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 Chair referred to the filming at meetings notice and attendees noted this information.

To receive any apologies for absence.

There were apologies for absence from Cllr Williams.

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 23 below. New items of exempt business will be dealt with at Item 27 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 Gordon declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in item 19. This was in accordance with Section A of the Member code of conduct and paragraph 4.1, and she would recuse herself for this item in accordance with paragraph 4.2 of the code.

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 24: 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.

There were no representations received.

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 12 March 2024 as a correct record.

RESOLVED

To approve the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on the 12^th of March 2024.

To consider any requests received in accordance with Standing Orders.

There were no deputations, petitions or public questions for consideration.

None

There were no matters referred from Scrutiny.

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

The current Corporate Delivery Plan runs to the end of the 2023/24 financial year. A new Corporate Delivery Plan describes the council's priorities and activities for the next two years.

The Leader introduced the report which set out Haringey Council’s Corporate Delivery Plan for 2024-26, which succeeded the current Corporate Delivery Plan 2022-24.

The new plan set out the Council’s core priorities and what it would deliver up to April 2026.

The Leader continued to set out the context and ambitions for the new Corporate Delivery Plan as well as outlining the notable achievements of the administration over the last two years.

In response to questions from Cllr Emery the following information was provided in the meeting.

-       Regarding whether social value was being calculated for existing contracts as part of the procurement process, it was noted that a Cabinet decision on how social value is integrated into procurement activities would come forward in the autumn. However, this was already an existing component in procurement frameworks which procurement contracts were awarded through and that they were expected to comply with.

-        Ensuring that the Council’s fleet of vehicles was fully electric was a key objective and this was currently at a crucial planning stage to ensure that this was delivered effectively. This involved considering a number of options such as the power and energy that vehicles would need, and use given this may entail different choices for different fleets. Detailed considerations on the infrastructure and the logistics of this objective were underway and the Council had already started with electrifying all of its Park’s fleet. In further response to a follow up question on the delay of this objective which was noted to have been included in the ultra-low emission vehicle action plan published in 2018, account needed to be given to the recent insourcing of the housing management function and subsequent expansion of the Council’s fleet. The Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Environment and Transport emphasised that this objective came with a plan which was being followed.

-       With regards to taking forward accessible housing management policies, a small team was in place which was taking this essential work on policies forward. This included responding to Ombudsman findings and guidance received from the Housing Regulator. These policies were being co-produced with resident engagement panels, reflecting their priority to the organisation. This engagement also ensured that the polices were understandable and accessible to residents. Further assurance was provided by the Director of Placemaking and Housing that there was a full review taking place of all of the housing management policies which would be updated and gradually scheduled to come forward for approval. There was an example provided, later on in the agenda, at item 16, of such a review and change in policy.

The Leader of the Council advised that there will be quarterly updates to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Corporate Delivery Plan for 2024-26.

RESOLVED

1. To agree the Corporate Delivery Plan for 2022-2024 as attached at Appendix 1.

Reasons for decision

The role of this Corporate Delivery Plan is to set out what we will deliver and the outcomes we hope to achieve up to April 2026.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 148.

Report of the Director for Finance. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services.

This report sets out the 2023/24 provisional outturn for the General Fund, HRA,

DSG and the Capital Programme compared to budget. 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. It also includes

proposed transfers to/from reserves, revenue and capital carry forward requests and any budget virements, adjustments and grant acceptances.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services introduced the report, which set out the provisional outturn for 2023/24 for the General Fund, HRA, DSG and the Capital Programme compared to the original budget agreed by Council in March 2023. It provided explanations of significant under/overspends and included proposed transfers to/from reserves to enable a balanced budget, the revenue and capital carry forward requests and any budget virements or adjustments.

The Cabinet Member continued to outline the following key considerations:

-       Unsustainable rise in the cost of Children’s care, Adult social care and Temporary Accommodation for homeless households.

-       Significant measures within the 2023/24 financial year to help mitigate these rising costs.

-       £5m additional un-forecast spend pressure that was highly likely to continue into the new financial year, mainly around children’s placement costs and temporary accommodation.

-       Lack of real growth in wages still likely to place pressure on residents’ ability to meet outgoings.

-       Larger number of JSA (Jobseekers Allowance) and ESA (Employment & Support Allowance) claimants than the London average and Haringey had the fourth largest proportion of residents earning below the London Living Wage of all London boroughs.

-       In the last year, the Council had delivered 77% of agreed savings programme, which was positive, however the agreed target for this year was £20m and would need to be considered in the context of the financial challenges outlined above, and the need to collectively work together as a Council to ensure that these savings were delivered as planned.

-       The capital programme for the GF (General Fund) and HRA (Housing Revenue Account) would still need continual review to reduce on the General Fund Revenue budget.

Assurance was provided that the focus would be on careful and transparent financial planning for the next iteration of the MTFS, which was already well underway.

In response to questions from Cllr Hakata and Cllr Emery, the following information was noted:

-       With regards to concerns about the unplanned drawdown in reserves set out in the report, replenishing the reserves and passing a balanced budget in 2025/26 was an underpinning consideration in the budget process for this year. Supporting the budget for Children’s Services, Temporary Accommodation and Adult service was an existing strategy and additional funding provided in this coming year’s budget for these areas. It was noted that these areas were a common pressure point for all local authorities in the country.

-       The increased costs across placements identified during February and March 2024 (£2.3m) not previously forecast were as a result of data quality issues following the migration to Liquid Logic from Mosaic. It was noted that during this period there had not been the required visibility on the increasing placement costs. This was explained to not be an uncommon occurrence with the transfer of a large data sets. However, this had unfortunately happened at the end of the financial year and after the budget setting process and when the cost of placements went up. However, these additional costs still  ...  view the full minutes text for item 149.

Report of the Director of Culture, Strategy, and Engagement. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Finance and Coporate Services.

Strategy to grow and build our workforce to deliver the best possible services to local residents by building a strong, collaborative, and community-focused workplace culture.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services introduced the report which sought approval of the Council’s updated Workforce Strategy. Having an up to date and relevant Workforce Strategy and action plan was crucial in the achievement of the Council’s strategic plans. The Cabinet Member continued to outline the following:

-       The strategy sets out actions for the Council to build a strong, collaborative, and community-focused workplace culture.

-       ‘Delivering change, inclusivity, learning and development and getting the basics right’ were actions considered essential for the Council to find employees who were highly skilled and aligned with Council values.

-       The workforce should reflect and embody the community.

-       Strong commitment and high performance in the workforce could be achieved by offering robust learning, opportunities for development and a leading hybrid environment.

-       It would be the responsibility of leaders and managers across the Council to ensure its success by delivering workforce plans.

In response to questions from Cllr Emery, the following information was noted.

-       Regarding the high number of agency staff employed by the Council, it was clarified that Haringey was now no longer above the London average with the Council pursuing permanent recruitment to push down numbers. There was also an intensive regular review process of agency staff across the Corporate Leadership Team.

-       There was also clarification that the struggle to recruit the best applicants wasn’t confined to Haringey. All LA’s had the same problem, and this was attributed to a specific skills shortage across the country. It was noted that Haringey competes with other boroughs for the best applicants.

-       Training was then discussed. Haringey along with other LAs had been buying in some training packages. However, Haringey was now looking at producing bespoke training in house with real examples from services. This would have more relevance to learners and an example of the updated safeguarding training module was provided which provided real life examples from the borough.

RESOLVED

1. To approve the strategy at Appendix 1 and note the Officer action plan at Appendix 2, further noting that the action plan is a living document that will be regularly updated.

Reasons for decision

To ensure that the Council has an up to date and relevant Workforce Strategy and that the strategic themes and signature actions within it contribute to the delivery of the Corporate Delivery Plan.

Alternative options considered

Not to update the strategy. This was discounted as the previous strategy has now expired and without one, the strategic direction of the Council as regards its most important asset, employees, would be unclear.

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

Further to the approval of the SAMPIP at Cabinet on the 18th April 2023 an annual update on the action plan progress is required.

The Cabinet Member for Placemaking & Local Economy introduced the report which provided an annual update on the progress to date for the 10 objectives of the Strategic Asset Management and Property Improvement Plan 2023-28 (SAMPIP 2023-28). The roadmap for Year 2 Priorities and the associated action plans for each objective was set out in Appendix 2). The Cabinet Member highlighted key developments as follows:

-       A high-level structure in the department was established.

-       Detailed information on each asset that Haringey holds has been outlined.

-       A year two priorities plan has been put together and agreement is required that the department brings back to Cabinet Year 2 progress in April 2025.

In response to questions from Cllr Emery, the following information was noted.

-       In relation to the level of knowledge Haringey had about its assets, it was clarified that the Council knew of the properties they owned, however needed to know detailed information as to the types of leases, state of the property and more. The detailed knowledge of each asset was the aim behind the management strategy.

-       Leases for the voluntary sector were also in the process of being regularised using consultation of current and future lessees. A strategy would be developed on this using feedback from the VSC network event held a few weeks ago. There will also be further meetings with the wider sector.

-       Property Services was expecting to bring forward proposals regarding River Park House, Alexandra House, as part of the financials on the Civic Centre. Some services were moving from Station Road to Cumberland Road which held space for local business and workspaces.

RESOLVED

1. To note and comment on this annual update of the Council’s previously approved Strategic Asset Management and Property Improvement Plan (SAMPIP) 2023 – 2028 with specific reference on the progress made in Year 1 of the Action Plan. – this can be seen in detail in Appendix 2 of this report.

2. That the Cabinet further Year 2 progress on SAMPIP will be brought back to Cabinet for annual review in April 2025.

Reasons for Decision

Like many local authorities the Council has faced serious challenges in relation to the management of its property assets. This is largely due to limited resources and reduced budgets which impacted on the Council’s capacity to manage effectively and efficiently the Council’s property portfolios.

The independent external property review, instigated by the Council in 2019/20, recommended 46 areas for improvement, which the Council has been addressing. The progress for the three core areas for improvement, are outlined below:

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

To seek approval of Parking Strategy and changes to parking policy/permits and charges, and where appropriate authority to proceed to statutory consultation on proposals.

The Cabinet Member for Resident Services and Tackling Inequality introduced the report which sought the adoption of a new Parking Strategy, which was designed to foster a cohesive and forward-thinking approach to traffic management. The strategy refined the Council’s parking management framework, significantly enhancing its contribution to the Councils strategic objectives. The strategy further aimed to alleviate congestion, support local businesses, improve air quality, and enhance the overall vitality of the borough’s diverse community.

The report further sought approval of several parking policy/charges changes that supported the delivery of this new strategy.

The Cabinet Member described the pivotal role of parking in the borough context of having thousands of businesses, thousands of people working in the borough and an significant increase in homes and business spaces coming forward. She further highlighted the popularity of the borough and its cultural sites, and the policies were also taking account enabling older and disabled people to live independent lives.

The parking strategy attached aimed to prepare the borough for parking in the future with an action plan attached.

The Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Environment and Transport praised the Cabinet Member and the Parking team for their work, remarking that how parking has significant positive impacts on the climate, improving accessibility, road safety, air quality.

In response to questions from Cllr Emery, the following information was noted:

-       With regards to modelling charges for potential increased take up of Electrical Vehicles, it was noted that there was still a need to incentivise residents for taking up electrical vehicles and Appendix D reflected this as well as providing comparable charging rates of other boroughs. However, parking was not the main issue for residents but the need for increased charging facilities.

-       Regarding the £880,000 overspend in Parking, referred to in the previous financial outturn report, the service was working on transforming the Parking service and making it as automated as possible. This needed initial investment to fulfil the overall aim for the service to achieve full cost recovery going forward.

-       Regarding the discontinuation of daily visitor permits and whether the system could be retained whilst cracking down on abuses, it was noted that the current daily pass visitor pass cost £4 a day and incentivised visitors to stay parked all day in a CPZ area. Therefore, in a CPZ area where there were businesses this had a detrimental impact as it did not allow the flow of customers needed. This situation also provided a cheaper option for people parking near a station and leaving their car all day when catching the train for work. Charging by the hour for parking supported business and residents in the borough.

RESOLVED

1. To approve the Parking Strategy attached as Appendix A.

2. To note the responses received to the informal consultation regarding the parking policy review attached to this report at Appendix B and 6.18.

3. To approve the changes to parking and other charges as set out in Appendix D (section 2 – paragraphs 2.1-2.3 and section 3  ...  view the full minutes text for item 152.

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

Approval is sought to extend the existing contract by a further 2 year in accordance with the terms of the contract.

The Cabinet Member for Resident Services and Tackling Inequality introduced the report which sought approval to the extension to the current contract with Marlborough from June 2025 to June 2027 to ensure the ongoing cost-effective delivery of the Council’s planned and reactive highway works.

In response to a question from Cllr Emery on considering the insourcing option outlined in the alternative options, this had been explored a few years ago and not found to be viable. It was noted that no London borough had an insourced highways service as the muti layered and varied skills and expert workforce required coupled with the costs of plant equipment made this an expensive service in turn making it difficult to achieve the required economies of scale. Nothing had changed since the initial exploration of this option in 2020.

RESOLVED

1. To approve the extension of the existing contract awarded to Marlborough Highways Ltd for the maintenance of the Council’s highway assets for a period of a further 2 years from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2027.

2. That the be an increase in the potential total contract value through the full life of the contract from £84m to £98m.

Reasons for Decision

In its capacity as the local highway authority, the Council has a statutory duty under the Highways Act 1980 to maintain and, where necessary, improve the local highway network within its administrative boundary. A continuation of the existing contract with Marlborough Highways Ltd will ensure that there is no interruption in the fulfilment of this statutory duty.

Alternative options considered

Do nothing: On the basis of the abovementioned statutory duty, doing nothing is not a viable option. The Council cannot simply let the existing contract run down without establishing an alternative arrangement for the maintenance of its local highway network.

Insource: During 2022/23, officers carried out a detailed review of options for insourcing part or all highway maintenance works. However, it was concluded that this would not be viable in any form in the current economic climate having regard for a range of factors including the relatively high level of investment in vehicles, plant and machinery, and the health and safety risks that the Council would assume.

Procure a new service provider:The Council could consider retendering the contract to test the market. However, besides the significant cost of the procurement exercise, there might be limited value in such an option having regard to the following factors:

Potential disruption to the current benefit of delivery of both the highway works contract and street lighting contract through a single contractor operating from the same depot within the borough.

Relative competitiveness of the initial tender – tender evaluations revealed that overall, the successful contractor demonstrated a significant competitive advantage over other tenderers both in terms of quality and pricing.

Current uncertainties within the market (due to inflationary costs and material supply problems) would lead to contractors perceiving greater risks when tendering. This was confirmed by the significant increase in prices submitted when a package  ...  view the full minutes text for item 153.

Report of the Director of Placemaking and Housing. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for  Housing & Planning (Deputy Leader).

This document sets out the Council’s Building Safety Strategy for its High-Rise Residential Buildings (HRRBs), and details how we will ensure that buildings

that are in the scope of the Building Safety Act in 2022, are effectively managed,

and our residents kept safe.

The Leader of the Council introduced the report in the absence of the Cabinet Member for Housing & Planning (Deputy Leader). The report sought approval of the Building Safety Strategy which applied only to the Council’s Residential Housing stock. It set out the Council’s approach to managing fire and structural safety across its high-rise, higher risk residential buildings to ensure and improve the safety of residents and to comply with the requirements of the Building Safety Act 2022 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, which supplemented the duties imposed by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The strategy set out objectives and targets for how the Council intended to manage and deliver its Building Safety role and provided a framework against which it considered and formulated associated policies and processes on housing safety issues.

The Leader highlighted the following:

-       The Building Safety Strategy detailed how the Council ensures that buildings within the scope of the Building Safety Act 2022 were effectively managed and safe.

-       The Building Safety Strategy was part of the Housing Improvement Plan. It tackled repairs, fireproofing, insulation, security and other renovations.

-       It was a five-year plan that focused on High Rise Residential Buildings and went beyond what was required by the government.

-       The Building Safety Strategy was created with residents and residents' involvement in future decisions would be a core objective.

-       It was noted that to deliver and maintain improvements, there must be better information systems, consistent funding and an improved workforce.

The Cabinet was asked to accept the recommendations and adopt the Building Safety Strategy for 2024-2028 and give authorisation to the Director of Housing & Placemaking to amend the strategy to address any future changes brought in through legislation.

In response to questions from Cllr Emery, the following information was noted.

-       Director of Housing & Placemaking affirmed that most of Council properties were up to date with fire risk assessments and remedial action needed bar one or two cases. Action was needed to gain access to these properties. All assessments had been reported to the Social Housing Regulator as required.

-       Although a 24-hour timescale for reporting and acknowledgment of building safety complaints was established, no set timescale could be given for remedial action to be taken. It was explained that it depended on the work, however where there were structural defects in a building, the response time was 24 hours. Where damp and mold were an issue, categories were assigned as to the severity, which would initiate different procedures and response times. There were no timescales stated in the policy however it was noted the Council were following government guidelines that stated response time should be within 14 days.

RESOLVED

1. To Adopt the Building Safety Strategy at Appendix 1 setting out the Council’s vision and strategic approach to safety in high-rise, higher risk buildings for the period 23 July 2024 to 31 December 2028.

2. To delegate authority to the Director of Placemaking & Housing, following consultation with the Lead Member  ...  view the full minutes text for item 154.

Report of the Director of Placemaking and Housing. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing & Planning (Deputy Leader).

Considering two new policies for adoption across the Council's landlord

services: the Vulnerable Council Tenants and Leaseholders Policy and the

Safeguarding Policy.

The Leader of the Council introduced the report which set out how the Council would help its vulnerable tenants’ and leaseholders’ households access housing management services and sustain their tenancies. The policy was clear that supporting people to live well in the community was a core housing management task for the Council.

It was noted that the policy further set out how the Council’s Housing Management services would work to prevent abuse and neglect of children and vulnerable adults in its own housing stock. The policy aimed to ensure that the Council’s overarching Safeguarding Policy was embedded and delivered specifically through its housing management services. The policy was clear that safeguarding is a core responsibility for everyone working in any capacity in or with any of its housing management teams.

The Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Wellbeing commended work of the housing team in taking forward the review of the policies and reflected that they had taken account of recent safeguarding adult reviews and were helping ensure that this learning was held within the organisation.

In response to questions from Cllr Emery, the following information was noted:

-               In relation to having faster response times for vulnerable households with damp and Mold and minor adaptations, it was noted that the attached policy document did not define the time frame, and this was not the point of the policy. It was noted that, more broadly, there was a Damp and Mold policy in place agreed by Cabinet last year and there was a process in place where residents could contact the Council directly and then be passed straight to the repair service. There were categories for the seriousness of the damp and mould and responses according to this with any immediate threats to health resulting in a decant of the family whilst remedial works were completed and less serious works taking place with the family in the home.

-        Councillors were not trained on using ‘consent cards’, and these were only available to staff and contractors and their use was also connected to the specific IT devices in use. It was noted that depending on the team in which they work, staff would be able to pass the information to a manager as a way to identify any concerns about vulnerability or safeguarding.

RESOLVED

1. Toapprove the Vulnerable Council Tenants and Leaseholders Policy at Appendix 1, having had regard to the Equality Impact Assessment at Appendix 3.

2. To approve the Safeguarding Council Tenants and Leaseholders Policy at Appendix 2 having had regard to the Equality Impact Assessment at Appendix 4.

Reasons for decision

The review of existing policies on safeguarding and vulnerable tenants adopted for landlord services by Homes for Haringey concluded that the Council requires entirely new polices in these areas. The newly drafted policies set a new direction that is informed by best practice to underpin better services for its tenants and leaseholders and for their wider households.

The Housing Ombudsman asked the Council in July 2023  ...  view the full minutes text for item 155.

Report of the Director of Culture, Strategy, and Engagement. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Resident Services Tackling Inequality.

This policy outlines our commitment to effectively handle complaints, in line

with the current Ombudsman guidance, and additionally addresses how

we will handle compliments and suggestions.

The Cabinet Member for Resident Services Tackling Inequality introduced the report which sought approval of the revised Haringey Feedback Policy, that replaced both the previous Corporate Feedback Policy and the Homes for Haringey (HfH) Complaints Policy. The Cabinet Member highlighted the following:

-       The policy included the Council’s commitment to handle complaints in line with the current Ombudsman guidance. Additionally, it addressed how compliments and suggestions would be handled.

-       Central government had introduced a new procedure to standardise complaints made to LA’s. This revised policy addressed these new procedures.

In response to questions from Cllr Emery, the following information was noted:

-       Regarding what constituted a complaint or a one-off service failure such as uncollected bins, some contacts would be treated as one off service failures. However, if a service failure was repeated many times, the issue would then be treated as a complaint.

-       In response to questions regarding timescales about contractors, or third-party complaints, it was noted that there were different contractual agreements with third parties. For instance, if a missed refuse collection occurred, then contractually Veolia would have the opportunity to resolve this before it was treated as a complaint.

-       The Cabinet Member highlighted that every borough would be adopting these new procedures by winter and there would likely be some clarification issues regarding the definition of a complaint, service enquiry, or third-party obligation.

RESOLVED

1. To approve the revised Haringey Feedback Policy at Appendix 1 to apply to all complaints received by the Council. (with the minor clarification added to the report at paragraph 10.1 to read Where the complaint relates to a third-party contractor, we may refer the complaint to them to undertake the service investigation, where appropriate)

Reasons for decision

To clarify the Council’s approach to complaints by adopting a single complaints policy following insourcing of HfH functions and to ensure compliance with the respective new Ombudsman Complaint Handling Codes. 

Alternative options considered 

No alternative options were considered. It was considered important for consistency to combine the two previous complaints policies following the return of Housing Service to Council control, and we were additionally obliged to ensure compliance with the Ombudsman Complaint Handling Codes. 

. 

Report of the Director for Finance. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services.

This report will seek a decision on the award of the new non-domestic water contract from 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2028 with an option to extend by one year to 30 September 2029, for the non-domestic buildings in the Council's Corporate and Housing portfolios and Schools that choose to opt-in.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services introduced the report which sought approval from Cabinet to access YPO Framework Agreement 1181 and to use this to call off and procure a contract for non-domestic water and wastewater and ancillary services. This would be used by the Council for the four-year period 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2028, with an option to extend for one year to 30 September 2029.

It was noted that the new contract would use YPO’s 2023-2027 framework agreement which allowed contracts to extend beyond the expiry date of the framework, and it was recommended to use this to award the Council’s non-domestic water and wastewater and ancillary services contract to Anglian Water Business (National) Ltd, trading as “Wave”. The value of the contract was based on current levels of water usage and known demand increases (with Leisure Centres coming back in house) is expected to be c£5m.

It was further noted that the contracts would serve the Council’s non-domestic corporate buildings; non-domestic buildings within the housing portfolio, such as community centres and offices; and schools that have opted-in to the contract. Domestic buildings in the corporate and housing portfolio are excluded. Two leisure centres that have swimming pools were being insourced back to Council management on 1 October 2024 and the water requirement for these would also be included.

In response to a question from the Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Environment, and Transport on what tools and support did Wave provide to help the Council monitor and manage water consumption, it was noted that the Council was aiming to carefully reduce all utility spend. It was explained that there were a lot of options within the contract to reduce water efficiency. This included water audits and water footprinting with a Council process in place to identify high consumption and unusual spikes in consumption to actively investigate.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families was pleased to note that schools were able to access this contract.

In response to a question on any sites identified with unexpected high consumption of water, Markfield Park was noted.

RESOLVED

1. To approve the Council entering into an access agreement with Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO) to enable the Council to access framework agreement 1181, as permitted under CSO 7.01 b) (selecting one or more contractors from a Framework).

2. To approve the award of a non-domestic water, wastewater and ancillary services contract under Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO) framework agreement 1181, to Anglian Water Business (National) Ltd, trading as “Wave” for the period of four years commencing on 1 October 2024 and expiring on 30 September 2028, with an option to extend for one year to 30 September 2029, up to a value of £5m in accordance with CSO 9.07.1 d) (Contracts valued at £500,000 or more can only be awarded by Cabinet).

3. To approve the resourcing of the Council’s Energy Team’s contract management and procurement costs through a rebate applied to the supplier’s invoices. This service fee is not  ...  view the full minutes text for item 157.

Report of the Director for Children’s Services. To be introduced by the Cabinet member for Children, Schools and Families.

This report recommends Haringey Music Service as the Hub Lead Organisation

for North London as part of the Arts Council England Music Hub Investment

Programme.

Cllr Gordon recused herself from the meeting for this item.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families introduced the report which sought approval of the receipt of grant funding for Haringey Music Service to become the North London Music Hub Lead Organisation. The Cabinet Member outlined the following in her introduction:

-       It was agreed that amongst the five boroughs Haringey Music Services would take be the lead organisation in a new North London Music Hub programme funded by the Arts Council.

-       Haringey would hold the overall budget and administer the grant between all five boroughs. Each of the five boroughs would now have access to new equipment and instruments.

-       There would be no financial risk to the Council, as the grant the Arts Council has given also includes an administrative charge.

In response to questions from Cllr Carlin, Cllr Hakata, the discussion was as follows:

-       It was clarified that the original funding that Haringey received for its Music Services would not be at risk as it would be absorbed into the one overall grant. In addition, the administrative charge would also be included.

-       It was noted that the National Music Education Plan mapped out ‘cold spots’ as to where area disparities were in music services provision across all boroughs. All consortiums would now see where these ‘cold spots’ were and could now share expertise in all areas. In addition, the Arts Council conducted an external quality assurance as part of the conditions of funding.

RESOLVED

1. To approve acceptance of the grant funding set out in this report (£2,341,580) to proceed with the proposal for HMS to be the Hub Lead Organisation for the North London Music Hub as part of the ACE Music Hub investment programme as permitted by Contract Standing Order 17.1 where the grant is valued at £500,000 or more.

2. To agree that LBH will administer the funding to consortium members taking a top slice of 3.75% for the administration of the North London Music Hub from Consortium members namely, Barnet Education Arts Trust, Camden Music, Enfield Music Service and Music Education Islington.

3. To agree that HMS will be the Hub Lead Organisation using a flow through model of grant funding to consortium members as per the suggested Department for Education funding formula. Each Hub Lead Organisation will receive a proportion of the overall Music Hubs programme funding amount based on the number of eligible pupils in each Local Authority area that the Music Hub serves. Ninety percent of the funding is distributed based on the total number of pupils registered on roll. Ten percent of the budget is allocated according to the Hubs’ share of the total number of pupils who are eligible for free school meals. This recognises that these pupils will need greater support from Hubs than others in order to take up certain musical opportunities.

4. To agree the timely mechanism of receiving the Music Hub grant from ACE and payment to consortium members.

Reasons for decision      

In  ...  view the full minutes text for item 158.

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

Modification to uplift the value of the PMIS contract to allow the continued enforcement against parking and moving vehicle offences in the Borough.

Cllr Gordon returned to the meeting.

The Cabinet Member for Resident Services and Tackling Inequality introduced the report which sought approval under Contract Standing Order (CSO) 10.02 1.(b) and in compliance with Regulation 72 (1)(e) of the Public Contract Regulations (PCR) 2015 for the increase in the total contract value for the Parking Management IT System (PMIS) contract.

 It was noted that this was a result of increased notice processing volumes due to expanded traffic schemes, all of which generate additional income for the Council that adequately covers the additional spend. This increase was to cover the remaining 6½ years of the initial 10-year contract term (i.e., from August 2024/25 to March 2031), thereby ensuring the continued efficient management of parking and enforcement activities.

In response to questions from Cllr Emery, the following information was noted.

-       In relation to the number of PCNs issued reducing for each school street / LTN after implementation, this varied and was connected to how busy the street was and how closely drivers registered that they were approaching an LTN or School Street.

-       With regard to PCNs appeals or contested tickets, and ability to contact the Council directly on the matter, the Cabinet Member explained that all parking fines appeal processes, in general, including LTNs were governed by the London Tribunal service. This organisation had a strict code to follow and was a written only appeal journey process.

-       The address in Sheffield was a data centre for parking appeal documentation and this needed to be a secure centre, in accordance with GDPR rules, for holding and processing confidential information. The Council were not dissimilar to other boroughs in keeping this data outside London. Improvements had been made regarding the flow of communication between residents and the contract provider about the status of their PCN fines. Noted that residents were able to go online through the Taranto system and see the evidence that has been held against them. Residents were also able to track the progress of their appeal. A small minority of residents that were not able to use a computer to track and respond to their PCN fine could send their documents for appeal to Sheffield where it was logged.

Further to considering exempt information at Item 25,

RESOLVED

1. To approve, in accordance with Contract Standing Order (CSO) 10.02.1(b), an increase in the total value of the existing Parking Management IT System (PMIS) Contract with Taranto Systems Limited from £4.35m to £19.1m to cover the initial 10-year contract term. Therefore, an additional expenditure of £14.75m is proposed to the remaining 6½ years of the initial 10-year contract term (i.e., from August 2024/25 to March 2031) including an estimated £2.51m for RingGo cashless parking transactions processing costs (see section 3.2).

2. To approve the payment to Taranto Systems Limited for managing RingGo cashless parking transaction processing costs, totalling an estimated £2.51m for the remaining 6½ years of the initial 10-year contract term (i.e., from August 2024/25 to March 2031).

3. To note that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 159.

To note the minutes of the following:

Cabinet Member Signing

12 March 2024                                             11 June 2024

12^th March 2024 10am                                13 June 2024

12^th March 2.30pm                                       18^th June 2024

18^th March 2024                                           18^th of June 10.30 2024

19^th of March 2024                                       18^th June 4pm 2024

21 March 2024                                             19 June 2024

21 March 11am                                            20 June 2024

25 March 2024                                             2 July 2024

28 March 2024                                             CPAC 27^th Feb 2024

8 April 2024

11 April 2024

12 April 2024

16 April 2024

22 April 2024

9May 2024

15 May 2024

16 May 2024

22 May 2024

28 May 2024

5 June 2024

6 June 2024

10 June 2024

RESOLVED

To note the minutes of the following:

Cabinet Member Signing

12 March 2024                                             11 June 2024

12^th March 2024 10am                                13 June 2024

12^th March 2.30pm                                       18^th June 2024

18^th March 2024                                           18^th of June 10.30 2024

19^th of March 2024                                       18^th June 4pm 2024

21 March 2024                                             19 June 2024

21 March 11am                                            20 June 2024

25 March 2024                                             2 July 2024

28 March 2024                                            

Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee

27^th February 2024

8 April 2024

11 April 2024

12 April 2024

16 April 2024

22 April 2024

9May 2024

15 May 2024

16 May 2024

22 May 2024

28 May 2024

5 June 2024

6 June 2024

10 June 2024

To note the delegated decisions taken by Directors.

RESOLVED

To note the delegated decisions taken by Directors.

As per item 3.

None

Note from the Democratic Services and Scrutiny Manager

Items 25 and 26 allow for consideration of exempt information in relation to items 20&6.

TO RESOLVE

That the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting as items 25-26 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.

RESOLVED

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.

As per item 20.

As per minute 159.

To confirm and sign the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 12^th of March 2024 as a correct record.

RESOLVED

To approve the exempt minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on the 12^th of March 2024.

As per item 3.

None