Agenda item:

```````````` 2a COUNCIL

MINUTES

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL HELD ON Monday, 17 October 2011 at 6.30pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall.

THE MAYOR, COUNCILLOR GRAHAM BASS – PRESIDING

Councillors Arram, Avis, Ayres, Bains, Bashford, Bee, Bonner, Butler, Buttinger, Chatterjee, Chowdhury, Clouder, Collins, Cromie, Cummings, Fisher, Fitze, Fitzsimons, Flemming, Gatland, George-Hilley, Godfrey, Gray, Hale, Hall, Harris, Hay-Justice, Hoar, Hollands, Hopley, Jewitt, Kabir, Kellett, B Khan, S Khan, Kyeremeh, Lawlor, Lenton, Letts, Mansell, Marshall, D Mead, M Mead, Mohan, Neal, Newman, O’Connell, Osland, Parker, Pearson, Perry, H Pollard, T Pollard, Quadir, Rajendran, G Ryan, P Ryan, Selva, Scott, Shahul-Hameed, Slipper, Smith, Speakman, Thomas, Watson, Wentworth, Winborn, Woodley and Wright.

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE (agenda item 1)

There were no apologies for absence.

2. MINUTES (agenda item 2)

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 1. Council Meeting held on 18 July 2011, 2. Extraordinary Council Meeting held on 18 July 2011; and 3. Extraordinary Council meeting held on 7 September, be signed as a correct record.

3. DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS (agenda item 3)

All Members of the Council confirmed that their interests as listed in their Annual Declaration of Interests Forms were accurate and up-to-date. Councillor Janet Marshall declared a personal interest in agenda item 11 as a governor of Coloma and Quest. Councillor Simon Hall declared a personal interest in agenda item 11 as Secretary of Crocus and community representative Aurora.

C20111017 min 1 4. URGENT BUSINESS (agenda item 4)

There was none.

At 18.35 Councillor Paul Smith moved a procedural motion under Article 5.1e of the Constitution requesting a change to the order of business in order to discuss an urgent matter relating to the highways contract order of business. Councillor Tony Newman seconded. The motion was put to the vote and lost.

5. ANNOUNCEMENTS (agenda item 5)

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Mike Fisher gave a progress report to the Council on the work of the Independent Review Panel relating to the disorder of 8th August and the visit of the National Communities and Victims Panel. The Independent Panel, chaired by William Barnett QC had taken over 100 submissions from members of the public and other organisations and would be hearing from “witnesses” over the coming weeks. The Leader went on to say that he had met members of the National Communities and Victims Panel chaired by Darra Singh who had visited the worst affected areas of the Borough including Reeves Corner, Road and the Town Centre. Meetings had also taken place with the Leader of the Opposition and his Deputy, representatives of many organisations where full and frank discussions had taken place over issues of the disorder.

6. PUBLIC QUESTION TIME (agenda item 6)

Under the provisions of the Council Procedure Rules (Croydon Constitution, Part 4A), written questions had been submitted and written replies were given by the relevant Cabinet Member. These were placed in the Chamber and Public Gallery, oral supplementary questions were asked by members of the public and oral replies were provided by the relevant Cabinet Members.

Oral Supplementary questions were asked by: PQ69 Mr Rendle PQ71 Mr Woodhouse PQ75 Mr Cartwright PQ78 Dr Nicodemi-Ehikioya PQ79 Mr Collier PQ80 Mr Samuel In each case there was an oral reply from the relevant Cabinet Member.

[Note the written Public Questions and written replies can be found at www.croydon.gov.uk/agenda]

7. NOTICES OF PETITIONS PRESENTED AT THE MEETING (agenda item 7)

Petitions were presented formally by Councillors as follows in accordance with Council Procedure Rules: a) A petition presented by Councillors Wayne Lawlor, Jane Avis and Kathy Bee on behalf of residents regarding resurfacing of Whitehorse Lane.

This petition was referred to the relevant Cabinet Member. In accordance with the

C20111017 min 2 Council’s Constitution the reply to this petition will be included in the agenda for the next Council meeting.

8. RESPONSES TO PETITIONS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL ON 17 OCTOBER 2011 (agenda item 8)

In accordance with the Council Procedure Rules, the printed responses were open to questions from Councillors. The following Councillors asked questions: 1. Councillor Hopley asked for the timeframe for the painting of the double yellow lines in Lime Meadow Avenue . ¾ Councillor Phil Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment and Highways advised he was not aware of the timeframes and would find out and advise her.

2. Councillor Shahul-Hameed asked about the 30 minutes free parking in London Road and queried why the area between Sumner Road and Elmwood Road had been omitted from the scheme and asked if this area could be looked at again. ¾ Councillor Phil Thomas replied that a further report would go to the Traffic Management Cabinet Committee in November.

3. Councillor Mansell asked if the projection equipment that had been transferred from the David Lean cinema to could be returned as it was not needed there. She also asked if there could be private hiring of the David Lean cinema. ¾ Councillor Sara Bashford, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Culture and Sport replied; the equipment was being used by Fairfield as it was digital equipment that they did not previously have. She also confirmed that the rooms were available for ‘light’ hire but that because of the nature of the Clocktower complex it would mean that charges would have to include security for the whole building.

At the end of the discussion Council received the report.

9. BUSINESS REPORT OF SCRUTINY & OVERVIEW COMMITTEE (agenda item 9)

Councillor Steve Hollands, Chair of Scrutiny & Overview Committee, presented written and oral reports to Council summarising the proceedings of that Committee since the last ordinary meeting of the Council, including matters considered by the Scrutiny Sub-Committees.

The following Members then asked questions on sections on the report: ¾ Councillor Neal regarding scrutiny engaging with the public ¾ Councillor George-Hilley regarding youth involvement in scrutiny ¾ Councillor Osland regarding recent key objectives reviewed by scrutiny ¾ Councillor Kellett regarding scrutiny task and finish working groups looking at the impact of academies on Croydon schools ¾ Councillor Buttinger regarding how scrutiny reviews that safeguarding children remains a priority.

In each case there was an oral reply from the Chair of the Scrutiny & Overview C20111017 min 3 Committee.

At the end of the discussion Council received the report.

10. COUNCILLORS’ OPEN SESSION ON WARD MATTERS (agenda item 10)

Councillor Slipper spoke of the honour of serving Ashburton residents for over 20 years. She talked about the vibrant and comprehensive local shopping district in the borough with on street parking and an excellent bus and tram service. She went on to say that local residents and ward councillors welcomed the Councils plans for improvement to the District Centre which would enhance the appearance and reputation of the shopping district. She praised the hard work of local residents associations for their efforts to preserve the green belt, metropolitan land and green spaces in the area. She also spoke of the improved behaviour shown by pupils at the Oasis Academy and made a plea that urgent attention be given to the former Ashburton library to being it back into use.

Councillor Bernadette Khan spoke of her pride in representing West Thornton Ward one of the most culturally diverse in the borough with a vibrant business community that make an invaluable contribution to the economy of Croydon alongside a range of voluntary organisations that self support in their communities. She spoke of the impact of cuts in public services and the local secondary school, Lanfranc is in desperate need of repair; an acute shortage of primary schools places with many young children having to travel by public transport to schools; no street scene officers, a role now being covered by enforcement officers. Residents concerned with visible signs of north/south divide in the borough. She spoke of the increases across the borough in unemployment, homelessness and young people dropping out of school. She requested a review of local policies to address the needs of residents across Croydon.

Councillor Terry Lenton spoke about East Ward. She spoke of the children’s centre that had recently been rated as outstanding by Ofsted, 3 primary schools rated as good or outstanding, the new academy and rebuilt college both of which had opened their facilities to the community. She went on to speak about a much loved and well used local library, road resurfacing and recycling in the area. She also spoke about the community spirit in the area and praised the 3 local residents association for their hard work in projects such as cleaning Bradmore Green pond and Coulsdon coppice. There was an issue in the ward with a shortage of 3 bedroom social housing but the Governments ‘pay to stay’ plan and the reintroduction of tenants ‘right to buy’ could lead to investment in social housing.

Councillor Shafi Khan spoke about Ward and the problems with recycling facilities not being cleared, the introduction of a £10 charge for bulky waste collection that has lead to an increase in flytipping. He went on to say that residents had petitioned for the removal of the mini recycling centres in St Helen Crescent and the entrance to Norbury and suggested that part of the Granville Road car park could be used instead. He also spoke about parking charges in the area and asked that a four hour limited be imposed to stop commuter parking which would help local businesses to increase their footfall. He went on to speak about the White House in Norbury Grove and asked why refurbishments work had not yet started.

Councillor Donald Speakman spoke of the privilege of representing the residents of C20111017 min 4 Purley Ward. He spoke about Purley Pool and of the recent repaving of Purley High Street and said that residents were hoping for a continuation of the paving to Brighton Road and Purley Town Centre. He went on to express disappointment on behalf of the residents that the Island site had not yet been redeveloped. He also spoke about Purley Memorial Hospital that needs to be rebuilt but that the Croydon Health Services NHS Trust had forgotten about the people of Purley and that he would be campaigning for a new hospital.

Cabinet Members replied orally to matters raised.

11. BUSINESS REPORT OF THE LEADER AND CABINET AND COUNCILLORS’ WRITTEN QUESTIONS TO CABINET MEMBERS (agenda item 11)

The Leader presented the Business Report summarising the proceedings of the Cabinet since the last meeting of the Council, including matters considered by Cabinet Committees.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rules, written questions had been submitted in advance by Council Members and written replies had been given by the relevant Cabinet Members. The questions and answers had been placed in the Chamber. Supplementary questions were asked by Members of the Council and replies were given by the relevant Cabinet Members.

Each Cabinet Member was asked in turn if they had anything to add to their report. Questions were then invited from the Chamber for each Cabinet Member who replied orally to the questions asked by Members of the Council on specific paragraphs or submitted questions.

The following Members asked questions on the Business Report

Cabinet Member Leader: Councillors H Pollard, Newman, Kellett, Collins, Hopley, Avis, Arram, Letts and Chowdhury Cllr Mohan: Councillors Pearson, Kyeremeh, H Pollard, Hall and Jewitt Cllr Bashford: Councillors Mansell and Marshall Cllr Hoar: Councillors Slipper, Letts, Cummins and Collins Cllr D Mead: Councillors Smith, Arram and Butler Cllr T Pollard: Councillors Bee, Kellett, Hopley and Wentworth Cllr Perry: Councillors Parker and Collins.

The following Cabinet Members made announcements on their business reports:

Leader: Referred to paragraph 9 in his business report about the Step Change programme and its importance in the challenges facing the Council. He also spoke about the success of Cabinet Road Shows that had taken place through the summer. He said there would be a review of the roadshows to ensure that residents continue to engage in the events.

Cllr Bashford: C20111017 min 5 Announced that the Councils Revenue and Benefits section had recently won the Institute of Ratings, Revenue and Valuations (IRRV) award for Excellence in Training and Development, and they were also 3rd in the best benefits team of the year award. She also mentioned her visit to Brickfield Meadows with Caroline Spellman MP and Kirsty Allsopp for a ‘Keep Britain Tidy, Love Where You Live’ event and thanked the volunteers who had helped in the event. She also thanked Councillors Mohan and Pearson and the young people from all over the borough for their help in the projects relating to SEWA Day.

Cllr Hoar: Paid tribute to the Councils CCTV team managed by Paul Greenslade and James Collis of the emergency response team for their hard work with residents affected by the riots. Also he thanked the emergency services for their work that night. With approaching festivals of bonfire night and Halloween he mentioned that Trading Standards officers would be checking shops regarding the sale of fireworks etc.

Cllr D Mead: Thanked the team lead by Peter Brown in helping over 100 families following the riots. He also corrected a misprint in CQ460 which should read March 2001 not 2011.

Cllr T Pollard: Welcomed Stephen McDonald as the new Executive Director for Planning and Environment. He also congratulated local students on the excellent GCSE results 61% 5 A-C in English and Maths which was up 6% on the previous year. He also praised the students of Quest Academy for their results.

Cllr Perry: Government have been consulting on National Planning Policy Framework and the Council have gone back with comments on the issues of green belt protection and back garden developments.

At 9.20 the Leader of the opposition, Councillor Tony Newman moved a procedural motion under Council Procedure rules Part 4a 1.11.9 to proceed to the next item of business on the agenda. This motion was seconded by Councillor Alison Butler. The Motion was put and lost by 33 votes in favour and 35 votes against.

At 9.25 the Leader of the Council, Councillor Mike Fisher moved a procedural motion under Council Procedure rules Part 4a 1.11.9 to proceed to the next item of business on the agenda but for Cabinet Members to make any announcements and then move to agenda item 14 - Polling District Review. This motion was seconded by Councillor Dudley Mead. The Motion was put and agreed.

Cllr M Mead: Read a statement that updated the Council on Care Homes in Croydon owned by Southern Cross

“The three Southern Cross homes in Croydon, Oban, Clarendon and Elmwood are planned to be transferred to the new providers by the end of October 2011.

The slight delay has been caused by due diligence on the contracts that is within the normal business conduct. The transfers have been relatively smooth so far and to date the Council has not been notified of any job losses. While there are no guarantees, these transfers are permanent and offer no real risks to Croydon residents in the foreseeable C20111017 min 6 future. The transfers were overseen by the Association of Adult Directors of Social Services (ADASS) and this has enabled a managed transfer that is in the interests of the residents as much as the companies involved. It is too early to say what impact this will have on residents.

Adult Services Care Commissioning division will therefore be arranging an early meeting with the new providers in order to

a. ensure that residents are not unduly affected and b. that the quality of service has not deteriorated.

This follows the advice given by ADASS. In addition the services will continue to be closely monitored to satisfy ourselves that residents continue to thrive and in essence only notice the transfer because they are getting a better service. Adult services care commissioners will work with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to ensure the homes continue to satisfy the current quality standards.

Fortunately, the crash of Southern Cross has ultimately been reasonably well managed. However, market conditions are still changing and the Council has to remain vigilant that other providers facing a difficult financial future cease to operate within the borough.”

Cllr O’Connell: Announced that Step Change projects looking at further options in the next stage of Step Change and thanked leading officers in departments and the union for their positive approach to Step Change.

Cllr Thomas: Updated Council on the new food waste collections.

Following the announcements by Councillors M Mead, O’Connell and Thomas the business report was RECEIVED.

12. RECOMMENDATIONS DEFERRED FOR DEBATE (agenda item 12)

There were none.

13. MOTIONS FOR DEBATE (agenda item 13)

Two motions for debate had been tabled. The Mayor pointed out that there was less than 36 minutes left to the end of the meeting, and as there had been no motion to extend the time there was insufficient time for this item as allowed for in Part 4a 3.58 of the Constitution both motions fell.

14. REVIEW OF POLLING DISTRICTS AND POLLING PLACES (agenda item 14)

Council RESOLVED to agree the changes to the Polling Districts and Polling Places as recommended in the Report of the Returning Officer.

15. TERMINATION OF MEETING

The meeting ended at 21.32. C20111017 min 7

A copy of the Council agenda, reports and appendices are available in the Members Library and on the Council website at www.croydon.gov.uk/agenda.

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