Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Placemaking and Housing.To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Council Housebuilding, Placemaking, and Local Economy.

Adoption by Cabinet of the Opportunity Haringey framework, a strategy for the delivery of the Council's Economic Development, Employment & Skills and Social Value activities.

The Cabinet Member for Council Housebuilding, Placemaking, and Local Economy introduced the report, which sought approval to the Opportunity Haringey Framework, the Council’s new inclusive economy policy framework. The framework set out the Council’s vision and ambition to work in collaboration with businesses, residents and local and strategic partners to drive forward a range of priority actions under 5 themes that will shape a fairer and greener economy with the ambition to reduce inequalities, unlock social value and secure prosperity for all.

In response to questions from: Cllr Hakata, Cllr Carlin, Cllr Jogee, and Cllr Cawley- Harrison, the following was noted:

-       The framework responded to the demand in retrofitting skills to support forthcoming building programmes in Council buildings, Council homes and homes in the private sector. There was recognition of the need to create a significant number of jobs in the borough responding to this demand and the need to have skills to support this borough wide programme. The Council had already started to work with CONEL on developing future ‘green skills’ and how their curriculum could respond to this future skill demand. The Council was also working with local businesses and further working on upskilling the existing supply chain to create real opportunities locally and at entry level for local residents to enter this industry and maximise future opportunities for employment.

-       The borough had 59 local town centres with varying successes and footfall. The team were always working on enlivening policies in the town centres to support and promote access and increase local spend. Local initiatives in Wood Green, Lymington Avenue, as well as ‘Made in Tottenham’ and ‘Made in Haringey’ were highlighted and officers emphasised that individual town centre strategies were continuing and were not awaiting the instigation of this framework. They were working in tandem and support of the framework.

-       The framework took forward learning and established joint work between the Council and businesses in the Wood Green Bid. There would be a business forum and various engagement networks to support continuing communication and joint work between the Council and businesses to support the framework and the work on the five themes.

-       The Council were working with businesses on the ground and had the synergies to make this work. The Council were taking forward a relational approach with businesses to ensure that they were better connected to utilise opportunities. It was noted that there would be a shift to business network model to facilitate this. In addition, this would help bring businesses together at a strategic level.

-       With regards to signposting businesses to forthcoming opportunities, the Council were already doing this through the described relational approach and they would hear more from the Council on how they can also connect to other wider opportunity networks. The rejuvenated business forum and networks would also support this.

-       Following agreement of the Framework, there would be service delivery plans to feed into the borough vision outlined in the report.

-       There  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9