Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Nicholas Bennett (replaced by Councillor Tony Owen), Mary Cooke (replaced by Councillor Colin Smith), Councillor Keith Onslow (replaced by Councillor William Huntington-Thresher), Councillor Charles Rideout and Councillor Stephen Wells. 

There were no declarations of interest.

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, questions to this Committee must be received in writing 4 working days before the date of the meeting.  Therefore please ensure questions are received by the Democratic Services Team by 5pm on Wednesday 16^th March 2016.

No questions had been received.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 10^th February 2016 (excluding exempt information) be confirmed.

PC Andrea O’Donnell attended the meeting with Inspector Richard White to summarise her role as the Police Licensing Officer for the borough. She had started her role in January 2016 following the retirement of PC Jonathan Booth. She was the Police’s only Licensing Officer, so she concentrated mainly on Bromley and Beckenham town centres, passing most other licensing issues, unless they were particularly important, to neighbourhood teams.

Inspector White informed the Committee that although he had only been in his current post for four months, as a sergeant he had led patrols in Bromley and Beckenham town centres, so he was well acquainted with the night time economy in the borough.

Councillor Tony Owen tabled a chart showing recorded crime in Bromley Town Centre from February 2009 to December 2015. This showed recorded crime stable within a range of 0 – 16 incidents per month until early in 2014, and then beginning to rise, apparently as more late licenses were allowed in the town centre, with the support of ward councillors. Inspector White commented that better recording of crime or more officers being on duty in the town centre may also have affected the figures. 

The Chairman stated that the Committee expected premises to be reviewed if they were the source of problems, and pledged that the Police would have the support of the Committee and the Council, including pressing for more police officers to be on duty in the town centres at night if that was necessary. However, it was important that robust evidence was secured and that procedures were followed scrupulously - preparing a review took six to nine months work. 

The Chairman thanked PC O’Donnell and Inspector White for attending.

Bromley Town Ward

The Committee received an update on the first day of the VuVu hearing which had taken place on 8^th March 2016. The case was due to take two more days – the second hearing would be in June.

Bromley Town Ward

Report DRR16/028

This report was withdrawn from the agenda.

As an employer Bromley Council was required by Law to have in place a range of policies and procedures to ensure that employee staffing matters were handled in a fair, reasonable and transparent way.  These policies and procedures recognised an employee’s statutory rights and afforded an opportunity for them to make representation against decisions that directly affected them, particularly those decisions which may give rise to the termination of their employment through an appeal process.  Although the law required there to be an opportunity for an employee facing dismissal to be able to make representation it did not prescribe how many opportunities that employee should have nor who should hear such representation - this was for an employer to determine. 

The current framework for appeal procedures was inconsistent with other decision making frameworks within the Council. Some appeal processes directly involved Members whereas others delegated appeals to Chief Officers. In addition, some procedures provided for 3 stage processes providing a further right of appeal.  The report set out the current framework and proposed options for consideration by the Committee.

RESOLVED that

(1) The contents of the report be noted.

(2) Officers be instructed to undertake further work in streamlining procedures as set out in the report under option 3 – that appeal procedures be compressed and the number of appeal stages be realigned to ensure consistency across all procedures with the requirement for Members to be involved in Appeals being removed and authority being delegated to the Head of Paid Service (Chief Executive) or his representative. 

(3) Officers be authorised to formally consult with Trade Unions and Staff on the proposed changes to appeal procedures.

(See Part 2 appendix)

Report CEO16018

At its meeting on 19^th May 2015, the Pensions Investment Sub-Committee had requested that General Purposes and Licensing Committee review the existing arrangements for ill health retirement.  The report set out the current arrangements for dealing with ill health retirement cases within Bromley’s Pension Fund. 

The Council’s Pension Fund was a defined benefit schemed operated under the provisions of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Regulations 2013, for the purpose of providing pension benefits for its employees. The report also provides information about the employees who had retired early on grounds of ill health within the last three years.  The report did not include information about members of the Local Government Pension Scheme who were not employed by Bromley Council.

RESOLVED that the contents of the report be noted.

This report was withdrawn from the agenda.

Report CSD16047

The Committee considered the draft timetable of meetings for the next municipal year. The programme was loosely based on the 2015/16 timetable.

An updated programme was tabled; this corrected some errors in January 2017 and made some changes necessary to accommodate the EU referendum on 23^rd June 2016.

A Member asked whether the date of the Council meeting on 26^th September 2016 could be moved to either 19^th September or 3^rd October. The Chairman suggested that this be considered.  

RESOLVED that the programme of meetings 2016/17, as tabled, be approved.

Report CSD16048

An informal cross-party meeting had been held to consider potential new Honorary Aldermen, and three candidates had been proposed – former Councillors Ernest Dyer, David Haslam and George Taylor. An amended schedule giving details of their service had been circulated. It was proposed that a special meeting of the Council would be called on 11^th May 2016 to approve the appointments.  

RESOLVED that the following be nominated to full Council for appointment as Honorary Aldermen –

Former Councillors Ernest Dyer, David Haslam and George Taylor.

Report CSD160049

The three year terms of office of the Council’s two representatives on the St Olave’s and St Saviour’s Schools Foundation Court of Governors expired on 30^th April 2016. It was proposed that the two current representatives, Councillors Robert Evans and Neil Reddin, be re-appointed.

RESOLVED that Councillors Robert Evans and Neil Reddin be re-appointed to the Court of Governors of the St Olave’s and St Saviour’s Schools Foundation for three year terms ending on 30^th April 2016. 

The minutes of the Local Joint Consultative Committee meeting held on 25^th February 2016 were received.

The minutes of the Pensions Investment Sub-Committee meeting held on 11^th February 2016 were received.

The minutes of the meeting of the Appeals Sub-Committee held on 1^st February 2016 (excluding exempt information) were received.

RESOLVED that the Press and public be excluded during consideration of the items 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 10^th February 2016 be confirmed.

The exempt minutes of the meeting of the Appeals Sub-Committee held on 1^st February 2016 were received.

A Member suggested that it should not be necessary to have the full minutes of Appeals Sub-Committee meetings circulated – just a summary of the decision. The Chairman responded that this could be looked at.  

(See Part 1 report)

Report CEO1608

The Committee noted confidential details relating to the report on the part 1 agenda concerning Ill-Health Retirements.