Councillors attended what was possibly the shortest Havering Council committee meeting in history last week.

Thursday’s Regulatory Services Committee Monitoring meeting lasted for just ten minutes.

The eleven members noted four reports and gave unanimous approval for four planning applications, which took nine minutes, before considering exempt business - which the public and press aren’t allowed to watch - for around a minute.

After two reports had been noted Cllr Barry Tebbutt (Conservative) said to chairman Cllr Barry Oddy: “Slow down or I’ll have to call my wife.”

After the meeting, councillors Tebbutt, Sandra Binion and Linda Hawthorn all said they had never been to a shorter meeting.

Cllr Tebbutt said: “The committee meeting was unusual in that no objections were raised to the four items on the agenda.

“All members were in agreement there was no point in wasting time and resources with unnecessary debates or issues that aren’t relevant, so the meeting was resolved quickly.

“This is not the norm as other planning meetings where contentious issues are debated have gone until 11.00pm.”

Cllr Hawthorn (Residents’ Group) said: “Sometimes you look into the reports a bit more and some people raise a few things about local matters. It’s a bit frustrating but it’s just something we have to do.”

Decisions:

-The committee gave unanimous approval to demolishing 14 garages behind Udall Gardens, Collier Row, and building two new houses in their place.

Cllr Sandra Binion had already expressed her opinion on the idea to residents, so declared an interest and did not vote.

-All eleven committee members voted to approve plans to allow two illuminated advertisements to be built on a takeaway in Whitchurch Road, Harold Hill.

-Approval was also given to a vacant shop on Farnham Road, Harold Hill, into two retail units, and for one on nearby Chippenham Road to be changed so that it has three separate shop fronts.

-The council did not pursue any prosecutions against people failing to comply with enforcement notices in Havering in the last three months.