The following motion was proposed by Cllr Dexter Smith and seconded by Cllr Anna Wright at Council on 23rd July 2013.
This Council resolves to:-
Produce a Report for Cabinet on the exact position regarding uncollected Council Tax arrears for the last three municipal years, following the Local Government Minister’s ranking of Slough’s level of arrears per Council Taxpayer as the second worst in the country; the report shall include an action plan outlining how the council intends to improve its performance in collecting Council Tax arrears, thereby reducing the financial pressures on those who do fully pay their Council Tax and that are subsidising those who don’t.
In April 2013, Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said, “Incompetent and rotten Labour boroughs are turning a blind eye to tax evasion”. Of which Slough was ranked the second most incompetent and rotten Labour borough. Slough Borough Council retorted by claiming that the wrong numbers were given to Eric Pickles and that the actual arrears equated to half the figure quoted by Pickles.
The Conservative Group requested Council Tax Collection figures for the last 3 full financial years and low and behold the figures highlighted arrears that were actually in excess of those quoted by Pickles. Initially, we were told that in 2012-13 Slough Borough Council had failed to collect 4.7% Council Tax which equated to £2,275,129. Therefore they had average arrears of £952.73 per household (4.7% of 50,800 is 2388 residents) which is well above the figures Eric Pickles quoted in April. Doing the same for 2011-12, the 4.2% equates to 2134 in arrears, each with average arrears of £941.91 per household; and in 2010-11 we had 2083 in arrears, averaging £932.55 per household.
The motion was rejected by Labour.
2. Lib Dem Motion
The following motion was proposed by Cllr Robert Plimmer and seconded by Cllr Wayne Strutton at Council on 23rd July 2013.
This Council resolves to:-
Following the June conviction at Reading Crown Court of a former Slough Borough Council Housing Officer for fraud, the Council requests the Commissioner for Neighbourhoods and Renewal to review the current procedures that are used for stopping the illegal subletting of Council property and to produce a detailed report for Cabinet on the legal requirements between letting agents and private landlords outlining current regulations and protection practices for all parties concerned.
This motion was submitted in response to the conviction of former SBC housing officer, Izzy Atafo who sub-let council property for almost 2 years (between August 2010 and May 2012) without the council’s knowledge.
The motion was rejected by Labour.
3. Statutory Service PlansAt its meeting on 23rd July Council endorsed Statutory Service Plans (SSPs) in relation to:
• Food Safety Service
• Health and Safety Service
• Trading Standards Service
The Statutory Service Plans set out how the Council will meet its statutory obligations to maintain the pre-requisites that residents and visitors expect in a town like Slough; to be able to eat out without becoming ill, go to work without being injured, buy safe goods in the town’s shops. The plans detail essential work that will both protect the reputation of Slough and improve its image.
4. Mayor’s breach of Code
Cllr Balvinder Bains faced a SBC Standards committee on Tuesday 30th July after breaching its code of conduct by failing to declare an interest. Cllr Bains was reported for breaching the code of conduct after allegedly not declaring his employment at British Airways, details of his trade union membership and that he owned three houses in Slough. An investigation found that the Mayor did fail to disclose some pecuniary interests relating to his employment. However, a report heard that Cllr Bains did not need to disclose his trade union membership because it was ‘not carried out for profit’. Cllr Bains confirmed he did not receive payment from his trade union, but accepted the findings of the report. In front of the Committee he said “This was a genuine error, which I corrected”.
5. Labour make cuts
All 42 council seats are up for election next year and candidates who were rejected after the interview stage include current mayor Cllr Bains, former mayor Sukhjit Dhaliwal and Cllr Mewa Mann. The trio have served as Labour councillors for more than 20 years. Cllr Amritpal Sandhu was also rejected after he allegedly handed his interview form in late. Cllr Bharat Mittal did not pass the interview stage and Cllr Harpreet Aulja, who only attended 33% of meetings, did not apply for an interview. Cllr O’Connor and Cllr Walsh did not stand for selection. The selection process is still underway and will not be confirmed in total until October.
6. Supermarket plans submitted to council – Langley Business Centre in Station Rd
The store – Morrisons – will measure 25,000 square foot. That is roughly 40% of the size of the current Tesco superstore in Slough Town Centre. The plans have been criticised by nearby Harrow Market Traders who are worried about their livelihoods. The stretch of road from the proposed entrance down past the Harrow roundabout, which becomes High Street, has been subject to temporary traffic-calming from the council. A decision is expected by early November.
7. Westward move is favoured option for Heathrow growth
Heathrow wants to move westwards if it gets its wish to expand into a three-runway hub airport. On 17th July, the airport released its submission to the Davies Commission, which is examining the need for addition airport capacity. The report outlined 3 options for expansion – one south west of current runways towards Wraysbury, one north west towards Colnbrook and another to the north east.
8. Council crackdown on illegal buildings
Slough Borough Council’s plans to deal with illegal outbuildings will swing into action in the coming weeks. It follows the completion of work to analyse data gathered by aerial imaging company Bluesky International, who were commissioned earlier this year to collect aerial images of Slough to help create an accurate map of all outbuildings. Slough is the first authority in the UK to use such technology as a tool to target landlords who rent out sometimes poor quality outbuildings for accommodation without planning permission. It forms part of wider plans to target rogue landlords and raise living standards in private accommodation and Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMOs). Bluesky gathered thermal, 3D and aerial images of the whole borough during a single flyover by a specially-equipped aeroplane on the night of 26-27 March. Early analysis of a small selection of the information, revealed last month, identified 211 outbuildings that required further investigation in one part of Slough.
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