24/02/2009 - Council - Agenda

TO: EVERY MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF WINDSOR & MAIDENHEAD

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED TO ATTEND the Meeting of the Council of the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead to be held in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall, Maidenhead, on Tuesday 24 February 2009 at 7.30 pm for the purpose of transacting the business specified in the Agenda set out hereunder.

A G E N D A

PART I

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

To receive any apologies for absence.

2. COUNCIL MINUTES

To receive the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 11 December 2008.

3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

To receive declarations of interests in respect of any item to be considered at this meeting.

4. MAYOR'S COMMUNICATIONS (18PDF) - To receive such communications as the Mayor may desire to place before the Council

5. PUBLIC QUESTIONS - Mr Ewan Larcombe of Lawn Close, Datchet will ask the following questions of Councillor Mrs Quick, the Lead Member for Children's Services:

a) "The DCSF has now published the 2008 Secondary School achievement and attainment tables. Can you please tell me what percentage of pupils persistent absence has been recorded for Churchmead School?"

b) "The 2008 school achievement and attainment tables refer to 5 or more GCSE's grades 'A*-C' including English and Maths. What percentage of pupils achieving this standard has been recorded for Churchmead School?

6. PETITIONS - To receive any petitons presented by Members on behalf of registered electors for the Borough under Rule A.10.

7. LOCAL AREA AGREEMENT REFRESH (21KB PDF) - To consider the process for the forthcoming Local Area Agreement (LAA) Refresh.

8. PROGRAMME OF MEETINGS 2009/10 (36KB PDF) - To consider the annual programme; (Appendix A - 13KB PDF)

9. COUNCIL BUDGET 2009/10 (76KB PDF) - To consider the budget as recommended by Cabinet; Appendices (285KB PDF)

10. MEMBERS QUESTIONS - To receive Questions submitted under Rule 11.2

a) Question submitted by Councillor Saunders to Councillor Mrs Quick, Lead Member for Children's Services: Why are children with their fifth birthday between 1 September and 31 December 2009 unable to attend fully funded full time education in either a nursery or infant school in the Borough until January 2010 and how many children will miss out on their education for the Autumn 2009 terms as a consequence?

b) Question submitted by Councillor Chelani to Councillor Burbage, Leader of the Council: The dispute resolution provisions of the Employment Act 2008 will come into force in April 2009. Could the Leader indicate how well prepared the Council is for this?

c) Question submitted by Councillor Adams to Councillor Burbage, Leader of the Council: The 2M Group of Local Councils are once again considering legal action against excessive expansion at Heathrow. Can the Leader confirm that this Council is still committed to work with other Councils in all respects, including financial and resource allocation, to seek to change government policy?

d) Question submitted by Councillor Baskerville to Councillor Bicknell, Chief Whip and Lead Member for Public Protection: In severe weather conditions certain waste collection days were cancelled this month rather than re-arranged as happens with bank holidays. Households were concerned about adverse weather continuing only on their collection days. Can the Lead Member indicate that all parts of the Borough will have their waste collected as soon as humanly possible?

e) Question submitted by Councillor Mackay to Councillor Rayner, Lead Member for Highways and Streetcare: Why is it that the Council is dragging its feet over a creation order for a 30 metre link for the Thames Path from Bridge Gardens, whilst West Berkshire Council do not seem to have any problems in pursuing a creation order for a non-road link at Purley-on-Thames?

f) Question submitted by Councillor Mrs Yong to Councillor Hilton, Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Finance: Does the Deputy Leader intend to make any representations to the government for financial assistance to repair roads damaged by the recent cold weather?

g) Question submitted by Councillor Mrs Hunt to Councillor Maxwell, Lead Member for Policy and Performance: What is the Lead Member's views on using taxpayers money to fund party political leaflets?

h) Question submitted by Councillor Mrs Hunt to Councillor Rayner, Lead Member for Policy and Performance: Did the Lead Member receive any representations from the Members for Furze Platt after he asked for views on proposed new bus alterations?

i) Question submitted by Councillor Lenton to Councillor Mrs Bateson, Lead Member for Community Partnerships and Consultation (including tourism): As a part of his mismanagement of the economy Gordon Brown has accidentally but substantially devalued sterling against the Euro, the US Dollar and other currencies. Would the Lead Member inform me of what steps the Council is taking to ensure that Windsor will take full advantage of the boost that this will give to its tourist trade?

j) Question submitted by Councillor Saunders Councillor Bicknell, Chief Whip and Lead Member for Public Protection: Can the Lead Member comment on the validity of the following claim: "the Lib Dems spotted Conservatives' plans to ask the Government for powers to charge for rubbish collections, in council papers. After a big battle at the council Conservatives withdrew this proposal"?

11. MOTIONS ON NOTICE - To consider the following Motions submitted under Rule A12

i) by Councillor Adams

This council notes the Fuel Poverty Bill introduced by David Heath MP with all party support and whose second reading is scheduled for this March. The aims of this bill include · having a major energy efficiency programme to 'fuel poverty proof' existing homes by bringing them up to the current energy efficiency levels enjoyed by modern homes and · social tariffs to limit vulnerable households' exposure to high energy bills. This Council resolves to contact its local MP's asking them to support this Bill.

ii) by Councillor Beer

This Council notes the ongoing problems with Ordinary Water Course and River Thames management and demands that regular Councillor and community liaison with the Environment Agency is restored via the Thames Flood Forum, and that the support of other Councils and the local MPs be sought to address these matters.

iii) by Councillor Mrs Newbound

This Council is critical of the recent changes to the bus routes, stops and times on the Halifax and Cookham Road routes that have disadvantaged many local residents.This Council further criticises the way changes were brought in hastily with very little consultation or any advance warning to passengers. This Council resolves to reconsider the new routes that were introduced, consult fully with the bus users and to fully restore both the half hourly service to the Halifax Road area and the services along the Cookham Road

iv) by Councillor Werner

This Council notes that the Government approved a six per cent increase in First Great Western's regulated train fare that took effect in January 2009. The Council is concerned that above-inflation rises can lead to increase usage of the highway network as switching to private cars takes place. Therefore Council asks the Leader to write to First Great Western and the Secretary of State for Transport pointing out the full and adverse consequences of having expensive rail fares.

v) by Councillor Lenton

That this Council notes that residents in Horton and Wraysbury share a number of different postcodes reflecting the fact that post comes from both the Slough and Twickenham sorting offices and: 1. notes that this situation causes confusion and undermines civic pride in the borough; and 2. requests the Royal Mail both to find a way of simplifying this situation and give the Windsor constituency its own Post Code; and 3. asks the Leader to write to the Chief Executive of the Royal Mail expressing this view.

vi) by Councillor Burbage

This Council, believing in accountability to the taxpayer, notes the recent campaign by the Taxpayers Alliance and George Osborne MP to ensure greater disclosure of public finances: further notes that they want to see revenue and capital items of expenditure £25,000 published. This Council resolves to exceed this ambition by publishing as much data of spending over £5,000 as is legally possible quarterly in arrears; requests the Leader and Cabinet ensure that the information is published in a timely fashion.

vii) by Councillor Maxwell

This Council notes the introduction of the Coroners and Justice Bill to parliament -

i) expresses alarm at the provision for any arm of government to make, without any further checks and balances, an 'information sharing order' to share personal information so long as it's considered necessary for the authority to achieve a "policy objective";

ii) resolves to oppose these changes and write to the Justice Secretary asking him to reconsider what the No2ID National Coordinator terms "a sneaky set of tactics attempting to extend the database state.";

iii) requests officers to identify just how much time is used up satisfying data requests for central government

12. LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 - EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC - To consider passing the following resolution:-

"That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting whilst discussion takes place on item 13 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1-7 of part I of Schedule 12A of the Act"

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