CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL
Councillors James (Chair), J Smith, (Vice Chair), Adey, Armstrong, Blencowe, Downham, Herbert, Kightley, Stebbings
(Lib Dem Alt: Churchill)
Executive Councillor: Councillor Catherine Smart
Non-voting co-optees: Mr H Gault (Social Services) and Dr D Gregson (Cambridge NHS Primary Care Trust); Mrs
K Harris, Mr B Haywood and Mrs A Vine-Lott (Tenant
representatives).
Members of Housing Management Board
Councillors
Armstrong, Blencowe, Downham, James, J Smith, Stebbings (Lib Dem Alt: Ward)
Tenant
Representatives – Mr Best, Mrs Griffiths, Mr Haywood, Mr Routledge, Mr Sweeney
(Despatched and placed on public
deposit: Friday 7 January 2005)
HOUSING AND HEALTH SCRUTINY
COMMITTEE
Date: Wednesday 19 January 2005
Time: 5.30pm
Place: Committee Room 1, The Guildhall
Contact: John Blunt
Direct Dial: (01223) 457012
AGENDA
1 MINUTES
To approve the minutes of the meeting on 10 November 2004 as a correct record.
2 APOLOGIES
To receive any apologies for absence.
3 DECLARATIONS
OF INTEREST
Members are
asked to declare at this stage any interests that they may have in an item
shown on this agenda. If any member of the Committee is unsure whether or not
they should declare an interest on a particular matter, they should seek advice
from the Head of Legal and Democratic Services before the meeting.
5 KEY
DECISION - Service
Plans 2005/06: Housing revenue account (Contact Julia Hovells/Kaye Black Tel:
458140/458141)
6 KEY DECISION - Service Plans 2005/06: GENERAL FUND (Contact Julia Hovells/Karen Whyatt Tel: 458140/458145)
Housing
General Fund Service Plan
Environmental
Health Service Plan
7 Introductory
Tenancies (Contact: Sandra Farmer 458312)
The Board’s Constitution provides that tenant and leaseholder representatives may be removed from the Board if they commit serious breaches of the Code of Conduct, if they bring the Board into disrepute or if they persistently infringe minor rules. Tenant and leaseholder representatives may also be removed if they fail to attend three or more Board meetings. At present, there is nothing in the Board’s constitution to bar representatives who have been removed from standing for election again. This is an omission which should be rectified.
Options include:
· A permanent prohibition of future candidacy by former representatives removed from the Board. This would not give any scope for consideration of whether any changed circumstances merited the lifting of a prohibition.
· A time-limited prohibition. This would not be appropriate if the person remained unsuitable as a candidate at the end of the period.
· An indefinite prohibition, which would continue until the Committee made a decision to lift it. This would give flexibility to take account of changed circumstances.
The officers’ view is that the option which best combines flexibility and fairness is an indefinite prohibition which may be lifted at the discretion of the Housing and Health Scrutiny Committee upon application.
Recommended: That clause 5.4 of the HMB constitution is amended to read:
“Those eligible to stand for election shall be:
· Any tenant or joint tenant of the City Council;
· Any leaseholder of a City Council residential property,
However, a former tenant or leasehold representative who ceased to be a member of the Board by virtue of Clause 10.4 or Clause 12.3 shall not be eligible to stand for election unless the Housing and Health Scrutiny Committee gives its consent. Such consent must be requested in writing addressed to the Director of Community Services at least 21 days before the date of the last Housing and Health Scrutiny Committee preceding an election.”
9 WRITE
OFF OF FORMER TENANT ARREARS (Contact: Sandra Farmer
Tel: 458312)
10 EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC (Chair)
Before considering the next item on the agenda, the
Committee is recommended to exclude members of the public from the
meeting on the grounds that, if they were present, there would be disclosure to
them of information defined as exempt from publication by Category 7 as defined
in the Council’s Constitution part 4B.
11 Key
Issue - Compulsory Purchase Order: PROPERTY B (Contact: Roger Coey 457881)
|
The next meeting of Housing
and Health Scrutiny Committee is on Wednesday, 16 March 2005
at 5.30 pm. |
|
Information for the public You are welcome to attend this meeting as
an observer, although it may be necessary to ask you to leave the room during
the discussion of matters which are described as confidential. You can ask questions on an issue included
on the agenda above, or on an issue which is within this committee’s powers.
Questions can only be asked during the slot on the agenda for this at the
beginning of the meeting, not later on when an issue is under discussion by
the committee. If you wish to ask a question related to an agenda item
contact the committee officer (listed above under ‘contact’) before the meeting starts. If you wish to ask a question on a matter
not included on this agenda, please contact the committee officer by 10.00am
the working day before the meeting.
Further details concerning the
right to speak at committee can be obtained from the committee section. In the
event of the fire alarm sounding
(which is a continuous ringing sound), you should pick up your
possessions and leave the building by the route you came in. Once clear of
the building, you should assemble on the pavement opposite the main entrance
to the Guildhall and await further instructions. If your escape route or the
assembly area is unsafe, you will be directed to safe areas by a member of
Cambridge City Council staff. |
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