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News and Comment July 2022

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14 July - Cabinet Report (Part 1)

Leader and Chief ExecutiveAnother Finance related Cabinet meeting which was preceded by a statement by Chief Executive Jacky Belton on the latest Bexley Bin strike.

She said absolutely nothing that was not known already and confirmed that only the food waste and the green lid (residual waste) bins would be collected. Recycling is effectively on hold while Unite rejects an 8% pay increase if it means working their full contracted hours.

Finance Director Paul Thorogood was asked to summarise the borough’s 2021/22 financial performance which will eventually go forward for audit later in the year. Despite listening to his short address twice I cannot find a single word relating to finance within it.

In an unprecedented move, Cabinet Member David Leaf (Resources) declined his invitation to add a few words of his own. Cabinet Member Munir (Growth) managed to find a mistake in the official Annual Performance Review document which related to placements on an employment scheme. The target was met and not missed as reported.

Going off on a bit of a tangent Councillor Munir said it was getting to be very difficult to recruit planning staff. In the past two years applications had increased by more than 40%. Staff are being tempted away by “an awful lot more pay than Bexley currently gives”. Despite that all major applications have been dealt with on time. There have been 991 decisions of a more minor nature since last January and 848 were delivered on time, well above the Government target.

Councillor Craske (Bins & Places) added that Bexley was “The Greatest Borough. Every service across the borough is delivered at a high level constantly”.

Labour Leader Stefano Borella had noticed that all the performance indicators relating to the speed of paying invoices and collecting debts were poor and flagged Red. “It is not the right way to be interacting with residents and clients.” Levels of complaints were similarly flagged Red. Systems changes were blamed and the latest figures are said to be much better.

Councillor June Slaughter (Conservative, Sidcup) reverted to one of her favourite themes. Separating waste collections effectively. Food waste in particular is not going into the correct bin and the cost of contamination is very high. The Leader said that was a consideration when deciding to continue with food and residual waste only during the strike.

It gave Cabinet Member Craske an excuse to almost tell the truth about Bexley’s recycling achievements and reiterate his claim that separating food waste “saves a lot of money and generates income.” (Note; When the garden and food waste collections were separated it was said that the move would allow them to be sold on for an extra £440,000. Then they made residents unnecessarily pay for garden waste collection in what must surely be Bexley Council’s biggest ever rip off.)

Councillor Nicola Taylor (Labour, Erith) said the Council should be supporting the bin strikers as it was them who had pushed Bexley to the top of the recycling tree. Cabinet Member Craske said that Unite is currently refusing their attempts at reconciliation and will not meet with ACAS claiming to be “unavailable” over the coming days.

Nicola went on to say that 642 families had been disappeared from the temporary housing register and no one knows where they are. The Leader said the figures fluctuate rapidly and many had dispersed to housing associations.

Labour Councillor Mabel Ogundayo (Thamesmead) said that thanks to Peabody there has been a new library building in Cygnet Square ready but empty for a long time. “Can we get a date?”

Councillor Craske was unable to give an opening date but did mention “after the Summer”.

After 45 minutes the meeting moved on to the new Adult Social Care charging policy.

 

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