To consider a "State of the Borough" report by the Leader of the Council.
Minutes:
The Leader of the Council, Councillor George Meehan, gave the following “State of the Borough” address:
Mr Mayor, fellow Councillors, Chief Executive, Officers, ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to stand before you once again in this chamber as Leader of this Labour administration, to report on the state of the borough at the end of this municipal year.
Mr Mayor, Haringey today is a place where people from all corners of the world can find a welcome and become part of our community. We are one of the most diverse communities in the country, if not in Europe, but we are a cohesive borough, where eight out of 10 of our residents agree that people from different backgrounds get on well together.
In a time of continuing tension worldwide, with communities too often divided on religious or ethnic lines, this is a considerable achievement.
And it is an achievement which has not come about by accident. It is the result of our continuing commitment as a Council to equality, to listening to all our people, and to acting in the interests of all.
Mr Mayor, I was forcefully reminded of that commitment in October, when the eyes of the world were on us as we celebrated the life and achievements of one of our most famous residents, Oliver Tambo.
On that day I had the privilege of unveiling the memorial at Albert Road Recreation Ground, with the First Lady of South Africa Mrs Mbeki, the Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw, members of the Tambo family, and other dignitaries from home and abroad.
Mr Mayor, the Tambo family came to Haringey to escape persecution, and found a community that embraced them and supported their struggle. And many families over the years have made that same journey, to find a welcoming home in our borough.
In celebrating the life of Oliver Tambo on that wonderful day in October, we and our people were re-affirming our values of equality and fairness for all.
Those are the values that underpin our commitment as a Council, and we will continue to assert those values as we move forward, working together with all our people, and with our partners.
We can improve services and meet the needs of all our residents better by harnessing our resources and the resources of our partners so we move forward together. Maintaining the strong effective partnerships we enjoy with public bodies and private organisations, is an important priority for this council.
That is the way, Mr Mayor, that we will deliver the best possible services for our residents: in partnership. Formally co-ordinating our work and pooling our resources through the Haringey Strategic Partnership - and informally, on a daily basis with residents, community groups, businesses and other public authorities.
And equality is of course central to our Partnership vision, to make Haringey a place for diverse communities that people are proud to belong to.
To that end, on March 3rd this year, I will launch a ... view the full minutes text for item 87