Agenda and minutes

To agree the minutes of the Panel held on 24 April 2009 (to be circulated separately).

It was noted that the minutes of the last meeting would be presented for approval at the next meeting.

(Assistant to the Chief Executive) To report the attendance of any substitute members for the meeting.

There were no substitutes present at the meeting

To declare interests in any item on the agenda.

No declarations of Interest were made pursuant to the code of conduct.

Exclusion: To consider whether, under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press should be excluded from the meeting for the items of business set out below on grounds that they will involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the following paragraph(s) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act (as amended) or are confidential under Section 100(A)(2):

The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, which came into effect on 1 March 2006, requires the Council to consider whether maintaining the exemption listed above outweighs the potential public interest in disclosing the information. Any member who considers that this test should be applied to any currently exempted matter on this agenda should contact the proper officer at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.

Confidential Items Commencement: Paragraph 9 of the Council Procedure Rules contained in the Constitution require:

(1)        All business of the Council requiring to be transacted in the presence of the press and public to be completed by 10.00 p.m. at the latest.

(2)        At the time appointed under (1) above, the Chairman shall permit the completion of debate on any item still under consideration, and at his or her discretion, any other remaining business whereupon the Council shall proceed to exclude the public and press.

(3)        Any public business remaining to be dealt with shall be deferred until after the completion of the private part of the meeting, including items submitted for report rather than decision.

Background Papers:  Paragraph 8 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules of the Constitution define background papers as being documents relating to the subject matter of the report which in the Proper Officer's opinion:

(a)        disclose any facts or matters on which the report or an important part of the report is based;  and

(b)        have been relied on to a material extent in preparing the report and does not include published works or those which disclose exempt or confidential information (as defined in Rule 10) and in respect of executive reports, the advice of any political advisor.

Inspection of background papers may be arranged by contacting the officer responsible for the item.

            RESOLVED:

            That in accordance with Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the items of business set out below as they would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act indicated and the exemption is considered to outweigh the potential public interest in disclosing the information:

To consider the attached restricted report.

The Panel considered a request for a review of a decision made under delegated authority regarding the applicant’s homelessness application. The applicant was in attendance with his father. The Assistant Housing Options Manager – Homelessness was in attendance to present his case. The Assistant Director of Housing was in attendance to advise members as required on details of the Council’s housing policy relevant to the application. The Senior Democratic Services Officer was also in attendance to record the decisions of the Panel.

The Panel were advised that the Council had received a request from the applicant’s solicitor for a deferment of the review as the solicitor was not able to attend and had not had enough time to consider the Council’s case.

The Panel sought confirmation from the applicant that it was his wish to seek deferment and this was confirmed.

The Panel agreed to the request for deferment on the basis of a two week delay at which time the review would go ahead with or without the applicant’s legal representative.

Resolved:

That Application 3/2009 is deferred for a period of two weeks until the next Panel meeting on 2 July 2009.

Beth Hammond will attend the Panel meeting to talk to members about the work of NACRO and the SAFE scheme in the district as requested at the previous meeting.

Following a recent request, Beth Hammond of the NACRO SAFE Team gave a presentation to members on the work undertaken in the Epping Forest District. Ms Hammond shared with the Panel the way in which referrals were handled and cases managed through individual support programmes through to successful onward moves to other accommodation.