Agenda and draft minutes

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 19 June 2007.

(Report of the Chief Executive – To be introduced by the Leader) To provide highlight reports for all the Council’s corporately significant projects, covering the period up to the end of May 2007.

(Joint Report of the Chief Executive and the Acting Director of Finance – To be introduced by the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Resources): To set out an exception report on the finance and performance monitoring for April and May 2007 using the balanced scorecard format. To agree virements as set out.

The Council's Performance - April and May 2007 (JointReport of the Chief Executive and the Acting Director of Finance  – Agenda Item 8)

We noted the new style scorecard illustrating progress against Council priorities and that, overall, the average across all the five priorities showed that 81% of indicators were achieving or close to achieving targets even at this early point in the year up from 71% at the same point last year.  We also noted that good progress was being made across all the priorities particularly encouraging life time well-being where 91% of indicators were either green or amber and achieving excellent services where 82% were green or amber as at May.

We were informed that 72% of indicators had maintained or improved performance since the end of 2006/07 and that some areas where performance had shown improvement recently included -

• Street Cleanliness –Levels of litter and detritus
• Waste recycled or composted
• Reduction in the number of people killed and seriously injured
• Waiting times for assessment of older people
• Stage 1 Complaints and Member enquiries
• NHS & Community Care Act Stage 1 responses
• Invoices paid in 30 days
• Average speed of processing new benefit claims
• Rent collection
• Customer Services performance

However, there were a number of areas where performance had declined and where more attention needed to be focussed -

• Waste tonnage collected

• Overall number of crimes
• Young people not in Education Employment or Training (NEETs)
• Direct payments
• Average length of stay in hostels
• Stage 2 Complaints
• Housing rent arrears

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted and approval granted to the basket of indicators to be monitored for 2007/08 together with the new format of the balanced scorecard to show progress against Council priorities.

(Report of the Acting Director of Finance –To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Resources): To set out the financial strategy issues for the three year planning period and to propose a process for setting the budget for 2008/09. NOT AVAILABLE AT TIME OF COLLATION

Financial Planning 2008/09 – 2010/2011(Report of the Acting Director of Finance – Agenda Item 9)

Our Chair agreed to accept the report as urgent business. The report was late because of the need to complete necessary consultations. The report was too urgent to await the next meeting because the decisions taken would start off the pre-business planning process and if delayed  would hold up considerably the work required.

RESOLVED:

That approval be granted to –

1.      The financial position for planning purposes as stated in the interleaved report;

2.      The budget changes and variations as set out in the interleaved report;

3.      The business planning process as proposed in the interleaved report.

(Report of the Acting Director of Finance – To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Resources): To propose a basis for proceeding with the Heartlands Spine Road with appropriation and exchange of land at Alexandra Park School land, as per the agreements reached between Highways, Children’s Services and the School Management .

Transfer and Adjustment of Highway Boundary and Exchange of Land at Alexandra Park Primary School Wood Green (Report of the Director of Corporate Services – Agenda Item 10)

RESOLVED:

That approval be granted to –

1.      The adjustment of the highway boundary between the Heartlands Spine Road and Alexandra School as detailed in the interleaved report and shown purple on Plan No. SS HI 10026-C1-16.

2.      The appropriation of the land shown coloured purple on the Plan from the Children and Young People’s Service to Highways for highways purposes and the land shown coloured green on the Plan from Planning and Highways to the Children and Young People’s Service to be used as part of Alexandra School.

(Report of the Interim Director of Corporate Services – To be introduced by the Leader): To revise and update the existing Equal Opportunities Policy ‘Achieving Equality; Respecting Diversity’ and to amend the Council’s equalities monitoring categories.

Updated and Revised Equal Opportunities Policy (Report of the Interim Chief Executive (Policy, Performance, Partnerships and Communication) – Agenda Item 11)

RESOLVED:

That the Equal Opportunities Policy appended to the interleaved report be endorsed and approval granted to the amended Equalities Monitoring Categories

(Report of the Director of Urban Environment – To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Environment and Conservation): To report back on the results of the statutory consultation undertaken for the proposed extension of the Seven Sisters CPZ and the proposed creation of a Bruce Grove CPZ which was carried out in June 2007 following feedback from the review of the Seven Sisters CPZ conducted in October and November 2006.  To set out the officer responses to the results for Members to consider before making a decision on the scheme.

Seven Sisters CPZ Extension and Bruce Grove CPZ - Report of Statutory Consultation (Report of the Director of Urban Environment – Agenda Item 12)

Concern having been expressed about the adequacy of the ‘pay and display’ provision to be made for patients attending the G.P. surgery in Tynemouth Road in particular and more generally  for parents with children attending Children’s Centres located in Controlled Parking Zone’s, the Cabinet Member for Environment and Conservation indicated that he would take these matters back to the officers for consideration whilst noting that there were a number of groups in respect of whom a special case might be made. It was confirmed that the extension now proposed would be implemented by the end of September 2007.

RESOLVED:

1.      That Council officers be authorised to take all necessary steps –

·        For the implementation of the Seven Sisters CPZ extension in the following roads

Lawrence Road from the junction with Philip Lane to the junction with Clyde Road;

Clyde  Road from the junction of Lawrence Road with the boundary of Clyde Road CPZ.

·        For the introduction of a Bruce Grove CPZ operational from Monday – Saturday, 8 a.m. – 6.30 p.m. in the following roads

Winchelsea Road – All

Greyhound Road – All

Raneleagh Road

Belton Road - All

Napier Road from the junction with Philip Lane to junction with Belton Road

Morrison Avenue from the junction Loxwood Road to the junction with Belton Road

Loxwood Road – All

Mount Pleasant Road from the junction with Philip Lane to the junction with Loxwood Road

·        To modify/amend parking bays and waiting restrictions in the existing Seven Sisters CPZ as outlined in Appendix III to the interleaved report.

2.      That residents be informed of the foregoing decisions.

(Report of the Director of Urban Environment – To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Environment and Conservation): To report back on the review and request agreement to the recommendations.

(Report of the Director of Urban Environment – To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Environment and Conservation): To recommend a response to the Scrutiny Review of Flytipping.

Cabinet Response to Scrutiny Review on Fly Tipping (Report of the Director of Urban Environment – Agenda Item 14)

RESOLVED:

1.      That approval be granted to the response to the Scrutiny Review on Fly Tipping as set out in the interleaved report and the Appendix thereto.

2.      That the recommendations agreed as part of the response be incorporated within the Street Scene and Enforcement Business Plans where appropriate and should any require additional funding then these be considered as part of the Council’s budget setting process in 2008/09.

3.      That progress be reported annually to the Environment Scrutiny Panel in June/July.

(Report of the Director of Urban Environment – To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing): To summarise comments received from Supported Housing tenants, Councillors and officers in response to a preliminary notice of intention to vary the tenancy agreement issued in January 2007.

Changes to the Sheltered Housing Tenancy Agreement (Report of the Director of Urban Environment – Agenda Item 15)

RESOLVED:

1.      That tenants’ comments in response to the notice of intention to vary the Sheltered Housing and Community Good Neighbour Scheme tenancy agreement be noted.

2.      That approval be granted to the amendments set out in Section 8.1 of the interleaved report.

3.      That the final proposed new tenancy agreement as set out in Appendix 3 be approved.

(Report of the Children and Young People’s Service – To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for the Children and Young People’s Service): To inform and advise the Cabinet on the progress of Phases 1 and 2 of the Children’s Centres in the light of current capital and revenue spend; the planning of a robust business and financial strategy in readiness for the for the funding allocation for 2008/9; and the implementation of the Council’s role as a strategic market facilitator for childcare.

Children’s Centres – Sustaining and Developing the Provision (Report of the Director of the Children and Young People’s Service – Agenda Item 16)

With the consent of our Chair comments submitted by UNISON in support of the withdrawal of recommendation 3 were tabled.

Clarification was sought of the assertion made by UNISON that a decision to consider outsourcing or privatising the five remaining Children’s Centres which were directly managed by the Local Authority was based on a misinterpretation of the Childcare Act, 2006 on which the report suggesting the decision was based.   It was confirmed that the content of the report and its recommendations complied with the relevant sections in Part 1 of the Childcare Act 2006 regarding the powers and duties of local authorities in relation to the assessment and provision of early year’s child care services. Under the provisions of the 2006 Childcare Act local authorities were not seen as prime providers of childcare places and the Act placed a duty on Councils to facilitate the provider market through schools and the Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) sector.  In recent guidance, the DfES had placed increasing emphasis on the role of Councils as market makers and stressed that direct provision of childcare places should be seen as a last resort.

We noted that some soft market testing had been undertaken and the DfES and others had been working to improve capacity in the market generally.  Strong providers were available and it was therefore proposed that other providers from the PVI sector be invited through a formal procurement process to run these Centres.  The funding of the Centres would be subject to the proposals set out in the report and once led by the PVI sector would be subject to monitoring and evaluation of the quality of provision.

Concern was then expressed about the need for a detailed evaluation of the quality of the provision available before the Council moved to a procurement process. Disquiet was also voiced about the potentially serious funding problem arising from the absence of information from the DfES regarding 2008/9 General Sure Start Grant funding and about the danger of damaging models of good practice such as that found at the Stonecroft Children’s Centre.  

We were informed that the procurement process proposed would involve, among other things, the selection of a short list of three or four bidders and an evaluation of their bids to ensure the quality of those bids. The intention was to ensure  organisations capable of running the centres were selected who would provide services to ensure that a wide range of needs were met adding to the existing models of good practice such as that at the Stonecroft Centre. We were also advised that a letter was awaited from Beverly Hughes, Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families about the availability of funding for Children’s Centre in 2008/09 and a response would be made as necessary.

RESOLVED:

1.      That having considered the risk from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

(Report of the Director of the Children and Young People’s Service – To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People): To report on demand for pupil places in Haringey’s Primary, Secondary and Special schools and to update on action to respond to this demand.

School Place Planning Annual Report (Report of the Director of the Children and Young People’s Service – Agenda Item 17)

In response to a question we noted thatthe first bullet point in paragraph 15.1 of the report should refer to ‘The school roll and lack of surplus situation in Northumberland Park Ward.’

We also noted that in addition to the areas of development in Tottenham Hale listed in paragraph 14.6 of the report a further housing development of thirty 3 or 4 bedroom units at Ferry Lane estate should also be borne in mind. Reference was also made to the large number of developments in Planning Area 1 (Alexandra, Fortis Green and Muswell Hill) which comprised 9 houses with four or five bedroom units and the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People indicated that she would take up with officers whether these could also be included in planning projections.  We were informed that the Schools Admission Forum had recommended that close monitoring of school places in Planning Area 1 be included as a work priority.

Arising from our consideration of paragraph 9.2 of the report we asked that, having regard to the Government’s decision to abolish the School Organisation Committee, officers check with the DfEs about the proposal that if objections were received to a statutory proposal then the Schools Admission Forum would consider the proposal with regard to the statutory guidance and make recommendations to the Cabinet for consideration before making the final determination.

RESOLVED:

1.      That, subject to the addition of close monitoring of the shortage of school places in Planning Area 1,  approval be granted to the working priorities as set out in paragraph 15.1 of the interleaved report with any recommendations arising from this work being presented in July 2008.

2.       That approval be granted to the new determination arrangements for statutory consultations as set out in Section 9 of the interleaved report.

3.  That a further report on school places be presented in July 2008.

(Report of the Director of the Children and Young People’s Service – To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People): To amend the home to school travel policy for pupils of statutory school age living in the Borough and travelling to maintained primary and secondary schools in Haringey and beyond; and to request approval for the extension of  entitlement to support which will bring the Council’s home to school travel policy into line with the requirements of the Education and Inspections Act (EIA) 2006.

Home to School Travel (Report of the Director of the Children and Young People’s Service – Agenda Item 18)

RESOLVED:

That approval be granted to the amended policies for supporting pupils travelling from home to school as outlined in the interleaved report in order to ensure that statutory duties are met.

(Report of the Director of the Children and Young People’s Service – To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People): To set out a suggested response to the Scrutiny Review of Extended Services In and Around Schools.

Cabinet Response  to Scrutiny Review of Extended Services In and Around Schools (Report of the Director of the Children and Young People’s Service – Agenda Item 19)

We noted that since the Scrutiny Panel review had been completed a letter had been received from the Director of the Schools Resources Group including on the question of funding arrangements for extended schools which meant that the Panel’s first recommendation had been addressed.

RESOLVED:

1.      That approval be granted to the response to the Scrutiny Review of Extended Services in and around Schools as set out in the interleaved report and the Appendix thereto.

2.      That the recommendations contained in the response be progressed by the Children and Young People’s Service with progress reported at regular intervals to the Cabinet and to the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership Board.

(Report of the Chief Executive): To inform the Cabinet of delegated decisions and significant actions taken.

Procurement Committee – 27 June 2007.

(Report of the Director of Urban Environment – To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing): To propose a basis for proceeding with redevelopment of the site in the light of the viability review following a referencing and valuation assessment.