Agenda and minutes

Council - Wednesday 9th July, 2014 7.00 pm

Venue: Porchester Hall. View directions

Contact: Mick Steward  Email:  msteward@westminster.gov.uk Tel: 020 7641 3134

Live Broadcast: Listen to the Audio Recording of the Questions and Answers

Items
No. Item

1.

Appointment of Relief Chairman

To appoint a relief Chairman.

Minutes:

1.1       Motion, moved by the Lord Mayor and seconded by Councillor Melvyn Caplan that Councillor Louise Hyams be elected as Relief Chairman.

 

 

2.

Minutes

To sign the Minutes of the Meeting of the Council meeting held on 4 June 2014.

Minutes:

2.1       The minutes of the proceedings at the Council meeting held on Wednesday 4 June 2014 were, with the assent of the Members present, signed by the Lord Mayor as a true record of the proceedings.

 

3.

Lord Mayor's Communications

(a)          The Lord Mayor to report that on Thursday 5 June she attended the ceremony organised by Crown Estates to mark the completion of 10 New Burlington Street. 

 

(b)          The Lord Mayor to report that on Thursday 5 June she attended she attended the 2014 Westminster City Council and Volunteer Centre Westminster Community Awards Ceremony at the Victory Services Club, and presented the Better City, Better Lives award.

 

(c)          The Lord Mayor to report that on Friday 6 June she attended an event at the Royal Society of Art to mark the 60th anniversary of the death of Alan Turing.

 

(d)          The Lord Mayor to report that on Monday 9 June she attended the Marylebone Association Annual General Meeting.

 

(e)          The Lord Mayor to report that on Tuesday 10 June she attended the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.

 

(f)           The Lord Mayor to report that on Tuesday 10 June she attended a dinner given by the Chief Commoner in the Guildhall in honour of the Past Chief Commoner.

 

(g)          The Lord Mayor to report that on Wednesday 11 June with the Mayor’s of the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and the Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham she observed prayers at the Islamic Cultural Centre and afterwards joined a reception.

 

(h)         The Lord Mayor to report that on Saturday 14 June she witnessed ‘Trooping the Colour’ in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen. 

 

(i)           The Lord Mayor to report that on Saturday 14 June she attended the Hyde Park Association Summer Garden Party. 

 

(j)           The Lord Mayor to report that on Sunday 15 June she represented the City of Westminster at the Centenary Celebrations (High Mass) of The Church of the Annunciation, Marble Arch.

 

(k)          The Lord Mayor to report that on Tuesday 17 June she met with Soleen  Rashed the Westminster Youth MP.

 

(l)           The Lord Mayor to report that on Tuesday 17 June she attended a reception at the House of Lords organised by the Dolphin Square Foundation to mark the launch of a research report on the benefits of intermediate rental accommodation.

 

 

(m)        The Lord Mayor to report that on Thursday 19 June she attended the formal re-opening of Speaker’s Corner by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport.

 

(n)         The Lord Mayor to report that on Thursday 19 June she attended the Covent Garden Area Trust Annual Rent Ceremony.

 

(o)          The Lord Mayor to report that on Friday 20 June she attended the reception to mark ‘West End Live 2013’ and on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 June she attended the West End Live events in Trafalgar Square.

 

(p)          The Lord Mayor to report that Sunday 22 June she visited events at the Paddington Festival, starting with the Westbourne Community Summer Festival at the St Mary Magdalene Church, W2 in the Warwick Estate, followed by the Lebanese Festival at Paddington Green.

 

(q)          The Lord Mayor to report that on Monday 23 June she took the Salute as the Armed Forces Flag was raised on  ...  view the full agenda text for item 3.

Minutes:

3.1       The Lord Mayor thanked all those Members who had attended the Civic Service on Sunday 6 July 2014.

 

3.2       The Lord Mayor invited the Youth MP, Soleen Rasheed to address the meeting following which the Lord Mayor, on behalf of the Council, congratulated her on an excellent speech.

 

 

4.

Declarations of Interest

To receive any Declarations of Interests from Members and Officers of the Council.

Minutes:

4.1       There were no Declarations of Interest.

 

5.

Petitions and Deputations, If Any

Minutes:

5.1       Councillor Jan Prendergast presented a petition on behalf of users of the Westminster Adult Education Service against class closures.  The petition was referred to the Strategic Director Housing, Property and Regeneration for reporting to the appropriate Cabinet Member.

 

 

6.

Questions pdf icon PDF 18 KB

Standing Order 9 limits the questions to matters relevant to the general work or procedure of the Council.

 

A list setting out the order of questions is attached.

Minutes:

6.1       The questions, supplementary questions and replies are to be transcribed and included on the Council’s website.

 

7.

Councillor Issues

(a)           Councillor Susie Burbridge:   Has Anything Changed – Do Residents          Care?

 

(b)          Councillor Barrie Taylor:        The Roles of “Front Line” and Back-of-Office Councillors

Minutes:

(a)                      Has Anything Changed – Do Residents Care!

 

            Councillor Susie Burbridge spoke and Councillor Daniel Astaire replied.

 

(b)        Front Line and Back Office Councillors

 

            Councillor Barrie Taylor spoke and Councillor Steve Summers replied.

 

 

8.

Statement on Urgent Matters

With the approval of the Chairman of the meeting, the Leader of the Council will make a statement on an urgent matter and the Leader of the Opposition will have an equivalent right of reply.

Minutes:

8.1       There were no urgent matters.

9.

Future Policy Plan pdf icon PDF 48 KB

To consider items  chosen for debate from the attached Future Policy Plan.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(a)        Future Policy Plan – Better City, Better Lives

 

            The Majority Party had selected item on the Future Policy Plan – Better City, Better Lives.  The debate will be referred to the relevant Strategic Director for consideration when next reporting on this subject.

 

 

 

10.

Notice of Motion

To be moved by Councillor Murad Gassanly and seconded by Councillor Jason Williams:

 

"This Council notes the results of the recent elections in Churchill Ward which returned three Labour Councillors and when many residents expressed their concerns about proposals for the redevelopment of parts of the Churchill Gardens estate. The following issues were raised by countless voters during the election campaign.

1)         Any threat of loss of school playgrounds (sunken playground at Lupus Street attached to Churchill Primary and the sunken playground at Sussex Street) is unacceptable. There is huge opposition from parents and the wider neighbourhood to any plans which would entail the loss of these playgrounds

2)         Churchill Gardens estate is already a mixed community – over 50% of housing stock is private, whilst a dire shortage of all types of affordable housing is blighting the lives of residents, many of whom live in extremely overcrowded conditions. We have serious doubts about use of public land for the construction of private flats. Social rent and other types of affordable housing should be prioritised. Expanding and improving sheltered accommodation provision for the elderly is another priority.

 

3)         Any final decision on whatever the eventual plan is adopted should be determined through a local referendum of residents and affected parties (including parents of children who attend affected schools and local businesses). Without this the project will suffer from serious democratic deficit and lack legitimacy."

 

 

 





 

Minutes:

(b)       Notice of Motion – Churchill Ward

 

            The Minority Party had selected for debate the Notice of Motion on Churchill Ward.  The Motion, set out on the agenda, was moved by Councillor Murad Gassanly and seconded by Councillor Jason Williams.

 

            Following debate the Notice of Motion moved by Councillor Gassanly and seconded by Councillor Williams was put to the vote and on a show of hands declared LOST.

 

 

11.

Close of Meeting