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 referred to the details as shown on the summons in relation to filming at meetings.

 Apologies for absence were received from councillors:

Ross

Elliott

Newton

Engert

Ejiofor

Strickland

Adamou

Basu

Christophides

McNamara

Ayisi

McNamara

Apologies for lateness were also received from Councillors Adje, and Berryman.

The Chief Executive advised that there was one late item of business, which could not be available earlier, and which will need to be dealt with at this meeting.  This was in relation to Item 12 – Questions and Written Answers. It was noted that notice of questions is not requested until 8 clear days before the meeting, following which the matters raised have to be researched and replies prepared to be given at the meeting.

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

Councillor Lorna Reith declared a personal interest by virtue of her membership of the local Tottenham and Wood Green Friends of the Earth branch and her partner was   also presenting the petition at item 9.

That the minutes of the full Council meeting held on the 22^nd February 2016 be approved as a correct record of the meeting.

The Mayor reported to full Council the events and functions that she had attended and participated in, representing the borough, since the last council meeting. The Mayor also highlighted some forthcoming events that she would be attending as well as preparations for the Queen’s 90^th birthday celebrations.

NOTED:

On the 7^th March the Mayor had visited Greenwich Observatory as a guest of the Mayor of Greenwich.

On Thursday 10^th March the Mayor had attended and spoke at a reception, marking the end of the month of celebrations of Chinese New Year at the Ming-Ai (London) Institute in Bounds Green.

On Saturday 12^th March the Mayor had attended the Mayor of Enfield’s charity ball at Forty Hall.

On Monday 14^th March the borough celebrated Commonwealth Day by raising the Flag outside the Civic centre and the theme for 2016 is 'An Inclusive Commonwealth'.

On Wednesday 16^th March the Mayor entertained London Mayors and their guests at a showcasing tour of Alexandra Palace and attended a gala celebration of the Commonwealth Africa Summit.

On Friday 18^th March the Mayor would be attending and speaking at an assembly at Gladesmore Community School to mark International Women’s Day.

On Sunday 20^th March the Mayor was due to be presented with a cheque for her nominated special fund, All People All Places at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

The 90^th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll on Thursday 21^st April would be celebrated with an event and beacon lighting at Alexandra Palace Park.

Haringey residents have been backing ‘Clean for the Queen’. Last week pupils from Noel Park Primary School and residents from The Sandlings estate organised a litterpick their local area with Veolia. Eleven children, two teachers and seven residents picked up waste and recycling found on the ground - ten bags were filled with general rubbish, while four were filled with materials that could be recycled.

The meeting noted that the Mayor’s Civic Service will take place on Sunday 15^th May at 3pm at St Paul the Apostle Church Bradley Road Wood Green.

i.              Calendar of meetings – 18 month calendar Municipal Year 2016/17 & May 2017 to November 2017

The Chief Executive sought approval of Full Council to the Calendar of meetings for the Municipal Year 2016/17.

The Chief Whip moved and it was:

RESOLVED

That the schedule of meetings for the 2016/17 Municipal Year be agreed.

There were no matters for the Assistant Director for Corporate Governance to report.

The Chief Executive explained that a petition had been put forward which required debate by full Council as it exceeded 2200 signatures.

The petition had been submitted by Mr Quentin Given, on behalf of Friends of the Earth, and called on the council to divest its own financial holdings and those of its pension fund from any business which is involved in the exploration or production of coal or tar sands within two years; and immediately to freeze any new investment in fossil fuel companies.  Mr Given was accompanied by Tim Root, Joyce Rosser, Stanley Knill, Cara Jenkinson.

Mr Given was invited by the Mayor to address the meeting and he began his presentation by congratulating the Council’s Pension’s Committee for agreeing to reduce its equity exposure to fossil fuel business.

Mr Given put forward some further requests to the council:

·         Commitment to taking forward a timetable to divesting the remaining two thirds of equity exposure to Fossil Fuels.

·         Moving to investment in renewable energy at an increased pace.

·         Making use of existing financial relationships with banks to influence them to  move away from fossil fuel investment.  

·         Continuing to lead and set a good example of the borough’s wider focus on green issues and using its local and regional networks to encourage further ethical investment.

·         Considering the financial and fiduciary reasons for divesting in the coal market and investing in green products which were predicted to have an increased demand in the future, thereby having both a positive financial and moral impact.

Comments from Councillors :

·         CBI[Confederation of Business Industry] calling on government to do more to take forward greener investment.

·         Already meeting this moral and ethical challenge as an authority and making progress on greener investment.

·         Changing influence of the agricultural industry on the green agenda with now  more wider acceptance of the need to tackle global warming and climate change due to the impact this has on food chain and economies, meaning a change in investment priorities.

·         The weight the council carries as a Member of the Local Pension Fund Forum  and can put forward issues to pension investors and have a role in monitoring the outcomes of these meetings.

·         Overall fiduciary interest to also consider greener investments, first authority to invest in low carbon index fund.

Cllr Claire Bull, Chair of the Pensions Committee, responded to the petition and acknowledged the environmental challenges facing the borough and the wider world. The council was already taking the first steps in reducing the Pension Fund exposure to fossil fuels. It was hoped that other boroughs would follow the council’s example to have more combined impact to create a sustainable future, investing in renewable energy and delivering jobs in a growing industry. The Chair of the Pensions Committee welcomed the petition and the attention it gave to ethical investment. The Pensions Committee had agreed to invest low carbon management fund and would monitor this annually.

RESOLVED

To  note the petition.

The Mayor opened the debate on Homelessness. This was a subject of growing concern with increasing numbers of single people and families becoming homeless and there being a visible increase in the number of rough sleepers. ‘All People’ all Places, the main local recipient of funds from the Mayors charity were focused on supporting people who became homeless and have no accommodation. Therefore, it was fitting for the final council debate meeting to consider this key issue.

The Mayor hoped the debate would allow a sharing of experiences and allow the council to develop solutions in this context. The Mayor had invited two external guests to share their local and daily working knowledge of homelessness and to ‘set the scene’ for the debate.

The Mayor introduced Matthew Downie of Crisis who opened the debate by providing a presentation on homelessness. He highlighted the current trends and policy implications including: the causes, consequences, and the scale of homelessness. The presentation also provided information on the number of applications for housing as a result of homelessness, with information on the numbers of: acceptances for housing, where homelessness had been prevented and relief cases. Mr Downie presented the impact of national policy and provided some suggestions of what the council could still do in this context.

The Mayor invited the second speaker, Mr Michael Baker, Chair of the Board of YMCA North London. Mr Baker focused on YMCA North London's work with young people that it came into contact with on a daily basis. This was aimed at creating a supportive and energising environment which was open to all, where young people could belong, contribute and thrive. Tackling youth homelessness was at the core of their strategy, and the primary objectives of the Life Academy foyer programme were to stabilise chaotic lives, restore self-esteem and enable young people to contribute to their community and reclaim their place in society.

The Mayor thanked Mr Downie and Mr Baker for their valuable contributions which would help stimulate the debate and bring forward further ideas and solutions for tackling homelessness.

The debate ensued and the Members made the following comments:

• The accumulative impact of past government polices, an unregulated rent sector, and less homes being built creating a nationwide problem of homelessness.
• The council’s moral duty to tackle homelessness had to be considered against a difficult national policy context and with decreasing powers.
• The council was a first contact point for homeless families unable to afford housing and in need of support. This meant working with community groups to signpost families to housing solutions before they become homeless and ensuring resources are available to help people access services.
• The problematic government cuts to public agencies, in particular Mental Health services which a young single homeless person may access. This meant a greater need for local authorities and agencies/ partners to work together and effectively combine their available resources to look after homeless people. 
• The results of the LGA [Local Government Association] survey, which included a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 158.

1. Staffing and Remuneration Committee report on the Pay  Policy Statement 2016/17.

2. Standards Committee  report,  recommending the adoption of the Member Allowances Scheme 2016/17 and the appointment  of  Independent  persons to serve on Standards Committee.

i] Staffing & Remuneration Committee Report No 1 2015/16

Councillor Amin MOVED the report from the Staffing & Remuneration Committee of 26 January 2016 recommending Full Council approve the Pay Policy Statement 2016/17 (attached as Appendix B) for publication in April 2016.

   ii] Standards Committee Report No 1 2015/16

Councillor Sahota informed the meeting that he had received representations from Councillor Gideon Bull about the allocations in the SRA bandings and he would be considering the issues in the coming year through Standards Committee.

Councillor Sahota moved the recommendations of the Standards Committee report

RESOLVED

1.    To approve the Pay Policy Statement 2016/17 as explained in the Chair’s report and attached as Appendix B;

2.    To revoke the Members Allowances Scheme for 2015/16 as of 31^st March 2016; and approve  the proposed new Members Allowances Scheme for 2016-17, as set out in Appendix 2, to this report to take effect from 1^st April 2016;

3.    To appoint Lisa Klein as Independent Person, and Alison Lowton as secondary Independent Person under s28(7) of the Localism Act 2011 for a period of 4 years commencing 1 July 2016 and ending on 30 June 2020; and

To approve the allowance paid per annum to the Independent Person, and Secondary Independent person be £1250.00 and £250.00 respectively

ORAL QUESTION 1 - TO THE leader of the council FROM COUNCILLOR jogee:

After recent reports about the serious care issues at the North Middlesex Hospital, will the Leader please detail what the Council is doing to help address and resolve these problems?

ORAL QUESTION 2 - TO THE CABINET MEMBER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL INCLUSION AND SUSTAINABILITY FROM COUNCILLOR CARTER:

How much have the council spent on the new branding and logo in total?

ORAL QUESTION 3 - TO THE Cabinet Member foR Resources and Culture from COUNCILLOR doron:

Will the Cabinet Member update us on the progress of the Council’s new MyAccount service and what impact it will have on our customer service delivery?

ORAL QUESTION  4 – TO THE CABINET MEMBER FOR RESOURCES AND CULTURE  FROM COUNCILLOR CONNOR:

What plans does the council have to consult residents on the future of Muswell Hill Library?

ORAL QUESTION 5 - TO THE Cabinet Member FOR environment FROM COUNCILLOR Weston:

In light of the planned closure of Wightman Road for National Rail works, what measures have been put in place to manage the significant traffic disruption the closure will cause?

ORAL QUESTION 6  - TO THE CABINET MEMBER FOR  HEALTH AND WELLBEING FROM COUNCILLOR MORRIS:

Local carers are concerned that the recent changes to care packages announced by the council will mean less respite for carers, what consultation has been undertaken with carers on these changes?

The Mayor agreed to the admission of this item 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 6 oral questions and 9 for written answer.

Oral answers to oral questions 1 – 6 were asked and responded to.

Written answers to written Questions 1- 9 were received and noted

Motion E 2015/16

The Housing crisis

Proposer: Cllr Liz Morris

Seconder: Cllr Dave Beacham

This council is concerned by the effects of London’s housing crisis on local people in Haringey and across London.

This council is further concerned that:

·         in 2014, 24,543 households in London were found to be homeless

·         13,034 of those households included dependent children

·         In Haringey only 420 affordable homes were delivered in 2014

·         There were 1,357 vacant homes in Haringey in 2014 and 218 council homes were lost through Right-to-Buy

·         In 2015 there were 5,550 children in temporary accommodation in this borough

This council notes:

·         In England, the biggest single recorded reason for homelessness is now the loss of an assured shorthold tenancy (AST)- the type of tenancy most commonly held by private renters

·         The percentage of homelessness acceptances in England recorded as being due to the loss of an AST has doubled over the last five years, from 13% in 2008/9, to 26% in 2013/14.’

This council further notes:

• Liberal Democrat, GLA Member, Caroline Pidgeon has proposed retaining the Olympic Precept at £20 a year and converting it into a Housing Precept.

This council also notes the Housing Precept would generate £2 billion of funds:

• to build 200,000 homes
• to build 50,000 new council homes and 150,000 homes for private rent and sale 

This council welcomes Caroline Pidgeon’s proposal for a large scale home-building which would benefit people in Haringey and across the capital, helping to tackle the housing crisis.

Motion E [2015/16]

Councillor Morris MOVED, and Councillor Beacham seconded the substantive Motion E as follows:

Housing Crisis

This council is concerned by the effects of London’s housing crisis on local people in Haringey and across London.

This council is further concerned that:

·         in 2014, 24,543 households in London were found to be homeless

·         13,034 of those households included dependent children

·         In Haringey only 420 affordable homes were delivered in 2014

·         There were 1,357 vacant homes in Haringey in 2014 and 218 council homes were lost through Right-to-Buy

·         In 2015 there were 5,550 children in temporary accommodation in this borough

This council notes:

·         In England, the biggest single recorded reason for homelessness is now the loss of an assured shorthold tenancy (AST)- the type of tenancy most commonly held by private renters

·         The percentage of homelessness acceptances in England recorded as being due to the loss of an AST has doubled over the last five years, from 13% in 2008/9, to 26% in 2013/14.’

This council further notes:

• Liberal Democrat, GLA Member, Caroline Pidgeon has proposed retaining the Olympic Precept at £20 a year and converting it into a Housing Precept.

This council also notes the Housing Precept would generate £2 billion of funds:

• to build 200,000 homes
• to build 50,000 new council homes and 150,000 homes for private rent and sale 

This council welcomes Caroline Pidgeon’s proposal for a large scale home-building which would benefit people in Haringey and across the capital, helping to tackle the housing crisis.

Councillor Jogee MOVED an amendment to Motion E, which was seconded by Councillor Stephen Mann as follows:

The Housing crisis and the impact on homelessness:

This council is concerned by the effects of London’s housing crisis on local people in Haringey and across London particularly with respect to homelessness.

This council is concerned that:

·         After years of declining trends, all forms of homelessness have risendue to the shortage of housing and ongoing effects of the economic recession combined with Government policies - particularly welfare reforms and cuts to housing benefit. Independent research carried out for Crisis and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, shows that homelessness is likely to increase further still.

·         Almost one in ten people say they have been homeless at some point, with a fifth of these people saying it happened in the last five years.

·         In the UK, over 54,000 people were accepted as homeless and in ‘priority need’ in 2014/2015 – an increase of 36% since 2009/10.

·         According to Government figures, rough sleeping has increased by 55% since 2010.

·         7,581 people slept rough at some point in London during 2014/15, a 16% rise on the previous year and more than double the figure of 3,673 in 2009/10

This council notes:

• Local Authorities have statutory duties towards homeless households these are broadly; providing advice and assistance free of charge to prevent homelessness, providing temporary accommodation while making enquiries into whether a main homelessness duty is owed and when this is accepted, accommodating the household until a suitable offer  ...  view the full minutes text for item 161.