Agenda and draft minutes

In respect of the following items Members of the Public attending are encouraged to ask questions and raise any concerns

a.  Draft Area Committee Plan - 6.40pm – 7.05pm (SEE ATTACHED REPORT)

·        Claire Kowalska – Frontline Services – will be in attendance to talk about the details of the draft Area Plan and give feedback from Focus session (26 October 2011) and report progress

b.  Fortnightly non-recyclable rubbish collections – 7.05pm – 7.35pm

ITEM TO FOLLOW

·         A brief outline of the Council’s plan for the introduction of fortnightly rubbish collections and Q&A

c.      The implications of the Localism Act –  7.35pm – 8.05pm (SEE ATTACHED REPORT) 

www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/localismplainenglishguide

Deirdre McGrath, Head of Civic Engagement at London Civic Forum  to give an outline of the Act and the specific implications

d.     Neighbourhood Action Teams – 8.05pm – 8.15pm

(SEE ATTACHED REPORT)

e.            Potholes Update – 8.15pm – 8.25pm

(SEE ATTACHED REPORT)

·        An update from officers on progress in respect of pothole repairs

Informal notes to follow

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Davies, Scott and Williams.

NOTED

The Chair will consider any items of urgent business.

The Committee Services Manager advised that there were no additional items of urgent business notified.

The Chair referred to the agenda item in relation to the Localism Bill, in the Forum part of the proceedings and the concerns expressed by Members at the lack of attendance by the Planning Service – to speak on the implications of the Localism Act on the existing planning legislation.

The Chair advised the Committee that it was her intention to write to the Planning Service to express these concerns at the lack of attendance. Councillor Allison commented on the progress in Highgate Ward with cross-borough co-operation with LB Camden and Camden’s efforts to progress and advise of implications of the Localism Act – and planning issues – with attendance at the recent focus group by Camden’s Cabinet Member for planning, and their senior planner in respect of the establishment of Neighbourhood Forums. Councillor Allison added that there had been a lack of information or forward thinking on LB Haringey’s part and that despite numerous enquiries and seeking clarification the response had been that Haringey was ‘thinking about it’.  Councillor Allison also advised of the good working relationship and cross-boundary co-operation between Councillors of Camden and Haringey, albeit bellied by the lack of information or support from Haringey.  She stressed that this was an important issue and there needed to be some progress on Haringey’s part or else Camden would be taking the lead.

Following the Committee’s collective concerns echoing those of the Chair and Councillor Allison, it was agreed that the Chair and Councillor Allison would jointly draft a letter to be sent to the Chief Executive, and the Director of Place and Sustainability.  In response to comments of Councillor Solomon the Chair advised that in respect of cross-borough meetings with LB Barnet it would be for the Alexandra Ward Councillors to progress this and make contact etc with their Barnet counterparts and that when the letter from the Chair and Cllr Alison received a reply it should inform the situation for all cross-border collaborations.

The Chair then summarised and it was:

RESOLVED

that the Chair and Councillor Allison jointly draft a letter to be sent to the Chief Executive, and the Director of Place and Sustainability expressing  concerns  at the lack of attendance by the Planning Service – to speak on the implications of the Localism Act on the existing planning legislation, and the lack of forthcoming information as to LB Haringey’s intentions in relation to the those implications, as well as the issue of cross-borough working particularly in terms of planning enforcement, and Neighbourhood Forums.

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.

Nil

Nil

To consider the Minutes of the Area Committee held on 15 September 2011 and any matters arising.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 15 September 2011 be approved and signed by the Chair.

At this point in the proceedings the Chair advised that the order of business of the agenda would be varied to next consider agenda Item 8 Fortnightly Non-recyclable Rubbish Collections.

NOTED 

Report of the Director of Place and Sustainability – to report to the committee on the Council’s plans to introduce fortnightly non-recyclable rubbish collections and consider comments from residents in Area Forum

The Chair asked Councillor Canver – Cabinet member for Environment to give an introduction of proposals.

Councillor Canver commented that the Forum debate/discussion on the proposals had in her view been good in terms of public understanding and concerns.  Whilst acknowledging that the proposals would be challenging for some residents there was commitment on the Council’s behalf to increase recycling wherever possible across the whole Borough.  Councillor Canver hoped that people would work with the Council and also to express views on the positives and negatives of the proposals. In terms of sizes of bins and physical capacity there would be ways of providing smaller bins etc for people. Councillor Canver hoped that when individuals received notification by letter of the new bin implementation they would contact the Council with their requirements if they desired smaller bins.

The Chair thanked Councillor Canver for her comments and advised that the Lib Dem Ward Councillors from the four wards had carried out their own survey in terms of the proposals and asked that Councillor Jenks comment on the outcome.

Councillor Jenks advised that in terms of the proposals he would MOVE the following resolution:-

‘This Committee is opposed to fortnightly collections until or unless such time as the Council provides clear evidence showing first, that residents support a change to fortnightly collections, and second that they do actually achieve the benefits on which any such proposals are based’

Councillor Jenks commented that it should be made clear that he and the Lib/Dem Group were 100% in favour of increasing recycling rates, and that in the past Lib/Dem Councillors had criticised the Council for its failure to deliver on this. Councillor Jenks advised that whilst the Council might claim that it had consulted on this matter, its 2009 consultation made no mention of fortnightly collection, with the nearest to this was 36% of respondents wanted bigger containers and 17% of respondents believed education to be the key to recycling.

Councillor Jenks reported that in the absence of any proper Council consultation a survey was carried out by Liberal Democrats in wards in the west of Haringey and received 1100 responses with 86% of those responding opposed to fortnightly collection. The rates opposing for wards within this Committee were 86% for Alexandra, and Fortis Green, 85% for Muswell Hill, and 93% for Highgate. 78% of people responding had not been aware about fortnightly collections and 92% of people who responded felt that they should have been consulted.

.

Councillor Jenks further stated that at the very least this identified a great deal of unease within the Borough about the fortnightly rubbish collection being imposed. Councillor Jenks commented that the Council argued that fortnightly collection would save money. The saving in operational costs was stated as £300,000 per year, with the Council arguing that a £600,000 per year saving can come about as a result of waste recycled as a result of reduced disposal costs.

Councillor Jenks referred to the Government offer of £250 million  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

Report of the Director of Place and Sustainability – to report to the Committee on the progress with the draft Area Plan and take receive comments/variations

The report is circulated under Item 1a on the agenda

The Chair reiterated her comments expressed during the Forum part of the proceedings in respect of the disappointment of Fortis Green and Muswell Hill cllrs that the Council withdrew their backing for the imaginative and well-supported bid from Muswell Hill Traders for round two of the Mayors Outer London Fund. The bid included a piazza outside the Odeon site and would have given a well-deserved boost to the local shopping centre.

In response to clarification the Chair advised that the reason for the withdrawal had been given as a Council decision to just support the bid from Tottenham for the fund and to withdraw support for the bids from Muswell Hill and Green Lanes.

In respect of the draft area plan the Chair asked that officers incorporate any comments given during the Forum part of the meeting, and subsequently to this evening, and circulate the plan to all attendees with any comments to be fed back to Zoe Swanson – Senior Project Manager - Frontline Services, prior to the next stage of the consultation in February (see timetable p6 of the Forum agenda papers).

RESOLVED

that officers incorporate any comments given during the Forum part of the meeting, and subsequently to this evening, and circulate the plan to all attendees with any further comments to be fed back to Zoe Swanson – Senior Project Manager - Frontline Services, and that the draft area plan progressed in line with the timetable 3.1 p6 of the Forum Agenda.

Report of the Director of Place and Sustainability – to report to the Committee on establishment and work of the neighbourhood Action Teams

The report is circulated under Item 1d on the agenda

The Chair advised that following the succinct presentation during the Forum part of the meeting, in respect of the Neighbourhood Action Team (NATs) the Committee would look forward to having the allocated NATs officers for the geographical Forum Area attending the Forum on 29 March 2012, and that their presence at the surgery part of the meeting would also be most beneficial.

The Chair also welcomed and endorsed the suggestion of the NATs carrying out ‘Ward Walk abouts’.

RESOLVED

That in respect of the newly established Neighbourhood Action Team (NATs) the allocated NATs officers for the geographical Forum Area attend the Forum on 29 March 2012, and that their presence at the surgery part of the meeting would also be most beneficial, and that the suggested introduction of the NATs carrying out ‘Ward Walk abouts’ be endorsed.

Report of the Director of Place and Sustainability – to advise on the Local Implementation plan / funding and how the Area Committee can feed into and  make changes/additions to this – particularly in relation to areas such as road safety, cycle routes, moving bus stops, new bus routes, road and footway maintenance, de-cluttering of pavements

In the absence of officers to introduce the item the Chair commented that in terms of the local implementation plan (LIP) funding and how the Area Committee can feed into and  make changes/additions to this- this particularly related to areas such as road safety, cycle routes, moving bus stops, new bus routes, road and footway maintenance, and de-cluttering of pavements. The Chair commented that in terms of distribution of funds the 4 wards of this Committee/Forum represented almost a quarter of the Borough and yet only a small proportion of the total amount was spent there.

In terms of where monies could be spent within the LIP the Chair suggested previous resident requested examples such as quality Footway replacement in Muswell Hill shopping centre and Bakers Lane Gyratory system replacement and also the Muswell Hill roundabout to Turnpike Lane corridor which had been a reserve project in the draft 2010 LIP.could be appropriate projects to receive funding.

Councillor Solomon suggested Colney Hatch Lane and Alexandra Park Road road junction system as a potential  LIP item, and Councillor Hare referred to previous requests to the Council for TFL funding to replace the Bakers Lane gyratory system.

The Chair advised that the next Forum/Committee would concentrate on the LIP funding as a main agenda item.

Councillor Newton referred to page 45 of the agenda pack and the reference to footway resurfacing being carried out in Fortis Green and Muswell Hill wards and commented that clarification was needed as to where this work was being carried out. 

The Chair summarised and it was:

RESOLVED

i.                    that at the next Forum/Committee on 29 March 2012 there would be an item on both parts of the meeting in respect of Local Improvement Plans incorporating in particular those items raised during the discussion; and

ii.                  that clarification be sought as to the locations of the footway resurfacing in Fortis Green and Muswell Hill wards as referred to in page 45 of the circulated report.

Report of the Head of Legal Services and Monitoring Officer – to feedback any comments on the matter.

The Chair advised that she had been contacted by a local resident in respect of possibly having a by-law for people wearing safety clothing when cycling.  The Chair advised that a brief discussion with the Clerk to the Committee had highlighted whether such a proposal would actually be by-law or an ‘order’ from the Highways Authority.

The Chair felt it would be appropriate for the matter of by-laws be investigated further and asked for, and received confirmation from Councillors Bloch and Solomon that they would investigate this issue and report further.

NOTED

29/03/12

29 March 2012 – venue Alexandra Park School (TBC)

Provisional Agenda items

• Planning Enforcement
• Neighbourhood Action Teams
• Feedback – progress on the Localism Bill (particularly Highgate and cross boundary issues)
• Local Implementation Plans

Nil.