Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Mark Brock. Apologies for lateness were received from Councillor Samaris Huntington-Thresher. Apologies for leaving the meeting early were received from Councillors Julian Benington, Melanie Stevens and William Huntington-Thresher.

In relation to the question on Biggin Hill Airport, Councillor Hannah Gray declared an interest as she had a contract with the airport, and Councillor Colin Hitchins declared an interest as an employee of the airport.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 15^th July 2019 be confirmed.

Chislehurst Ward

Report CSD19143

A petition had been received from Chris Wells of Chislehurst Safer Streets, calling for the Council to install a push-button pedestrian crossing phase at the traffic light controlled junction at Chislehurst War Memorial.

Mr Wells addressed the Council in support of the petition. He suggested that the A222 was a busy and dangerous road, and he contrasted the provision of numerous controlled crossing places on the Sidcup and Bickley/Plaistow sections of the A222 with the lack of crossing points in Chislehurst, other than one pelican crossing near Chislehurst School for Girls. The War Memorial junction was used by many pupils from the three local schools, as well as pupils from other schools and many elderly and disabled adults. He reported that the Council had said that the refusal to install a pelican crossing was due to the additional congestion and rat-running that would result, but he claimed that the Council had never modelled this. The petition had been signed by 3,000 people who were protesting against the Council’s refusal which, he asserted, was discriminatory against vulnerable members of the community in favour of drivers. 

Cllr William Huntington Thresher responded, welcoming the interest in this issue, but explaining that providing a pedestrian phase required an increase in the highway space, which was not possible without the agreement of the adjacent landowners, the Commons Conservators. The Council was seeking a holistic solution and remained willing to consider junction remodelling, but in the absence of agreement with the landowners a pedestrian phase would result in congestion with exceedingly long queues at peak times leading to rat-running by speeding traffic on local roads. Councillor Katy Boughey also spoke on behalf of ward councillors who had been working hard to find a suitable solution.

A motion to agree that no changes be made to the Council’s response already provided to the petitioners, and that the Council’s Assistant Director, Traffic and Parking, write to all petitioners explaining the facts of the situation, was moved by Councillor William Huntington-Thresher and seconded by Councillor Colin Smith.

An amendment that the Portfolio Holder be asked to bring back deliverable proposals for consideration by the Environment and Community Services PDS Committee within six months was moved by Councillor Ian Dunn and seconded by Councillor Angela Wilkins. This amendment was put to the vote and LOST.

The substantive motion proposed by Councillor William Huntington-Thresher and seconded by Councillor Colin Smith was put to the vote and CARRIED.

(During consideration of this item Councillor Tony Owen declared an interest in that his daughter was a teacher at Coopers School.)

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, questions that are not specific to reports on the agenda must have been received in writing 10 working days before the date of the meeting - the deadline was 5pm on Monday 30^th September 2019. 

Questions specifically on reports on the agenda should be received within two working days of the normal publication date of the agenda.  Please ensure that questions specifically on reports on the agenda are received by the Democratic Services Team by 5pm on Tuesday 8^th October 2019.

(a) Questions from members of the public for oral reply.

(b) Questions from members of the public for written reply.

(c) Questions from members of the Council for oral reply.

(d) Questions from members of the Council for written reply. 

Three  questions had been received from members of the public for oral reply. The questions, with the answers given, are set out in Appendix A to these minutes.

(During consideration of public oral question 3, Councillors Aisha Cuthbert and Robert Evans declared interests as they were Council-appointed board members of Mytime Active, and the Mayor, Councillor Nicholas Bennett, declared an interest as he had a Mytime Active swimming pass.)

Two questions had been received from members of the public for written reply. The questions, with the answers given, are set out in Appendix B to these minutes.

Fifteen questions had been received from members of the Council for oral reply, plus one urgent question. The questions, with the replies given, are set out in Appendix C to these minutes.

Seven questions had been received from members of the Council for written reply. The questions, with the answers given, are set out in Appendix D to these minutes.

Two requests had been made to receive statements as follows –

(A) From the Leader of the Council, Councillor Colin Smith, on the Council’s preparations and contingency plans given the now-likely exit of the UK from the EU without a deal, requested by Councillors Simon Jeal and Angela Wilkins.

Councillor Smith stated that he had nothing to add to his earlier comments in response to Councillor Dunn’s question – there was nothing to report and project fear did not live here.

Councillor Jeal stated that the Government had given local authorities a total of £77m to prepare for no deal, and asked whether the Leader thought that this was a waste of money – project fear or project common sense? Councillor Smith stated that this was a waste of money – Bromley had held every penny in reserve and he hoped to be able to spend the money on something useful for the residents of Bromley.

Councillor Wilkins asked whether Councillor Smith could substantiate his accusations about project fear. Councillor Smith responded that there had been a constant attempt to put fear into the people of Bromley, and that this was a disgrace.

Councillor Simon Fawthrop asked whether the Leader had read project cheer on the Brexit Central website – Councillor Smith replied that he had not.

(B) From the Portfolio Holder for Public Protection and Enforcement, Councillor Kate Lymer, explaining why, given recent increases in muggings, a spate of burglaries in Chislehurst and the theft of antique horse troughs, she persisted in refusing to accede to requests from councillors, the public and the police to increase use of CCTV cameras in the Borough, requested by Councillors Kathy Bance MBE and Angela Wilkins. 

Councillor Lymer explained that she was not personally impeding anything, and that mobile CCTV had been used in Chislehurst in the last two years to tackle anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping. The Independent Surveillance Commissioner had to be satisfied that CCTV was appropriate or it could be removed. Councillor Sharma had been vociferous in support of CCTV from his first month in office; earlier this year she had asked the Council’s independent CCTV consultant to review Police crime statistics for Chislehurst High Street and his view was that it would not meet the legal parameters. Since then, she had asked for the crime statistics to be reviewed and a meeting to discuss options was being arranged.

Following claims of an increase in muggings and burglaries in Chislehurst, Councillor Lymer had requested ward specific data from the Police. Due to the climate change protests in central London, the Police had not had the capacity to provide these statistics for this meeting, but data on the Metropolitan Police website showed that in September 2019 there had been 12 burglaries, below the average for the borough and for London. Burglaries across the borough had fallen from 203 in August 2018 to 182 in August 2019. There had been one mugging reported in Chislehurst across the summer. The Police reported 15 shop  ...  view the full minutes text for item 147.

Report CSD19147

A motion to approve, pursuant to the Localism Act 2011,  the recruitment and selection to a joint role between the Council and the CCG to lead commissioning on a salary package higher than £100k, was moved by Councillor Graham Arthur, seconded by Diane Smith and CARRIED.

Report CSD19146

A motion to add the SALIX Street Lighting LED Upgrade Scheme to the capital programme at an estimated cost of £1.124m was moved by Councillor William Huntington-Thresher, seconded by Councillor Colin Smith and CARRIED.

Plaistow and Sundridge Ward

Report CSD19144

A motion to approve the addition of £3,786k to the capital programme, funded from Section 106 contributions (£500k) and the Investment Fund earmarked reserve (£3,286k) for the provision of up to 25 residential units for the purposes of temporary accommodation on the site known as Burnt Ash Lane Car Park was moved by Councillor Peter Morgan, seconded by Councillor Colin Smith and CARRIED.

To note that the two motions referred to the Committee by Council were considered at the Committee’s meeting on 3^rd September 2019 - these minutes have been published and circulated to Members. The Committee asked for further work to be carried out on the abolition of Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, and decided that no further action be taken on the motion requiring a review of the Library service.

It was noted that two motions referred to the Committee by Council had been considered at the meeting on 3^rd September 2019 - the minutes had been circulated to Members.

The draft minutes from the Urgency Committee’s meeting on 11^th October 2019 were received and noted.

(A) Motion Congratulating Dina Asher-Smith

The following motion was proposed by Councillor Simon Fawthrop and seconded by Councillor Christine Harris -

 “This Council sends its heartfelt congratulations to Blackheathand Bromley Harriers’ Dina Asher-Smith on her amazing achievement of an individual Gold Medal in the Women’s 200M and two Silver Medals in the Women’s 100M and the Women’s 100M relay respectively at the 2019 Athletics World Championships held in Doha.

This Council recognises that this achievement by Dina reflects positively on her Bromley antecedents, and thanks her accordingly. On top of her achievements, the Council also sends its best wishes for every success in the future, particularly the 2020 Olympics.

 Furthermore this Council requests that the Mayor write to Dina Asher-Smith on behalf of the Council to ensure that a framed copy of this resolution is presented to her at the earliest opportunity.”

On being put to the vote, the motion was CARRIED.

The Mayor confirmed that he would write to Ms Asher-Smith, and that a Mayoral Reception would be arranged to which all Members of the Council would be invited.

(B) Motion on Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education

The following motion was moved by Councillor Simon Jeal and seconded by Councillor Kathy Bance MBE -

“Bromley Council welcomes the introduction of statutory Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) from September 2020. The Council confirms its full support for schools delivering compulsory LGBT+ inclusive Relationships and Sex Education as part of RSE, in line with new Government guidance, in all state funded primary and secondary schools. The Council resolves to ask the Director of Education to write to all schools in the Borough to communicate this support.”

An amendment was moved by Councillor Peter Fortune and seconded by Councillor Michael Rutherford so that the motion would read as follows -

“Bromley Council welcomes the introduction of statutory Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) from September 2020. The Council confirms its full support for schools developing their policy, which includes LGBT+ relationships, and should be sensitive and age appropriate in approach. It also recognises the continued right of parents to withdraw their child from the sex education element if they so wish. Further, the Council confirms its support of the Conservative Government’s continuing initiatives to ensure the curriculum is fit for purpose in the modern age via the academy agenda, passing control over to schools and parents and will ask the Director of Education to ensure that such advice is issued to schools.”

Councillor Kevin Brooks raised a point of order that he did not recall having been asked to contribute issues for potential scrutiny at the Children, Education and Families PDS Committee. Councillor Nicky Dykes, responding with a point of personal explanation, offered to circulate the email concerned. (She subsequently confirmed that the email had been sent to Councillors Brooks and Ahmad on 8^th June 2019.)

On being put to the vote, the amendment was CARRIED.

The substantive motion was put  ...  view the full minutes text for item 153.

The Mayor reported that his first charity event on 25^th September at the Tamasha Restaurant had been very successful, raising just over £3,000. The Mayor thanked all those who had attended, including many Members as well as eight other Mayors and their guests and Bob Neill MP.  

Flyers had been circulated for the next event - a bowling evening at the Pavilion on 29^th October. There was also a “Guess who that is?” competition.

The Mayor thanked Members who had offered to represent him at Remembrance Sunday events, and urged other Members to reply to the Office.

RESOLVED that the press and public be excluded during consideration of the item of business referred to below as it is likely in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings that if members of the Press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information.

The following summary

refers to matters

involving exempt information

RESOLVED that the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 15^th July 2019 be confirmed.