Ceri
Williams put a deputation forward in relation to this
report.
Ms
Williams spoke against the recommendations contained in the report
and with continuing the partnership with OnSide to provide a Youth Zone. In summary, the
following issues were put forward to the Leader to
consider:
- There
was an abuse of process and misuse of a General Exception Notice
(GEN). OnSide had been courting
Haringey for years and in Ms Williams view, the Council could wait
a further three weeks.
- The
previous OnSide proposal was delayed
and now an entirely new 3-way arrangement had been introduced at
breakneck speed, giving nearly half the available borough-wide
money to just one school in a single location, which was
inaccessible in every way for most young people in the
borough.
- No
updated draft contract with OnSide was
attached to the report to take into account the new 3-way
arrangement. Nor draft to vary the current Woodside lease to allow
them to lease to OnSide.
- Reference was made to
recommendations 3.1f - 3.1G. In Ms William’s view, if before
the 3rd May, any Council officer attempted to actually pass over
the £3m capital cash, or draw up a binding contract to
promise the revenue money to Woodside/OnSide, based on the inadequate supporting papers
presented to date, they would be on very uncertain ground because
so many key documents were missing.
- The deputation
contended that Paragraphs 4.3 and 4.4 made extravagant claims that
the new local Chair, Alderman King and OnSide itself would be able to lever in
“unique” funds once the LBH match was confirmed.
However, this was for the first 3 years as after that they could
walk away. Ms Williams had spoken personally with local
OnSide Board members in other towns,
and with those involved in the voluntary sector in boroughs where
the OnSide had been allowed in. They
advised that the OnSide model brings
huge problems. The vast buildings end up having to hoover up all
available local trust and private funding to cover their costs.
After the initial 3 years, they were only competing for funding
from the same pot. Most have to commercialise, and so you ended up
with a publicly funded building operating as a semi-private sports
hall.
·
Ms Williams contended that the Council had been approached by
Onside and questioned whether due consideration had been given to
their governance profile and whether their expertise and experience
was best placed to provide services for young people.
·
Ms Williams concluded by stating that there were no credible
strategic outcomes listed, no consultations with youth practioners and young people in the borough to
support the recommendations and this was the wrong location. This
was not an emergency decision and not part of a council
strategy.
·
Ms Williams also claimed that both MP’s were calling on the
Council to pause the proposed development.
·
She believed no Council working with Onside had yet agreed site on
school land apart from Haringey.
In
response to a question from the Leader, ...
view the full minutes text for item 44