Minutes:
Issues raised by residents during the Area Forum
Waste Collections
· The change in collection date could lead to missed collections, and a build up of refuse at some properties.
Officers assured the Committee that this would not happen – additional vehicles would be put on the collection rounds to pick up any missed collections.
· A resident referred to the compostable liners for food waste and asked how the Council had addressed the issue of the extra cost for households to buy the special liners.
Officers explained that food waste did not need to be in liners to go into the food waste bin. However, those residents who did want to purchase bags could do so through Veolia. Options were being looked at with regards to the feasibility of the Council providing bags, but a decision was yet to be made.
· Street-sweepers were not always reporting issues – for example, fly tipping incidents, and broken glass left on the streets.
All street-sweepers were required to report issues – these issues would be taken up with the Veolia Village manager to ensure that routes were monitored on a regular basis.
· Bins were not always returned to properties following waste collections. This posed a number of problems – for example, bins could get lost, some elderly residents were not able to move the bins back to their own properties, and there were potential security issues.
Officers accepted that this was not good enough and that it needed to improve. Weekly visits were carried out and the message would be re-iterated to staff. Once the last phase had been implemented, each route would have the same crew each week, which would make it easier for the management team to monitor and manage issues.
Residents could contact Veolia by telephone – 020 8885 7700 – or email –enquiries.haringey@veolia.co.uk
Council Tax Reduction Scheme
· A resident asked whether the reductions in Council Tax benefits would be the same across other boroughs.
Each Local Authority would develop their own proposals, based on consultation and their own circumstances.
· What affect could the reduction in Council Tax Benefit have on some residents?
If a resident received 100% Council Tax Benefits under the current scheme would receive an 80% reduction in their bill. For a claimant in a band ‘d’ property, this would mean that their benefit would be reduced by £298.21 per year and so they would have to pay this towards their Council Tax bill. This would equate to £5.73 per week.
Houses in Multiple Occupation – proposed additional Licensing Scheme
· Was it possible for private rents to be capped?
The Local Authority have no powers to cap private rents.
· What would happen to tenants if a licence was revoked?
The Local Authority would take action against the landlord to make sure that properties were maintained to an acceptable standard. Where there were too many tenants, a landlord would not be required to evict them but it would be expected that the number would reduce over time as tenancy agreements expired. Once the maximum number of tenants for a property had been reached, it would be an offence for the landlord to exceed that limit.
· What resources would be used to carry out the initial work and then to monitor properties in the future?
There was an existing team within the Housing Improvement service to carry out the work. It was expected that the licence fees would provide the income for future enforcement activity.
Questionnaires could be completed online - www.haringey.gov.uk/additional-hmo-licensing - or hard copies could be requested from Lynn.sellar@haringey.gov.uk or 020 8489 5521
Issues raised during the Area Committee
A Plan for Tottenham
Members discussed the ‘Plan for Tottenham’ and the inclusion of local residents when developing plans, as opposed to consulting with residents after plans had been made. The Chair suggested that residents be included at meetings of the Tottenham Board. Councillors Bevan and Peacock (as members of the Board) suggested that the Tottenham Board was not the best way to include residents. Kevin Bartle – as Area Champion – undertook to speak with Lyn Garner – Director, Place and Sustainability – to look at how local residents could have an input into the earlier stages of the planning process. ACTION: Kevin Bartle
Post meeting note:
The Tottenham Regeneration team have asked Frontline Services to provide them with contact details for residents on the Northumberland Park and White Hart Lane area forum distribution list, so that they can be included in communications with regards to master-planning work.
Publicity at meetings
Councillor Bevan requested that future meetings were more visibly publicised and suggested that larger posters could be displayed at the venues during the run up to the meeting. ACTION: Clerk / Frontline Services
Post meeting note –
A3 laminated posters provided for the venue and 70 posters sent out to libraries, schools and estate noticeboards.
White Hart Lane Safer Neighbourhood Team
Following the brief update provided by Sergeant MacPherson during the forum for the Northumberland Park SNT, the Chair requested that an update be provided for the White Hart Lane SNT. ACTION: Clerk / White Hart Lane Safer Neighbourhood Team
Post meeting note –
An invitation to attend the meeting on 4 February 2013 has been extended to the White Hart Lane Safer Neighbourhood Team.