Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bloch, Mughal and Thompson. Apologies for lateness were received from Councillors Bull and Goldberg.

See minutes 120 & 125.

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/orif 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.

The Monitoring Officer advised that members of the Licensing and Planning Committees, including substitutes, should neither speak nor vote in relation to Motion U.

Councillor Reith declared a personal and prejudicial interest in Motion T as she was Deputy Chair of London Travel Watch, and would be leaving the Chamber during discussion of this item.

Councillor Engert declared a personal interest and prejudicial interest in Motion T as she was a Board Member of London Travel Watch.

Although the Monitoring Officer had stated that his advice above was separate from any personal or prejudicial interest declarations, the following members nevertheless made declarations in relation to Motion U: Councillors Egan, Peacock and Dodds.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 23 February 2009 be signed as a true record.

1. The Mayor advised that, on behalf of the Council, he had sent a message of condolence to the parents of Sapper Patrick Azimkar who lost his life tragically on 7 March in Northern Ireland.  Patrick was a local Wood Green lad. As a sign of respect the Council stood and observed a minute’s silence.

2. The Mayor thanked the staff at Bruce Castle for allowing him to host a Showcasing Event in the Museum the previous week. The Mayor was delighted to have welcomed to Haringey the Mayors and Escorts from 17 Boroughs. The Mayor also passed his congratulations to Haringey Young Musicians for another excellent performance and to the Parks Department, as the Park looked stunning.

3. The Mayor asked Members to note his final Fundraising event on 9 May - a fabulous 3 course dinner at the Pumphouse in Hornsey - more details would follow.

4. The Mayor also passed on his congratulations to the Procurement Team, who had won a Government Business Award for their energy improvement programme cutting CO2 and saving taxpayers’ money and to Haringey Website Team who had helped Haringey make it into the top 20 local authorities’ websites in the country out of a total of 468.  Haringey had been graded as “Excellent”  in the latest Society of Information Technology and the Mayor on behalf of the Council said well done to all those who had contributed to this success.

5. The Mayor advised of a Thanksgiving Service at 3.00pm in St Mark’s Church Wood Green on 17^th May, in celebration of his Mayoral year. The service would be conducted by his Chaplain - Father Simon Clark.

The Mayor agreed to admit the report as urgent business. The report could not be circulated earlier as information was awaited from the Party Groups. The report needed to be admitted in order that the calendar of meetings may be agreed for 2009/10.

RESOLVED:

That the calendar of meetings for the 2009/10 Municipal Year be agreed, as detailed in the appendix to the report.

There were no matters to report.

There were no matters to report.

A deputation was received from Mr Constant-i concerning mobile phone masts and radiation emissions.

Members asked questions of the deputation and received responses thereto.

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Enterprise responded to the deputation.

The Mayor thanked the deputation for attending.

The opposition gave notice of their wish to debate “protecting and enhancing civil liberties in Haringey”.

Councillor Aitken spoke on behalf of the Opposition Group. Councillor Canver responded on behalf of the Majority Group.

The Mayor thanked Councillors for their contributions.

Oral Question 1 - To the Cabinet Member for Resources from Councillor Gorrie:

Given that recent information shows the liabilities of the Icelandic Banks in which the Council invested money are three times the value of their assets is the Cabinet Member still confident he will recover all of the funds he has lost in the Icelandic Banks? What provision is he being advised the Council should make for losses and what provision is being made for costs involved in the pursuit of recovery?

Oral Question 2 – To the Cabinet Member for Community Cohesion and Involvement from Councillor Goldberg:

I am sure everyone on the Council welcomes the announcement that the Arts Council has decided to continue to make funds available for Jackson's Lane. Can the Cabinet Member let us know what plans are in place to promote equal access to the Arts using this facility and /or how the facility can be used to promote a vision of One Haringey?

Oral Question 3 - To the Cabinet Member for Children and Young Peoplefrom Councillor Engert:

In the debate in parliament on 12 March that followed the publication of Lord Laming's report on child protection, The Labour Secretary of State for Children said “it is important that we open up the arrangements for child protection to wider public scrutiny” and he went on to say that effective and proper scrutiny of what is happening should be provided by local councils around the country. Does this not make a compelling case for this Council to instigate a specialist Scrutiny Committee for Children's Services with meeting held in public?

Oral Question 4 - To the Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Safer Communitiesfrom Councillor Jones:

How has Haringey performed this year in relation to gun and knife crime compared with last year?

Oral Question 5 –To the Leader of the Councilfrom Councillor Wilson:

When did the Labour Group agree to the setting up of the Quality Outcomes Board, what is their understanding of its remit, responsibilities, powers and to whom is it accountable?

Oral Question 6 – To the Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Lifelong Learning from Councillor Dogus:

Now that members of public have voted for the Lordship Recreation Ground in Tottenham to receive £400,000 from the Priority Parks Initiative, would the Cabinet member for Leisure, Culture and Lifelong Learning like to set out what plans the Council will be pursuing to encourage more people to use this space.

Oral Question 7 - To the Cabinet Member for Environment and Conservationfrom Councillor Newton:

Has the Council considered the establishment of a local transport liaison committee?

Oral Question 8 - To the Cabinet Member for Housing Servicesfrom Councillor Peacock:

As ever, providing Decent Homes for Haringey residents is fundamentally important. Now that we are reaching the end of phase one of the Decent Homes programme in the borough, can the Cabinet Member give us an update on the programme, his impressions  ...  view the full agenda text for item 125.

The Mayor agreed to the admission of this report as urgent business. Under Standing Orders, notice of questions was not requested until eight clear days before the meeting, following which matters raised had to be researched and replies prepared, in order to be given at the meeting.

There were 8 oral questions and 25 for written answer.

Oral Question 8 was not reached in the allotted time and a written answer would be supplied to this question.

a)     Cabinet – Report 12 – 2008/09

b)     Constitution Review Working Group – Report 2 – 2008/09

Councillor Kober moved Cabinet Report 12 - 2008/09.

Councillor Cooke moved the Constitution Review Working Group Report 2 – 2008/09.   The report was agreed on a vote 30 for 20 against and 1 abstention.

RESOLVED:

1.      That Cabinet Report 12 – 2008/09 be received and adopted.

2.      That report 2 of the Constitution Review Working Group 2008/09 be received and that the following recommendations contained within it be agreed:

a) That the Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2009/10, set out at Appendix 1 to the report, be agreed and adopted as a replacement for Part 6 of the Council’s Constitution.

b) That the revised Scheme of Delegation to Officers, set out in Appendices 2 – 4 of the report, be agreed and adopted as amendments to the Council’s Constitution:

(i)                 Appendix 2 – text changes to Section 1 of the Scheme

“Introduction and Ground Rules” which is at Part 3, Section E.

(ii)               Appendix 3 – replacement for Appendix D, the Senior

Management Structure Schedule

(iii)             Appendix 4 – replacement for Appendix E to constitute the

“contents page” and Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 of the Scheme.

c) That the revision of the Council’s Financial Regulations, set out in Appendix 5, to the report be agreed and adopted as a replacement for Part 4, Section I of the Council’s Constitution.

Motion T (2008/09)

Councillor Wilson has given notice that he will move in the following terms:

“This Council notes;

• Thousands of Haringey residents rely on public transport, and deserve high standards of safety and service
• Recent threats to staffing at stations in Haringey by First Capital Connect
• Delays by Transport for London (TfL) and train operating companies in implementing the Oystercard scheme at all rail stations in Haringey

This Council therefore resolves to:

1. Oppose all plans to reduce staffing levels at Haringey stations.
2. Work with the Greater London Authority, Metropolitan Police and transport companies to reduce crime on public transport and take action to make passengers feel safer.
3. Create a new Haringey public transport forum to give residents and councillors an opportunity to question and discuss with TfL, the Transport Police, and rail and bus companies, local concerns and ideas for improvements to services”.

Motion U (2008/09)

Councillor Cooke has given notice that he will move in the following terms:

“This council notes the concern of residents and local businesses, who believe that the opening of adult entertainment establishments on Tottenham Lane, Crouch End and on the High Road in Wood Green will have a negative effect on Haringey and on those who live, work and go to school in both areas.

This council notes objectors’ concerns that such a club would create public order and public safety problems and further notes their fear that these clubs may create a public nuisance, be harmful to local children and are particularly offensive to women.

This council believes that lap-dancing clubs are part of the commercial sex industry, which normalise the sexual objectification of women. It believes that it is an exploitative industry which damages gender equality.

It further believes in - and for many years has promoted - a vision of Haringey as a fair and equal place, where people can flourish and in which residents are proud to live and feel part of a strong community; we believe that the opening of any lap dancing club would run counter to that vision. This Council is also deeply concerned that as there is no other lap dancing venue like this in the borough, allowing one to operate will send out the wrong message to residents and may encourage other such venues. This is not acceptable.

This council welcomes the Labour government’s announcement in the Queen’s speech in December, new measures to give councils and communities new powers to stop lap-dancing clubs opening in areas, by tightening up the regulation of adult entertainment venues.

This council notes that these powers may be taken up on an opt-in basis and that in the interests of residents and in protecting the rights residents expect to influence the areas in which they live we will stand by communities, opt-in and adopt these powers as soon as is possible.

This council resolves to opt in to legislation that will reclassify Lap Dancing Clubs as Sex Encounter Venues as laid out in the Policing and Crime Bill;  ...  view the full agenda text for item 127.

Motion T  (2008/09)

Itwas movedby Councillor Wilsonand secondedby CouncillorNewton that:

    “This Council notes;

•         Thousands of Haringey residents rely on public transport, and deserve high standards of safety and service

•         Recent threats to staffing at stations in Haringey by First Capital Connect

•         Delays by Transport for London (TfL) and train operating companies in implementing the Oystercard scheme at all rail stations in Haringey

     This Council therefore resolves to:

1. Oppose all plans to reduce staffing levels at Haringey stations.
2. Work with the Greater London Authority, Metropolitan Police and transport companies to reduce crime on public transport and take action to make passengers feel safer.
3. Create a new Haringey public transport forum to give residents and councillors an opportunity to question and discuss with TfL, the Transport Police, and rail and bus companies, local concerns and ideas for improvements to services”.

An amendment to the motion was moved by Councillor Haley and seconded by Councillor Patel that:

Under ‘this council notes’: 

After bullet point 2 insert

‘This council welcomes:

Delete ‘delays by’  and insert “Plans by…”

Delete ‘in implementing’ and insert ‘to implement.’

Under “This Council therefore resolves to” Delete item 3 and insert, as item 3,

“Open up the Road Safety Partnership Board – which meets quarterly, and is attended by council officers from Sustainable Transport, Parking, Young People’s Services and Neighbourhoods, Transport Police, Local Police and TfL Road Safety – to become a wider forum for the debate on safety and public transport issues, enabling the views of residents and councillors to be considered”.

On being put to the vote there were 29 in favour of the amendment and 20 against and 1 abstention. The amendment was declared CARRIED.

The substantive motion as amended was then put to the vote with 50 in favour and 0 abstentions and therefore declared unanimously CARRIED.

The Motion as amended reads as follows:

This Council notes;

• Thousands of Haringey residents rely on public transport, and deserve high standards of safety and service
• Recent threats to staffing at stations in Haringey by First Capital Connect
  
  

This council welcomes:

• Plans by Transport for London (TfL) and train operating companies to implement the Oystercard scheme at all rail stations in Haringey

This Council therefore resolves to:

1. Oppose all plans to reduce staffing levels at Haringey stations.
2. Work with the Greater London Authority, Metropolitan Police and    transport companies to reduce crime on public transport and take action to make passengers feel safer.
3. Open up the Road Safety Partnership Board – which meets quarterly, and is attended by council officers from Sustainable Transport, Parking, Young People’s Services and Neighbourhoods, Transport Police, Local Police and TfL Road Safety – to become a wider forum for the debate on safety and public transport issues, enabling the views of residents and councillors to be considered.

Motion U (2008/09)

The meeting signified its consent to an alteration to Motion U. The Motion movedby Councillor Dogus and was seconded by Councillor Goldberg.

The Motion was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 127.