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 Culverwell and Cllr Amin.

Apologies for lateness were received from Cllr Bull.

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.

None.

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 13^th September were agreed as a correct record.

To receive a presentation for noting from the NLWA regarding the Heat and Power project, including the proposed incinerator upgrade.

The Panel received a presentation from the North London Waste Authority regarding the North London Heat & Power Project. The NLWA were asked to come and speak to the Panel following the last meeting during which there was a deputation around the proposed replacement of the waste incinerator at Edmonton. The presentation was introduced by Martin Capstick, Managing Director of the NLWA as set out in the agenda pack at page 11. David Cullen, Programme Director of the North London Heat & Power Project was also present. The following arose in discussion of the presentation:

a.    The Panel noted that the Heat and Power Project proposals supported increased levels of recycling alongside provision of the cleanest energy recovery system in the country for waste that could not be recycled.

b.    The NLWA emphasised that the facility was capable of dealing with forecasted increased levels of waste and that the facility was predicated on the expectation of dealing with between 500k – 700k tonnes of waste per year by 2050. The NLWA emphasised that they needed to be able to provide an appropriate infrastructure to deal with waste for the coming decades, at a time when population numbers were also due to increase.

c.    The Panel noted that the NLWA recently became the first authority to have the facility to recycle polystyrene packing.

d.    The Chair commented that a lot of the concerns expressed by the community were around the proposed size and scale of the facility. The Chair questioned whether in light of other facilities across London closing down, whether the NLWA was considering having waste from other facilities directed to the new facility in Edmonton. In response, the NLWA  advised that they were a few months from beginning the process of building the facility and that the focus was very much on the waste processing needs of North London only. The Panel was advised that, in simple terms, if NLWA did not build the facility then North London would not be able to deal with its own waste.

e.    The Panel raised concerns about the location of the new facility and the fact that it was in deprived area with existing health and air pollution concerns. In response, the NLWA advised that the facility was being built within an existing waste management site and that the new facility would be the cleanest in the country. The NLWA set out that emissions from the site would be largely undetectable, and that detectable emissions would only be present for no more than a few days of the year.

f.     In response to concerns raised, the NLWA advised that air pollution would improve as a result of the new facility. Under the industrial emissions directive the safe level of emissions was 200 units, the site was licenced from the Environment Agency at 80 units and the expected emissions from the facility were between 10-15 units. The NLWA advised that a simple assumption that the site was going to be a source of significant pollution  ...  view the full minutes text for item 109.

Verbal Update.

To invite comments from the Panel on the priorities for the borough's Community Safety Partnership and current Community Safety issues.

The Panel received an update on the priorities for the Community Safety Partnership for the year. The Panel heard from the Borough Commander as well as the Leader of the Council, as joint Chairs of the Community Safety Partnership.  The Police tabled a set of slides, which were subsequently emailed round to the Members. Simon Crick, Borough Commander introduced the slides. Also present from the Police were; Supt. Chris Jones, DI Paul Ridley and D-Supt. Seb Adjei-Addoh. The key highlights from the presentation were noted as:

·         Total Notifiable Offences were down 11% in 2021 compared to 2019.

·         Violence with Injury was down 10% in 2021 compared to 2019.

·         Total Knife Crime was down 43% in 2021 compared to 2019.

·         Personal Robbery was down 49% in 2021 compared to 2019.

·         Residential Burglary was down 26% in 2021 compared to 2019.

·         Hate Crime had risen by 31% in 2021 compared to 2019. The Police commented that they saw having a high detection rate for this crime to be a positive outcome.

·         In relation to Turnpike Lane/Ducketts Common: Arson and Criminal Damage was up 100%; Burglary up 120%; all robberies up 217%; all sexual offences up 150%; burglaries down 41% and Violence with Injury down 41%. (Figures related to period of Sept 19 – Aug 20 compared to Sept 20 to Aug 21).

·         The Wood Green Town Centre team was due to be operational on 6^th December. This comprised of 1 inspector, 3 sergeants and 21 constables who were an additional resource to the neighbourhood teams.

The Leader of the Council gave a verbal introduction and set out the key priorities in relation to community Safety from a Council perspective. The key points raised were:

• The Leader noted that less than 24 hours after becoming Leader, there was a murder in Turnpike Lane and that she had made Turnpike Lane an absolute priority for her administration. There was a lot of joint working taking place with police and other partners around Turnpike Lane. However, the Leader also commented that they couldn’t seek to just try and police their way out of a particular problem and so a Turnpike Lane Strategy forum was being set up with traders and a range of other partners. This forum was in addition to the police led partnership group for that area.
• The Council was working on an anti-discrimination campaign and meetings with specific community groups had been taking place over the last six months.
• The Leader identified women and safety as a key issue and advised that the Council had received 2000 responses to a survey around women’s safety.  In addition to the police led initiatives, it was identified that the Council would be prioritising improving the public realm and improving street lighting as part of the process of trying to address this issue.
• The Leader also set out the importance of community engagement in relation to Turnpike Lane and commented that there were particular groups that were not adequately engaged with. The Leader and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 110.

To receive information around our approach to identifying and monitoring of crime hotspots in the borough. For noting.

The Panel received a presentation which provided an update on crime and ASB hotspots, including what the process was identifying and monitoring those hotspots. The presentation was included in the agenda pack at pages 25-31. The following arose as part of the discussion of this item:

1. In response to a question around enforcement tools and the need to stop people from fly tipping in the first place, officers acknowledged that there was an element of broken window syndrome. Officers set out that the actions taken in response a particular hotspot was dependent upon what the issue was. Officers used the example of a targeted response that had been used at a location at block of flats at Northumberland Park, where a relocatable CCTV was put in place, an ‘A’ board was put up in the location, a wall of shame picture gallery was put up along with very visible signage and every resident in that block had been visited by officers. This had resulted in a notable improvement in the situation.  Officers also outlined the importance of holding landlords to task for HMO’s.
2. The Panel requested that the email address for reporting ASB be more widely publicised through different communication channels. (Action: Eubert).

RESOLVED

Noted

Verbal update.

To provide the Panel with an opportunity to ask questions of the Leader of the Council in regards to the areas of her portfolio that are within the Panel’s remit. Namely: Community Safety and Serious Youth Violence.

Following and extensive questions as part of agenda Item 8, there were no further questions put to the Leader.

To agree the latest version of the Panel’s work plan. To agree the scoping document and Terms of Reference for the Scrutiny Review on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.

RESOLVED

The Panel noted the Work Programme and agreed any amendments contained therein. 

To consider any items admitted at item 3 above.

N/A

14^th December

3^rd March

14^th December

3^rd March