Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Jaeger and Councillor Knight.

In accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct, Members are requested to declare any interests orally at the start of the meeting and again immediately before consideration of the matter. Members are reminded to specify the agenda item number to which it refers and whether the interest is of a personal or prejudicial nature.

Members are also reminded of the requirements of Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 that they should declare and not vote on specified matters if they are two months or more in arrears with their Council Tax payments.

None.

To consider and approve the Minutes of the meeting held on 7 September 2009 (attached).

The Minutes of the meeting held on 7 September 2009 be received and approved and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

None.

None.

None.

None.

To summarise the responses to the report and the recommendations of the Health, Housing & Social Care’s Scrutiny Task Group on Dementia.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing attached.

The Cabinet heard from Councillor Davies, Chair of the Task Group, who commended the report to Cabinet and praised the strength in partnership working during the scrutiny review.

The Cabinet welcomed the work of the task group and congratulated Councillor Anna Davies in her capacity as the Carers’ Champion.

The reasons for the decision and any alternative options considered and rejected are set out in the report.

RESOLVED that:

1.                  the recommendations in Appendix A be agreed and referred onto the Chair of the Mental Health Redesign Group (Head of Joint Mental Health & Substance Misuse Commissioning) for response and action; and

2.         the Head of Service Development, Adult and Community Services and Head of Joint Mental Health & Substance Misuse Commissioning to report back to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee on progress in six months.

To seek Cabinet’s retrospective approval in terms of Contracts Standing Orders Clause 3.3 (b) for the urgent Cabinet Member decision to waive Contract Standing Orders in order to purchase replacement Pay on Foot equipment.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Traffic, Transport & Parking attached.

The reasons for the decision and any alternative options considered and rejected are set out in the report.

RESOLVED that approval be given retrospectively to the Cabinet Member decision to waive the Contract Standing Orders for, and provide approval for, the purchase of a replacement Pay on Foot equipment.

To provide an update on the impact of the recession and actions taken to address it;  recommend an extension of the previously agreed principles for applying the Economic Development Fund and to propose Economic Development activities that will draw on this fund.

Report of the Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategy and Partnerships attached.

The Cabinet was advised that the South London Leaders’ Group had complimented this Authority for the actions it was taking to address the recession.

The Cabinet noted that from April 2010, the Local Economic Assessment would be a new statutory duty placed on all top tier and unitary authorities. The Cabinet considered the report before it to be a good basis from which to develop the assessment.

The reasons for the decision and any alternative options considered and rejected are set out in the report.

RESOLVED that:

1.         it be noted that to provide clarity the Economic Development Fund has been separated into the General Economic Development Fund and the Recession and Recovery Fund (Para 3.3 of the report);

2.                  the report setting out the impacts of the recession in the borough (Appendix 1) be noted and the Council’s contribution to the updated Action Plan (Appendix 2) be agreed;

3.                  the proposed use of the Recession and Recovery Fund (Appendix 3), including the extension of the Town Centre Opportunities scheme (Appendix 3, Item 4) be agreed; and

4.         delegated authority to the Head of Policy and Design to agree allocations in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources and the Cabinet Member for Environment on use of the fund be agreed.

The report outlines the proposals addressing the findings from the Place Survey 2008.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Communities and the Cabinet Member for Performance attached.

The Cabinet commended the report and noted that Richmond Upon Thames had the second highest score in London, after the City of London, with 92.1% of residents saying that they were satisfied with the borough as a place to live in (National Indicator 5).

The reasons for the decision and any alternative options considered and rejected are set out in the report.

RESOLVED that the proposals addressing the findings of the Place Survey 2008 be agreed.

To report on the use of the £581,000 that remained unallocated from the 09/10 programme and to seek authority to draw down £2,269,000 of funding from the 10/11 programme in order to try and meet the anticipated shortfall in Affordable Housing before the 31^st of March 2011.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing attached.

This is a key decision.

The Cabinet noted that National Indicator (NI) 155, delivery of affordable homes, was a key target for this Authority; and because the supply of units had reduced significantly, there would be a shortfall in the number of affordable homes that would be delivered by March 2011. The Cabinet was advised that the Council was taking immediate action to help meet this target through two proposals:

·               the Richmond First Scheme; and

·               an extension of the Purchase and Repair Scheme

Both schemes rely on existing properties.

The reasons for the decision and any alternative options considered and rejected are set out in the report.

RESOLVED that:

1.         the proposed extension to the Purchase and Repair scheme as outlined in paragraphs 3.1 to 3.8, funded from the remainder of the 09/10 Housing Capital Programme together with a forward commitment from the 10/11 programme be agreed; and

2.                  the proposed ‘Richmond First’ scheme as outlined in paragraphs 3.10 to 3.28, funded from the 10/11 Housing Capital Programme be agreed.

To agree grants in excess of £100,000 to voluntary organisations for the period 1^st October 2009 to 30^th September 2012.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Communities attached.

This is a key decision.

The reasons for the decision and any alternative options considered and rejected are set out in the report.

RESOLVED that the grants listed in Appendix A of the report be awarded.

To inform Cabinet of the performance of the Council in relation to achieving its priorities as set out in the Corporate and Community Plans and against the New National Indicators for April to June inclusive, quarter 1, of 2009-2010.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Performance attached.

The Cabinet noted that of the five primary schools that had been inspected by OFSTED during the last quarter, two were considered outstanding and two as good. It was also noted that the Youth Service figures for 2008/09 showed a 40% increase in the number of individuals achieving an accredited outcome (a nationally recognised qualification).

The reasons for the decision and any alternative options considered and rejected are set out in the report.

RESOLVED that:

1.         the progress in relation to key priorities, including actions and targets within the Corporate and Community plans and performance against national indicators as summarised in the Performance Report at Appendix A be noted; and

2.         the actions being taken where performance is identified as Amber or Red be noted.