibor Choudhury, Cabinet Member for Resources, then responded to the petition. Most of what the petitioners had said had been taken on board. The Mayor had only had four months to put the budget proposals together. The residents needed to be put first along with frontline services and protecting jobs. Councillor Choudhury said that he regretted that Councillor Golds had written to Mr. Eric Pickles asking for a transitional grant of over £3M to be withheld.
Councillor Peter Golds rose to make a point of personal explanation as he had been referred to.
At this point, a Councillor informed the Chair of Council that she had heard a homophobic comment from the public gallery. The Chair warned all present that the Council would not accept or tolerate any such comments and asked the person responsible to leave the meeting.
Point of personal explanation
Councillor Peter Golds ... view the full minutes text for item 4. |
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BUDGET AND COUNCIL TAX 2011/12 |
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Report of the Cabinet Meeting of 9th February 2011 To consider the proposals of the Mayor and Executive in relation to the Council’s Budget and Council Tax 2011/12.
The Budget Council Meeting Document Pack is circulated with this agenda. The pack includes the report of the Cabinet Meeting of 9th February 2011; the Budget Motion from the Cabinet Member for Resources; the report of the Corporate Director, Resources as submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Cabinet; and supporting documents updated in accordance with the Cabinet’s recommendations.
For ease of reference an index to the items contained in the Budget Council Meeting Document Pack is attached. Additional documents:
Decision: The Mayor introduced, and Councillor Alibor Choudhury moved, the budget proposals of the Mayor and Executive. Councillor Rabina Khan seconded the proposals.
Three amendments were tabled and moved as follows:-
(i) Amendment proposed by Councillor Helal Abbas and seconded by Councillor David Edgar;
(ii) Amendment proposed by Councillor David Snowdon and seconded by Councillor Zara Davis; and
(iii) Amendment proposed by Councillor Stephanie Eaton and seconded by Councillor Fozol Miah.
The Mayor indicated that he was willing to accept in its entirety the amendment proposed by Councillor Eaton and varied his motion accordingly.
Following debate, the amendment proposed by Councillor Helal Abbas was put to a recorded vote and was carried.
The amendment proposed by Councillor Snowdon was then put to the vote and was defeated.
Finally, the substantive motion (as amended) was put to a recorded vote and was carried as set out at Appendix A.
The Service Head, Democratic Services then advised Members that as the Council had agreed budget proposals that were different from the Mayor’s proposals, the statutory dispute resolution process would come into operation. The Council was required to inform the Mayor of their objection to his budget proposals and set a period of at least 5 working days, starting on the day after the meeting, within which the Mayor and Executive could reconsider their proposals in the light of that objection and resubmit them for consideration at a further meeting of the Council.
The Chair informed Members that this further meeting would be held on Tuesday 8th March 2011.
DECISION
That the Mayor and Executive be informed of the Council’s objection to their budget proposals as set out in the attached substantive motion (as amended) and be requested to reconsider their budget proposals in the light of that objection and within a period of 5 working days, commencing on Thursday 24th February, submit any revised proposals for consideration at a further Council meeting in accordance with the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules.
(Action by: Chris Naylor, Corporate Director, Resources & John S. Williams, Service Head, Democratic Services)
Minutes: Mayor Lutfur Rahman introduced his budget proposals. He stated that the £30M of cuts necessary in the forthcoming financial year had been found without closing libraries or children’s centres, or increasing school dinner prices. Homes would be built to rent and Tower Hamlets Homes had that day gained a two star rating and the borough had secured £100M in decent homes funding. In relation to crime and policing the Mayor had met with the Borough Commander to put together a proposal that will combine some of our dedicated policing resources with extra funding from the GLA that will enable the borough to employ 21 more Police officers.
Councillor Alibor Choudhury MOVED the budget proposals of the Mayor and Executive. He placed on record his thanks to Councillors and Officers for their months of intensive work on the budget. 28% of the Council’s grant had been cut by Central Government and the Council had been forced to find £71M of cuts over three years with 42% in 2011/12. Councillor Choudhury considered that the proposals represented a progressive budget to enable the Council to continue to be one of the best performing Councils in London.
Councillor Rabina Khan SECONDED the motion and addressed the Council in support of it.
Councillor Helal Abbas then MOVED and Councillor David Edgar SECONDED a tabled amendment as attached at Appendix A.
Councillor David Snowdon the MOVED and Councillor Zara Davis SECONDED a further tabled amendment as attached at Appendix B.
Councillor Stephanie Eaton then MOVED and Councillor Fozol Miah SECONDED a further tabled amendment as attached at Appendix C.
Adjournment
Following debate, the Chair of Council announced that the meeting would adjourn to allow the Mayor to consider the amendments that had been proposed. (9.10pm)
At 9.30pm the meeting resumed its business and the Mayor’s response to the amendments was tabled.
The Mayor indicated that he was willing to accept in its entirety the amendment moved by Councillor Stephanie Eaton and Councillor Fozol Miah and in accordance with Procedure Rule 15.8.1 altered his motion accordingly.
In relation to the amendment moved by Councillor David Edgar and Councillor Helal Abbas, the Mayor stated that he would be happy to support all of the elements except those relating to:-
1. The Junior Youth Service, as this proposal had been dealt with under the amendment proposed by Councillor Stephanie Eaton and Councillor Fozol Miah and their solution achieved the same result and was cheaper;
2. East End Life – The Mayor was happy to commit to a saving of at least £200,000 but any decision on the frequency and format of any future Council publication should be based on the decision of the ongoing review as officers had pointed out the risks of making this decision without detailed costings of all possible solutions; and
3. Policing – Councillor Edgar’s proposal was unacceptable as it cut across ongoing negotiations between the Council and the Police around recently announced GLA funding for police officers. These negotiations would enable the ... view the full minutes text for item 5.1 |