Agenda and minutes

To approve and sign as an accurate record the Minutes of the Annual Council Meeting held on 25 May 2011.

The minutes of the Annual Council Meeting held on 25 May 2011were confirmed and signed as an accurate record.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Michael Adam, Jean Campbell, Michael Cartwright, Georgie Cooney, Wesley Harcourt, Lisa Homan, Andrew Jones and Rory Vaughan.

The Mayor’s Announcements were circulated and tabled at the meeting.  (Copy attached as Appendix 1 to these minutes).

7.03pm - The Mayor announced with great sadness the death of Marine Samuel Alexander MC, who lost his life whilst serving in Afghanistan as a member of Juliet Company 42 Commando Royal Marines, on 27 May 2011.  She also informed the meeting of the tragic death of Magda Legowska, Principal Social Worker who worked for the Council for the past 10 years, who died on Monday 27 June 2011 as a result of a road traffic accident at Talgarth Road on her way between office locations.

The meeting stood for one minute in their memory.

Councillor Helen Binmore and the Mayor paid tribute to Magda Legowska.  The Mayor also paid tribute to Marine Samuel Alexander MC.

The meeting was informed that the absence of Councillor Georgie Cooney was because she was with her dying father, Mr George Thomas Cooney, in Ireland.  The Mayor asked the Council to keep her and her family in their thoughts and prayers.

If a Councillor has any prejudicial or personal interest in a particular report he/she should declare the existence and nature of the interest at the commencement of the consideration of the item or as soon as it becomes apparent.

At meetings where members of the public are allowed to be in attendance and speak, any Councillor with a prejudicial interest may also make representations, give evidence or answer questions about the matter. The Councillor must then withdraw immediately from the meeting before the matter is discussed and any vote taken, unless a dispensation has been obtained from the Standards Committee.

Where members of the public are not allowed to be in attendance, then the Councillor with a prejudicial interest should withdraw from the meeting whilst the matter is under consideration, unless the disability has been removed by the Standards Committee.

Councillor Elaine Chumnery declared a personal interest in agenda item 6.1 (Tri-Borough Implementation Plans) as an employee of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

The following Councillors declared a personal interest in agenda item 7.2 (Special Motion 2 - School Performance) as they were Governors at the following schools:

·              Councillor Aherne as a School Governor of Wormholt Park Primary School

·              Councillor Binmore as a School Governor of Burlington Danes Academy

·              Councillor Carlebach as a School Governor of James Lee Nursery

·              Councillor Chalk as a School Governor of Lena Gardens Primary School

·              Councillor Coleman as a School Governor of Miles Coverdale Primary School

·              Councillor Crofts as a School Governor of St. Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School

·              Councillor Belinda Donovan as a School Governor of Addison Primary School

·              Councillor Ford as a School Governor of St John’s Primary School

·              Councillor Ginn as a School Governor of the London Oratory

·              Councillor Graham as a School Governor of William Morris Sixth Form

·              Councillor Hamilton as a School Governor of Sulivan Primary School

·              Councillor Iggulden as a School Governor of Avonmore Primary School and William Morris Sixth Form

·              Councillor Ivimy as a School Governor of John Betts Primary School

·              Councillor Andrew Johnson as a School Governor of St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Primary School

·              Councillor Karmel as a School Governor of Sir John Lillie Primary School

·              Councillor Needham as the Chair of Governors of Flora Gardens Primary School

·              Councillor Thorley as a School Governor of Fulham Primary School

·              Councillor Tobias as a School Governor of St Mary's RC Catholic Primary School

The Leader/relevant Cabinet Member to reply to questions submitted by members of the public:

7.13 pm - The Mayor called on Mrs Alexandra Kennaugh who had submitted a question to the Leader (Councillor Stephen Greenhalgh) to ask her question. The Leader responded.

(A copy of the public question submitted and the reply given is attached at Appendix 2 to these minutes).

The report provides detailed business cases for the integration of Children’s Services, Environment Services, and Adult Social Care Departments, and elements of Corporate Services and boroughs’ Libraries Services.  It also outlines proposals for the appointment of a Joint Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

7.18 pm - The report and recommendation was formally moved for adoption by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Greenhalgh.

Speeches on the report were made by Councillors Stephen Cowan, PJ Murphy and Caroline Needham (for the Opposition) and Councillor Stephen Greenhalgh (for the Administration), before being put to the vote:

The report and recommendation was put to the vote:

FOR                         Unanimous

AGAINST                0

ABSTENTIONS      0

The report and recommendation was declared CARRIED.

7.36 pm RESOLVED:

That the report and recommendation attached as appendix 1 to the report be noted.

The report proposes some in year amendments to reflect changes to terms of reference to the Appointments Panel.

7.37 pm - The report and recommendation was formally moved for adoption by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Greenhalgh.

Speeches on the report were made by Councillor Stephen Cowan (for the Opposition) and Councillor Stephen Greenhalgh (for the Administration), before being put to the vote:

The report and recommendation was put to the vote:

            FOR                            27

            AGAINST                   9

            ABSTENTIONS         0

The report and recommendation was declared CARRIED.

7.41 pm RESOLVED:

That the Council establishes a joint Appointments Committee and agrees the terms of reference of the Joint Appointments Panel to reflect tri-borough arrangements as outlined in paragraph 2 of the report.

The report considers the need for adoption of a special licensing policy and the results of the consultation carried out.

7.42 pm - The report and recommendations were formally moved for adoption by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Greenhalgh.

The report and recommendations were put to the vote:

            FOR                            Unanimous

            AGAINST                   0

            ABSTENTIONS         0

The report and recommendations were declared CARRIED.

7.42 pm RESOLVED:

(1)   That the draft special licensing policy for the proposed area in Shepherd’s Bush, at Appendix A to the report, be approved and adopted; and

(2)   the draft special licensing policy be incorporated into the Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy 2011.

The Council has been seeking to update its open space byelaws. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now Department of Communities and Local Government) has recommended that the Council should do so in line with that

Department’s set of Model Byelaws for Parks and Open Spaces.

The report seeks a resolution by Full Council to adopt a new set of byelaws based on the ‘Model Set 2’.

7.43 pm - The report and recommendations were formally moved for adoption by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Greenhalgh.

Speeches on the report were made by Councillor Colin Aherne (for the Opposition) and Councillor Greg Smith (for the Administration), before being put to the vote:

The report and recommendations were put to the vote:

            FOR                            28

            AGAINST                   0

            ABSTENTIONS         9

The report and recommendations were declared CARRIED.

7.44 pm RESOLVED:

That Council resolves to:

(1)   adopt the new byelaws for pleasure grounds, public walks and open spaces (as set out in Appendix 1 of the report);

(2)   authorise the Assistant Director (Legal and Democratic Services) to apply for confirmation of the byelaws by the Secretary of State upon the expiry of at least one month following the publication of a notice in a local newspaper of the Council's intention to do so; and

(3)   upon the new byelaws coming into effect to revoke the existing byelaws made by the Council on 20 April 2000 and confirmed by the Secretary of State for the Home Office on 29 June 2000.

To consider and determine any Special Motions:

Under Council Procedure Rule 19 (d) iii, the Mayor allowed special motion 7.3 (Super Sewer) to have precedence and be debated as the next item.

7.47pm – Councillor Steve Hamilton moved, seconded by Councillor Ali de Lisle, the special motion standing in their names:

“This Council:

1.      Notes the current proposals by Thames Water to use a site at Carnwath Road as the main construction access for the Thames Tideway Tunnel/Super Sewer;

2.      Notes the disastrous effects on residents and homes in South Fulham this will have over the next 20 years;

3.      Reaffirms its opposition to the Super Sewer passed at the Ordinary Council Meeting on 17 September 2008;

4.      Supports residents in Sands End in their campaign against the Super Sewer;

5.      Calls on Thames Water immediately to withdraw proposals to use the Carnwath Road site as access to the Super Sewer.”

Speeches on the special motion were made by Councillors Steve Hamilton and Ali de Lisle (for the Administration).

Under Standing Order 15(e) (vi), Councillor Stephen Cowan moved, seconded by Councillor PJ Murphy, an amendment to the motion as follows:

“Delete all after "This Council" and replace with:

"notes that the Administration has an unhappy record of misinforming residents about the Thames Tideway Tunnel and regrets spending £20,000.00 of tax payers' money falsely telling the people of the Borough that Furnivall Gardens and Ravenscourt Park would be the home to a "giant bore hole" and "stink pipe" for "eight years." That transpired to be blatant scaremongering which it later admitted was based on no more than "speculation".

The Council also notes that the Conservative-led government and Boris Johnson - London's Conservative Mayor - both support the Thames Tideway Tunnel.

It is therefore concerned that the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham's Conservative Administration is being out manoeuvred by their Conservative colleagues in the London Boroughs of Richmond and Wandsworth who are successfully focussing their efforts on lobbying to have the main construction access in Carnwath Road rather than Barn Elms.

The Council calls for the Administration to re-focus its efforts and resources away from its one dimensional, ideological obsession against the Thames Tideway Tunnel project and instead lobby the Conservative Mayor and Conservative and Liberal Democrat government Ministers to stop the Carnwath Road site being used for this project.

The Council agrees to form a united Borough campaign that includes both Administration and Opposition councillors to stop the Carnwath Road being used for this scheme and supports residents in South Fulham with a clever strategy likely to meet that objective."

Speeches on the amendment were made by Councillors Stephen Cowan and PJ Murphy (for the Opposition) and  Councillors Nicholas Botterill and Stephen Greenhalgh (for the Administration) before it was put to the vote:

FOR                            9

AGAINST                   28

ABSTENTIONS         0

The motion was declared LOST.

Speeches on the substantive motion were then made by Councillors Stephen Cowan, PJ Murphy, Caroline Needham and Colin Aherne (for the Opposition) and Councillors Stephen Greenhalgh and Mark Loveday (for the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.1

8.40pm – Councillor Peter Graham moved, seconded by Councillor Harry Phibbs, the special motion standing in their names:      

“This Council:

1.                  Welcomes the unprecedented opening of three new schools in the borough in September 2011.

2.                  Congratulates all those involved with the establishment of the three schools, including:

·           Gary Kynaston, The Mercers’ Company, the Information Technologists’ Company and the governors, staff and parents of the Hammersmith Academy;

·           Toby Young, Thomas Packer and the governors, staff and parents of West London Free School, and;

·           Damian McBeath, ARK Schools and the governors, staff and parents of ARK Conway Primary School.

3.                  Believes that:

·           Parents should have a genuine choice of good schools for their children;

·           A traditional, academic education should be available to all children in the Borough, regardless of financial status;

·           Choice improves standards and increases opportunities, and;

·           Free schools and academies are of enormous benefit to the borough and should be allowed to flourish.

4.                  Resolves to:

·           Support and protect the free schools and academies in the borough and to respect their independence from the local authority:

·           Oppose politically motivated attempts to force the closure of our free schools or academies;

·           Work with our existing schools to continue the strong improvements in their performance;

·           Encourage suitable proposals for further free schools in the borough, and;

·           Support any of our existing schools that wish to convert to academy status.”

Speeches on the special motion were made by Councillors Peter Graham and Harry Phibbs (for the Administration) and Councillor Colin Aherne (for the Opposition).

Under Standing Order 15(e) (vi), Councillor Stephen Cowan moved, seconded by Councillor Caroline Needham, an amendment to the motion as follows:

“Delete all after "This Council" in the first line, and insert:

"believes that:

·        All parents should have a genuine choice of good schools for their
children.

·        That an excellent academic and/or vocational education should be available to all children in the Borough regardless of their household's financial status.

·        That the smaller class sizes, better schools buildings and improved education facilities delivered by the Labour government between 1997 to 2010 made a critical and positive contribution to the improving education standards.  These initiatives should therefore be continued.

·        That the advancement in teaching capability and improved standards in the teaching profession has helped provide this current generation of children with better chances of educational success than ever before.

·        The last Labour Administration, the current Conservative Administration and the Labour government made a positive contribution to the Borough's education offer by opening the Hammersmith Academy.

·        That new academies and free schools that open in the Borough should have the support of local parents.

·        That new academies and free schools that open in the Borough should have catchment areas and admissions policies that are free from bias against any groups of residents.

The Council resolves to:

·        Support and protect all schools in the Borough

·        Take all reasonable measures to ensure that any school in receipt of tax payers' money has the highest standards of teaching and
successful educational outcomes

·        Take  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.2

9.29pm – Councillor Helen Binmore moved, seconded by Councillor Marcus Ginn, the special motion standing in their names:

“This Council notes:

1.                 All LBHF nurseries are rated as “outstanding” by Ofsted.

2.                 80% of LBHF special schools are rated as “outstanding” by Ofsted.

3.                 76% of LBHF primary schools are judged to be “good” or “outstanding”.

4.                 All LBHF secondary schools are judged to be “good” or “outstanding”.

5.                 LBHF is ranked first in inner London in the new English Baccalaureate measure.

6.                 LBHF is ranked second highest in inner London for the percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more GCSEs grades A*-C (or equivalent) including English and mathematics GCSEs.

7.                 The gap between pupils eligible for free school meals and their peers achieving the expected level at Key Stages 2 and 4has reduced from 22% in 2006 to 10% in 2010.

8.                 This year over 65% of LBHF secondary school places will be taken up by children resident in the borough.

This Council:

1.                 Congratulates head teachers, teachers, governors, parents and students alike on the tremendous achievements this year.

2.                 Looks forward to working with our schools to raise standards further and give all our children access to a first class education in the borough.”

Speeches on the special motion were made by Councillors Helen Binmore and Marcus Ginn (for the Administration).

Under Standing Order 15(e) (vi), Councillor Stephen Cowan moved, seconded by Councillor Mercy Umeh, an amendment to the motion as follows:

After "This Council notes" add the following text:

•         "That Sure Start made a massive contribution to improving primary and secondary school results by preparing children better for their future education. It is therefore a regret that 80% of the families that had benefited by Sure Start in Hammersmith and Fulham will now miss out after the Borough's Conservative Administration cut £3.4 million government funding from the scheme and closed it down in all but name. We are therefore concerned about the detrimental effect this will have on future educational success for Borough children.

•         That improved education facilities including modern school building, such as the ICT Centre in Kingwood Road, contributed to the improved primary and secondary school results and it is therefore a regret that the Building Schools for the Future investment has been cancelled by the Conservative-led government and we are concerned because of the obvious detrimental effect this will have on future educational success for Borough children."

Then continue with the original text of the motion.

Speeches on the amendment were made by Councillors Stephen Cowan and Mercy Umeh, (for the Opposition) and Councillors Stephen Greenhalgh and Donald Johnson (for the Administration) before it was put to the vote:

FOR                            8

AGAINST                   26

ABSTENTIONS         0

The motion was declared LOST.

Councillor Helen Binmore (for the Administration) made a speech winding up the debate before the substantive motion.  The motion was put to the vote:

FOR                               Unanimous

AGAINST                      0

ABSTENTIONS            0

The motion was declared CARRIED.

10.02 pm – RESOLVED  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.3

10.03pm – Councillor Mark Loveday withdrew the motion.

10.04pm – Councillor Stephen Cowan moved, seconded by Councillor Iain Coleman, the special motion standing in their names:

“This Council recognises that in 2006 the then Cabinet Member for Crime and Anti Social Behaviour said that the Conservative Administration would cut crime by between 60% to 80%. He said that Mayor Boris Johnson would provide funding to expand the two policing pilots and would institute a New York City styled “zero tolerance” approach to policing that would reduce everything from broken windows to serious crime.

The Administration has failed in all of these aims. It has failed to provide sufficient resources to the police and to those services that tackle the causes of crime. Mayor Boris Johnson has cut police numbers. The Administration has at no point kept up with the previous Labour Administration’s 10% fall in crime.

In 2006, the then Cabinet Member for Strategy described his Administration’s approach to reducing crime as “a bit of a gamble”. That gamble has not paid off. Earlier this year, the former Cabinet Member for Housing told a Cabinet Meeting that the Administration are now selling off affordable homes because of the Administration’s failure to deal with crime and anti-social behaviour.

We call for an immediate review of this failure and a new approach that genuinely seeks to cut crime and makes Hammersmith and Fulham a safer place for people of all ages.”

The motion was put to the vote:

FOR                            8

AGAINST                   26

ABSTENTIONS         0

The motion was declared LOST.

The report was noted.

* * * * *   CONCLUSION OF BUSINESS    * * * * *