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News and Comment July 2024

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19 July - Councillor’s Questions No. 2, 3, 4 and 5

The second Councillor Question came from June Slaughter (Conservative, Sidcup) who asked the quaintly renamed Cabinet Member for Place Shaping to explain the increase in HMO applications. Presumably the new title follows the Global Warming to Climate Change logic. When the title no longer fits the facts make up something new. Has Bexley Council given up on Growth?

In 2021 there were 17 applications, 2022 saw 29 and in 2023 it rose to 37. 2024 has already seen 35 and that is a concern. However that doesn’t tell the whole story; a single application has covered up to 60 dwellings.

Councillor Slaughter asked how existing residents are protected from the consequences and ensuing the quality of HMOs. Answer; due to a Planning Policy change in 2017 all new HMOs require permission. A Community Safety Partnership (Police, Fire and Council) meets every two weeks to evaluate applications and examine problem HMOs.

Labour Member Anna Day (Labour, Slade Green) asked what was being done to avoid “demonizing HMO residents who are among the most vulnerable”. Cabinet Member Munur said that “not all HMOs are problem HMOs”. Councillor Day said that didn’t answer the question. The Cabinet Member tried again. He said each one was judged on its merits by the planners who consult those who might be affected.

Question 3 was Councillor Borella seeking the Leader’s agreement that the Election Team did a good job on the 4th July.

Number 4 was a slightly mischievous Larry Ferguson (Labour, Thamesmead East) asking when Bexley Council will next be applying for a Capitalisation Order. The Leader said that “unless there was some Dastardly Deed lined up by the Labour Government that Councillor Ferguson knew about that she didn’t then there was nothing planned. All the budget plans are out in the public domain.

Councillor Ferguson did not give up; “What plans are being made for the eventuality given the Councils precarious financial position.” The Leader suggested that Councillor Ferguson could not have read last week’s Cabinet Agenda, everything is there including the position right up to last month and the plan for the next five years.

Councillor Craske asked what had happened to the immediate increase in Council funding promised by the local opposition in the event of a Labour Government being elected. Where was it? Not reported on BiB, that’s for sure.

Question 5 from Councillor Read was designed to provide an excuse for Cabinet Member Chris Taylor to say that the Justice Department’s report on Bexley’s Youth Justice Service (PDF) only just fell short of being ‘Outstanding’.

 

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