Agenda and minutes

Venue: Civic Centre, High Road, Wood Green, London N22 8LE. View directions

Contact: Philip Slawther, Principal Committee Co-ordinator 

Media

Items
No. Item

6.

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.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair referred Members present to agenda Item 1 as shown on the agenda in respect of filming at this meeting, and Members noted the information contained therein’.

7.

Apologies for Absence

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence.

8.

Urgent Business

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no Items of Urgent Business.

9.

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

10.

Deputations/Petitions/Presentations/Questions

To consider any requests received in accordance with Part 4, Section B, paragraph 29 of the Council’s constitution.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.

11.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 148 KB

To agree the minutes of the meeting on 23rd July 2018.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee requested further information in relation to bringing services back in-house and the adoption of a ‘Preston’ model of supporting the local economy. In response, the Chair commented that the Cabinet Member for Insourcing was due to come and speak to the Committee at a future meeting as part of its work programme.

 

In relation to the points raised around CAMHS and the waiting lists involved, the Chair of the Children and Young People’s Panel agreed that the Panel would look into this as part of its work programme and report back to the Committee. (Action: Cllr Demir).

 

In relation to comments around the development of a co-design approach, the Panel Chair agreed that the Adults and Health Panel would monitor this as part of its work programme. (Action: Cllr Connor).

 

In response to an action in the minutes, officers advised the Committee that the year-end balance for Section 106 was £6.9m and £4.5m for the CIL.

 

In response to a question around the nature of the Budget Resilience Reserve and the Capital Financing Reserve, officers advised the Committee that both reserves were funded through revenue reserves. These were achieved through improvements in last year’s financial outturn position, as detailed in the Budget Outturn report that the Committee received at its July meeting.

 

In relation to the discussion around development of Wards Corner and the reasons for a reduction in CPO payments and Section 106 money, the Director of Finance agreed to provide an update to the Committee at its next meeting. (Action: Jon Warlow). 

 

The Chair advised the Committee that it had not been possible thus far, due Members’ diaries to arrange an additional information session around the financial outturn process. The Chair agreed to follow this up. (Action: Chair).

 

In response to a request for further information in respect the ACM cladding on  a private holiday  hotel at Tottenham Hale,[ redaction of hotel name following MHCLG guidance] the Chair advised that the Committee had received an update at its latest evidence gathering session and that Committee would continue to monitor this issue as part of its review into Fire Safety.

 

The Committee agreed that the actions from the minutes should be compiled into a table for the Chair to chase up in advance of future meetings. (Action: Clerk/Chair).

 

 

RESOLVED

 

That the minutes of the meeting on the 23rd July be approved as a correct record of the meeting.

12.

Q1 Budget Monitoring Report pdf icon PDF 437 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a budget monitoring report which set out the financial position at Quarter 1. The report was introduced by the Interim Chief Finance Officer & Section 151 Officer, Jon Warlow. The Committee noted that the forecast revenue outturn for the General Fund was a £5.9m overspend, post mitigations. The Interim Chief Finance Officer reassured the Committee that officers would build in the non-deliverable savings, as set out in the report, into the MTFS at an early stage of the financial planning process. The future programme of savings would incorporate non-deliverable savings and it was hoped that this would ensure a robust starting position for the MTFS.

 

The following arose from the discussion of the report:

a.    In response to a question, the Committee was advised that a significant proportion of the base budget pressures related to demand-led services. The challenge was to build future financial models that recognised this and with a degree of flexibility to respond.

b.    In response to a question, the Interim Chief Finance Officer reassured the Committee that the five year financial planning window for the MTFS was an appropriate timeframe, particularly as transformational projects usually had a multi-year profile. Taking a five year approach to financial planning also emphasised the impact of savings on the years ahead.

c.    In response to further questions around demand pressures and the feasibility of drawing down on reserves to mitigate undeliverable savings, officers emphasised the fact that the authority’s budget had  structural funding challenges. Officers acknowledged that the budget overspend could be mitigated to an extent, as per last year, but advocated that the structural deficit needed to be addressed as well. Officers advised that around two-thirds of the budget was spent on care services and that there was no way to produce an MTFS within the available funding envelope without looking at how the Council could provide those services differently.

d.    The Committee sought assurances around the Council’s ability to make projections in relation to demand and the confidence that officers had in those projections. In response, officers acknowledged that making projections was difficult. Part of the process involved ensuring that forecasting systems were aligned and were used as effectively as possible. Officers assured the Committee that senior officers responsible for the provision of care services were involved in budget forecasting and the budget setting process.

e.    Officers advised the Committee that there were significant elements of risk to the future funding envelope for local government. These included an upcoming Government Spending Review, a local authority Funding Review and a Business Rates review, as well as the potential impact on funding from the UK’s exit from the European Union. These pressures were not unique to Haringey but it was anticipated that the funding period of 2021 onwards could be the most challenging period yet faced by local authorities.

f.     In response to a question around the Dedicated Schools Grant, officers advised that there was a forecast closing position of a £4.3m shortfall and that most of this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

13.

Fire Safety Review Update pdf icon PDF 166 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a progress report on the Scrutiny Review on Fire Safety in High Rise Blocks, which was begun by the previous Committee as part of its work plan for 2017/18. The Head of Organisational Resilience gave a verbal update to the Committee around the preparedness of the Borough to coordinate a response to a major incident and health and safety considerations for staff. The following points were noted:

  1. The Council’s emergency plans were regularly reviewed and tested as part of the Haringey Resistance Forum, a statutory partnership body.
  2. Following Grenfell, the Council undertook a local review of the lessons learnt. In addition, a number of staff were deployed to assist in the response with Kensington and Chelsea. In addition, the Chief Executives  of London Councils commissioned a peer review of London local authority resilience arrangements. A further multi-agency review was also undertaken following the peer review. As a result, the Committee considered that there were a number of fora from which the Council could learn lessons.
  3. The Head of Organisational Resilience summarised some of the key actions resulting from the lessons learnt:

·         The Council had developed its mobilisation plan and put in place arrangements to ensure that there were enough people in Emergency Response roles in order mobilise staff effectively.

·         A workshop was held with voluntary, community and faith groups to help them understand how the response to a major incident worked.

·         The Council had taken steps to ensure that staff would be visible in the eventuality that the Council had to respond at scale.

·         Long standing mutual aid relationships existed with other London boroughs. A piece of work is underway as part of the London-wide Resilience Forum to standardise the emergency plans for each London borough so they structured in the same way.

·         A London-wide Memorandum of Understanding had been put in place with the British Red Cross.

d.    The Committee were advised that there were two high rise buildings used by Council staff, both of which were ten storey buildings and neither of which had combustible ACM cladding.

e.    A fire risk assessment was in place for both buildings and tests were conducted regularly on a range of fire safety equipment. An updated fire risk assessment had been commissioned for both buildings, the Head of Organisational Resilience would be working with the Council’s facilities management contractor to ensure that each of the actions arising from the fire risk assessment were put in place.

 

The following arose from the discussion of the report and the verbal update from the Head of Organisational Resilience:

a.    In response to a question, the Head of Organisational Resilience advised that the London Resilience Forum were responsible for coordinating emergency planning and resilience arrangements across London. Sitting underneath this forum were a number of sector panels, one of which was the local authorities sector panel which was responsible for the standardisation of emergency plans.

b.    In response to concerns about the Council’s facilities management contractor, officers advised that stronger structures were being  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

14.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Scrutiny Panel Work Programme pdf icon PDF 96 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report which set proposals for finalising the work plan for Overview and Scrutiny and the Scrutiny Panels. The following arose from the discussion of the report:

a.    The Chair advised that the Committee would be feeding back to the public on the scrutiny café event going forwards, as the work plan developed.

b.    The Committee agreed that the theme identified around communicating with the Council should reflect that this was a two-way process and should also include how the council communicated with residents.

c.    The Committee agreed to hold a development session with Panel members around how the work programme will be delivered. (Action: Chair).

 

RESOLVED

 

  1. That the results of the scrutiny survey and the feedback received from the Scrutiny Café be noted;

 

  1. That the Committee and the scrutiny panels undertake further work to develop their work  plans, including

·         Identifying issues for review as well as “one off” items; and

·         Finalising items for panel meetings taking place in October or November;

 

  1. That final work plans for the Committee and panels for 2018-20 be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee for approval; and

 

  1. That Councillor Barbara Blake replace Cllr Amin on the Environment and Community Safety Scrutiny Panel with immediate effect.

 

15.

New Items of Urgent Business

Additional documents:

Minutes:

N/A

16.

Future meetings

19 November 2018

14 January 2019

28 January 2019

25 March 2019

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The future meeting dates were noted as:

 

19 November 2018

14 January 2019

28 January 2019

25 March 2019