Agenda for Overview & Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, 31st May, 2017, 9.30 am

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Room 3, Civic Centre, Silver Street, Enfield, EN1 3XA. View directions

Contact: Elaine Huckell 

Items
No. Item

25.

WELCOME & APOLOGIES

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed attendees to the meeting.

It was noted that Councillor Sarah Doyle was substituting for Councillor Abdullahi and Councillor Robert Hayward was substituting for Councillor Rye. 

26.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

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

Minutes:

No declarations of interest were put forward.

 

27.

CALL-IN OF REPORT: MERIDIAN WATER: LAND ACQUISITION pdf icon PDF 142 KB

To receive a report from the Executive Director of Finance, Resources & Customer Services outlining a Call-In received for consideration by Overview & Scrutiny on the following reason: (Report No:6)

 

Portfolio Decision included on Publication of Decision List No:5/17-18 Key Decision 4442 (List Ref: 4/5/17-18) issued on 26 May 2017.

 

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 member responsible for taking the decision.

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

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair moved this item for discussion under Part 2.

 

Councillor Levy referred to the previous call-in of the Cabinet Decision regarding: Meridian Water: Land Acquisition which was discussed at Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 25 May 2017, when the Committee unanimously agreed to confirm the Cabinet decision.

 

Councillor Levy explained that the Administration had now called-in the portfolio decision taken by the Cabinet Member for Economic Development and the Cabinet Member for Finance and Efficiency, to approve the overall viability of the Meridian Water scheme.  The report had been called-in for the purposes of transparency and to enable the time-line of the scheme to be realised. It allowed for discussion of the key issues relating to viability of the scheme.

 

A response was provided by Councillor Sitkin, as relevant Cabinet member. 

 

Discussions took place which focused on the financial viability of the proposed development including  -

  • The necessity for purchase of the Stonehill and Hastingwood sites in order to achieve the strategic vision for Meridian Water.
  • The reputation and advice of parties advising the Council on viability of the scheme
  • The on-going review of SIL (Strategic Industrial Land) by the GLA and the possible outcomes (scenarios) regarding the re-designation or not of land. The findings indicated that the scheme, including if necessary a reduced scheme, would still be viable.

 

Overview & Scrutiny Committee considered the reasons provided for the call-in and response provided by Councillor Sitkin.  Having considered the information provided, the Committee voted to confirm the Portfolio decision:

 

Councillors Keazor, Doyle, Levy, Dogan and Robert Hayward all voted in favour of the decision, Councillor Smith abstained. 

28.

EXCLUSION OF PRESS & PUBLIC

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)

 

Minutes:

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 items of business on the grounds that they involve 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.

29.

Part 2 Agenda Call in Re: Meridian Water Land Acquisition

Attached for consideration as part of the call-in on this item, is the Part 2 Portfolio report.

 

The report should be read in conjunction with the Portfolio report attached at Appendix 1 to the Call-In report on the Part 1 agenda.

 

(This document contains 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).

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

See item 3.

 

Councillor Levy thanked everyone for attending this meeting.