No apologies were received.

No pecuniary declarations were made.

The minutes of the meeting held on 14 September 2015 were agreed as a correct record.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet

1)    endorses the report arising from the scrutiny review of housing supply;

2)    notes the Government’s recent proposed changes to affordable housing rules and financing and that these may impact on the recommendations in the report;

3)    agrees to fully investigate the government’s recent changes and submit an executive response and action plan to the Sustainable Communities scrutiny panel at their meeting in January 2016, outlining the impact of these changes and their responses to the report and decisions taken regarding the recommendations made, including actions to implement the agreed recommendations.

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Regeneration and the Cabinet Member for Community and Culture, presented the report of the Housing Supply Task Group and thanked Councillor Ross Garrod, and the other Councillors on the task Group for investigation a pressing issue for the Council and London as a whole. It was explained that since the formulation of the Task Groups recommendations, the Government had announced a number of significant changes to affordable housing, including in relation to planning and financing arrangement for housing associations. As a result some work needs to be done by officers in light of the changes to consider how they would affect the Task Group recommendations. Cabinet commented that they endorsed the spirit of the Task Groups recommendations, many which were very good as they looked at innovative approaches, aspirational and yet challenging in nature, whilst the report itself was first-rate.    

Councillor Garrod was then invited to comment on the report. He firstly thanked the Officers that supported him and the other Task Group Members on the review. In providing background to the review it was emphasised how important this issue of housing was to the Borough with over 8000 people on Merton’s housing register, with housing prices rising by 42% and private rents rising by 22% in the last three years. That showed a need for affordable housing to be built within the Borough. In terms of the recommendation, he highlighted the proposal of the possibly of a creation of a property development company, but if that was an option the Council must consider that very carefully especially in light of the Government’s recent changes.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet

1)    endorses the report arising from the scrutiny review of housing supply;

2)    notes the Government’s recent proposed changes to affordable housing rules and financing and that these may impact on the recommendations in the report;

3)    agrees to fully investigate the government’s recent changes and submit an executive response and action plan to the Sustainable Communities scrutiny panel at their meeting in January 2016, outlining the impact of these changes and their responses to the report and decisions taken regarding the recommendations made, including actions to implement the agreed recommendations.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1)          considered and endorsed the recommendations arising from the scrutiny review on improving the uptake of immunisations in the 0-5 age group attached at Appendix 1 to the report

2)          agrees to the implementation of the recommendations, by means of an action plan to be drawn up by officers, and relevant partners.

The Cabinet Member for Adult and Social Care, presented the report, and thanked Councillor Brenda Fraser, and the other Councillors on the task Group for their impressive and considered report. The report itself examined how it would be possible across the borough to improve the uptake of immunisations in the 0-5 age group. It was noted that the report had been considered by the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWBB) who fully supported the finding of the report. The Cabinet commented that it was an interesting and informative report.

Councillor Fraser was then invited to comment on the report. She firstly thanked the Officers that support her and the other Task Group Members on the review. It was noted that the review examined the reason behind why parents were not immunising their children, including the impact of the MMR health scare. It was noted that there was some poor data collection previously that overestimated the level of unimmunised children within the borough, but there was a clear evidence of disproportion in a number of children not immunised in some of the hard to reach communities. Councillor Fraser commented how pleased she was that the HWBB, which incorporating our health partners, were supportive of their findings and hoped Cabinet would be able to too. 

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1)          considered and endorsed the recommendations arising from the scrutiny review on improving the uptake of immunisations in the 0-5 age group attached at Appendix 1 to the report

2)          agrees to the implementation of the recommendations, by means of an action plan to be drawn up by officers, and relevant partners.

3)           

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1)         notes the final form of the proposed inter-Authority Agreement between the four South London Waste Partnership (SLWP) boroughs to cover the procurement phase (Phase C) of the South London Waste Collection and Environmental Services Projects;

2)         delegates authority to the Director of Environment and Regeneration in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Members and the Head of Legal to authorise the execution of the Inter-Authority Agreement in accordance with the details contained in this Report and the form of the Agreement hereto appended.

The Cabinet Member for Environmental Cleanliness and Parking, presented the report which detailed the need for a new inter-authority agreement (IAA) between the four SLWP partner boroughs to cover the procurement phase of the South London Waste Collection and Environmental Services Projects (Phase C). It was noted that a further report would be brought back to Cabinet with the finding of the Phase C procurement phase.

Terry Downs (GMB steward in Greenspaces) addressed the meeting on this issue.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1)           notes the final form of the proposed inter-Authority Agreement between the four South London Waste Partnership (SLWP) boroughs to cover the procurement phase (Phase C) of the South London Waste Collection and Environmental Services Projects;

2)           delegates authority to the Director of Environment and Regeneration in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Members and the Head of Legal to authorise the execution of the Inter-Authority Agreement in accordance with the details contained in this Report and the form of the Agreement hereto appended.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet

1)        That Cabinet approve entry into a funding agreement with the Greater London Authority / London Enterprise Panel in respect of this successful funding bid worth £1.04m

2)        Delegates the authority  to the Director of Corporate Services following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environmental Sustainability and Regeneration to enter into the funding agreement with the Greater London Authority (GLA) and any associated issues relating to the delivery of the funding agreement and its projects

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Regeneration, presented the report which sought agreement for the Council to enter into a funding agreement with the Greater London Authority / London Enterprise Panel to secure £1.04million towards the three projects that formed Merton’s successful bid.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet

1)          That Cabinet approve entry into a funding agreement with the Greater London Authority / London Enterprise Panel in respect of this successful funding bid worth £1.04m

2)          Delegates the authority  to the Director of Corporate Services following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environmental Sustainability and Regeneration to enter into the funding agreement with the Greater London Authority (GLA) and any associated issues relating to the delivery of the funding agreement and its projects

RESOLVED

That Cabinet

1)     notes the financial reporting data relating to revenue budgetary control, showing a forecast net overspend at year end of £2.9million, 1.9% of the net budget.

2).    approves the following adjustments to the Capital Programme

The Cabinet Member for Finance presented the report which provided the regular monthly financial monitoring update for August 2015, in respect of the 2015/2016 financial year.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet

1)     notes the financial reporting data relating to revenue budgetary control, showing a forecast net overspend at year end of £2.9million, 1.9% of the net budget.

2).    approves the following adjustments to the Capital Programme

RESOLVED

That Cabinet

1).    agrees the proposed amendments to savings set out in Appendix 1 for consideration by scrutiny in November and incorporate the financial implications into the draft MTFS 2016-20.

2).    agrees the latest draft Capital Programme 2016-20 detailed in Appendix 3 for consideration by scrutiny in November and notes the indicative programme for 2021-25.

3).    considers and agrees the draft savings/income proposals (Appendix 4) and associated equalities analyses (Appendix 5) put forward by officers and refers them to the Overview and Scrutiny panels and Commission in November 2015 for consideration and comment.

The Deputy Leader and the Cabinet Member for Finance presented the Business

Plan 2016-2020. The report sets out an update on progress on the formulation of the Business Plan 2016-20, including identifying some initial savings/income proposals for consideration prior to them being referred to the Overview and Scrutiny Commission and its Panels for their in-depth consideration. It also details some proposed amendments to savings, including replacement savings, which have been approved previously agreed by Cabinet at its meeting on 14 September 2015, which would also be purposed to be sent to the Commission or its Panels for further scrutiny.  The report detailed the latest capital programme, including new bids and an indicative programme for 2021- 2025.

In presenting the report the Cabinet Member emphasised that the report was shaped in accordance with the Council’s ‘July principles,’ using a medium term budget strategy to be forwarding thinking in budget setting and achieving a balanced budget. It was noted that the Council need to make between £15-24 million in savings per year for the next four years, but that exact figure would be dependant on the outcome of the Government’s spending review.

Peray Ahmet (UNISON Branch Secretary), Terry Downs (GMB steward in Greenspaces) and Lyla Adwan-Kamara (Chief Executive of Merton Centre for Independent Living) addressed the meeting on this issue.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet

1).    agrees the proposed amendments to savings set out in Appendix 1 for consideration by scrutiny in November and incorporate the financial implications into the draft MTFS 2016-20.

2).    agrees the latest draft Capital Programme 2016-20 detailed in Appendix 3 for consideration by scrutiny in November and notes the indicative programme for 2021-25.

3).    considers and agrees the draft savings/income proposals (Appendix 4) and associated equalities analyses (Appendix 5) put forward by officers and refers them to the Overview and Scrutiny panels and Commission in November 2015 for consideration and comment.