Agenda and minutes

Please note that this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method. Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting. Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on. 

By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.

The chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council.

The Leader of the Council referred to the filming of meetings notice and members noted this information.

To receive any apologies for absence.

There were no apologies for absence

The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of Urgent Business. (Late items of Urgent Business will be considered under the agenda item where they appear. New items of Urgent Business will be dealt with under Item 25 below. New items of exempt business will be dealt with at Item 31 below).

There were no items of urgent business.

A Member with a disclosable pecuniary interest or a prejudicial interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered:

(i) must disclose the interest at the start of the meeting or when the interest becomes apparent, and

(ii) may not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must withdraw from the meeting room.

A Member who discloses at a meeting a disclosable pecuniary interest which is not registered in the Register of Members’ Interests or the subject of a pending notification must notify the Monitoring Officer of the interest within 28 days of the disclosure.

Disclosable pecuniary interests, personal interests and prejudicial interests are defined at Paragraphs 5-7 and Appendix A of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

Cllr das Neves declared an interest in accordance with paragraph 6.1 of Section A, Member Code of Conduct, in relation to items 20 and 27, Community Asset Policy, and would recuse herself from the meeting when these items were considered.

Cllr Chandwani declared an interest in accordance with Section A of the Member Code of Conduct and paragraph 4.1. This was noted to be a disclosable pecuniary interest in items 20 and 27 and she would recuse herself for these items in accordance with paragraph 4.2 of the code.

Cllr Hakata and Cllr Jogee declared personal, non-prejudicial, interests in item 13, Flood Management Plan.

On occasions part of the Cabinet meeting will be held in private and will not be open to the public if an item is being considered that is likely to lead to the disclosure of exempt or confidential information. In accordance with the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 (the “Regulations”), members of the public can make representations about why that part of the meeting should be open to the public.

This agenda contains exempt items as set out at Item 26: Exclusion of the Press and Public. No representations with regard to these have been received.

This is the formal five clear day notice under the Regulations to confirm that this Cabinet meeting will be partly held in private for the reasons set out in this Agenda.

None

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 2024  as a correct record.

Minor correction to the 7^th of November Cabinet minutes relating to LCP  Contract decision.

RESOLVED

1.    To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on the 6 February 2024.

2.    To approve  minor amendment to the minutes of the 7^th of November 2023.

To consider any requests received in accordance with Standing Orders.

None

This is set out at item 9.

This was set out at item 117.

Report of the Director of Environment and Resident Experience.

A Scrutiny Review by the Housing, Planning & Development Scrutiny Panel has been undertaken in respect of Landlord Licensing In the Private Rented Sector. A set of recommendation have been made for response by Cabinet.

The Chair of Housing, Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel will introduce the Scrutiny Review .

The Cabinet Member for Housing Services, Private Renters, and Planning will then provide the Cabinet response.

The Leader invited the Chair of the Housing, Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel to introduce her Scrutiny review report on Landlord Licensing in the Private Rented Sector.

The meeting noted that the recommendations reflected strong support for the work of the Council's private sector housing team and a desire to see its capacity and impact grow with an even greater emphasis on how the Council can support private renters.

Cllr Worrell was pleased that most of the recommendations had been accepted and continued to focus her presentation on responding to the recommendations that had not been accepted or partially agreed.

-       Although it was noted that Stroud, Green and Hornsey wards, at the time of evidence gathering, were not able to meet the same criteria that the east of the borough met for the selective scheme, it was still felt that the evidence base in these wards and possibly others should be revisited. In particular, the criteria for poor property conditions or antisocial behaviour Therefore, it was felt that a separate scheme could be created so that more households could benefit from a landlord licencing scheme and further hoped that this could be taken forward in the future.

-       In relation to response to recommendations two and six, further information was sought about the Council's legal interpretation of the use of resources being limited to enforcement of compliance with the scheme and whether the Council could assist tenants to pursue rent repayment orders similar to other Council's use resources for this purpose. Also, lobbying the government for there to be more flexibility, which the Panel have also recommended.

-       On the response to recommendation three, Cllr Worrell welcomed the refreshed and updated private sector housing team web pages and queried why the response stopped short of adopting a private renters charter and asked that this be reconsidered given the positive message to renters and advocacy organisations about our priorities.

-       With regards to private renters engaging with housing needs offices if they are deemed at risk of homelessness, Cllr Worrell, on behalf of the Scrutiny Panel, felt thattenancy relations officers could help deescalate challenging situations for private renters at an earlier stage and would wish to know more about why this role was felt to achieve limited outcomes and why the current approach was favoured.

-       On the responses to recommendation seven, in relation to waiting times for inspections, further consideration was asked to be given to the current level of resource as more staff could result in more fee income and enforcement activity to fund the work.

-       Referring to the response to recommendation 8, the importance of having genuinely random spot cheques on properties before a licence was granted, and not just on those suspected as being non-compliant. The reasoning for the recommendation was further outlined and explained that this could drive up standards as a whole before people come to apply for a licence or during the process if there is a perceived possibility that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 117.

Report of the Director of Environment and Resident Experience. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing Services, Private Renters, and Planning.

This report seeks the consideration of the outcome of consultation  and whether to introduce a new Additional Licensing Scheme for HMO to replace the current scheme which is due to end.

The Cabinet Member for Housing Services, Private Renters and Planning introduced the report which updated the Cabinet on the key findings of the statutory consultation for a proposed new additional licensing scheme for HMO accommodation. The report further sought a decision from Cabinet to consider whether to authorise the designation of the whole of Haringey borough as subject to additional HMO licensing (when considering the consultation outcomes, evidence, and prescribed criteria within Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004).

In response to questions from Cllr Luke Cawley – Harrison the following information was provided:

• The Council had a two-pronged approach to inspecting premises that were potentially unlicensed or premises the Council believed should be licensed. This was through considering the originally completed evidence base for the scheme that used information was taken from different Council held records and also information from Experian records. The information was overlaid, and it gave the Council an opportunity to identify properties that were likely to have high turnover of occupation. The address list was then compared with addresses of licences that had been received. Door-to-checks were done after the coronavirus crisis. The time during the crisis was used to write to property owners identify property owners to inform them that they may have a HMO that was not licensed with the local authority. The Council also continued to use intelligence from different sources, and they can be health professionals, the internal service officers or waste officers (who were good identifiers of HMO accommodation).

• The process of sending warning letters was no longer an option and the Council was now pursuing landlords for failing to license (once evidence of this had been obtained). Landlords also got a reduced licence period for being a non-compliant landlord. This allowed the Council to review their properties and their licence applications within one or two years. Part of the penalty was that they paid for the relicensing within a shorter period of time.

• Noted that over the last two years, the Council had been issuing civil penalty notices for landlords who had failed to license. The Council was continuing with that process. The process was evidence based, so tenants who did not want to provide the Council with witness statements or would not be part of the process, it became more difficult in evidencing that a property had been operating as a house of multiple occupation. It was also very easy for people to say they were living as one family.

• With newly appointed and more experienced officers now having been appointed, the team was growing and had recently completed a round of recruitment, there were officers who had experience in doing their own licensing scheme. This would help on build on the Council’s enforcement activity.

• The Council was working more closely with the Police, Waste and Antisocial Behaviour officers to try and target and prove that certain properties were operating either as selective, but mainly as multiple occupation properties.

• The consultation results were disappointing in relation to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 118.

Report of the Director of Finance. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Finance and Local Investment.

This report will provide an update on the Quarter 3 budget monitoring and Council's financial position.  It will seek approval for any changes to the Council’s revenue or capital budgets required to respond to the changing financial scenario and the delivery of the MTFS.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Local investment introduced the report which set out the position at Quarter 3 (Period 9) of the 2023/24 financial year including General Fund (GF) Revenue, Capital, Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) budgets. The report focused on significant budget variances including those arising from the forecast non-achievement of approved MTFS savings.

In response to questions from Cllr Cawley- Harrison, the following was noted:

• The Director for Placemaking and Housing would provide a written response on the reasons for the significant increase in debt write offs for rents in the HRA showing for quarter 3. This was highlighted as previous quarterly updates had shown lower increases.

• In relation to voids, the trajectory was facing downwards. There were some fluctuations especially as new housing coming in that needed to be let. Overall, the Council was confident that it had dealt with a large backlog and had a close monitoring eye on the underlying new voids coming into the system.

• In relation to Tottenham Hotspur and the paying for the litter and clean-up, it should be noted that this was only an issue with football matches. For the non-football major events there had been payments to cover the cost. There were regular meetings between the Council and Tottenham Hotspur to consider this issue and negotiate a solution. Negotiations were still ongoing and good progress being made and an update could be provided to Cabinet in the coming months.

RESOLVED

1. To note the forecast total revenue outturn variance for the General Fund of £20.8m comprising £18.0m base budget and £2.8m (savings delivery

challenges) and note that Directors are working on actions to bring the

forecast down further before the end of the year. (Section 6, Table 1, Table 2 and Appendices 1 & 3). Note the net DSG forecast of £2.5m overspend. (Section 6 and Appendix 1).

2. To note the net Housing Revenue Account (HRA) forecast is £3.1m lower than the budgeted surplus. (Section 6 and Appendices 1 and 2).

3. To note the forecast GF and HRA Capital expenditure of £287.3m in 2023/24 (including enabling budgets) which equates to 58% of the revised capital budget (Section 8 and Appendix 4).

4. To note the debt write-offs approved in Quarter 3 2023/24 (Appendix 7a).

5. To approve the revenue budget virements and receipt of grants as set out in Appendix 6.

6. Approve the proposed capital virements and receipt of grants as set out in Appendix 6.

7. To note the impact of the historic funding of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) related capital works and the implications for the PFI reserve balances as set out in Sections 8.3 – 8.5 of the report.

8. To delegate to the s151 officer authority to finalise future payments to

academy schools covered by the PFI suspension agreement to cover the period from starting their academy status to the end of the PFI suspension agreement should it be determined that a liability exists (Section 8.5); and

9. To authorise the s151 officer, prior to making such  ...  view the full minutes text for item 119.

Report of the Director for Culture, Strategy and Engagement . To be introduced by the Leader of the Council.

6-monthly update on performance against the council’s Corporate Delivery Plan.

The Leader of the Council provided an update on corporate performance, which built upon the Cabinet's previous review of the Corporate Delivery Plan from January 2023 that implemented manifesto objectives. The performance update highlighted key challenges, progress to date, and future direction to put into effect the vision for a fairer, greener Haringey.

Despite a challenging economic environment, the report highlighted some genuine progress across all 8 themes of the Corporate Delivery Plan. Work was underway to develop the next corporate delivery plan, and this would come to Cabinet in June 2024.

The Leader was pleased to announce the Council's award as the Borough of Culture for 2027, and thanked officers for their significant work on this successful bid.

The following information was provided in response to questions from Cllr Cawley- Harrison.

• Recycling rates across North London had dropped and this was also attributed partly to issues with the NLWA waste disposal contract, which was being addressed. Other factors, across London such as changes in resident’s working patterns and packaging trends, had also contributed to the drop in rates. The Council were being judged on weight of recycling not quantity also impacting the figures.

• Efforts were underway to compile recycling Action Plan, which would be informed by last year's engagement exercise, which had garnered 27,000 responses from across the borough to understand how to improve recycling. Significant changes had been made in terms of food waste collection, especially around estates, to enhance recycling options. These initiatives were also being pursued by the North London Waste Authority. Additionally, work was underway to facilitate recycling of small electrical waste items, including batteries, through curb side collections and designated locations such as libraries, which have seen increased usage since their launch. These endeavours were anticipated to have a positive impact on recycling rates in the future.

• New government codes concerning complaint handling were expected to come into effect on April 1^st, 2024. These regulations were anticipated to provide an entirely restructured the approach to handling complaints, and all local authorities nationwide would need to follow the same structure. There had been an offer to share improvement plans for complaints with the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and these could also be shared with Cllr Cawley – Harrison.

• Clarification was provided for the drop in performance relating to inclusive ways for residents to participate in and influence decisions that matter to them, noting that there were two RAG ratings in the document, one for activities and another for outcomes. Specifically, regarding the relaunch of the Citizens Panel, it was intentionally delayed in order to prioritise other elements of the Haringey Deal and participation agenda. Additionally, it aimed to establish firm foundations and assess the suitability of the citizens panel approach. The launch of the new Harringay engagement hub was prioritised as a one-stop-shop for consultation and engagement activities. The decrease in the rating for this aspect was due to missing the timeline set for the Citizens Panel relaunch by the end of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 120.

Report of the Director of Environment and Resident Experience. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Resident Services &Tackling Inequality.

The report seeks to outline and seek approval for the Council's flood water management  schemes and programmes to be delivered across the borough in the next financial year (2024/25).

The Cabinet Member for Resident Services and Tackling Inequality introduced the report which sought approval for the Council's flood water management schemes and programmes to be delivered across the borough in the next financial year (2024/25).

Following questions from Cllr Hakata, Cllr Brabazon and Cllr Cawley – Harrison the following information was noted:

• That Haringey had some of the most intensive SuDS implementation among the London boroughs, and in relation to planning system prioritising and supporting SuDS, it was noted that planning efforts were aimed at strengthening and updating policies to align with the latest Council policies and regional initiatives. The Planning team played a pivotal role in ensuring that new developments did not exacerbate flooding but instead contributed to improving drainage systems.

• With regards to progress in multi-agency collaboration, particularly with Thames Water, there was noted to be improved relations with Thames Water, addressing bursts in Crouch Hill and issues in Muswell Hill. Their proactive involvement before implementing SuDS schemes aided in flood mitigation. There was confidence in developing relationships to ensure collaboration despite competition among boroughs for Thames Water's attention. There were partnerships with the GLA and the Environmental Agency, which supported SuDS projects. There was focus was on improving relations with local businesses to mitigate flood damage.

• On the Turnpike Lane potential SuDS scheme, this was at an early stage of development and noted the frequent need for drain cleaning necessitated considering engineering solutions. Noted that one option was to utilise Ducketts Common to address the issues naturally, acting as a soakaway without compromising its status as a park. Efforts were underway to assess the feasibility of this approach, collaborating with TfL, the Environmental Agency, and businesses to determine the potential scheme.
• The focus of grant funding for SuDS schemes, for the next 10 years, was informed by Section 19 reports in both the East and West of the borough. With awareness of issues such as culverted waterways, the funding opportunities sought were to best address these challenges. Regarding the Highways SuDS scheme and residents' potential involvement, the suitability of the space was crucial and involved technical considerations. For example, on Turnpike Lane, adding more gullies had had a positive impact on managing water flow. Noted that different roads in the same area might have required different solutions, indicating that a SuDS scheme might not always have been the sole solution.

RESOLVED

1. To approve the Flood Water Management Investment Plan for the 2024/25 financial year as set out in the attached Appendix 1.

2. To delegate decisions relating to flood water management scheme design and implementation to the Head of Highways and Parking subject to any decisions which are key decisions being taken by Cabinet.

3. To authorise the Head of Highways and Parking to (a) carry out any required consultation in accordance with Appendix 2; and, having had due regard to all consultation responses submitted as part of the statutory consultation process, and having considered whether the Council should cause a public inquiry to be held, (b) to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 121.

Report of the Director of Placemaking and Housing. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing Services, Private Renters, and Planning.

This report sets out the Council’s response to the recommendations from the Planning Service Peer Challenge that took place in October 2023, looking at the Planning service functions.

The Cabinet Member for Housing Services, Private Renters, and Planning introduced the report which set out the Council’s response to the recommendations from the Planning Service Peer Challenge that took place in October 2023, looking at the Planning service functions.

The following information was provided in response to questions from Cllr Hakata and Cllr Cawley – Harrison.

• In relation to the integration of the new approach for the Haringey Deal into the service, the peer review found that while officers were aware of the Haringey Deal, further embedding was needed. The Council had received awards for engagement on the local plan, indicating good awareness of the Haringey Deal but more work was required for full integration. Efforts had already begun to implement the Haringey Deal comprehensively.

• The need for examination of the distribution of CIL to ensure that this was accessed by the community as this was a manifesto commitment involving participatory budgeting.

• Regarding publishing the Local Plan and the 2025 deadline set by the government, there was no specific penalty associated with missing the deadline and there was a necessity to adapt the Local Plan to the upcoming planning system reforms by the government. The importance of being responsive to these reforms and ensuring that the Local Plan remained future-proof was highlighted. The action plan outlined the steps to expedite this progress.

• With regards to performance metrics, such as response time, there had been a slight decline, reflecting a national trend of planning application backlogs in several authorities. This issue had been recognised nationally by the government and efforts were being made to address it. The Council had successfully secured special funding of £75,000 to tackle the backlog, in line with recommendations from the peer review. The target was set to complete the backlog by April or May, indicating that the issue would soon be resolved, and performance figures would return to previous levels.

RESOLVED

1. To note that Strategic Planning Committee at its meeting on Monday 19

February 2024 agreed to refer this report and appended documents to

 Cabinet with the recommendation to endorse the Peer Challenge report

and approve the Action Plan.

2. To endorse the recommendations in the Peer Challenge report (Appendix A)and approve its publication on the Council’s website.
3. To approve the Action Plan (Appendix B) which responds to each of the 10 recommendations in the Planning Service Peer Challenge report.

Reasons for decision

There is an expectation that all Councils undertaking a Planning Service Peer Challenge will publish the feedback report and produce an action plan which responds to the recommendations in the report.

Implementing those recommendations are important as it will help the Planning Service improve, including building stronger relationships with the residents, businesses and partners in Haringey and provide a better, more efficient service.

The Action Plan (Appendix B) sets out what the Council’s Planning Service

intends to do in response to these recommendations, including specific actions, when they will be delivered, and who will be responsible for delivering them.

Alternative options considered

The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 122.

Report of the Director of Environment and Resident Experience. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Resident Services &Tackling Inequality.

To outline and seek approval for the Council's parking schemes, programmes and policy updates to be delivered in the next financial year (2024/25).

The Cabinet Member for Tackling Inequality and Resident Service introduced the report which set out the capital investment plan for 2024/25 for the areas covered in this report. It was noted that there may be changes to the schemes identified as priorities or funding allocations change. The draft funding arrangements and associated schemes or programmes were provided in Appendix 1.

Cabinet welcomed the report, especially the work on the policy which involved work on reducing congestion, improving road safety and encouraging sustainable travel. This was a good foundation on which to build a kerbside strategy.

In response to questions from Cllr Cawley- Harrison the following information was provided.

• Table two of the agenda papers, contained information on the Alexandra Park event day CPZ and this was the indicative budget for the borough parking plan 2024/25.

• There was a lag between CPZ reviews and the outcomes. This was because the process needed to carefully consider responses and an example was provided of the review of the Wood Green CPZ that had been responded to by thousands of residents with differing views. When the staff received the data, they went through it as a quantitative and qualitative exercise. This also meant that officers had to go visit some of the areas to understand the issues referred to in the consultation responses.

• In relation to pavement parking, in the policy that was issued last spring, all 102 roads that had pavement parking on it had been taken into account and they were RAG (red, amber and green) rated. The green ones were completed easily, the amber rated ones would have technical issues and the red rated ones may not be progressed. The red and amber rated roads were risky, because if cars were put back onto the pavement, especially where there was a double decker bus route, then assumptions had to be made and work had to be done with TfL. There had been some forward progress as some pavement parking had been removed. However, some of the progress was taking more time.

RESOLVED

1.         To agree the Parking Investment Plan for 2024/25 as set out in Appendix

1.

2.         Subject to key decisions being determined by Cabinet, to authorise the Head of Highways and Parking to make decisions relating to scheme design and implementation in respect of the parking schemes set out in the Parking Investment Plan; and

-To carry out consultations in accordance with the Parking Investment Plan Consultation attached as Appendix 2 to this report; and

-To make traffic management orders and where there were objections

received during the statutory consultations, consider those objections and whether to cause a public inquiry to be held, and consult with the Cabinet Member for Tackling Inequality and Resident Service prior to determining whether the traffic management orders shall be made.

Reasons for decisions

This report seeks approval for the 2024/25 Parking Investment Plan which sets out the priorities and funding levels for the coming year. The Council has a statutory obligation to manage  ...  view the full minutes text for item 123.

Report of the Director of Environment and Resident Experience. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Resident Services &Tackling Inequality.

This report seeks to outline and seek approval for the Council's highway maintenance and street lighting schemes, programmes and policy updates to be delivered in the next financial year (2024/25).

The Cabinet Member for Resident Services & Tackling Inequality introduced the report which made recommendations for investment in highway infrastructure in 2024/25 and particularly covered footways, carriageways, and street lighting assets as set out in Appendices 1 and 2 of this report. Those appendices also set out expected funding streams for 2024/25 for those various work streams.

In response to questions from Cllr Cawley- Harrison the following information was provided.

• With regards to adding more lighting to Oliver Tambo recreation ground, this was more complicated than putting it on streets, mainly because of animal rights regulations. There were more laws that needed to be observed in relation to it.

• The team had been working with contractors to try and replace the CMS nodes through the contract for some time. There had been issues with some of the replacements being faulty and there being a quality issue from the manufacturer which had delayed how quickly the problem could be resolved. Contractors were being held to account.

• The original timeline could not be met as planned. There had been an expectation to complete the light replacement programme by the end of March 2024 and Cabinet would be kept informed of the progress.

RESOLVED

1. To approve the Highways and Street Lighting Investment Plan for 2024/25 of £6.176m for highway assets as set out in Appendix 1 of this report.

2. To approve the Highways and Street Lighting Investment Plan which includes investment of £1m in lighting assets for 2024/25, as set out in Appendix 2 of this report.

3. To approve the update to the Highways Asset Management Strategy and the Street Lighting Strategy, as set out in Appendices 4 and 5 of this report.

4. To note the draft update to the Streetscape Design Guide as set out in Appendix 6 of this report and the associated consultation process, and delegates authority to the Director of Environment and Resident Experience, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Tackling Inequality and Resident Services, to approve the final document.

5. To delegate decisions relating to highways infrastructure asset maintenance schemes to the Head of Highways and Parking, subject to key decisions being reported to Cabinet.

6. To authorise the Head of Highways and Parking to (a) carry out any required consultation in accordance with Appendix 3; and, having had due regard to all consultation responses submitted as part of the statutory consultation process, and having considered whether the Council should cause a public inquiry to be held, (b) to make any necessary traffic management orders, to give effect to the schemes in Appendix 1 and 2, subject to key decisions being considered by

Cabinet.

Reasons for Decision

This report sets out the 2024/25 investment in the Council’s local highways infrastructure. It provides detail of the funding arrangements and seeks authority to proceed with the development and delivery of these projects, subject to appropriate consultation.

Alternative options considered.

No other options are considered. The Council has a statutory duty to

maintain the public highways network.

Report of the Director of Environment and Resident Experience. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Resident Services &Tackling Inequality.

This report outlines and seeks approval for the Council's road danger reduction schemes and programmes to be delivered across the borough in the next financial year (2024/25).

The Cabinet Member for Resident Services & Tackling Inequality introduced the report which recommended investment in the road danger reduction programme for 2024/25 and identified the progress made against the Road Danger Reduction Action Plan approved in March 2022.

The following information was noted in response to questions from Cllr Cawley – Harrison.

• The data about deprivation and road safety had emanated from a Trust for London report. A link could be provided for this. However, the report should be read with caution as where there was population density there were more roads and higher rates of accidents.

• The Road Safety team and the Strategic Transport team consisted of the same officers. Joint projects, such as the introduction of a new cycle lane, would also be subject to road safety measures and vice versa.

• The report highlighted where the funding for Vision Zero was being spent and in areas where there were no immediate plans to implement a wider infrastructure.

• In relation to crash for cash incidents, it would not be appropriate to attribute the rise of the issues happening with power two wheelers with the crash for cash phenomenon. There was no evidence yet to connect the two occurrences. However, there had been an increase in collisions mainly due to more moped drivers and food delivery drivers in the borough. They did not have a Trade Union recognised union but had a grassroots level union which the Council engaged with. The Council was doing co-production work with some of the motorcyclist community. They were not as well established as cyclists but were present.

• The Council used the same collision data that the Greater London Authority (GLA) used, mainly taken from the Metropolitan Police. Unless it was reported, there was sometimes no way of knowing about an occurrence of an accident, so the data was taken cautiously. However, the data did show hotspot areas. There was no real way of completely recording this data accurately. The Council was looking at using different analytics software packages that looked at a whole range of different data sets, not just the killed and seriously injured statistics from the Police, but anything they could effectively use in order to use algorithms to help predict where accidents might occur. From the presentations seen so far, it looked very effective.

• In relation to two-wheel vehicles, powered or non-powered, it was one of the key ambitions around Vision Zero to put in additional protection, particularly where people were most vulnerable around those types of transportation. This was being addressed under the Road Danger Reduction Action Plan.

RESOLVED

1. To note the progress of the Road Danger Reduction Action Plan approved by Cabinet on 8 March 2022, as set out in Appendix A.

2. To approve the Road Danger Reduction Investment Plan for 2024/25, as set out in Appendix B, subject to Cabinet agreeing the carry forward of resources (as specified in paragraph 7.30 and 7.31).

3. To delegate decisions relating to scheme design and implementation to the Head of Highways and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 125.

Report of the Director of Environment and Resident Experience. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Community  Safety and Cohesion.

Following approval for consultation on the Community Safety and Hate Crime strategy, the Community Safety team conducted a comprehensive 12-week consultation and engagement process. Permission is being sought from Cabinet to approve the findings in the Community Safety, Hate crime strategies, and agree to seek final approval at full Council in March 2024.

The Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Cohesion presented the report which set out the outcome of the consultation on the Community Safety and Hate Crime Strategy requested approval to present the Community Safety Strategy to Full Council on 14th March 2024. There had been extensive consultation on the strategies and all members of the Council had a responsibility to make progress in the achieving the aims and objectives of the strategy.

In response to questions from Cllr Cawley- Harrison, the following was noted.

• In relation to gang violence, there were number of schemes and support provided by the Violence Reduction Unit who had taken an interest in Haringey partly because of the partnership approach that the Council had taken, but also a commitment from the Mayor of London to tackle many of the issues. It would be useful to provide the Council with another opportunity to be briefed in detail about what some of the work would entail. It was a priority to keep young people safe and have opportunities created for young people which the Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families was taking forward.
• In relation to reporting hate crime, it was important to get people to feel comfortable and safe and providing the vehicle for which they could safely report these crimes.
• The Police had signed up as co-signatories to the strategies, and would help facilitate meeting actions of the community safety strategy. This would involve continued conversations and documents and strategies like the ones outlined in the report provided a framework for partnership working , but they were also adaptable in a way in a way to ensure that they were relevant.
• The Council had sought the view of various seldom engaged communities. For example, multifaith, older people's groups and young people's groups. The Council approached the voluntary sector groups through the Bridge Renewal Trust as a way of getting some of the surveys out to the wider community, but the main focus of engagement was talking to people and getting their lived experience. That provided some rich data.
• Page 818 of the agenda papers provided a helpful picture of the number of people that were engaged with and the community outlets used to facilitate engagement.

RESOLVED

1. To take note of the contents of the evaluation report which provides an overview of the responses and the headline findings from the Community Safety and Hate Crime Strategy engagement consultations.
2. To recommend that Full Council approve the Community Safety Strategy as part of the Council’s Policy Framework.
3. To approve the London Borough of Haringey’s Hate Crime Strategy (2024-2027).
4. To delegate authority to the Assistant Director of Safer Stronger Communities, after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Cohesion to make any minor amendments to the documents and to agree and publish an annual action plan.
5. To notes that the Assistant Director of Safer Stronger Communities will bring a report to Cabinet to make any necessary amendments to the Hate Crime Strategy in the event  ...  view the full minutes text for item 126.

Report of the Director of Culture, Strategy, and Engagement. To be introduced by the Leader of the Council.

Cabinet are asked to note the report, which provides information on the Council’s use of its powers under RIPA.

The Leader of the Council introduced the report which informed Cabinet about issues relevant to the use of investigatory powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000.

RESOLVED

To note the use of RIPA by the Council.

Reasons for decision

The RIPA codes of practice state that members should review the Council’s

use of investigatory powers at least annually. Therefore, although the powers

under RIPA have not been used in recent years, it is nevertheless important

for members to be aware of the extent of usage.

Alternative options considered.

The alternative would be not to bring the information on usage of the powers

to Cabinet. If the Council’s use of investigatory powers was not noted, the Council would not be complying with the codes of practice and so this alternative has not been considered.

Report of the Director of Culture, Strategy, and Engagement. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Culture, Communities & Leisure.

This is a social value policy framework to determine how subsidies may be applied to leases held for council properties by voluntary and community sector organisations

Cllr das Neves and Cllr Chandwani left the meeting room.

The Cabinet Member for Culture, Communities & Leisure introduced the report which set out proposals to develop a new policy which will allow Council officers to determine subsidy levels on leases for Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations operating out of Council buildings.

In response to questions from Cllr Cawley- Harrison, the following information was noted.

• Regarding the engagement for the social value policy framework and particularly residents being involved in the development of this, in accordance with the Haringey Deal, the plan was to consult as widely as possible.
• An up-to-date list of leases for voluntary and community organisations operating out of Council buildings had been compiled and the details of that were contained in the exempt papers. The current listing situation was not ideal but the Council were working on compiling these up to dates lists which help manage the portfolio going forward in the future.

Following consideration of exempt information at item 27,

RESOLVED

1.    To approve a process of engagement with the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS), as set out in paragraph 4.5, to co-produce a social value policy framework to guide determinations as to how and when subsidies may be applied to leases held for Council properties by Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations, as set out in paragraphs 6.7 and 6.8.

2.    To note and agree that Living Under One Sun and the Selby Centre should be treated separately in advance of a final policy, given the advanced status of these projects as set out in paragraph 4.7 of this report.

3.    To note that a further Cabinet report will be delivered in late 2024, which will present a full policy on community assets for Cabinet approval.

Reasons for Recommendations

The Council is proud of the support it provides to the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) to provide vital support to Haringey’s communities, particularly the most vulnerable. We do this in a variety of ways, whether by commissioning them directly to provide services, building their capacity and sustainability through the work of the capacity building partner and bringing external funding into the borough, or by providing them with affordable premises for offices or other spaces from which to carry out their activities. This report sets out the principles for a new approach to provide greater clarity around how we manage and deliver this last type of support.

At the time of writing, there are a diversity of leases in the Council’s VCS property portfolio. That includes leases from zero or peppercorn to something closer to market rent. Many of these leases have expired and there is no formal policy or framework for determining the basis on which VCS organisations should occupy Council-owned buildings, resulting in inconsistencies and a variety of historical arrangements and leading to the potential for accusations of unfairness of treatment, or at least a lack of transparency. This also leads to a lack of clarity regarding responsibilities for building maintenance, and a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 128.

Report of the Director of Finance. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Finance and Local Investment.

This report will seek a decision on the award of the new electricity and gas contracts from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2029 for the Council's Streetlighing, Corporate and Housing portfolios and Schools that choose to opt-in.

The Council Constitution Part 5 section C Protocol for key decisions advises at paragraph 4a that contracts for the supply of energy are exempt from being defined as a key decision.

Cllr Chandwani and Cllr das Neves returned to the room.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Local Investment introduced the report which sought approval from Cabinet to access LASER Framework Agreements and to use these to call off and procure contracts for the supply of electricity and gas to the Council for the four-year period - 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2029.

The following was noted in response to a question from Cllr Cawley Harrison:

Officers were looking at the business cases for increasing the solar portfolio onto all buildings. That would be based on roof space availability and the long-term plans for the Council. There was a case a few months ago about the solar panels on Hornsey Library not operating correctly, that had since been under review. An assessment of the solar panels across the portfolio was now being managed and maintained to ensure that they were operating. Officers were working towards the long-term maintenance of those systems to ensure that they were fully functional for the summer period. In terms of the demand technology and building energy management systems, it was an ongoing programme that was currently being worked through.

Further to considering exempt information at item 28,

RESOLVED

1.          To consider the outcome of consultation with leaseholders set out at paragraphs 6.44 to 6.51 of this report.

2.          To approve that the Council enters into an access agreement with Kent County Council, trading as LASER so the Council can access framework agreements for Electricity (Flex 2024 – 2028, Framework Number: Y22009) and Gas (Flex 2024 – 2028 Framework Number: Y22008), as permitted under CSO 7.01 b) (selecting one or more contractors from a Framework).

3.          To approve the award of an electricity supply contract under LASER framework agreement Y22009, to Npower Commercial Gas Limited (Npower) for the period of four years commencing on 1 April 2025 and expiring on 31 March 2029, with an estimated value of £36.68m in accordance with CSO 9.07.1 d) (Contracts value at £500,000 or more can only be awarded by Cabinet).

4.          To approve the award of a gas supply contract under LASER framework agreement Y22008 to Corona Energy Retail 4 Ltd (Corona) for the period of four years commencing on 1 April 2025 and expiring on 31 March 2029, with an estimated value of £19.76m in accordance with 9.07.1 d) (Contracts value at £500,000 or more can only be awarded by Cabinet).

5.          To approve the use of LASER’s ‘Price Certainty’ energy buying strategy for both electricity and gas.

6.          To approve the use of LASER’s ‘Procurement Only Service Option’ (POSO) as opposed to the ‘Fully Managed’ (FM) service.

7.          To agree that the annual and forthcoming year’s estimated expenditure, will be reported to the Director of Finance and Cabinet Member for Finance. Where the estimated expenditure exceeds those stated in 3.3 and 3.4 above, Cabinet delegates the authority to the Director of Finance  after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, the approval to vary the contracts and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 129.

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

This report seeks approval for additional expenditure to complete the development.

The Cabinet Member for Council House building, Placemaking, and Local Economy introduced the report which sought approval of additional funds in accordance with Contract Standing Order (CSO) 10.02.1(b) to complete the construction of 46 new Council homes on land adjoining Remington Road and Pulford Road, N15 6SR (“Remington Road”). The total amount of additional funding sought was set out in Part B of this report.

Cllr Hakata Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Environment, and Transport welcomed the scheme which included 13 homes with 3 to 4 bedrooms and would address and aid any overcrowding issues.

Further to considering the exempt recommendations and exempt information at item 29,

RESOLVED

1. To approve a variation to the contract in respect of the additional expenditure, as set out in Part B, to ensure the completion of the construction of 46 new homes at Remington Road and thereby allowing the Council to take possession (Spring 2024) of these much need high quality homes.

2. To note the revised Total Scheme Cost as contained in Part B.

3. To note the homes at Remington Road will be let at London Affordable Rent.

4. To note the approval of these funds is in accordance with CSO 10.02.1(b).

5. To note the revised appraisal contained in Part B for the project which reflects the revised Total Scheme Cost and the homes being let to residents at London Affordable Rent.

Reasons for decision

The approval of additional funding will ensure the timely completion of the

construction of 46 new Council homes at Remington Road. Once these works

are completed, the Council can take possession of these homes which will help

to address the overwhelming need for affordable homes within the Borough and

the homes are expected to be well received by future residents.

The construction of the homes (and associated external areas) is now well

advanced with completion anticipated for Spring 2024. During the construction

works, a number of instructions were issued by the Employer’s Agent and it is

anticipated future instructions will now be necessary to ensure completion.

Furthermore, it is necessary the Council fulfils its contractual obligations under the terms of the building contract. Where additional works are necessary, the Employer’s Agent is required to issue an instruction to the Contractor to undertake these works and, once the instruction is made, the Council is obligated to fund the costs associated with the additional works.

Alternative options considered

Do not seek additional funding. This option would result in the scheme not being completed as additional works could not be instructed without the necessary Funds being available to the Council to meet its contractual obligations. The Council would also face the risk of a claim for breach of contract as additional Funds are required to fund those instructions already issued by the Employer’s Agent.

To note the minutes of the following:

Cabinet Member Signing

1.02.2024

5.02.2024

06.02.2024

12.02.2024

29.02.2024

29.02.2024

RESOLVED

To note the minutes of the following:

Cabinet Member Signings

1.02.2024

5.02.2024

06.02.2024

12.02.2024

29.02.2024

29.02.2024

To note the delegated decisions taken by Directors.

RESOLVED

To note the delegated decisions taken by directors in February 2024.

As per item 3.

None

Note from the Democratic Services and Scrutiny Manager

Items 27-31 allow for consideration of exempt information in relation to items 20-22 &6.

TO RESOLVE

That the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting as items 28 - 31contain exempt information as defined under paragraphs 3 and 5, Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972:

Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

That the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting as items 25 to 31 contain exempt information as defined under paragraphs 3 and 5, Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972:

Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

Exempt information pertaining to item 20.

Cllr das Neves and Cllr Chandwani recused themeselves for this item.

Cabinet  considered the exempt information and agreed the  recommendations as set out in item  CAB128.

 Exempt information pertaining to item 21.

Cabinet considered the exempt information and agreed the recommendations as set out at item CAB129.

Exempt information pertaining to item 22.

Cabinet considered the exempt information and agreed the exempt recommendations  and also continued to agree the  recommendations as set out at CAB item 130.

To confirm and sign the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 06 February 2024 as a correct record.

RESOLVED

To approve the exempt minutes of the meeting held on the 6^th of February 2024.

As per item 3.

None