Agenda item

To receive reports from the Leader, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and members of the Cabinet on matters falling within their area of responsibility:

(a)         Report of the Leader;

(b)         Report of the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee;

(c)         Report of Environment Portfolio Holder;

(d)     Report of Finance and Economic Development Portfolio Holder;

(e)         Report of Housing Portfolio Holder;

(f)          Report of Legal and Estates Portfolio Holder;

(g)        Report of Leisure and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder;

(h)         Report of Operational Planning and Transport Portfolio Holder;

(i)          Report of Performance Management Portfolio Holder;

(j)      Report of the Safer and Greener Portfolio Holder.

The Council received written reports from the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the Environment Portfolio Holder, the Finance and Economic Development Portfolio Holder, the Housing Portfolio Holder, the Legal and Estates Portfolio Holder, the Leisure and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder, the Operational Planning and Transport Portfolio Holder, the Performance Management Portfolio Holder and the Safer and Greener Portfolio Holder.

The Chairman invited the Leader to provide an oral report and other members of the Cabinet to give an oral update of their written reports.

(a)        Leader of the Council

The Leader thanked the Chairman for a very enjoyable Civic Awards evening.

Councillor Collins advised that she had signed the Memorandum of Understanding with other West Essex authority leaders.

The meeting noted that the Leader, together with the Acting Chief Executive, had recently met with the Chief Executive of the South West Essex PCT and had raised the issue of involvement by this Council in the new General Practitioner Consortium which was being established.  The Leader advised that the PCT Chief Executive was involved in securing substantial reductions in PCT management in order to meet the savings required by the Comprehensive Spending Assessment .  The Leader further advised that District Council involvement in health boards remained to be clarified.

Councillor Collins advised that she had participated in trainee interview practice and compilation of CVs as part of the Future Jobs Fund.  She reported that the current programme would continue to the end of the scheme which was scheduled to be September 2011.  The Leader reported that the Government was now advocating an increase in the number of apprenticeship opportunities and she expressed the hope that it would be possible for the Council to increase its participation in this initiative.

Councillor Collins drew attention to the Government announcement regarding a new bursary scheme to help the most vulnerable 16-19 year olds continue in full time education.  She advised that this would be of great benefit to some of the students attending Epping Forest College.

The meeting noted that at a recent Leaders/Chief Executives meeting, ideas had been exchanged in relation to the Government’s “Big Society”.  Councillor Collins advised that the County Council had sought ideas on initiatives and that she would continue to liaise with other leaders in this respect.

The Leader advised that she had attended another meeting of the Essex/Kent/East Sussex Local Enterprise Partnership which had been held at Dartford.  The Leader advised that the Partnership had not yet submitted a funding bid to the Government although the first round of bids finished on 21 April 2011.

Councillor Collins advised that she had attended the opening of the new dual carriageway from the M11 junction at Hastingwood into Harlow.  She advised that the new traffic signals and roundabout appeared to be working well and had eased traffic congestion in the area.

Finally, Councillor Collins reported on a recent meeting between Cabinet members, local Members of Parliament and local County Councillors at which there had been a useful exchange of views.

(b)       Environment Portfolio Holder

Councillor Sartin drew attention to the Road Show Exhibition for the Waste Service which had been provided for members in the Civic Offices car park immediately before this meeting.

(c)        Finance and Economic Development Portfolio Holder

Councillor Whitbread drew attention to the references in his written report to the Council’s Benefits Section which indicated that despite increases in caseload and the number of documents being processed performance had continued to improve.  He praised the staff in the Section and all staff in the Finance and ICT Directorate for their recent work in connection with the budget process.

(d)       Operational Planning and Transport Portfolio Holder

Councillor Stavrou reported on the proceedings of a recent meeting of the Local Highways Panel. 

She advised that following a road safety audit it had been established that the cost of providing a zebra crossing at Manor Road, Chigwell was outside of the remit of the Panel.  As a result a recommendation was being made to the County Council to undertake the scheme. 

The Portfolio Holder advised that further discussions had taken place regarding a pedestrian crossing in Ongar and there would be further consultation with the Town Council and one of the local ward members. 

Councillor Stavrou reported that virtually all of the maintenance schemes for 2010/11 had been completed, or were due to be completed by the end of the financial year.  She continued that early indications suggested that the level of funding available to the Panel for 2011/12 would be similar to that received in 2010/11 (approximately £130,000).  She advised that as a twelve month Highway Rangers service would require the entire budget, the Panel had opted for an eight month service, leaving a sum of approximately £43,000 available for additional schemes.  She advised that an upper limit of £15,000 was being recommended for schemes and that those in excess of that figure would be discussed by the Panel with the option of being referred to the County Council for funding. 

Councillor Stavrou said that there had been a discussion on the future format of the Panel.  As a result she would be arranging a meeting with the County Council Portfolio Holder and she would keep members informed of the outcome of discussions. 

Councillor Stavrou said that she had expressed concerns about the frequency of accidents on Crooked Mile, Waltham Abbey and that she would press the County Council to introduce some road safety measures aimed at reducing the number of accidents once current police investigations had been completed.