The Wandsworth Council meeting on Wednesday 27 April 2016 saw councillors adopt a shared staffing arrangement with Richmond Council and approve the Council's Pay Policy Statement for 2016/17. The meeting also heard petitions on local traffic and land acquisition issues, and acknowledged the work of the outgoing Mayor.

Shared Staffing Arrangement with Richmond Council

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing and voting on the adoption of recommendations for a shared staffing arrangement between Wandsworth and Richmond Councils. The proposal, which aimed to integrate staff across both boroughs, was ultimately adopted by a majority vote.

An amendment, moved by Councillor Peter Carpenter and seconded by Councillor Simon Hogg, Leader of the Council, was put forward expressing concern that the shared staffing arrangement might lead to a reduction in Wandsworth's service levels. The amendment also sought to impose conditions on the arrangement, including a commitment to maintain at least a Good level of service for Wandsworth, continued monitoring of service levels through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and user surveys, an independent review of the arrangement after one year, and parallel efforts to seek complementary arrangements with other London Councils for joint procurement and IT.

However, this amendment was not carried, with the vote on the first part of the amendment being 18 votes to 31, and the vote on the second part being 17 votes to 33. Following the defeat of the amendment, the main recommendations for the shared staffing arrangement were adopted. The recommendations for paragraph 1 were adopted by 32 votes to 17, and the recommendations for paragraph 2 were adopted by 33 votes to 17.

Council's Pay Policy Statement for 2016/17

The Council also adopted the Council's Pay Policy Statement for 2016/17. This statement outlines the council's approach to the remuneration of its staff, particularly senior employees. The motion to adopt the statement was carried by 33 votes to 17.

Petitions Presented

Several petitions were presented to the Council:

• Councillor Fleur Anderson, Councillor Mrs. Antonia Dunn, and Councillor Ian Hart presented identical petitions from the Heritage Park campaign (528 signatures) and a related campaign (1243 signatures) opposing the proposed closure of Dr Johnson Avenue and the restriction of right turns into Elmbourne Road.
• Councillor Stuart Thom presented a petition from residents of Sudlow Road (35 signatures) concerning the acquisition of land at Frogmore Depot.
• Councillor Benjamin Johnson presented a petition from residents (26 signatures) calling for an increase in the number of street trees in Graveney Road.

Mayor's Announcements and Mayoralty

The Council noted that the DCR Wandsworth Parent Champions had received the 2016 Family and Childcare Trust Award for outstanding contribution to the national network.

At the close of the meeting, the Council passed a motion expressing its sincere appreciation for the service of Councillor Nicola Nardelli, BA, as Mayor of the London Borough of Wandsworth during the Municipal Year 2015/2016. The resolution acknowledged her efficient and dignified discharge of mayoral duties, her courtesy and impartiality, and her keen interest in voluntary and charitable causes and the diverse communities within the Borough. An illuminated copy of the resolution will be presented to Councillor Nardelli at the Annual Meeting of the Council on 18th May 2016.

Questions to the Leader and Cabinet Members

The meeting also included a session for questions to the Leader of the Council, Councillor Simon Hogg, and Cabinet Members. A total of 25 questions were asked, with questions 1 to 6 and 12 to 22 answered orally, and questions 7 to 11 and 23 to 25 answered in writing.

Children's Services Improvement Plan

The Council received Report No. 2, which arose from proceedings at a Special Executive meeting on 18th April 2016. Following discussion, paragraphs 1 and 2, relating to the Children's Services Improvement Plan, were received as information.