Agenda and minutes

Please note 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 Mayor drew the meeting’s attention to the notice on the Summons regarding filming at meetings.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Clare Bull, Gallagher, Goldberg, McNamara.

Apologies for lateness were received from Councillors Gideon Bull and Hare.

The Chief Executive asked that responses to written questions be admitted at item 12 as tabled, explaining they were unavailable earlier given the time required to research and prepare answers.

Councillor Ross declared a personal interest in item 9, as he was employed by an international gambling company, and the changes to the Constitution included pages referring to the Council’s Gambling Policy.

No further declarations of interest were made.

The minutes were agreed.

The Mayor set out some of the 44 events and functions he had attended since his election as Mayor at the Annual Council in May.

On behalf of the Borough, the Mayor congratulated Councillor Kober on her election as Chair of London Councils and thanked Councillor Elliott for her work as the Borough’s Disability Champion. The Mayor also led the Council in applauding Chief Superintendent Dr Victor Olisa for his work as Borough Commander over the last three years.

The Mayor set out the Borough’s sadness at the death of Jo Cox MP in June, and the recent terror attacks in Nice and Istanbul Airport. He wished former Councillor James Ryan well for the future following his resignation from the Council, and congratulated Councillor Goldberg on the birth of his first child.

The Mayor closed by noting the death in March of Ernie Nice, who had served as councillor and Alderman on Wood Green Council. He invited Councillor Peacock to share her memories of Ernie Nice, who reminded the meeting that his name was on the cornerstone of the Civic Centre as a lasting reminder of his service to the area.

The Deputy Chief Executive, attending on behalf of the Chief Executive, had no matters to report.

The Monitoring Officer and Assistant Director of Corporate Governance had no matters to report.

a)    Corporate Committee

b)    Standards Committee

c)    Cabinet

The Chair of the Corporate Committee, Cllr Barbara Blake, introduced her report and asked Council to agree its recommendations.

The Chair of the Standards Committee, Cllr Amin, introduced her report and asked Council to agree its recommendations. Cllr Ross asked whether the Constitution ought to be further amended to clarify references to the Licensing and Gambling Policies. As this was not part of the Standards Committee’s Considerations to date, Cllr Amin undertook to give the matter further consideration.

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Kober, introduced her report on the Capital Strategy, and asked Council to agree its recommendations.

Subsequently, the Council:

RESOLVED

In relation to the report from the Corporate Committee, the Council noted the Treasury Management 2015/16 Outturn report.

In relation to the report from the Standards Committee, the Council agreed:

1)    In relation to the Pensions Committee and Pensions Board:

a)    To approve the abolition of the Pensions Committee and the Pensions Board;

b)    pursuant to Regulation 106(2) of the Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment) (Governance) Regulations 2015, to approve the establishment of a combined Pensions Committee and Board;

c)    to approve the terms of reference of the new combined Pensions Committee and Board, to be reflected in the Constitution at Part Three Section B;

d)    to approve the consequential change to the scheme of Members’ Allowances at Part Six of the Constitution

e)    to appoint the following Council members to the new combined Pensions Committee and Board:

Councillor C Bull

Councillor Bevan

Councillor Adamou

Councillor Blake

Councillor G Bull

Councillor Ross

f)     pursuant to Regulation 107(1), (2) and (4) note:

(i)  the appointment of the following employer and employee representatives to the new combined Committee and Board:

Keith Brown (employer representative)

Randy Plowright (employee representative)

(ii) the remaining vacant employer and employee seats are to be filled in accordance with the appointment process set out in the terms of reference for the new combined Pensions Board and Committee

2)    To approve the changes to the terms of reference for the Staffing and Remuneration Committee (as set out in Appendix 2 to the Standards Committee report).

3)         The following minor amendments to the Constitution:

a)    amendment to Part Three, Section B3, paragraph 4.2(E) to enable the Council’s planning applications to be approved by an officer where the Chair agrees (Appendix 3 of the Standards Committee report);

b)    amendment to Part Two, Article 4.01 and Part Three, Section B1, paragraph 2, to clearly set out the policy framework as prescribed in law, with any additional policies added by choice set out clearly (Appendix 4a of the Standards Committee report);

c)    amendment to Part Four, Section F, (Cabinet Procedure Rules) paragraph 1.7. to set out the actual current cabinet start time of 6.30pm;

d)    amendment to Part Four, Section C, paragraph 8 to allow the Statement of Attendances to be presented either at the last meeting of the municipal year or at annual council;

e)    amendment to Part Two, Article 10.08(a) (ii) (C) to remove the reference  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

The Mayor informed Council that a deputation and two petitions had been received and would be heard at the meeting.

Introducing her deputation on behalf of Refugees Welcome Haringey, Rose Bernstein set out that they were calling on the Council to commit to accepting four refugee families from Syria. Other boroughs had accepted refugees under the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Programme, and local residents, landlords and religious groups had shown willingness to accommodate refugees.

Following questions from Councillors Morris and Engert to the deputation, the Leader of the Council responded to the deputation. She set out that the Borough had a strong history of housing refugees and was prepared to accept more refugees but was unable to do so in the absence from greater clarity from the Government on their support to local government hosting refugees, particularly in the current financial context. The Leader committed that these issues would continue to be pursued by the Borough and by her in her new role as Chair of London Councils, and to continue engaging with groups on this agenda.

Introducing his petition on behalf of the Friends of Parkland Walk, Simon Olley welcomed the recent decision to not lift the Council’s covenant in relation to Parkland Walk, and thanked the Cabinet Member for Environment, the Council’s relevant officers past and present, local ward councillors and supporters of the petition. He encouraged better engagement with stakeholder groups to build confidence in the Council’s decision-making and ensure services could be best delivered at a time when finances were reduced.

Following a brief debate, to which Councillors Carter, Doron and Hearn contributed, Councillor Ahmet, the Cabinet Member for Environment responded to the petition by setting out what the recent decision had entailed.

Introducing his petition on behalf of the Friends of Muswell Hill Library, George Danker asserted that the options put forward for Muswell Hill Library were inadequate and a further option of minor improvements to the current library would enable the current building to be retained at a relatively low cost. He questioned whether the matter was being handled in a way that was consistent with previous Cabinet decisions and according to due process. He called for an independent feasibility study focussed on the improvement of the current library.

Following questions for clarification from Councillors Newton, Kober, Adje, Hearn and Carter there was a short debate, to which Councillors Berryman, Connor, Mark Blake, Newton, Arthur and Bevan contributed. Responding, Councillor Vanier, the Deputy Leader set out that the Council was investing in its library network, though many other councils were closing libraries. She disputed the low costs of improvement put forward, based on the independent advice already received, and explained the proposal for relocating the library being consulted on.

The Mayor thanked the deputation and petitioners for their participation in the meeting.

Councillor Ahmet introduced the Haringey Debate on air pollution, which she referred to as a silent killer of seven million people annually.

The guest speaker, Andrea Lee of public interest and environment law charity Client Earth, presented an overview of the issue to the Council in terms of its effects on people’s health, and how the current level of air pollution was above what was legally permissible without the immediate prospect of improvement. Client Earth had successfully brought a legal challenge to the UK Government in the previous year, which resulted in the Supreme Court requiring a clear plan from the Government. Client Earth were soon to challenge those plans produced.

In the subsequent debate, Councillor Engert noted an estimate that 310 people had died in Haringey as a result of air pollution between 2010 and 2013. She set out that air pollution may worsen once the UK leaves the European Union, and her hope that the Mayor of London will take action to alleviate the problem for the city – in particular limiting airport expansion.

Councillor Mallet, as Cycling Champion, set out that using a cycle for short journeys would improve air quality and reduce traffic. She hoped the Cabinet’s response to the recent Overview and Scrutiny report on cycling would help the Council to encourage cycling.

Councillor McShane regretted the recent abolition of the Department of Energy and Climate Change and asked the guest speaker for her view.

Councillor Newton noted the poor air quality on a number of roads across the borough, which had particularly bad effects for younger and older people, and called on the Council to take action.

Councillor Adamou set out that Harringay ward councillors had supported pollution-measurements in Green Lanes, and had called on the Cabinet Member to respond.

Councillor Hare noted that the Archway Road, as a major traffic artery, had a high level of vehicle-derived pollutants, and offered a view of air pollution in central London. He believed the new Mayor of London had an opportunity to take action against air pollution, and that the problem of air pollution would be recalled as smoking is now.

Councillor Wright also referred to the recent scrutiny review on cycling, and put forward specific recommendations that would enable Haringey to be proactive in tackling this issue.

Councillor Doron congratulated Client Earth on its success to date, both legally and in raising the profile of this issue. There was a particular issue in relation of inequality in relation to access to clean air.

Councillor Strickland set out that air pollution would limit the attractiveness of the borough for people considering where to live and raise children. He had been keen for development to limit the amount of car parking spaces, and to increase the amount of green space. Future developments such as Crossrail 2 could help reduce the impact of commuter journeys through the borough.

Councillor Weston noted 25 per cent of London school children were exposed to unsafe levels of air quality. Efforts were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

Oral question one – Cllr Mallett to the Cabinet Member For Communities:

The news that there have been an increase of hate related violence across London and the country post the EU referendum is extremely disturbing so will the Cabinet Member join me firstly in publicly condemning these appalling attacks and then tell us if there has been evidence of any recent increase of hate crimes in Haringey?

Oral question two – Cllr Newton to the Cabinet Member for Communities:

Has there been any increase in hate crimes, racist or xenophobic attacks in Haringey following the EU referendum results?

Oral question three – Cllr Patterson to the Cabinet Member for EconomicDevelopment, Social Inclusion and Sustainability:

We were all shocked by the Brexit result from the EU referendum especially considering the incredibly high vote for Remain achieved in Haringey and in these uncertain times, can the Cabinet Member comment on the impact of Brexit on the borough’s economic development?

Oral question four – Cllr Connor to the Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Social Inclusion and Sustainability:

The future of Crouch End and Muswell Hill Post offices are still in doubt, when will a public consultation be launched to give local people the chance to have their say?

Oral question five – Cllr J Mann to the Cabinet Member For Housing, Regeneration and Planning:

Can the Cabinet Member provide an update on the progress being made to deliver the Housing Zone?

Oral question six – Cllr Engert to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Health:

How much council funding is at risk due to the result of the EU referendum and the Conservative Government’s position that we will now leave the EU?

The Mayor accepted this late item of urgent business, as the answers to questions had needed to be researched and prepared after the summons had been dispatched.

Oral questions one to five were asked and responded to.

Following a request by the Chief Whip, it was agreed unanimously to conclude this item and move immediately to the next item on the agenda, given the level of interest in the issues it raised.

Motion B – Protecting Haringey’s Citizens

Proposer: Cllr Liz Morris

Seconder: Cllr Gail Engert

This Council notes the result of the European Union referendum and the Government's affirmation that this country will leave the European Union.

This Council is concerned about the impact of leaving the EU on Haringey's local residents.

This Council is deeply disturbed by reports from across the country of increases in xenophobic and racist attacks following the referendum.

This Council notes that:

·         there are thousands of people from many different countries living in Haringey and contributing to our local economy and culture

·         many Haringey residents are from the EU and will be understandably concerned about their future and safety following the referendum

·         there are many people who were born in Haringey who now live, study and work in other EU countries who are concerned about their future

·         many of Haringey's communities have family and cultural ties with other EU countries

This Council believes that Haringey is enriched by the diversity of its residents.

This Council further believes that people from other EU countries who live and work in Haringey are a boon and not a burden to our borough.

This Council calls on our local MPs to:

·         Fight to ensure that EU citizens already settled here can continue to: live, work and study here, and use public services for free, as they currently do.

·         Call for negotiations with other EU countries to give the same rights to British Citizens living abroad in EU countries.

This Council affirms its commitment to work with the police and other public services to protect local residents and stamp out xenophobia and racism.

Motion C – Crown Post Offices

Proposer: Cllr McShane

Seconder: Cllr J Mann

This Councilnotes:

·         The Post Office has announced this year its plans for a further franchising programme, which means that up to 100 Crown Offices in the UK are vulnerable to closure or franchising via 2 tranches.

·         Tranche 1 -

• 39 Crown Offices to be franchised
• 3 actual closures
• The proposed franchised Crown Offices in tranche 1 include those in Crouch End and Muswell Hill.

·         Tranche 2 -

• A further 40-50 Crowns to be franchised which could include other Haringey offices.

This Council believes:

·         Closure and franchising of our High Street Crown Post Offices is detrimental to our local communities.

·         The plan to move Post Offices into shops such as WH Smiths will mean a worsening of services, a potential loss of experienced staff and a possible deterioration of workers conditions such as pay and pensions.

This Council resolves:

·         To support local residents and community groups and businesses, the Communication Workers Union and other relevant local unions' who are campaigning to save the Haringey Crown Post Offices and helping to protect decent local jobs.

·         To write to Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Minister stating the council’s opposition to the Crown Post Office closure and franchising programme.

·         To write to local  ...  view the full agenda text for item 30.

Councillor Morris moved Motion B on the agenda, and was pleased that there had been cross-party support for it. Councillor Engert seconded the motion.

On a vote, the motion was agreed unanimously.

The time being 2200, the meeting concluded at this point.

RESOLVED

This Council notes the result of the European Union referendum and the Government's affirmation that this country will leave the European Union.

This Council is concerned about the impact of leaving the EU on Haringey's local residents.

This Council is deeply disturbed by reports from across the country of increases in xenophobic and racist attacks following the referendum.

This Council notes that:

·         there are thousands of people from many different countries living in Haringey and contributing to our local economy and culture

·         many Haringey residents are from the EU and will be understandably concerned about their future and safety following the referendum

·         there are many people who were born in Haringey who now live, study and work in other EU countries who are concerned about their future

·         many of Haringey's communities have family and cultural ties with other EU countries

This Council believes that Haringey is enriched by the diversity of its residents.

This Council further believes that people from other EU countries who live and work in Haringey are a boon and not a burden to our borough.

This Council calls on our local MPs to:

·         Fight to ensure that EU citizens already settled here can continue to: live, work and study here, and use public services for free, as they currently do.

·         Call for negotiations with other EU countries to give the same rights to British Citizens living abroad in EU countries.

This Council affirms its commitment to work with the police and other public services to protect local residents and stamp out xenophobia and racism.