Items
No. |
Item |
80. |
Minutes PDF 89 KB
To approve as a correct record
the minutes of Cabinet held on 12 December 2018.
Minutes:
The minutes of the Cabinet
meeting held on 12 December 2018 were approved as a correct
record.
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81. |
Items of Urgent Business
To receive additional items
that the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter
of urgency, in accordance with Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local
Government Act 1972.
Minutes:
There were no items of urgent
business.
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82. |
Declaration of Interests
Minutes:
There were no interests
declared.
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83. |
Statements by the Leader
Minutes:
The Leader began by wishing
everybody a happy New Year and felt that the Council could look
back proudly on all the work achieved in 2018, particularly the
financial achievements which he felt helped to improve residents
lives. He added that the Council were not complacent though and had
big aspirations for the coming year to improve Thurrock and make it
a first class borough.
He continued by describing how one of the biggest priorities for
the coming year was the local plan, as once this was adopted he
felt it would ensure a positive change in the borough for
residents’ health, well-being and employment opportunities,
as well as ensuring the right infrastructure and new housing in the
right places. He added that currently residents were being asked to
give their views on the types of locations local communities would
want to see change through the Local Plan Issues and Options (Stage
2) Consultation, and stated this was available online and a number
of events would be taking place across the borough. He encouraged
all residents to take part and share their thoughts.
The Leader also discussed the multi-million pound plans for Linford
Waste and Recycling Centre, which had been approved and included: a
new carriageway to ensure cars no longer queued along the road;
improved waste disposal areas which meant waste bins were no longer
at height and removed the need to climb stairs; and two new weigh
bridges to monitor waste bought onto the site. The Leader then
commented on the recent problems in Aveley concerning HGVs driving
through residential areas in violation of the weight limit. He
stated that a consultation had been launched for residents to give
their views on proposals to introduce new restrictive measures to
tackle the problem, and encouraged everyone to take part.
The Leader finished with the Clean, It, Cut It, Fill It update and
stated that since April 2018: 2504 potholes had been filled, 99% of
which had been filled in on time, with 100% being filled in on time
in November; 1030 areas of grass cut; 1625 fly-tips cleared; 2443
tonnes of waste cleared; and 2952 fixed penalty notices issued. He
mentioned that his Portfolio Holder report would be going to Full
Council which would discuss how people could pay their fines, and
measures to bring justice to those that did not.
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84. |
Briefings on Policy, Budget and Other Issues
Minutes:
Councillor Little brought to
the attention of the Cabinet the fact that Thurrock Council had
featured in an article entitled “New Developments in Adult
Social Care”, which was written by respected academic
Professor John Bolton. She stated the article mentioned all the
good work Thurrock had been doing including with micro-enterprises
and the local area co-ordinator teams. She thanked the Corporate
Director Adults, Housing and Health for the hard work of his team,
as Thurrock was now becoming well-recognised. The Leader commented
that Thurrock was now starting to look outward, as people were
coming to the borough for advice and to learn new skills. He felt
it was good to see Cabinet members were now being nationally
recognised as this had never happened before. He also felt it was a
positive stance that Thurrock was being recognised for its good
work nationally and internationally.
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85. |
Petitions submitted by Members of the Public
Minutes:
No petitions had been submitted
by members of the public.
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86. |
Questions from Non-Executive Members
Minutes:
No questions had been received
from non-Executive Members.
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87. |
Matters Referred to the Cabinet for Consideration by an Overview and Scrutiny Committee
Minutes:
No matters had been referred to
the Cabinet for consideration by an Overview and Scrutiny
Committee.
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88. |
Medium Term Financial Strategy Update (Decision 110495) PDF 263 KB
Minutes:
Councillor Hebb introduced the
report by stating that as the Council had a balanced budget it
meant genuine choice for residents and ensured services were
protected. He thanked the Cabinet and officer team for all their
hard work on the budget and listed a number of key elements in the
report. The first of these was the Council Spending Review as this
embedded the policy of fewer buildings, better services which
benefitted residents. He used the example of the children’s
centre reforms as the centralised system reached 90% of Thurrock
families and still offered a quality service. The second point he
raised was that commercial objectives had been embedded which
increased revenue for the Council and thanked the newly appointed
commercial team for their hard work. He then drew the
Committee’s attention to the success of the Thameside Theatre
as due to the commercial investment it was now commercially
viable.
Councillor Hebb added that income also came to the Council from
council tax and business rates. He mentioned that residents
perceived their council tax only paid for grass cutting and bin
collections, which he highlighted were
still weekly, but stated that council tax also paid for vital
services such as adult social care. He mentioned that adult social
care needed funding as people were beginning to live longer and
therefore suffered more ailments and illnesses. He then discussed
how the Conservative central government did not want people on
lower incomes to face an increased tax burden, and Thurrock Council
agreed as more than 40% of Thurrock workers were on lower
incomes.
He then stated that Thurrock Council would not be raising their
council tax at all during the next financial year, and this was due
to the fact that no part of the Council’s economic plan was
dependent on each other, and the fact the Council were commercially
investing. He also stated that Thurrock Council had not undertaken
any arbitrary top-down cuts to fund this, and the Council still
ensured services remained dependable. He added that Thurrock had
funded 23 new police officers, new schools, new integrated medical
centres, and new homes, as well as undertaking essential services
such as cutting the grass and filling potholes. He finally
reiterated the point that council tax would be frozen across the
borough for the next financial year.
Councillor Collins congratulated Councillor Hebb and all the
officers for their hard work on the balanced budget, and stated a
high bar had been set. He felt that residents would be thankful for
the council tax freeze. Councillor Halden added that Essex County
Council had increased their council tax by an average of £50
per year, even though they had fewer responsibilities compared to
Thurrock. He felt that efficiencies could always be made in local
government, but that Thurrock was always innovating and the council
tax freeze showed they had confidence. The Leader added that the
£50 increase in council tax from Essex County Council did not
include the increase in preceptors, and stated Thurrock
...
view the full minutes text for item 88.
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89. |
Procurement of Microsoft Licence Subscriptions (Decision 110496) PDF 62 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Councillor Hebb introduced the
report by stating that the Council needed ICT infrastructure to
continue working smoothly, and with factors such as fluid working,
this was very important in 2019. He added this report would begin
procurement of Office 365 as the contract would be coming to an end
in March 2019. The Leader added it was good to see this report
going forward as it was important for the council to purchase what
they need.
RESOLVED: That Cabinet:
1. Approved the process to commence
procurement of the Microsoft Licences Subscriptions contract for a
period of three years plus a further optional extension of three
years.
2. Agreed delegated authority for award of contract to the Director
of Finance and IT in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for
Finance.
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90. |
Healthy Housing for the Third Age: Improving Older People's Health through Housing. Annual Public Health Report (Decision 110497) PDF 66 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Councillor Halden introduced
the report by stating it was leading the way in public health as it
was rare for an annual public health report to branch into such
subjects. He added that the public health team understood that
housing was a key component for people to age in a healthy way, and
it was up to local government to make decisions to achieve a good
housing mix, such as accessible shopping and gardens for those that
wanted them. He mentioned that he wanted older people’s
housing to work across the borough through a mix of housing, rather
than simply retirement villages which could further isolate older
people. He added that the local plan was again important as it
could create the right type of homes and ensure good health for
residents. Councillor Halden added that the next stage would be a
wider JSNA product on younger people’s housing. He finally
thanked the Director of Public Health and the team for all their
hard work on the report.
Councillor Johnson welcomed the report as he felt it showed the
administration were being proactive in preventing issues, rather
than reacting to issues as they arose. The Leader then gave a
personal example of an elderly resident in his ward that had had to
leave the borough as he could not find suitable housing in
Thurrock, and felt it was great that in 5, 10 or 15 years’
time more people will be able to remain in Thurrock during their
old age. He felt this was above and beyond work ongoing in other
local authorities and thanked the public health team as they were
being proactive and looking to improve.
RESOLVED: That Cabinet:
1. Recommended the report go to Full Council.
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91. |
Housing Allocations Policy Review 2018 (Decision 110498) PDF 123 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Councillor Johnson introduced
the report and stated he was pleased to see this report coming to
Cabinet as this was the first overhaul of the scheme in 5 years,
and had been agreed after extensive consultation with residents and
the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee. He felt the report was
Thurrock-centric and based on the needs of residents which had been
identified following consultation. He stated that Band 5 of the
Housing Waiting List was now being removed as these were people who
had little priority for housing need, but they would be added to
the Sheltered Housing Register. He stated this was an appropriate
way to manage demand and ensure that those with the greatest
housing need received priority. He also felt it would give
residents a clearer picture on how the Housing Waiting List
operated. He moved on to discuss how currently Band 5 constituted
30% of the housing list, and of that figure 70% of those had not
bid within 12 months. He then discussed how members of opposing
parties had called this change “social cleansing” and
felt this was inappropriate language. He called for those Members
that had used this language to formally apologise.
Councillor Johnson also mentioned how the local connection
criterion was being increased from 5 years to 6 years to ensure
those residents with the greatest connection to the borough could
have the highest priority. He then stated that the percentage of
properties set aside for working households or community
contributions was being increased from 15% to 20%. He explained
that the family criterion was also being narrowed to only include
parents, siblings, children, and those that had acquired parental
responsibility for the applicant. He explained that the housing
list was being amended so its local connection criteria could allow
key workers, such as those working in Basildon and Thurrock
University Hospital to join the Housing Waiting List. Councillor
Johnson finally described how the Housing Waiting List would be
reviewed on an annual basis to consider the number of inactive
applicants. He finished by stating this report put Thurrock in a
strong positon as it helped residents with the highest needs and
allowed the Housing Waiting List to actively reflect the numbers of
people applying.
Councillor Halden thanked Councillor Johnson for his support with
the revised keyworker scheme, as the existing scheme had not been
as successful as he would have liked, but hoped that the benefit of
keyworker housing laid out in the report might help. The Leader
then stated that other local authorities were also taking a similar
approach by removing Band 5 from the Housing Waiting List, but
stated that if people’s circumstances changed, their priority
banding could change. He felt it was good to see that those with
the highest need were being prioritised, but raised concern with
the review of inactive applications after one year. He felt that
people may have a particular housing need, such as number of
bedrooms or location due to employment, and may not ...
view the full minutes text for item 91.
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92. |
Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Decision 110499) PDF 106 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Councillor Johnson introduced
the report by stating the Council already undertook mandatory
licensing, of which 72 licences were currently being assessed, but
stated that some houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) did not fall
under this scheme. He explained that the new regulations, which
would hopefully be bought into force on 1 May 2019, would ensure
landlords met regulations and would protect residents from poor
living standards and poor management of housing. He drew the
Cabinet’s attention to page 123 and 124 of the agenda which
outlined which areas would be affected by the new licensing
regulations.
The Leader stated he felt it was good news to see this report come
to Cabinet as officers had put a lot of work into it. He added that
Little Thurrock Rectory was not on the list, and although had some
problems with HMOs, these were a negligible amount. He raised
concern that by only licensing in certain wards, it could push
problems into other wards, such as East Tilbury which already had a
problem with HMOs. He felt this additional licensing was good for
all residents though, as it would increase the standard of
properties in the borough and make landlords accountable for their
actions. He added that HMOs could cause local problems with parking
due the number of cars and with community cohesion, so felt this
was a good report.
RESOLVED: That Cabinet:
1.1 Approved the implementation of an Additional Licensing Scheme
for Houses in Multiple Occupation in designated areas within the
borough as set out in section 4.
1.2 That the evidence needed to support the introduction of
additional licensing is justified.
1.3 That all Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) except section 257
HMOs and those that are subject to mandatory licensing in Thurrock
are subject to additional licensing.
1.4 That the designation map comes into force on 1 May 2019 and
lasts for a period of 5 years, see appendix 1.
1.5 That the legislative requirements the Council has to take for a
designated area has been carried out to support the implementation
of the scheme.
1.6 That additional licensing is consistent with the
Council’s Housing Strategy 2015/20.
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93. |
Developing a New Residential Care Facility in South Ockendon, and New Model of Primary Care for Thurrock (Decision 110500) PDF 129 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Councillor Little introduced the report and stated this was a
follow-up to a report presented to Cabinet in December 2017 which
agreed a residential care facility in Dilkes Wood, South Ockendon. She stated that there was an increased
need for older adult supported housing and discussions had
progressed with partners to increase the amount of care provided in
the borough, and reduce the pressure on hospitals. She added there
were also future plans to develop the current residential care
facility in Collins House. She stated that this report was asking
for Cabinet to develop the residential care in South Ockendon scheme by delegating authority for
procurement following the conclusion of discussions with the CCG
and the agreement of the business case. She felt this report
supported people living independently, but also addressed the
imbalance of supported living care between the East and West of the
borough.
Councillor Halden added that this was an ambitious investment as it
also replaced the South Ockendon health
centre with a comprehensive service which would include a pharmacy,
GP surgery and mental health facilities. He added it would also
support Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital as it would get
people out of hospital beds and back into the community. He felt it
would support residents to stay in homes in the borough either
through residential care, supported living, or in an upgraded
Collins House. Councillor Halden summarised by stating this was a
complicated piece of work as it had included a number of partners,
and as it was non-statutory, was an ambitious project. The Leader
added that before Christmas he had read in the news a piece on
hospitals setting up pharmaceutical companies and felt Thurrock was
ahead of the curve as the Council was already breaking down
barriers between health services by centralising health care. He
congratulated the Councillors, officers and the Basildon and
Thurrock University Hospital Trust for all their hard work.
RESOLVED: That Cabinet:
1.1 Approved the delegated authority for the Corporate Director
Adults, Housing and Health, and the Director of Finance and IT or
the Corporate Director of Place, in consultation with the Portfolio
Holder for Children and Adult Social Care and the Portfolio Holder
for Education and Health, to tender for, and award the building
contract for, the development of housing and associated facilities
for older people requiring residential and nursing care, subject to
tender returns being in line with an agreed business plan based on
the principles within this report.
1.2 Expand the negotiations being undertaken with NHS Thurrock
Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and other NHS partners
concerning the viability and business plan for a phase 2 Integrated
Medical Centre to replace the adjacent South Ockendon Health Centre.
1.3 Instruct officers to work with Basildon and Thurrock University
Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (BTUH) and other NHS partners to
outline the options for a possible future upgrade to Collins
House.
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