Countdown to Abolition

Flyer

Feb 1986

2026.31

Countdown to Abolition flyer, providing information on the abolition of the GLC

LBH, Press and Publicity Unit (Made by)
Greater London Council

Brawne, Peter (Designer)

Height: 295mm
Width: 210mm

No

COUNTDOWN TO ABOLITION

NEWSLETTER ONE FEBRUARY 1986

This Bulletin advises Members and staff of the current situation regarding abolition of the GLC. A number of bodies have been, or are being, set up to carry forward services provided by the GLC, as well as the creation of additional posts in the Council to handle transferred work.

LONDON RESIDUARY BODY (LRB)
This body (which has a 5-year life) will oversee the final winding up of the GLC after 31 March including managing the pension fund, disposing of industrial and other property and performing a holding operation of some services pending transfer to the boroughs, (e.g Hampstead Heath, traffic lights)

LONDON CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE OF SUCCESSOR COUNCILS (LCC)
This is made up of one councillor from each borough. It has the powers to establish London-wide committees. Its remit is to co-ordinate the handover of functions and , where it decides, to establish committees of all or some of the boroughs to undertake services. It is chaired by the Leader of Croydon

LONDON BOROUGHS GRANTS COMMITTEE
Comprising all London councils meeting monthly to distribute grants to the voluntary sector. As with the LCC, it is Conservative controlled. There is an agreed budget of £27m for 1986/7 and Richmond administers the scheme.
Currents Members are setting policy and taking decisions on the 2000 applications they have received. Of interest at the policy level, the grants committee has decided that Advice Bureaux and Law Centres do not constitute a London-wide pattern of provision and will not qualify for support from the scheme, although there will be exceptions (e.g. SHAC). This decision is being challenged by Labour members through the LCC. Also the grants committee has decided only to consider projects covering four or more boroughs.
The Community Development Unit intends to organise a borough-wide seminar for voluntary groups and project officers. Meanwhile, for individual projects of concern locally, the CDU can advise.

ASSOCIATION OF LONDON AUTHORITIES (ALA)
8 member authorities of the ALA, including Hackney, have agreed to consider contributing £1m each towards a "Central Unit" of approximately 350 staff covering part of the present GLC activity on Women; Race Equality;
Transportation; Industry and Employment; Planning; Arts and Recreation, and Police. The proposal is for a Joint Committee of the 8 authorities to oversee an officer structure comprising a Unit Director with support services. These officers will undertake strategic research for the participating boroughs. They will not make grants or undertake any S. 137 activates. A report on this was put to Members at the Policy and Resources Committee on 12 February. Camden is the lead borough.
The £1m also contains elements to support a Disabilities Unit and an Ecology Unit, for each of which separate Joint Committees including boroughs outside the ALA was established. Camden is the lead borough for these also.

CENTRAL TECHNICAL UNIT (CTU)
Part of the GLC's existing technical service is to be hived off into a similarly constituted organisation to oversee existing and projected GLC capital housing contracts and will be under a Joint Committee of seven authorities. A report on this proposal will be considered by Members shortly. Hackney is the lead borough.

BUILDING CONTROL
This function, which relates to inspection of plans and site inspections of building works to administer the recently changed building regulations, is to be taken over in its entirety by Hackney. The District Surveyors Office as it is known will remain in Sutton Place, and along the Consumer Protection and Environmental Health will form a new Directorate of Public Protection Services.

GREATER LONDON ENTERPRISE BOARD (GLEB)
A complex Joint Committee structure is being established to retain the GLEB for interventionist economic development work in London and comprises Labour and Conservative controlled authorities. DOE is expect to agree to the release £8m GLC money for 1986/7. Southwark is, at present, playing a coordinating role.

LONDON PLANNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The LCC agreed to recommend all authorities to set up a Joint Planning Committee for Greater London comprising one representative from each borough. There will be technical staff employed - Havering are the lead borough and providing clerical support only.

RESEARCH AND INTELLIGENCE
The LRB are to perform a holding operation on this and the LCC have agreed to the retention of some 120 posts pending an inter-bough agreement. Included are the Greater London Transportation Study (GLTS) and ten posts to maintain the Accident Analysis Unit.

LONDON FIRE AND CIVIL DEFENCE AUTHORITY (LFCDA)
This body has been set up by Statute with the prime duty to run the fire service. It comprises one Member from each local authority in London. It has been agreed that the Scientific Services Branch will transfer to LFCDA and boroughs will contribute to its costs through the precept and a levy of £20,000.

WASTE DISPOSAL
Hackney is part of the North London Waste Authority using Deephams Depot, along with six other neighbouring boroughs. This grouping was imposed by the Secretary of State in preference to a London-wide solution. Hazardous waste will be handled on a London-wide basis separate from the local groupings.

TRAVEL CONCESSIONS
A positive recommendation has been made by the LCC to the boroughs on Dial-a-Ride, Taxi-Card and Community Transport schemes and responses are being made to them. The GLC's concessionary scheme for the elderly, blind and handicapped is being recommended to all boroughs for continued funding. Hackney is supporting the continued existence of all these schemes.

SUPPLIES AND PURCHASING
The GLC Supplies Department is transferring to the ILEA and will continue to operate as now. It has also been agreed between ILEA and the ALA members to continue to maintain the Contracts Compliance Equal Opportunities Unit, with the ILEA taking the lead role. No decision has, as yet, been taken on the future of the Contract Compliance Unit for the construction industry.

PARKS IN HACKNEY
Finsbury Park is to be managed by Haringey as all but a very small portion of it lies within their bough boundary.
Victoria Park is to be jointly managed by Hackney with Tower Hamlets who are the lead borough and responsible for staffing. The existing 55 staff are to be retained.
Hackney Marshes is to be taken over by Hackney with all staff and the Council is currently considering the establishment of additional posts there.

THE CANAL
It is being proposed to split responsibility for Canals into East and West Technical Groups with Hackney taking the lead role in the eat and Hillingdon in the West.

ON 1ST APRIL THERE WILL BE NO MORE GLC. HOW WILL THIS AFFECT HACKNEY? OVER THE NEXT ISSUES THIS NEWSLETTER WILL TELL YOU HOW.
PUBLISHED BY PRESS & PUBLICITY UNIT . HACKNEY COUNCIL