Issue - meetings

Briefing and answers to questions from Councillor Haley, Cabinet Member for Environment and Conservation.

The Committee received the briefing and advance questions from Councillor Haley, Cabinet Member for Environment and Conservation, and Members were invited to ask supplementary questions.  Council officers Beverley Taylor (Assistant Director – Frontline Services) and Joan Hancox (Head Of Sustainable Transport) were in attendance.

The Committee highlighted the difference in the cleanliness and maintenance between roads under the responsibility of Homes for Haringey (HfH) and public highways and officers recognised the need to inspect but highlighted that those roads under HfH were considered private roads.  The Committee were informed that the Council used a contractor to monitor performance and perception of street cleanliness across the Borough and HfH estates. The Committee requested a briefing note on the strategy to deal with litter and maintenance in HfH streets.  Committee members would be sent a schedule of environmental maintenance of areas by postcode as well as results of surveys detailing residents’ perceptions.

Committee members questioned the safety implications of faded road markings and officers explained that road maintenance and public safety were priorities including pavement defects; road makings were renewed when transport schemes were put in place.

The Committee was informed that in addition to investing in the coaching and physiotherapy of elite athletes in the Borough the Council had submitted a bid for Haringey to be a training venue during the 2012 Olympic Games and further funding, if received, would be used to redevelop the White Hart Lane sports centre.   Local residents had also been involved in the pre-volunteering programme and local businesses would also benefit.  The Committee requested a briefing note on how the £180k Olympic fund would be used.

The Committee questioned whether the Borough was working with local bus operators to improve routes for the benefit of the community. Officers affirmed that transport liaison meetings took place and people could feed into discussions about the development of services and routes by contacting Joan Hancox, Councillor Haley or Malcolm Smith (Team Leader, Transportation).  In response to concerns that transport in the Borough should be more inclusive of older and disabled people, the Director of Urban Environment explained that a new mobility scheme had recently been launched where vehicles were available to transport people with disabilities.

RESOLVED

That the briefing be noted.