Agenda

Venue: Panorama Room, Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY

Contact: Ayshe Simsek, Democratic Services and Scrutiny Manager 

Items
No. Item

1.

FILMING AT MEETINGS

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.

2.

To receive apologies for absence

3.

To ask the Mayor to consider the admission of any late items of business in accordance with Section 100B of the Local Government Act 1972

4.

Declarations of Interest

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

 

5.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 13th of February 2023 and 2nd of March 2023 pdf icon PDF 335 KB

Additional documents:

6.

To receive such communications as the Mayor may lay before the Council

7.

To receive the report of the Chief Executive pdf icon PDF 268 KB

Change to Political composition and Appointments to Committees 2022/23.

 

To receive the Council Calendar of meetings 2023/2024. To follow

Additional documents:

8.

To receive the report of the Monitoring Officer and Head of Legal Services pdf icon PDF 499 KB

Ratification of 2023/24 Total Council Tax Band C (Haringey element plus GLA)

 

9.

Twelfth Annual Carbon Report (2022) pdf icon PDF 373 KB

Additional documents:

10.

To receive reports from the following bodies pdf icon PDF 253 KB

a)    Standards Committee

·         Approval of Member Allowance Scheme 2023/24

·         Extension of Appointment of Independent persons on Standards Committee

·         Constitutional and Committee Changes 2023/2024

 

To follow

 

Additional documents:

11.

Haringey Debate - Understanding and tackling mental health wellbeing in Haringey communities

12.

To consider requests to receive Deputations and/or Petitions and, if approved, to receive them

13.

To answer questions, if any, in accordance with Council Rules of Procedure Nos. 9 & 10 pdf icon PDF 132 KB

Cllr Ovat to Cllr das Neves

  1. Could the Cabinet member explain how this Council supports migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers?

 

 

Cllr Cawley-Harrison to Cllr Ahmet

 

  1. At recent cabinet member signings, cabinet members have approved decisions such as changes to parking charges, signing multimillion pound contracts, and creating new rough sleeping strategy behind closed doors, with neither opposition nor backbench administration councillors allowed in to ask questions. Will you commit to ending this undemocratic practice, and ensure these decisions are made in full public view, with an opportunity for cabinet members to be questioned?

 

Cllr Hymas to Cllr Carlin

  1. Could the Cabinet Member update Council on the efficacy of the Landlord Licensing scheme?

 

Cllr Barnes to Cllr Carlin

 

  1. Haringey is currently being investigated by the Housing Ombudsman due to the poor handling of mould and damp issues in its properties, to see if these failings are indicative of wider failings in the organisation. Given recent stories in the press, such as the case of Nikki Lazarou, and the incredibly serious judgement from the Regulator for Social Housing, do you think that there are wider failings in the organisation?

 

Cllr Jameson to Cllr Hakata

  1. Could the Cabinet member outline what benefits Haringey’s School Streets provide for residents?

 

Cllr Emery to Cllr Carlin

 

  1. The private sector leasing scheme, where properties are supplied by private landlords to house those applying as homeless, is an important part of our housing stock. However, with landlords withdrawing due to how poorly managed the scheme is, property voids for months on end, and, most importantly, our most vulnerable tenants complaining that issues such as damp and mould are not being acted on, what is the council doing to improve the performance of this important scheme?

 

14.

To consider the following Motions in accordance with Council Rules of Procedure No. 13 pdf icon PDF 208 KB

Motion E

 

Housing Repairs

 

Proposer: Councillor Dawn Barnes

Seconder: Councillor Scott Emery

 

.Council Notes:

-       To meet the decent homes standard, homes must meet the following criteria:

o   meet the current statutory minimum standard for housing

o   be in a reasonable state of repair

o   have reasonably modern facilities and services

o   provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort

-       The 2021/22 English Housing Survey found that 10% of social homes do not meet the decent homes standard;

-       The report to the Housing Scrutiny Committee in December 2022 which stated that 31% of council homes in Haringey do not meet the decent homes standard;

-       Haringey’s housing stock has never met the government’s decent homes standard, with the best performance coming in 2019/20 when 17% of homes did not meet the standard;

-       The Regulator of Social Housing concluded in March 2023 Haringey breached the Home Standard, failed to meet statutory health and safety requirements in many homes, and caused “serious detriment” to tenants; 

-       In the 2021 Haringey Residents’ Survey just 67% of social renters said they were happy with the home they live in;

-       In 2020/21 the council failed to meet its target for emergency repairs completed within timescale, and performance has worsened in 2021/22 (up to March);

-       In 2020/21 the council failed to meet its target for resident satisfaction with their last repair, and performance has worsened in 2021/22 (up to March);

-       In 2021/22 (up to March) almost 10% of urgent repairs were not completed within the government timescale;

-       The Housing Ombudsman has launched an investigation into Haringey over persistent poor performance over damp and mould complaints, to assess whether this is indicative of wider failings in the organisation.

 

Council believes that:

-       The Regulator for Social Housing’s judgement in March was an indictment of Haringey’s housing services;

-       The council’s acknowledgement in December 2022 that a significant level of improvement is still needed in the housing repairs service was a necessary first step to improving the service;

-       The administration’s welcome focus on building new council homes must not come at the cost of maintaining the current stock;

-       The administration must make sufficient provision for the maintenance of new and existing council homes, to ensure longevity of these properties and satisfied tenants;

-       The council’s current performance when it comes to repairs is not good enough, and greater investment in both repairs and staffing levels is needed;

-       Properly maintained council stock and improving the repairs service must be a top priority for the council;

-       Bringing the housing service in-house has brought more political control to the service, but will not improve services for residents in and of itself - and public performance indicators have not improved since the service was taken in-house;

-       The Housing Online service is a useful way for residents to be able to check on progress of repairs;

 

Council resolves to:

-       Formally apologise to all tenants who were put at risk by  ...  view the full agenda text for item 14.

Additional documents: