Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.  Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Abdul Abdullahi, Guney Dogan, and Michael Rye and from co-optees Alicia Meniru, Tony Murphy and Simon Goulden. 

Councillors Robert Hayward and Elaine Hayward were acting as substitutes in place of Councillors Edward Smith and Michael Rye and Councillors Chris Bond and Mary Maguire were acting as substitutes for Councillors Abdul Abdullahi and Guney Dogan. 

Members of the Council are invited to identify any disclosable pecuniary, other pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests relevant to items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest. 

To receive and consider a report from the Chief Executive outlining details of a call-in received on the Cabinet decision taken on the Meridian Water Station Update and Budget: (Report No: 46). 

The decision that has been called in was taken at Cabinet on 26 July 2017 and included on the Publication of Decision List No: 16/17-18 (List Ref:2/16/17-18) issued on 28 July 2017.

This report will be considered in conjunction with the information included on the part 2 agenda.

It is proposed that consideration of the call-in be structured as follows:

·       Brief outline of reasons for the call-in by representative (s) of the members who have called in the decision.

·       Response to the reasons provided for the Call-In by the Cabinet members responsible for taking the decision.

·       Debate by Overview & Scrutiny Committee and agreement on action to be taken. 

The Committee received a report from the Chief Executive outlining details of a call in received on the Cabinet decision taken on the Meridian Water Station Update and Budget (Report No:46)

NOTED that this report was considered in conjunction with the information in the part 2 agenda. 

All the discussion on this item took part in the part 2 section of the meeting. 

To consider, if necessary, passing a resolution under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 excluding the press and public from the meeting for the item of business listed in Part 2 of the agenda on the grounds that it will involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in those paragraphs of Part 1 Schedule 12A to the Act (as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006), as are listed on the agenda (Members are asked to refer to the Part 2 agenda)

Resolved in accordance with the principles of Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of the Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act (as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006. 

To receive the part 2 information relating to the call in on the Meridian Water Station Update and Budget. 

The information should be considered in conjunction with the information provided in report No 46, on the part 1 agenda.

(These documents contain exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person – including the authority holding that information) of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended)

The Committee received the information provided on the Meridian Water Station Update and Budget which had been included in the part 2 section of the agenda.

NOTED

1.               The information was considered in conjunction with the report No: 46 on the part 1 agenda. 

2.               Councillor Edward Smith began by expressing his concern that the papers setting out the response to the reasons for call in had only been provided on the Friday before the meeting.  He felt that this did not allow enough time for members to consider the information properly and was not a good way to conduct the business of the meeting. 

3.               Councillor Smith set out the reasons for calling in the decision: 

·       Concern that there was not enough explanation in the Cabinet report as to reasons behind the increase in the cost to the Council of the proposals for the enhanced station at Meridian Water, when compared to the originally proposed base station. 

·       Whilst acknowledging the need for providing connections across the railway and joining up the separate parts of the Meridian Water development, concern that the report did not provide enough context for connectivity issues across the whole area. 

·       Questions about the need for the Council to contribute to the costs of a Cross Rail 2 ready station which would probably not be needed for at least 20 years. 

·       Concern about what he felt was the confusing way the costs were presented in the report.

·       Concern that the maintenance costs involved in keeping the new station bridge open 24 hours a day would fall to the Council.  The view that the decision to finalise these costs should not be delegated to officers but referred back to Cabinet. 

·       The apparent lack of clarity about the finances of the proposals and about which grants/loans could be spent on what aspects of the scheme. 

·       Concern that the GLA would not re-designate areas for residential development that were currently designated for strategic industrial uses, which might mean that the Council could be at risk of losing money. 

4.               The response of Councillor Sitkin, Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Business Development.  He highlighted the following: 

·       The base station, as originally proposed, would not have been able to support the needs of the current Meridian Water residential proposals. 

·       Much of the land would remain for industrial uses and estimated land prices in the report had taken all factors into account. 

·       Network Rail was unable to pay for the enhanced station which was an essential part of the Meridian Water project.  The station would include a bridge which would always have been needed as part of the overall scheme.  The reasons were set out in detail in page 6 of the part 2 report. 

·       Making the station Cross Rail 2 compliant was an investment in the long term future. 

·       Analysis has been carried out to back up all the proposals in the report and to estimate land values following the building of the station. 

5.               Other issues highlighted by officers  ...  view the full minutes text for item 124.