Issue - meetings

High Road West Scrutiny Review to be introduced by the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Cabinet Response to the Scrutiny Recommendations to be introduced by the Leader of the Council.

In introducing the Scrutiny Review on High Road West, The Chair of Overview and Scrutiny referred to the Cabinet response to the 15 recommendations set out at 121 to 13 of the agenda pack.

The Chair of Overview and Scrutiny welcomed the agreement of 10 of the 15 recommendations. He continued to raise the following issues in relation to the five recommendations that were partially agreed, calling for Cabinet to fully and unequivocally agree recommendations 1, 10, 11 and 12.

-       The response to Recommendation 1 on rent levels for tenants transferring to a property in estate regeneration staying at the same level without diminution, the response indicated that there would be a 10% increase on the rent. The response did not further provide an indication of whether services charges would be increased and this could presumably be assumed.

-       Recommendation 5 – noted the four strands to this recommendation concerning facilities and construction. The Chair of Overview and Scrutiny accepted the partial agreement to green spaces and car parking recommendations and reasons provided that these were protected programmes.

-       Recommendation 10 concerned the businesses on the Peacock industrial estate and where the Committee had agreed that there was not adequate consultation with on the regeneration. The Chair of Overview and Scrutiny explained that when embarking on regeneration schemes, where it would be unviable for businesses to move out or where there was legitimate concerns about the loss of freehold, the Council should design regeneration/ place making schemes to ensure mixture of businesses, including light industrial business.

-       Recommendation 11 concerned compensation to business so they did not suffer due to relocation. It was not clear why this was not agreed

-       Recommendation 12 called for the same principles that underpin the GLA’s resident Ballot to apply to businesses. This could be in the form of consultation and that regeneration plans are drawn up with their active input.

The Cabinet Member for House Building, Place - Making and Development responded, at this point in the meeting, to the separate Overview and Scrutiny recommendation put forward at item 8, concerning the independent review of the Love Lane Estate Ballot and also to the main Scrutiny review of High Road West, containing  15 recommendations at item 9.

With regards to the recorded evidence circulated to Councillors from residents concerning the ballot process, the Cabinet Member had listened to the transcript three times and did not hear evidence of untoward activity. There was also an overall caution given of not circulating resident’s names and addresses as a data breach. There were allegations in the recordings regarding  anti-social behaviour and its motivation  which were not agreed with and considered an offensive campaign. The Cabinet Member emphasised that from the evidence she had seen there was nothing that would merit recommending an independent review.

With regards to rental increase, this was included in the Landlord offer and before the ballot was taken forward so  Council obliged to follow this. Service charges were pooled across all  ...  view the full minutes text for item 701