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 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.

To receive any Apologies

Apologies for absence were received from Yvonne Denny

It being a special meeting under Part 4, Section B, Paragraph 17 of the Council’s Constitution, no other business shall be considered at the meeting.

It being a special meeting under Part 4, Section B, Paragraph 17 of the Council’s Constitution, no other business was considered at the meeting.

The Chair declared that she was a governor of St Martin of Porres school.

Cllr Connor declared she was a governor of Tetherdown Primary School.

Lourdes Keever declared that she was the chair of the governing body of a school in south east Tottenham.

Mark Chapman declared that he was the chair of governors at both Bounds Green Primary and Fortis Green schools.

Cllr Ibrahim declared that she was a full time trade union representative for Unison at the London Borough of Redbridge. It was noted that Unison had agreed a national position on the reopening of schools.

Cllr Jogee declared that he sat on the governing body for the Greig City Academy.

Luci Davin declared that she was a parent-governor at Seven Sisters Primary School.

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

None.

Verbal Update

Cllr Ejiofor, the Leader of the Council gave a short verbal presentation to the Committee which set out some of the key actions taken by the administration in response to the current Covid-19 crisis as well as the next steps. The following key points were noted:

·         A huge effort had been undertaken to transform the way that the Council worked and a number of services had to be reconfigured to fundamentally change how they operated. This was done almost overnight. The Leader characterised the scale of change being akin to implementing all of the emergency planning scenarios that the Council have conceived and tested, all at once.

·         Operating remotely, limiting face-to-face contact to only when it was absolutely necessary, was crucial in changing the practical way the Council operated. 

·         The focus of the Council’s response was to protect the most vulnerable residents. The Council also prioritised the need to support the Public Health England advice which was to ‘Stay at Home’ and ‘Protect Lives’. The Council ensured that its staff were protected whilst also continuing to provide services to its residents.

·         In addition to day-to-day services, the Council had a key role during the crisis to shield vulnerable people, to provide housing and ensure that parks and open spaces were used properly. The Council supported its NHS partners with seven-day discharge and in many cases this was being done within two-hours.

·         A food distribution organisation was established which provided 300 deliveries a day.

·         The entire Customer Services operation was reorganised to work remotely.

·         A temporary mortuary was also established.

·         Another key aspect of the Council’s response was to work with our voluntary and community sector partners to create the Connected Communities programme.

·         The five key issues identified for the next phase of the Covid response were identified as: a planned phased return to school; access to funding; local economic development; supporting walking and cycling and how the Council supported the delivery of services going forwards.

·         The Council has received additional funding from government to support the Covid response but this had almost been spent already in providing shielding, additional housing, food supplies etcetera.

·         The Committee was advised that there was a projected £45m of additional expenditure as a result of the crisis. The Council had received £15.5m from government, which left a £29.5m gap. In addition, it was anticipated that there would be a drop in income of around £8m from a loss of domestic and commercial rents and as well as £12m reduction in business rates for next year.

·         The Leader set out that, combined, this left a £70m black hole in next year’s budget which had been a balanced budget when it was agreed in February. The key task for the administration going forwards was to agree how it could balance the books and mitigate a £70m funding shortfall. The Leader advised that it was crucial that Council’s continued to engage with the government and kept the pressure up to ensure government promises around funding were kept. 

The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

Verbal Update

Cllr Ibrahim, Cabinet Member for Housing and Estate Renewal gave a short update to the Committee around her portfolio. Sean McLaughlin, MD Homes for Haringey and Alan Benson, AD for Housing were also present. The following key points were noted:

a.    In relation to the Housing Delivery Programme; 350 Council homes had received Planning Permission and 331 of those homes had started on site. Of the £62.8m grant from the GLA’s Building Council Homes for Londoners programme, the Council has drawn down £11.9m for the homes started.

b.    Cabinet had agreed 27 sites of Council-owned land to put into the programme. It was anticipated that by the autumn, a site would be identified in every ward in the borough. Cabinet will be asked to approve seven new sites at its upcoming meeting in June, which included Kerswell Close.

c.    The Cabinet Member advised that there had been an inevitable impact on the Housing Delivery Programme caused by Covid-19 as work on six active sites  as well as procurement, consultation and planning decisions had all effectively ceased due to Covid. Work ceased entirely on four of the six sites, whilst Melbourne and Ashley Road remained open but with limited work taking place. The Cabinet Member advised that work had subsequently resumed on five of the six sites but with reduced on-site capacity. It was anticipated that work on the Red House would not resume until September at the earliest, due to the existing building being used for Temporary Accommodation.

d.    External capacity remained a significant challenge, tender deadlines had to be extended as firms had furloughed staff and disruptions to supply chains prevented them from costing bids. Delays had also occurred with undertaking site surveys.

e.    In response to the Covid crisis, a number of sites had been opened as temporary homeless hostels. These included the Travelodge on the border with Islington which had 104 rooms, 24/7 staff on site, all units were self-contained and residents were receiving daily food deliveries. All residents and staff had been tested at the Travelodge and there was also a mobile library and arts initiative on site. At Pramwood there were 30 residents living in self-contained rooms and all residents had been tested. The Red House had 40 self-contained rooms and Covid-19 testing was booked to take place this week. Other sites included the Shelton hotel and the Green Rooms.

f.     The Cabinet Member advised that due to the huge demand on Homelessness and Temporary Accommodation, there were still some people being housed out of borough, such as 30 people at the Ramada in Barnet.

g.    The Committee was advised that current level of families presenting as homeless was lower due to the stopping of evictions but new cases were still happening due to domestic violence and temporary arrangements with friends or family coming to an end, for example. In response to an increase in calls related to domestic abuse, the Cabinet Member set out that additional capacity had been put into Hearthstone.

The following  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

22^nd June 2020

20^th July 2020