Agenda and minutes

Venue: George Meehan House, 294 High Road, Wood Green, N22 8JZ

Contact: Ayshe Simsek, Democratic Services and Scrutiny Manager / Fiona Rae, Acting Committees Manager  Email: ayshe.simsek@haringey.gov.uk / Email: fiona.rae@haringey.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

16.

Filming at Meetings

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.

Minutes:

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

17.

Apologies

To receive any apologies for absence.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Seema Chandwani.

18.

Urgent Business

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 15 below. New items of exempt business will be dealt with at Item 20 below).

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

19.

Declarations of Interest

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.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

20.

Declarations of Interest

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 16: 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.

Minutes:

There were no representations received on the exempt items.

21.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 415 KB

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 21 June 2022 as a correct record.

Minutes:

RESOLVED

 

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 21 June 2022 as a correct record.

22.

Matters Referred to Cabinet by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee

No matters to consider.

Minutes:

There were no matters for consideration.

23.

Deputations/Petitions/Questions

To consider any requests received in accordance with Standing Orders.

Minutes:

There were no deputations, petitions, or questions.

24.

2021/22 Finance Update and Provisional Outturn pdf icon PDF 1 MB

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

 

This report sets out the 2021/22 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.

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Local Investment introduced the report, which set out the 2021/22 provisional outturn for the General Fund, HRA, DSG and the Capital Programme compared to budget. It sought 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 Medium-Term Financial Statement (MTFS). It also included proposed transfers to/from reserves, revenue and capital carry forward requests and any budget virements, adjustments and grant acceptances.

 

The Cabinet Member referred to:

  • The General Fund being on budget.
  • As forecast, the direct impact of Covid 19 being largely offset with government support.
  • The base budget pressures were offset by budget contingency, although without reserves being drawn down.
  • Financial pressures would continue into the new financial year and impact of inflation would continue to be felt by the Council and the community, in particular in social care placements.
  • Council reserves continued to provide a level of resilience in addition to growth.
  • The coming financial new year required a tight financial grip.
  • The £20 million in savings, required in this financial year, whilst considering that the effects of Covid19 were still being felt coupled with extremely uncertain funding environment.

 

The Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families highlighted that Haringey had been identified by the Department for Education (DfE) as one of 10 local authority areas to receive £1.28M of targeted funding to tackle serious youth violence over the next three years. The Director of Children’s Services was to chair the SAFE Taskforce Board in Haringey to tackle youth violence in this schools led project. This intervention group was likely to include primary transition project and looking at transition to secondary schools. This funding would lead to expanding the outreach and focus on cognitive behaviour. This funding was further good news for expanding social workers in school’s scheme.

 

The Cabinet Member for Communities and Civic life was pleased to report that the Arts Council had awarded the Council £600k for upkeep of Bruce Castle Museum. This was a £1.4531m project helping make Bruce Castle Museum a London destination.

 

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

 

  • The attached report was an outturn report and provided information on the completed budget for 2021/22. The budget monitoring report for the first quarter of this financial year, due for Cabinet consideration in September, would provide information on savings progress with view on this.

 

  • DSG budget management plan was in place. There was a process with the DFE and the Council would enter into a negotiation on what it could deliver going forward. It was noted that this work had not been completed as yet and it was hoped the proposals put forward to the DFE would secure best outcomes for the Council and reduction on the overspend, in year, and long term. However, as yet, there was no long-term position to report on.

 

25.

Proposals for Resident Engagement and Participation following the Insourcing of Homes for Haringey pdf icon PDF 313 KB

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

 

The report will consider the existing resident engagement structure. This will be to ensure that resident involvement is not weakened and expertise, relationships, etc are maintained.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Housing Services, Private Renters, and Planning introduced the report which sought approval to maintain the existing channels for engagement for tenants and leaseholders of the Council. These ensured that tenants and leaseholders were able to actively participate in the work of the Council, as their landlord, and hold the Council to account. It was noted that the administration had an explicit commitment to co-production and to increasing the voice of all residents. Final proposals were being taken forward on how resident engagement would be added to the Council’s decision-making structure to ensure even greater participation and broader and more representative engagement.

 

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

 

  • Noted that the resident engagement groups concerned putting residents at the heart of decision making and there would be wider proposals on this objective coming forward later in the year. However, the Customer Core group did feed into the Council’s decision making, through the directorate currently, and the residents on this group were engaged and determined to have their voice heard.

 

  • The Council would continue to publish housing provision targets and its performance against it targets. The recommendations of the Housing Resident Advisory Panel [ formally Tenants Scrutiny Panel] would be published on the website and the Council’s scrutiny function would be able be ask for these recommendations to come forward to the Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Panel and Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

 

 

RESOLVED

 

1.    To note and approve the interim resident engagement proposals detailed in paragraph 6.13 of the report.

 

2.    To note that final resident engagement proposals will be brought forward later this municipal year, including proposals for engaging with the Council’s tenants and leaseholders.

 

3.    To note that proposals for further involving residents in the Council’s decision-making process continue to be developed and that, if any changes are proposed to the Council’s Committee structures, they will be developed in consultation with Members prior to being recommended to Standards Committee, and then to Full Council.

 

Reasons for decision

 

It is crucial that social tenants and leaseholders are able to have clear channels of communication with their landlord, to have their voices heard and for social landlords to have clearly set out method to listen to their tenants and leaseholders and respond to their concerns. With the insourcing of housing services, it is important to ensure that the involvement of tenants and leaseholders in the management of their homes is not weakened; and indeed that tenants and leaseholders have both a strong voice and that all participation processes are representative of the broader tenant and leaseholder population.

 

Alternative options considered

 

One option was to rethink at this stage the relationship between the Council and its tenants and leaseholders. This was discounted to allow for broader work on the Housing Strategy and the Council’s approach to resident participation to be carried out, and to ensure that any change from the current model was considered carefully and with the involvement of tenants, leaseholders and Members.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

26.

Partnering Contracts Strategy for Housing Major Works pdf icon PDF 445 KB

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

 

To approve the Procurement Strategy for long term delivery of major component renewal, energy works, and additional homes to council homes 2022-32.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Housing Services, Private Renters, and Planning introduced the report which sought approval for the Procurement Strategy for long term delivery of major component renewal, energy works, and additional homes to Council homes 2022-32.

 

The Cabinet Member highlighted that this was an ambitious procurement strategy covering 10 years with 4 long-term partnering contracts, covering distinct geographical areas to deliver benefits to the capital housing build programme and deliver substantial benefits to residents.

 

It was noted that the proposed decisions would enable the Council to deliver the Housing capital programme effectively with contract management key to achieving outcomes.

 

Following questions from Cllr Connor, the following information was noted:

 

  • With regards to the £800m spend , it was important to note the context of this sum over 10 years and note that previously Homes for Haringey had underspent in this area. This capital budget allocation was important in supporting provision of the number of repairs that were needed to bring a lot of dated housing stock up to required specifications. It was noted that the Council were already spending at this level over a longer period of time but not necessarily getting the benefits which will be sought through the procurement strategy.

 

  • Part of the monitoring of the contracts would involve residents, and this will be part of the tenant’s strategy and will form part of the contractual arrangements that the partners will sign up to. Assurance was provided that housing services would bring in a team to support the monitoring of the contract and have an officer dedicated to resident engagement and the training of these residents to take this role forward. The Council will look at resourcing this immediately.

 

  • The plan was for a constant stream of apprentices. The current contracts made it difficult to appoint apprenticeships over long term but now with a long-term agreement there was scope for a rolling training programme of apprenticeships. Homes for Haringey had previous good experience in training apprentices to a high standard and this would be utilised.

 

 

RESOLVED

 

To approve the proposed procurement strategy for the delivery of major works to the Council’s housing stock as set out in Section 7 of the report.

 

Reasons for decision

 

At £800 million, split across four contractors, this will be one of the largest procurements ever undertaken by the Council. It is, therefore, felt appropriate to ask for Cabinet support for the partnering approach at an early stage to enable officers to progress the procurement to resident consultation, tender and award stage over the next 12 months.

 

The proposed route to market will enable us to address many issues with the current approach including not meeting annual delivery targets, having to undertaken full procurements to address urgent issues to blocks, not maximising the social value and community wealth opportunities which should be achieved from this level of investment, the high costs of undertaking regular procurement and that the stock does not appear transformed once investment works have been completed.

 

Single contract procurement  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

27.

Approval of Construction Contract for Council Homes on Land at Watts Close, Seven Sisters pdf icon PDF 285 KB

Report of the Director of Placemaking and Housing. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for  Council House-Building, Placemaking, and Development.

 

Cabinet will be asked to approve the appointment of Formation Design & Build Limited to construct 18 new Council homes on land at Watts Close N15, and to facilitate this delivery by appropriating the land for planning purposes and then on completion for housing purposes.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Council Housebuilding, Placemaking, and Development introduced the report which sought approval for the appointment of Formation Design & Build Limited to construct 18 new Council homes on Council rent on land at Watts Close N15, and to facilitate this delivery by appropriating the land for planning purposes and then on completion for housing purposes.

 

The housing provision included four one-bedroom flats, eight two-bedroom flats, four three-bedroom houses and two four-bedroom houses with two of the flats being fully accessible for wheelchair-users. The priority was for a high-quality build, improving public realm and making places which residents can enjoy.

 

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

 

With regards to prioritising green space in new housing schemes, in particular to mitigate the effects of expected rising temperatures, all new housing schemes have included a lot of soft landscaping and encourage biodiversity. In relation to Watts Close, there was: play space included, urban greening which was above the requirements of the London Plan and this was also a zero-carbon scheme.

 

Following consideration of the exempt information, it was

 

RESOLVED

 

1.    To approve the appointment of Formation Design & Build Limited to undertake building works to provide a total of eighteen Council rented homes at Watts Close for a total contract sum and to approve the client contingency sum, both of which are set out in the exempt part of the report.

 

2.    To approve the appropriation of the land at Watts Close highlighted in the red line boundary plan attached at Appendix 1 from housing purposes to planning purposes under Section 122 of the Local Government Act 1972 as it is no longer required for the purpose which it is currently held, and for the purpose of carrying out development as set out in paragraphs 6.1 to 6.4 of the report.

 

3.    To approve the use of the Council’s powers under Section 203 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 to override easements and other third-party rights which may be affected by the Watts Close development, under planning permission Ref: HGY/2022/0035.

 

4.    To delegate to the Director of Placemaking and Housing, after consultation with the Director of Finance and the Cabinet Member for Council Housing-Building, Placemaking, and Development, authority to make payments of compensation as a result of any genuine claims of third-party rights affected by the Watts Close development and payable as a result of recommendation 3.1.3, within the existing scheme of delegation.

 

5.    To approve the appropriation of the land at Watts Close (edged red in the boundary plan attached at Appendix 1) from planning purposes back to housing purposes under Section 19 of the Housing Act 1985, after practical completion of the development schedule in December 2023.

 

6.    To delegate powers to the Director of Placemaking and Housing and the S151 Officer (Director of Finance) to approve overspend beyond the contingency of up to 5% of the construction contract value and approve necessary associated contract variations. To note the project on costs  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

28.

High Road West - Appropriation of Land in the Early Plots and Consultation on the Use of Ground 10a of the Housing Act 1985 pdf icon PDF 455 KB

Report of the  Director for Placemaking and Housing. To be introduced  by the Cabinet Member for Council House-Building, Placemaking, and Development.

 

This report will seek Cabinet's approval to appropriate land for planning purposes to enable delivery of the first two development plots as part of the High Road West scheme.  It will also seek Cabinet approval to consult secure tenants on the Love Lane Estate on the use of Ground 10a of the Housing Act 1985.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Council House-Building, Placemaking, and Development introduced the report which sought approval to appropriate land for planning purposes to enable delivery of the first two development plots as part of the High Road West scheme. It also sought Cabinet approval to consult secure tenants on the Love Lane Estate on the use of Ground 10a of the Housing Act 1985.

 

It was noted that this was the first phase, 1a,  of the High Road West Scheme which was first of all, contingent on the overall  Planning decision  being sought on the whole scheme this week. This first phase would include the delivery of 60 Council homes.

 

Approval for consultation was a technical issue required with secure tenants under Housing Act by the Secretary of State so to achieve vacant procession over the site. Assurance was provided that the consultation would be delivered in community languages and translators would be engaged to ensure residents understood what was being consulted on.

 

In response to a question from Cllr Connor about any impact of the consultation result, this was a technical use of the powers as required by the Secretary of State to achieve vacant possession.

 

Following consideration of the exempt information, it was

 

RESOLVED

 

1.    To approve the appropriation for planning purposes of the land edged blue on the plan attached at Appendix 1 of this report to enable the delivery of Plot A of the High Road West Scheme (“the Scheme”) pursuant to section 122 of the Local Government Act 1972, which will enable the Council or the developer to rely on section 203 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 to override any third party easements or rights infringed by the development of Plot A, subject to payment of statutory compensation to those entitled under section 204 of the 2016 Act.

 

2.    To approve the commencement of statutory consultation with all secure tenants on the Love Lane Estate, pursuant to Part 5 of Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1985, regarding the proposal to seek the Secretary of State’s approval for the redevelopment Scheme for the purpose of Ground 10A to support delivery of later plots within the Scheme.

 

3.    To note that following this statutory consultation, there would be a report to Cabinet with a recommendation on whether to proceed with an application to the Secretary of State to seek approval of the redevelopment Scheme for the purpose of Ground 10A.

 

Reasons for decision

 

The land to be appropriated for planning purposes to enable the development of the first plot (Plot A) within Phase A of the Scheme, subject to planning permission being achieved. This land is currently held by the Council for a number of different statutory purposes, including housing.  The land held for housing purposes is currently used as a footpath and an enclosed fenced area associated with the Whitehall & Tenterden Centre, see Appendix 2. Appropriating the land would enable the Council and its development partner Lendlease to deliver the new homes, through  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

29.

Minutes of Other Bodies pdf icon PDF 289 KB

To note the minutes of the following:

 

Cabinet Member Signing

5 July 2022 (1pm)

5 July 2022 (4.30pm)

 

Urgent Decision

28 June 2022

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED

 

To note the minutes of other bodies.

30.

New Items of Urgent Business

As set out in item 3.

Minutes:

There were no new items of urgent business.

31.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

Note from the Democratic Services and Scrutiny Manager

 

Items 17 to 20 allow for consideration of exempt information in relation to items 12, 13 and 6.

 

TO RESOLVE

 

That the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting as items 17 to 20 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.

Minutes:

RESOLVED

 

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of agenda items 17 to 20 as they contained exempt information as defined in Section 100a of the Local Government Act 1972; Paragraph 3 – information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information; Paragraph 5 – information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

32.

EXEMPT - Approval of Construction Contract for Council Homes on Land at Watts Close, Seven Sisters

As per item 12.

Minutes:

As per item 27 and exempt minutes.

33.

EXEMPT - High Road West - Appropriation of Land in the Early Plots and Consultation on the Use of Ground 10a of the Housing Act 1985

As per item 13.

Minutes:

As per item 28.

34.

EXEMPT - Minutes

To confirm and sign the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 21 June 2022 as a correct record.

Minutes:

RESOLVED

 

To confirm and sign the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 21 June 2022 as a correct record.

35.

New Items of Exempt Urgent Business

As per item 3.

Minutes:

There were no new items of exempt urgent business.