Agenda and minutes

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at the meeting.

It was noted that the meeting was web-cast on the Council’s website.

Apologies for lateness from Councillor Ejiofor were noted.  There were no apologies for absence.

Church of England representative

To note the re-appointment of Yvonne Denny as Church of England co-opted member.

Parent Governor representatives

To note that Joseph Ejiofor is no longer a co-opted member of the Committee.  Elections for a replacement Parent Governor are in progress.

Church of England representative

The Committee noted the re-appointment of Yvonne Denny as Church of England co-opted member.

Parent Governor representatives

The Committee noted that Joseph Ejiofor was no longer a co-opted member of the Committee.  Elections for a replacement Parent Governor were in progress.

The Chair took the opportunity to thank the previous year’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee members for their work in the 2009/10 municipal year.

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

There were no urgent items.

A member with a personal interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered must disclose to that meeting the existence and nature of that interest at the commencement of that consideration, or when the interest becomes apparent.

A member with a personal interest in a matter also has a prejudicial interest in that matter if the interest is one which a member of the public with knowledge of the relevant facts would reasonably regard as so significant that it is likely to prejudice the member's judgment of the public interest and if this interest affects their financial position or the financial position of a person or body as described in paragraph 8 of the Code of Conduct and/or if it relates to the determining of any approval, consent, licence, permission or registration in relation to them or any person or body described in paragraph 8 of the Code of Conduct.

Councillors Bull and Winskill declared personal interests in Item 7 – The Leader’s briefing – as they were Council leaseholders.

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

There were no such items.

RESOLVED to vary the order of the agenda to accommodate those persons present at the meeting.  The minutes will be in the order in which items appear on the agenda.

To receive the report of the Council Leader, Councillor Claire Kober, on the Cabinet’s priorities for 2010/11.

The Committee received the Leader’s briefing on the Cabinet priorities for 2010/11, advance questions submitted by members and written responses.  The Leader introduced the briefing and emphasised the unprecedented challenge of budget cuts of approximately £8 million and capital spending cuts.  In response to questions the Leader informed the Committee that the Comprehensive Spending Review in October would provide firm details of the cuts.

The following was noted further to supplementary questions:

Re. Q6.The Leader confirmed that “site plans” within the Local Development Framework related to the site strategy and not the cessation of services.

Re. Q7. The Leader confirmed that the Council’s arms length management organisations such as Homes for Haringey were required to meet efficiency targets.

Re. Q10. The Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration and Economy reported that, as funds were received more electric vehicle charging points would be installed across the borough starting with council-owned car parks.  There were currently 30 charging points and the use of these would be monitored.  Electric vehicle charging points were also being included as part of planning conditions for new developments.

Re. Q14. The Committee expressed concerns that the Council did not have the powers to enforce recycling by shops and licensed premises.  The Assistant Director of Planning, Regeneration and Economy explained that the Council currently had no powers to force businesses to buy collection services from providers who recycled rather than send to land fill. However strategically the North London Strategic Waste Authority was probably best placed to encourage waste collection companies to recycle business waste if they did not already do so.  It was reported that the Council had started sending information on new recycling and waste storage initiatives to local businesses.

A briefing note would be provided to members on what measures could be taken to encourage and coerce licensed and other business premises and their waste collection and disposal company to recycle appropriate business waste.

Re. Q15. The Committee requested a briefing note on how effective the car club scheme was, particularly in deterring residents from purchasing their own cars and whether provision was made for people who only drove automatic vehicles and what percentage of users this was. The Leader advised that there were plans to develop the car club scheme further to ensure that all residents would be within walking distance from a car pick-up point.

Re. Q16. The Leader advised the Committee that severe financial constraints on Transport for London budgets may  mean a reduction in buses in Haringey.

Re. Q20. The Leader emphasised the importance of the government giving local authorities more power to regulate the licensing of premises.  Work was being conducted in Haringey to reduce the number of fast food premises near schools.

Re. Q26. Committee members emphasised that pressure needed to be put on the PCT to ensure that all residents had access to polyclinics in future.  It was noted that the provision of health services for the future could change further to a forth coming government white paper  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To receive the Sustainable Community Strategy Summary Progress Report.

The Committee received the Sustainable Community Strategy Summary Progress Report setting out the progress made against the outcomes in Haringey’s Sustainable Community Strategy, introduced by Helena Pugh (Head of Policy) and Rebecca Cribb (Policy Officer). 

The Committee noted the advance questions and written responses and that the Council’s target of reducing carbon emissions by 40% was 2020 (Q2).

The Committee asked for details on the progress of making “the voluntary sector an integral part of local problem solving through the Area Based Working initiative” in the People and Customer Focussed section of the strategy (page 28 of agenda pack).

The Committee asked when Haringey was expected to meet the national average target for GCSE results (page 22 of agenda pack).

The Committee requested a briefing note detailing what the Clean Sweep programme was.  The Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration and Economy reported that the Council was currently in procurement negotiations to include Clean Sweeps as part of the cleaning contract.  Committee members expressed that the Council should not be paying for additional Clean Sweeps, which might not be required if cleaning contracts were correctly followed.

In response to its concerns the Committee was assured that the new Heartlands School would open in September 2010 for year 7 pupils.  The autism unit at the school would not open until 2011.

RESOLVED that the Summary Progress Report be noted.

To receive the 2009/10 Local Involvement Network (LINks) Annual Report. (TO FOLLOW)

The Committee received the Annual Report of the Local Involvement Network (LINk) for 2009/10.

The Committee noted that the contract for the host organisation for the LINk – the Shaw Trust - was managed by the Council’s Voluntary Sector Team and that grant funding from the Department of Health was not ring-fenced.  A portion of the funding for the LINk was retained to fund contract management.  The Committee requested a breakdown of this. 

In response to questions from members, Ms Kania explained that LINk had rejected the single place offered on the Board for the North Central London reconfiguration of health services as this was felt not to be adequate representation for LINk services from Haringey, Enfield and Barnet; at least one member from each local area was required.

The above comments would be sent to the Director and the Cabinet Member for Adult & Community Services.

RESOLVED that the Local Involvement Network (LINk) Annual Report and the good work of LINk be noted.

To receive an update on the review of Post Office closures.

The Committee received the follow-up report on the Scrutiny Review of Post Office Closures, introduced by Martin Bradford, Scrutiny Officer.  The Chair thanked all those involved in the review and highlighted an email he had received from David Lammy MP highlighting that he was lobbying for a pillar box to be provided at Broadwater Farm further to the closure of the local Post Office.

The Post Office Ltd was represented by Mark Lawrence, Network Development Manager and Sally Hopkins, Senior External Relations Manager, London & South East, Royal Mail Group.

Ms Hopkins explained that if a pillar box was on private property the owner of the property could apply to have the box removed and other locations would be considered to ensure ease of access for Royal Mail staff and taking any underground utility services and street furniture into account.  Planning permission was required for the installation of pillar boxes.

The Committee asked for the rationale behind Post Office closures and whether future closures were planned.  It was reported that access (or how far people were willing to travel to a Post Office) had been a main criteria (national and local consultation had been conducted) as well as financial viability; 90% of Post Offices were run by independent businesses which had to pay the £40k cost of setting-up the Post Office.  There were no further closures planned for Haringey as the Post Office network was considered adequate for Haringey’s need. 

Committee members expressed concerns that the closures presented access difficulties for some residents and resulted in longer queues at remaining Post Offices.  The Committee asked that every counter at Wood Green and Crouch End Post Offices be opened during opening hours and noted that Wood Green’s self-service counter would open soon, without cuts to staffing levels. 

The Chair asked Post Office representatives to look into the provision of a postal pillar box at the bottom of Compton Crescent off the Great Cambridge Road.

It was noted that £30 million of government funding was intended to support the small businesses to run the Post Offices.  In response to the Committee’s question on whether a successful business could open a Post Office it was noted that there would have to be a need for the Post Office and the impact on surrounding Post Office branches would be a consideration.

Councillor Bevan, Cabinet Member for Housing, emphasised that such long queues and poor standards in Post Offices were unacceptable.

The Committee asked if an Equalities Impact Assessment had been conducted before the closure of Post Offices nationally. The Senior External Relations Manager – Post Office Ltd informed members that a socio-economic impact assessment had been conducted as part of consultation and she would look into what information from this assessment could be shared with the Committee.

An informal Post Office Working Group would be established to look at local Post Office performance issues including queuing times.

RESOLVED

i.          That the comments raised by Members of the Committee and responses provided by the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

To receive the report on the Scrutiny Review of Breast Screening.

The Committee received the report on the scrutiny review of breast screening services, introduced by Councillor Winskill (Chair of the Review Panel) and Martin Bradford (Scrutiny Officer). 

The Committee noted that the uptake of breast screening services in Haringey was low and more problematic in the east of the borough.  Some of the recommendations had already been progressed including the screening invite letter being available in other languages.  The Committee would receive an update next year.

Thanks were given to all involved in the review.

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Review report on Breast Screening Services be agreed.

To receive the report seeking to appoint two Members of the Committee plus a deputy to the Joint Committee to consider the North Central London Service and Organisation Review.

The Committee received the report requesting the appointment of two Overview & Scrutiny Committee members, plus a deputy, to join the Joint Committee to consider the North Central London (NCL) Services and Organisation Review.

It was noted that the NCL Review had been put on hold, due to issues concerning sector-wide commissioning, to be resumed in the near future.

RESOLVED that Councillors Gideon Bull and David Winskill would represent Haringey as members on the Joint Committee to consider the North Central London (NCL) Services and Organisation Review and that Councillor Joseph Ejiofor would be the deputy member.

To receive the Overview & Scrutiny Committee Work Programme for 2010/11. (TO FOLLOW)

The Committee received the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme for 2010/11 and noted that it was a working document; subject to change.

RESOLVED

i.          That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s lead scrutiny role for the Haringey Strategic Partnership Theme Boards be maintained (as detailed at Appendix B), and that the nominations as detailed at Appendix C be adopted.

ii.         That the reports detailed in Appendix A be received by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

iii.        That one topic for in-depth review from each theme board area be commissioned by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee (chosen from the shortlist of topics shown at Appendix C) as well as Budget scrutiny.

To confirm the minutes of the meetings held on 15^th March 2010

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 15^th March 2010 be confirmed as a correct record of the meeting.

There were no new items.

Wednesday 21^st July 2010 (Child Protection)

Wednesday 28^th July 2010 (Health)

Thursday 29^th July 2010

Monday 6^th September 2010

Monday 4^th October 2010

Monday 1^st November 2010 (Child Protection)

Monday 29^th November 2010

Thursday 2^nd December 2010

Monday 6^th December 2010

Wednesday 15^th December 2010

Monday 31^st January 2011

Monday 28^th February 2011

Monday 28^th March 2011

Thursday 17^th March 2011 (Child Protection)

Monday 9^th May 2011

The Committee noted the future meeting dates.

To note the actions completed since the last meeting.

The Chair would pursue the outstanding actions.