News Bulletin - September 2013

1. Conservative Motion

At the council meeting held on 26th September, the Conservative Group withdrew their motion on Immigration and Social Housing due to problems with the ‘legality’ of its wording. It was intended for the motion to call for a local test of a general knowledge in English of the borough for EEA migrants seeking social housing with additional set eligibility requirements.

Plans to introduce a new way of allocating social housing in Slough have been given the go ahead by Slough Borough Council’s cabinet. Members voted to adopt the new housing allocations policy at a meeting at Chalvey Community Centre on Monday 16 September.

The policy, which will come into force in November 2013, aims to tighten the rules on who can apply for social housing, ensuring that the limited amount of social housing available is reserved for those who need it the most.

Only applicants who have lived in the borough for five years or more will be allowed to apply, and priority will be given to those in employment, education or training, and who actively participate in community projects.

People with good tenancy and rent-payment records will also see extra recognition, while those with a history of anti-social behaviour or poor financial management will have to demonstrate they have changed their ways before being considered for a council home.

A broad ranging 12-week public consultation found overwhelming support for the plans.

3. Council financial error leads to £1.1 m overspend.

A £1.1million budget overspend caused by a miscalculation in how much a transactional services contract cost. The error was revealed at an overview and scrutiny committee meeting on Tuesday 10th September. The committee was discussing the performance and finance report for the first quarter of the financial year with assistant director of finance and audit Joseph Harris when the issue came up. The cost of a transactional services contract with private firm Arvato, which saw some of the council's services outsourced, was miscalculated, leading to a £2.7m gap within the existing budget requirement for the contract.

Slough Borough Council’s audited accounts will be presented late this year after issues were found with previous years’ audited accounts. The council is under an obligation to get the accounts to auditors by 30 June following the closedown in April each year and the council achieved this.

Joseph Holmes, assistant director of finance and the council’s section 151 officer, said: “We met our deadline but unfortunately our auditors have found a number of issues with the audited accounts from 2011/12 which means there is extra work to do before they can present the 2012/13 accounts to full council.

Unemployment is down and skills are up the latest labour market figures for Slough show. In August 2013, Slough has only 2,980 registered as unemployed; the lowest since February 2009.

And the qualification data shows 10 percent more Slough residents are qualified to NVQ Level 4 (degree level) than in 2008. The national average for increases in university degree levels is just six percent with the south east average at only five percent.

Slough Borough Council has prosecuted a security company for deliberately blocking in and clamping vehicles before charging drivers release fees of up to £350. Clampers employed by Elite UK Security, registered in South Road, Southall, were caught using the tactic at the Harrow Market car park in Langley on 16 and 20 December 2011.

A few days later, on 23 December, the council issued an interim county court order banning aggressive commercial practices. The majority of the car park is owned by Slough Borough Council but some parts belong to the privately-owned Harrow public house, which has since closed. The clampers, who were hired by the pub to enforce parking restrictions, charged £125 for the release of vehicles but asked for up to £350 if a tow truck was called.

Elite UK Security pleaded guilty to an offence of aggressive practices under the consumer protection from unfair trading regulations at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 4 September. They were fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £1,866 costs, plus £750 compensation for victims.

The experimental traffic measures at the Harrow Market roundabout in Langley will be changing in the week beginning 7 October.

The experimental scheme was set up in April 2013 in an attempt to slow traffic in the area helping to reduce traffic accidents and prevent future ones.

The first set of measures, which included narrowing the approaches to the roundabout were extremely unpopular with residents.

But after listening to the feedback and concerns of residents, the council removed some of the temporary red and white bollards to try to find a balance between slowing the traffic down and easing the congestion.

Now, in phase three of the experiment, the council will remove all the red and white bollards and will instead be installing temporary speed cushions in the roads leading to and from the roundabout.

The temporary speed cushions will remain in place until the New Year when a consultation will be run with local residents on which experimental measures they preferred and which should be made permanent.