Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Allen, Gilham, Khatra, Khursheed and Lakhmana. 

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 10 September 2015 (attached)

Under the item 'Members Questions', Councillor Morse moved, and Councillor Nelson seconded, the following amendment to the record of the supplementary question (6.10):

 

Councillor Morse, by way of a supplementary question, asked, as Hillingdon residents were funding nearly 80% of the capital funding of the £4.8m for the site of national importance and he was not aware of any efforts to obtain Lottery or Heritage funding, how the business model would sustain the long term financial viability of this site.

 

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 10 September 2015, as amended above, be agreed.

Councillors Birah, Burles, Curling, Dheer, Dhot, East, Gardner, Jarjussey, Morse, Nelson, Oswell, Sansarpuri and Singh declared a non-pecuniary interest in Motion 7.1, as they were members of trade unions, and stayed in the room during the consideration thereof. 

The Mayor advised that, during his mayoralty, he regarded himself as politically neutral.  He noted that Hillingdon had won Gold in the recent RHS Britain in Bloom awards and went on to outline a range of events that he and the Mayoress had attended since the last Council meeting and further events that would be taking place in the near future.

The urgency decisions detailed in the report were noted.

6.2       QUESTION SUBMITTED BY COUNCILLOR PALMER TO THE CABINET MEMBER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, HEALTH AND HOUSING - COUNCILLOR CORTHORNE

 

"Would the Cabinet Member provide an update on progress of the fraud team in tackling housing fraud?"

 

Councillor Corthorne was pleased to be able to provide Council with an update in relation to the work that had been undertaken to make best use of the Council's housing stock.  In October 2013 legislation was passed that criminalised sub-letting fraud so that tenancy fraudsters could now face up to two years in prison or a fine.  In Hillingdon, the Council was using these powers to prosecute suitable cases.

 

The Council's Fraud Team investigated suspected cases of social housing fraud by direct referrals from Housing Officers, by doing its own data matching exercises, or by following up on calls to the fraud hotline.  In the first 7 months of this year (to 29 October 2015), the Team had recovered 48 properties, which were now available to be re-let to residents in genuine housing need.  In total, since the commencement of the housing fraud project in 2010, the team had recovered 234 housing properties. 

 

Councillor Corthorne thanked the Housing Fraud Team for the work that they had undertaken, including the preventative work. 

 

There was no supplementary question.

 

6.4       QUESTION SUBMITTED BY COUNCILLOR GARDNER TO THE CABINET MEMBER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, HEALTH AND HOUSING - COUNCILLOR CORTHORNE

 

"Can the Cabinet Member tell us how many elderly residents (i.e. over 70 years old) have presented as homeless over the last year as a result of family breakdown?"

 

Councillor Corthorne advised that, in the 12 months to 27 October 2015, the Council had seen 34 households with a main applicant aged 70 or older approach the housing needs service for advice and assistance with a housing issue.  Two of these were accepted as homeless as a result of family breakdown.

 

Councillor Gardner, by way of a supplementary question, asked whether a review of the consequences of homelessness would be undertaken in relation to the prevention of family breakdown and the human impact.

 

Councillor Corthorne advised that these matters were kept under constant review and that, if there was a particular issue that Councillor Gardner was referring to, she could share this with him.

 

6.1       QUESTION SUBMITTED BY COUNCILLOR MORGAN TO THE CABINET MEMBER FOR FINANCE, PROPERTY AND BUSINESS SERVICES – COUNCILLOR BIANCO

 

"Following on from the success in the Green Flag Awards run by the Keep Britain Tidy campaign in conjunction with the DCLG, can the Cabinet Member please tell me how Hillingdon got on at the recent finals of the RHS's Britain in Bloom awards?"

 

Councillor Bianco was pleased to announce that, thanks to the efforts of the Green Spaces Team and volunteers across the Borough, Hillingdon had won the Gold award in the large city category. 

 

The RHS judges had visited a number of sites in Hillingdon in August 2015 including the Rural Activities Garden Centre (RAGC).  Councillor Bianco advised that RAGC was currently open six days each week and would be opening seven days each week in the future. 

 

There was no supplementary question.

 

6.3       QUESTION SUBMITTED BY COUNCILLOR SWEETING TO THE CABINET MEMBER FOR COMMUNITY, COMMERCE AND REGENERATION – COUNCILLOR D.MILLS

 

"What are the Council’s plans for the delivery of vital additional community infrastructure facilities within West Drayton ward given the very significant increases to this ward’s population coming from the thousands of new properties which have been built and are planned for this area?"

 

Councillor D Mills advised that the Council had been facilitating additional housing in Hillingdon and, through sound financial management, had been able to refurbish or rebuild all of the libraries in the Borough, as well as provide excellent sports facilities and a weekly rubbish collection service.  In addition, on 16 November 2015, the refurbishment of Yiewsley and West Drayton community centre would commence and the Council had been working with Crossrail regarding developments and the supporting infrastructure around West Drayton station. 

 

The Council had recognised that an increasing population in the Borough meant an increase in the number of children and, accordingly, had expanded West Drayton Primary School and provided a new school.  It was noted that Hillingdon had the largest primary school provision within London. 

 

Where possible, the Council was using its influence and working with partners to ensure that the supporting infrastructure was in place.  This work included improvements to health facilities, supported by Section 106 funding. 

 

Councillor Sweeting, by way of a supplementary question, asked, given residents' concerns over lack of infrastructure and the lack of suitable sites for its provision within West Drayton, whether the Council would take steps to ensure that community facility sites were protected in this ward. 

 

Councillor D Mills advised that the Council looked after the interests of all of its residents, and, accordingly, provided all of them with a Hillingdon First card.  The authority would continue to do all that it could to support the provision of community facilities, meet new demand and take advantage of new opportunities when they arose. 

 

6.6       QUESTION SUBMITTED BY COUNCILLOR KHATRA (AND POSED BY COUNCILLOR DHILLON) TO THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL - COUNCILLOR PUDDIFOOT

 

"As the proposed new Health Centre on the Yiewsley swimming pool site does not now seem to be proceeding, and recognizing the Mayor’s Charity aims of improving the health of Hillingdon residents, what is the Council doing to try to ensure that local residents have easy access to GP healthcare given that Yiewsley and West Drayton have seen booming population increases although having inadequate GP facilities based on evidence provided by local residents that they have to wait up to a month for a doctor's appointment?"

 

Councillor Puddifoot emphasised that the role of the Mayoralty remained politically neutral and that the aims of the Mayor's Charity were not part of the official policy making process of the administration.  He went on to outline the long and challenging history with regard to the development of the proposed new health centre on the Yiewsley Swimming pool site.  At the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting on 22 September 2015, it had been noted that, as NHS Property Services (NHSPS) was unable to afford the rent, the development would not be progressed.  The Board had recorded its disappointment and trusted that the provision of a GP surgery on the St Andrews Park development would not also fail. 

 

The NHS was not democratically accountable to the public and the introduction of the Health and Wellbeing Board was a small and welcome first step towards clearer accountability.  It was suggested that moving responsibility from NHSPS to local authorities would also help to improve this accountability. 

 

Despite the continuing reduction in funding from Government to local authorities, Hillingdon was one of the most financially stable councils in London.  However, Councillor Puddifoot noted that the Council would not subsidise NHS activities.

 

There was no supplementary question.

 

6.7       QUESTION SUBMITTED BY COUNCILLOR DHEER TO THE CABINET MEMBER FOR EDUCATION & CHILDREN'S SERVICES - COUNCILLOR SIMMONDS

 

"Please could the Cabinet Member provide an update on the provision of additional secondary school places in the borough?"

 

Councillor Simmonds advised that a large amount of information regarding secondary school provision was routinely included in monthly reports to Cabinet.  It was noted that, as the population increased, the Council had been increasing primary school provision and that these young people would eventually need a secondary school place. 

 

Although there was currently approximately 10% spare capacity in secondary schools, future pressures were expected around the middle and north of the Borough.  To this end, discussions were underway with schools such as Bishopshalt and Uxbridge High School regarding capacity options and expansion.  It was noted that there would be a need for one new secondary school in the Borough and that applications had been submitted for free schools. 

 

Councillor Simmonds assured Councillor Dheer that the Council was addressing the provision of good quality school places to ensure that they were available at the time that they were needed. 

 

Councillor Dheer, by way of a supplementary question, asked, following the Bishop of London's suggestion that a new school was needed in the area, when there would be a new secondary school provided in the south of the Borough. 

 

Councillor Simmonds advised that the Council had been in discussion with the London Diocesan Board for Schools who had expressed a desire to open a Church of England secondary school in the Borough.  However, this provision would not meet the statutory needs of the area which were in the middle and north of the Borough.  It appeared that this message had not been passed on to the Bishop. 

 

6.5       QUESTION SUBMITTED BY COUNCILLOR ALLEN (AND POSED BY THE MAYOR) TO THE CABINET MEMBER FOR PLANNING, TRANSPORTATION AND RECYCLING - COUNCILLOR BURROWS

 

"Could the Cabinet Member please inform Townfield Ward Councillors and other wards affected if there is going to be any changes to the refuse removal schedule over the Christmas/ New Year period this year to ensure that those whose refuse is usually collected on a Friday will not have to wait two weeks or more for their waste to be removed as has been the case for the last few years?"

 

Councillor Burrows advised that the Christmas and New Year holidays always necessitated changes to refuse and recycling collections.  Hillingdon's approach was to plan its weekly services so as to minimise the number of residents experiencing delayed collections and day changes where possible.  Where changes were unavoidable, normal weekly collection schedules were recovered as quickly as possible, unlike residents in some neighbouring boroughs who might not receive a collection for three weeks. 

 

Residents whose weekly refuse and recycling collection day would normally be Friday 25 December this year, would miss one complete collection and their refuse and recycling would be cleared on Saturday 2 January 2016.

 

Councillor Burrows was aware that Friday's collections had been changed last year.  The fact that Friday's collections would also be changed this year was purely due to the way in which the bank holidays had fallen.  Therefore, over a period of years, different collection days would have a share of any changes.  These changes had been included in Hillingdon People to ensure that residents were aware in advance. 

 

Waste Services had been asked to ensure that staff removed accumulations of bags that might be placed on the highway on the wrong days over the forthcoming holiday period.

 

There was no supplementary question.

7.1       MOTION FROM COUNCILLOR OSWELL

 

Councillor Oswell moved, and Councillor Morse seconded, the following motion:

 

"That this Council resolves to support the campaign against the unnecessary, anti-democratic and bureaucratic Trade Union Bill and will seek to continue its own locally agreed industrial relations strategy and will take every measure possible to maintain its autonomy with regard to facility time and the continuing use of check-off.

 

"This Council recognises the positive contribution that trade unions and trade union members make in our workplaces. This Council values the constructive relationship that we have with our trade unions and we recognise their commitment, and the commitment of all our staff, to the delivery of good quality public services.

 

"This Council notes with concern the Trade Union Bill which is currently being proposed by the Government and which would affect this Council’s relationship with our trade unions and our workforce as a whole. This Council rejects this Bill’s attack on local democracy and the attack on our right to manage our own affairs.

 

"This Council is clear that facility time, negotiated and agreed by us and our trade unions to suit our own specific needs, has a valuable role to play in the creation of good quality and responsive local services. Facility time should not be determined or controlled by Government in London.

 

"This Council is happy with the arrangements we currently have in place for deducting trade union membership subscriptions through our payroll. We see this as an important part of our positive industrial relations and a cheap and easy to administer system that supports our staff. This system is an administrative matter for the Council and should not be interfered with by the UK Government."

 

Following debate (Councillors Corthorne, Puddifoot, Seaman-Digby and Simmonds), the motion was put to the vote and lost. 

 

7.2       MOTION FROM COUNCILLOR DUNCAN

 

Councillor Duncan moved, and Councillor East seconded, the following motion:

 

"That this Council asks Cabinet to investigate ways and means of erecting a memorial by November 2016 containing a comprehensive list of all the names of West Drayton and Yiewsley men who lost their lives in the first World War, on the West Drayton War Memorial outside West Drayton Cemetery, or some other suitable location, as a permanent and public record of their sacrifice."

 

Following debate (Councillor Sansarpuri), Councillor Puddifoot moved the following amendment, which was seconded by Councillor Simmonds:

 

"That this Council notes that our war memorials are cherished by our residents as a permanent and public record of the sacrifice of Hillingdon residents in wartime.

 

"That Council notes the initiatives taken by Hillingdon Council to ensure that appropriate war memorials in the borough (including those in West Drayton and Yiewsley) contain a comprehensive list of the men and women who lost their lives in the First World War.

 

"That this Council resolves to support the policy of the administration, publicised again in the March 2015 edition of Hillingdon People, that anyone with a verifiable claim will be included on the relevant local memorial."

 

Following debate (Councillor Duncan), the amended motion was put to the vote and it was:

 

RESOLVED:  That this Council notes that our war memorials are cherished by our residents as a permanent and public record of the sacrifice of Hillingdon residents in wartime.

 

That Council notes the initiatives taken by Hillingdon Council to ensure that appropriate war memorials in the borough (including those in West Drayton and Yiewsley) contain a comprehensive list of the men and women who lost their lives in the First World War.

 

That this Council resolves to support the policy of the administration, publicised again in the March 2015 edition of Hillingdon People, that anyone with a verifiable claim will be included on the relevant local memorial.