Agenda, decisions and minutes

Mayor and Cabinet - Wednesday, 12th February, 2014 6.00 pm

Contact: Kevin Flaherty 0208 3149327

Items

No.

Item

27.

Declaration of interests PDF 34 KB

Decision:

The Mayor declared a non prejudicial interest in Item 7 as Vice-Chair of the

Homes for London Board.

Minutes:

The Mayor declared a non prejudicial interest in Item 7 as Vice-Chair of the

Homes for London Board.

28.

Minutes PDF 20 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes January 15 , item 28. PDF 39 KB

Decision:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on January 15 2014 be

confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on January 15 2014 be

confirmed and signed as a correct record.

29.

Outstanding Scrutiny Matters PDF 22 KB

Decision:

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

30.

Matters Raised by Scrutiny PDF 24 KB

Decision:

RESOLVED that the responses given by the Deputy Mayor be recorded in the minutes.

Minutes:

Councillor Alan Hall presented the written views of the Overview & Scrutiny

Business Panel and the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Alan Smith responded to

both issues raised.

Business Growth Strategy

The Deputy Mayor pledged that as soon as the Asset Register was ready, it

would be circulated to councillors.

Lewisham Gateway Update

The Deputy Mayor confirmed work on the scheme was ongoing and ward

councillors would be updated when proposals were complete.

RESOLVED that the responses given by the Deputy Mayor be recorded in the minutes.

31.

Budget 2014-15 PDF 62 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Having considered an officer report, and presentations by the Cabinet

Member for Resources, the Chair of the Overview & Scrutiny

Committee and a shop steward working in the Attendance & Welfare

Service, the Mayor, from the options available, agreed that

(i) the consideration of the Public Accounts Select Committee of 6

February 2014, incorporating the views of the respective select

committees on the previously agreed revenue budget savings

proposals for 2014/16, be noted;

(ii) having considered the views of consultees on the budget, subject

to proper process and consultation, if required, the following

modifications be made to the published proposals;

Capital Programme

(iii) the 2013/14 Quarter 3 Capital Programme monitoring position as

set out in section 5 be noted;

(iv) Council be recommended to approve the 2014/15 to 2017/18

Capital Programme of £385.9m, while noting that there are no new

proposed major capital projects for this period, as set out in section 5

of this report and attached at Appendices W1 and W2;

Housing Revenue Account

(v) Council be asked to note the consultation report on service

charges to tenants and leaseholders in the Brockley area, presented

to area panel members on 19 December 2013, as attached at

Appendix X3;

(vi) Council be asked to note the consultation report on service

charges to tenants and leaseholders and the Lewisham Homes

budget strategy presented to area panel members on 17 December

2013, as attached at Appendix X4;

(vii) Council be recommended to set an increase of dwelling rents

5.05% (an average increase of £4.61 per week), in accordance with

the Rent Restructuring formula;

(viii) Council be recommended to set an increase in the hostels

accommodation charge by 4.66% (or £3.03 per week), in accordance

with the Rent Restructuring formula;

(ix) Council be recommended to approve the following average weekly

increases for dwellings for:

(A) service charges to non-Lewisham Homes managed dwellings

(Brockley);

• caretaking 3.70% (£0.04)

• grounds 3.70% (£0.04)

• communal lighting 3.70% (£0.04)

• bulk waste collection 3.70% (£0.04)

• window cleaning 0.00% (£0.00)

• tenants’ levy No increase

(B) service charges to Lewisham Homes managed dwellings:

• caretaking 3.37% (£0.19)

• grounds 2.50% (£0.02)

• window cleaning 0.00% (£0.00)

• communal lighting -3.40% (-£0.03) decrease

• block pest control -8.89% (-£0.15) decrease

• waste collection 4.21% (£0.02)

• heating & hot water 0.50% (£0.05)

• tenants’ levy No increase

(x) Council be recommended to approve the following average weekly

percentage decreases for hostels and shared temporary units for;

• service charges (hostels) – caretaking etc.; -6.91% (-£6.03)

• energy cost decreases for heat, light & power; -50% (-£5.24)

• water charges decrease; -91% (-£1.88)

(xi) Council be recommended to approve an increase in garage rents

by inflation of 3.2% (£0.25 per week) for Brockley residents and 3.2%

(£0.31 per week) for Lewisham Homes residents;

(xii) the budgeted expenditure for the Housing Revenue Account

(HRA) for 2014/15 be £104.0m;

(xiii) the HRA budget strategy savings proposals be approved in order

to achieve a balanced budget in 2014/15, as attached at Appendix ... view the full decision text for item 31.

Minutes:

The Budget was presented by the Cabinet Member for Resources,

Councillor Paul Maslin, who highlighted the immense scale of the

austerity measures still facing the Council. He pointed out that although

the Council had cut £82m since 2010, a further £95m was required in

the coming years and the Council was experiencing levels of spend

last seen in 1948 which he believed was a disgraceful and scandalous

position to be placed in by the Government.

The Executive Director for Resources and Regeneration’s

representative confirmed a budgetary consultation with business

ratepayers had not led to any responses being received.

Councillor Alan Hall then spoke on behalf of the Labour Group and said

while the budget cuts might appear modest compared to recent years

the authority still faced substantial cuts not helped by the addition of a

further £10 million in the Autumn Statement. He made two specific

points about the printed proposals, calling for the Out of Hours Service

to be carefully reviewed to see it was operating properly after changes

were implemented, and welcoming the new September 2014 date for

the Attendance and Welfare Service which would allow schools to bid

in good time.

Councillor Hall went on to welcome the Lewisham Futures approach

and stated a freeze in Council Tax was the only realistic option given

the centralised and didactic approach of the Government’s prescriptive

Localism agenda.

The Mayor was next addressed by Hilary Adams, a Unite Shop

Steward in the Attendance and Welfare Service. She explained the

work done by the Service which had resulted in Lewisham being

ranked 1^st among statistical neighbours and 7^th in the country.She

stated all staff in the Service including the Local Management team,

were opposed to the proposed cut and were willing to take industrial

action to save the existing provision.

Councillor Helen Klier, the Cabinet Member for Children & Young

People advised the Mayor that while Lewisham’s service performed

more highly than comparable boroughs, it was also more expensive.

Attendance figures had definitely improved and she urged schools to

pay for the any attendance work above that which was required

statutorily. She also added that firm personnel advice had been

received that TUPE did not apply to this reorganisation.

In response to a question from the Mayor, the Executive Director for

Children & Young People advised that while Lewisham had a very

good Attendance and Welfare Service, this came at a significant cost,

especially when benchmarked against other local authorities. She

confirmed the core service would still be delivered and the attraction of

funds from schools could fund other posts above those required to

deliver statutory functions.

Having received and considered these representations, the Mayor

considered each recommendation and made the following specific

observations.

In respect of the Attendance and Welfare Service, the Mayor observed

that he might have reached a different conclusion if resource levels

were higher but given that the costs of the service were higher than

comparable authorities, he felt he had little choice but to pursue an ... view the full minutes text for item 31.

32.

Lewisham Town Centre Local Plan adoption PDF 63 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Deputy Mayor

the Mayor agreed that.

(i) the Executive Director for Resources and Regeneration be authorised to

make any minor changes to the text and format of the Lewisham Town

Centre Local Plan prior to consideration by Council;

(ii) the Council be recommended to formally adopt the Lewisham Town

Centre Local Plan.

Minutes:

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Deputy Mayor

the Mayor, for the reasons set out in the report:

RESOLVED that.

(i) the Executive Director for Resources and Regeneration be authorised to

make any minor changes to the text and format of the Lewisham Town

Centre Local Plan prior to consideration by Council;

(ii) the Council be recommended to formally adopt the Lewisham Town

Centre Local Plan.

33.

London Housing Strategy PDF 62 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Having considered an officer report, the written views of the Overview

& Scrutiny Committee, and a presentation by the Chair of the Overview

& Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Alan Hall, the Mayor agreed that:

(i) the proposed response to the consultation on the Mayor of

London’s Draft Housing Strategy be noted,

(ii) the written comments made by the Overview and Scrutiny

Committee be included in full as part of the proposed response;

(iii) the draft response be submitted to the GLA consultation on the

Draft London Housing Strategy.

Minutes:

Having considered an officer report, the written views of the Overview

& Scrutiny Committee, and a presentation by the Chair of the Overview

& Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Alan Hall, the Mayor, for the reasons

set out in the report:

RESOLVED that.

(i) the proposed response to the consultation on the Mayor of

London’s Draft Housing Strategy be noted,

(ii) the written comments made by the Overview and Scrutiny

Committee be included in full as part of the proposed response;

(iii) the draft response be submitted to the GLA consultation on the

Draft London Housing Strategy.

34.

Catford Regeneration Partnership Ltd Business Plan PDF 58 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Deputy

Mayor, the Mayor agreed that the contents of the 14/15 CRPL business

plan be noted and that it be submitted to Council for approval.

Minutes:

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Deputy

Mayor, the Mayor, for the reasons set out in the report:

RESOLVED that the contents of the 14/15 CRPL business

plan be noted and that it be submitted to Council for approval.

35.

Heathside and Lethbridge Update and Phase 4 Land Disposal PDF 63 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Having considered an officer report, the Mayor agreed that

(i) the progress of the Heathside and Lethbridge Regeneration

Scheme and the proposed changes set out be noted;

(ii) the proposed Phase 4 Project Brief on the basis set out be

approved and authority be delegated to the Executive Director of

Customer Services, in consultation with the Executive Director for

Resources and Regeneration and Head of Law, to negotiate and

agree the final Phase 4 Project Brief with Family Mosaic Housing.

Minutes:

Having considered an officer report, the Mayor, for the reasons set out in the report:

RESOLVED that.

(i) the progress of the Heathside and Lethbridge Regeneration

Scheme and the proposed changes set out be noted;

(ii) the proposed Phase 4 Project Brief on the basis set out be

approved and authority be delegated to the Executive Director of

Customer Services, in consultation with the Executive Director for

Resources and Regeneration and Head of Law, to negotiate and

agree the final Phase 4 Project Brief with Family Mosaic Housing.

36.

Exclusion of Press and Public PDF 20 KB

Decision:

RESOLVED

that that in accordance with Regulation

4(2)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information)(England) Regulations 2012 and under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs [3, 4 and 5] of Part 1 of Schedule 12(A) of the Act, and the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information:

11. Re-Development of Heathside and Lethbridge Update and Phase 4 Land

Disposal

Minutes:

RESOLVED

that that in accordance with Regulation

11. Re-Development of Heathside and Lethbridge Update and Phase 4 Land

Disposal

37.

Re-Development of Heathside and Lethbridge Update and Phase 4 Land Disposal

Decision:

Having considered a confidential officer report, the Mayor agreed that

(i) the disposal and development of the Council’s freehold interest in the

Phase 4 site shown in an attached plan be approved in accordance with the

overarching Principle Development Agreement, either as two separate

Phases 4A and 4B or as a single Phase 4 depending on the requirements

of the development programme;

(ii) authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration and Asset

Management, in consultation with the Executive Director for Resources and

Regeneration, Executive Director for Customer Services and Head of Law,

to negotiate and agree the detailed terms of the Phase 4 land disposal,

including the market value of the Phase 4 land, the financial model and the

long stop date; and

(iii) Family Mosaic be permitted to carry out demolition of the Phase 4

blocks, enabling works and some building works at its own cost and risk

under licence prior to the transfer of the Phase 4 land taking place and

authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration and Asset

Management, in consultation with the Head of Law, to negotiate and agree

the terms of the licence with Family Mosaic Housing;

Minutes:

Having considered a confidential officer report, and a presentation by the Deputy Mayor the Mayor,for the reasons set out in the report:

RESOLVED that.

(i) the disposal and development of the Council’s freehold interest in the

Phase 4 site shown in an attached plan be approved in accordance with the

overarching Principle Development Agreement, either as two separate

Phases 4A and 4B or as a single Phase 4 depending on the requirements

of the development programme;

(ii) authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration and Asset

Management, in consultation with the Executive Director for Resources and

Regeneration, Executive Director for Customer Services and Head of Law,

to negotiate and agree the detailed terms of the Phase 4 land disposal,

including the market value of the Phase 4 land, the financial model and the

long stop date; and

(iii) Family Mosaic be permitted to carry out demolition of the Phase 4

blocks, enabling works and some building works at its own cost and risk

under licence prior to the transfer of the Phase 4 land taking place and

authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration and Asset

Management, in consultation with the Head of Law, to negotiate and agree

the terms of the licence with Family Mosaic Housing;

The meeting ended at 7.33pm

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