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’.