Agenda and draft minutes

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 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 Cabinet Member referred to the filming at meetings notice and this information was noted.

There were none.  

The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of Urgent Business. (Late items of Urgent Business will be considered under the agenda item where they appear).

There was no urgent business.

There were no declarations of interest.

There were none.

The report sought Cabinet member approval for receipt of grant from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local government (MCHLG) for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Grant funding programmes 2025/26, Winter Pressures 2024/25, and the Greater London Authority (GLA) for Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) 2025/26.

The Cabinet Member RESOLVED 

To approve, as permitted under Contract Standing Order (CSO) 16.2 and 17.1, the receipt of grant from the MHCLG from the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Grant Funding Programme 2025/26, Winter Pressures 2024 to 2026, and from the Greater London Authority (GLA) for Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme 2025/26. The total grant funding amount will be £16,366,908, detail breakdown of funding allocated stipulated Appendix A of the report.

Reasons for decision 

Haringey Council had been awarded grants totaling £16,366,908 by MHCLG and the GLA for 2025/26 (except Winter Pressures is 2024 to 2026) financial year. The funding is ringfenced for the purpose of preventing, reducing and ending homelessness and rough sleeping. Cabinet member approval was required to agree the receipt of grant funding as stipulated by CSO 17.1.

The grants allowed the Council to carry out its statutory responsibilities under a range of legislation including the Homelessness Reduction Act (2019), the Care Act (2014) and the Equality Act (2010), by providing housing-related support to vulnerable people to ensure they were able to live independent, fulfilling and active lives in the community for as long as possible.

Additionally, the grants would enable the Council to achieve the strategic aims set out in the Corporate Delivery Plan 2024-26, People Priority in the Plan, strategic objectives of Adult Social Care and Rough Sleeping (2023-27) Strategy.

Alternative options considered

The Council had a legal and statutory obligation as defined by the Homelessness Reduction Act to prevent and relieve homelessness - acceptance of this grant would meet the Council’s legal obligations of homelessness prevention and relief.

The Broadwater Farm Community Centre was located on Broadwater Farm Estate, alongside Lordship Recreation Ground, and is a council asset. It contained and supported sports, leisure, community, voluntary sector, youth, food growing and gardening programmes and spaces and large Council office facilities and is need of urgent improvement works to ensure it was compliant and brought up to standards for all users.

In line with Contract Standing Order (CSO) 2.01 (c) and 0.08, the report sought approval from the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning to award a contract for the phase 2 improvement works at Broadwater Farm Community Centre.

Phase 1 works involved drainage repairs, repaving, some additional internal decorations and DPC works. Paving on the eastern side had been mostly completed.

Repairs to the lift were part of planned maintenance. A large amount of phase 2 works related to mechanical and electrical items that were either urgent maintenance or ‘end of life’ replacement.

The Cabinet Member RESOLVED 

In line with Contract Standing Order (CSO) 2.01 (c) and 0.08, approve the award of contract to Tenderer A (as set out in Appendix A), to a total value of £810,583.54

Reasons for decision 

The recommended works to Broadwater Farm Community Centre (BWF CC) would make essential safety improvements and undertake much needed building refurbishment works to maintain the building fabric of the centre and the safety and wellbeing of users of the Centre.

Priority/ Year 1 Urgent Maintenance works from the building condition survey form the scope of the phase 1 works (already underway) and phase 2 works, along with refurbishment of key facilities (WCs, Changing Rooms, first floor offices).

Refurbishment works to upgrade the first-floor Haringey Council office in BWF CC are included in the scope of phase 2 works. This office currently accommodated 75+ Housing and Repairs staff, making it the largest staff accommodation site outside of Wood Green. These works were prioritised in 2023 to bring the office accommodation, welfare and accessible facilities for Housing Repairs staff to an equivalent professional standard to council offices at Alexandra House and Station Road.

Alternative options considered

Do nothing: The option to not proceed with works was discounted, given the poor state of BWF CC. The urgent maintenance works to the building were a mandatory requirement for compliance and Health & Safety, which the Council had a legal obligation to undertake. Furthermore, a permanent relocation of 75+ Housing and Repairs staff to a facility of a corporate standard in a reasonable and feasible timeframe was not currently possible, as confirmed by the Strategic Corporate Property team and previous reporting from the Housing Management Board.

Continue with BWF CC first floor office improvement works, progress urgent maintenance works following this: This option was discounted, as the asset would become non-compliant in some areas. It could also lead to abortive work undertaken during the first-floor improvement works, if maintenance issues were not addressed first. This would not provide good value for money nor efficient use of resources and low carbon construction. The Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Item 9 is likely to be subject to a motion to exclude the press and public be from the meeting as they contain exempt information as defined in Section 100a of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended by Section 12A of the Local Government Act 1985); paragraph 3, namely information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings

Item 9 was subject to a motion to exclude the press and public be from the meeting as it contained exempt information as defined in Section 100a of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended by Section 12A of the Local Government Act 1985); paragraph 3, namely information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

The Cabinet Member considered the exempt information.