Agenda and minutes

Please note that 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 Chair referred Members present to agenda Item 1 as shown on the agenda in respect of filming at this meeting, and Members noted the information contained therein’.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Adje. Cllr Adamou attended the meeting virtually.

The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of urgent business (late items will be considered under the agenda item where they appear. New items will be dealt with as noted below).   

None.

There were no Declarations of Interest

To consider any requests received in accordance with Part 4, Section B, Paragraph 29 of the Council’s Constitution.

None.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting on 16^th March 2023 were agreed as a correct record.

The Panel received a report which set out the terms of reference and membership for Overview and Scrutiny and the Scrutiny Panels for 2023/24.

RESOLVED

That the Panel:

     I.        Noted the terms of reference (at Appendix A of the report) and Protocol (at Appendix B of the report) for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and its Panels.

    II.        Noted the Non-Voting Member protocol (Appendix C of the report).

  III.        Noted the policy areas/remits and membership for each Scrutiny Panel for  2023/24 (Appendix D of the report).

The Panel received a report which sought formal approval of the re-appointment of a non-voting co-opted Member to the Panel.

RESOLVED

That, as a representative from Haringey Association of Neighbourhood Watches, Ian Sygrave be appointed as a non-voting co-opted Member of the Panel for the 2023/24 Municipal Year.

The Panel received a report which provided an update on floodwater management and the highways gully cleaning programme. The report was introduced by Mark Stevens, Assistant Director of Direct Services, as set out in the agenda pack at pages 53 to 64. By way of introduction, officers set out that the Borough had suffered from two bouts of significant flooding in July 2021 and August 2022 and that since then the Council had cleaned all 16,000 gullies within its network. The following arose during the discussion of this report:

1. Members enquired about the water tank in Priory Park and what was happening with it. In response, officers advise that there was an ownership dispute taking place with Thames Water about whose responsibility it was to manage and maintain it. Part of the dispute emanated from the transition process from the National River Authority to the Environment Agency in the 1970s. The Council had challenged Thames Water’s assertion that it was not their responsibility and were waiting for a further response.
2. In response to a follow-up question, officers advised that the tank was not functional during the severe flooding incidents in July 2020 and August 2021 and that subsequent photographs had showed that the tank was completely dry.  In relation to a further follow-up around timescales, officers advised that it was being handled by the Council’s legal team and that there were no firm timescales at present. There was a flood alleviation scheme planned for Priory Park but that this would be undertaken following resolution of the issue with Thames Water. Without the tank being properly maintained there was a risk of the water being stored but not dissipating in the right way.
3. In response to a question about the balance between cyclical and reactive cleansing, officers advised that the Council’s highways contractor Marlborough Highways carried out reactive maintenance as well as planned maintenance.  Cleansing in response to yellow flood warnings was undertaken and there was a degree of judgment required from officers about how and when this was undertaken and the associated costs. 
4. The Panel sought assurances that the Council was not effectively doing Thames Water’s job for them. In response, officers advised that as the lead local authority for flooding, the Council could looking into the causes of an incident of flooding. It was noted that a lots of the issues were caused by the fact that there was a capacity issue with the Victorian sewage system in London. Officers commented that there was some consideration needed of how the pressure on the sewar system could be alleviated and that fact that the Council had allowed people to pave over their gardens which has caused problems with surface water run-off. Officers advised that they were looking into whether enforcement action could be taken under the Highways Act.
5. The Panel queried what could be done in respect of digital poverty and the fact that the useful advice section on flooding was all online. In response, officers acknowledged that was challenge  ...  view the full minutes text for item 218.

The Panel received a report which provided an overview of the reports received by Cabinet, between March and June, that fall within the policy remit of the

scrutiny panel

RESOLVED

That the update was noted.

The following agenda items were put forward for future meetings of the panel  

• Update on Road Safety and Speeding, as well as the achievement of 20MPH across the borough
• Street lighting – Is there an issue around safety, dark spots etc and are there gaps in coverage.
• Update on Electric Vehicle charging. We only have one provider – do we need more? Seems to be only a small number of new charging points rolled out year on year. 
• Cllr Jogee to be invited to the next meeting to discuss how as a Council, we are working with the police in light of the Casey report and in order to improve trust and confidence within the community.
• The Borough Commander to be invited to the November meeting to discuss a New Met for London and how can the council work more collaboratively and more effectively with the police. Also, what is the vision for community policing in the borough – access to SNTs seems to vary from ward to ward.

The Panel agreed to put forward a request to Overview & Scrutiny Committee to change the name of the panel to the Climate, Community Safety and Culture Scrutiny Panel.

RESOLVED

That the Panel considered its draft work plan and put forward future agenda items for inclusion on the work plan.

To consider any items admitted at item 3 above.

N/A

·         11 September 2023

·         6 November 2023

·         19 December 2023

·         27 February 2024

·         11 September 2023

·         6 November 2023

·         19 December 2023

·         27 February 2024