Agenda item

MOTION B 2013-14

Councillor Mallett has given notice that she will MOVE the following MOTION:

This Council believes:

• The decline of high streets across London and throughout the UK has been accelerated as result of the Government’s deregulation of use class planning rules which prevent local councils from controlling the damaging spread of betting shops, payday lenders and fried food outlets.

• It is wrong that local authorities and communities feel increasingly powerless to shape their town centres or do anything to halt the tide of businesses such as payday loan firms which alter the character of a high street and can put off people visiting or investing, and damages other businesses already there.

This Council notes:

• A Comres poll carried out for the Local Government Association last year found that two out of three members of the public (68 per cent) were against lax planning rules which allow high street banks to be turned into betting shops without permission because they both fall under the same planning category of financial services.

• A report by London Councils has said that town centres and high streets are at risk of not meeting the needs of local residents because planning regulations restrict the power of councils to encourage balanced local economies, including a lack of control on the spread of shops such as pawnbrokers, payday lenders and bookmakers.

• The London Councils report also calls for the Government to reconsider its decision not to grant exemption to the London boroughs that asked to be removed from the recent permitted development rights which allow offices to be converted to homes without planning permission.

• The MP for Tottenham David Lammy, laid down an amendment to the Localism Bill to change the use class of betting shops, but this amendment was defeated by the Lib Dem / Tory Government. The Hornsey and Wood Green MP Lynne Featherstone, voted against the amendment

• The Labour Party has proposed to create an additional umbrella planning class which would allow local councils to decide if they want to place some premises, such as payday lenders, in a separate category. Local authorities could then refuse planning permission on the grounds that, for example, opening a payday loan shop would constitute a change of use. It would also allow councils to control the spread of other types of outlet where there is local concern. This proposal matches the recommendations put forward by London Councils.

This Council resolves:

• To write to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, to outline the Council’s concerns about the impact the Government’s planning reforms are having in Haringey and ask that he urgently considers the proposals to introduce a sui generis (umbrella) planning use class.   

• To write to Haringey’s two local MPs asking them to publically raise the Council’s concerns in Parliament and demand the Government rethink its localism agenda and give more control to local authorities and communities.

MOTION C 2013-14

Councillor Wilson has given notice that he will MOVE the following MOTION:

Affordable Homes and Jobs

The Council acknowledges:

The ambitious plan to deliver 270,000 new affordable homes in the capital by 2018 and create jobs as set out by Liberal Democrat London Assembly Members Stephen Knight and Caroline Pidgeon in a report launched in October. 

The Council notes that:

• The plans set out to turn around the total failure over the last 35 years to build a sufficient number of affordable homes in the capital, leading to not only soaring rents but also a soaring Housing Benefit bill.
• Haringey Council has not build any council homes for 26 years and the last ones the council built were 6 flats in Hornsey.
• That thousands of people are on the housing waiting list in Haringey and that more council homes need to be built.
• That if the 7 point plan in the Affordable Homes and Jobs for London report were to be implemented this would benefit Haringey by making it easier to build council homes and would also create jobs for the local economy.

The Council also notes the main recommendations in the Affordable Homes and Jobs for London report:

• The Mayor of London to double his investment in affordable homes by borrowing against the Greater London Authority’s £11.2bn annual revenue budget under prudential borrowing rules.
• The Mayor of London to use most, if not all, GLA-owned land for affordable homes.
• Government to scrap the Housing Revenue Account borrowing cap, enabling the London boroughs to invest in affordable housing under prudential borrowing rules.
• Government to increase its investment in affordable homes, shifting the balance of its spending from housing benefit to bricks and mortar.
• Devolution of responsibility for Skills Funding Agency money for London to the Mayor of London, so that it can be better focused on addressing local needs.
• A package of measures to help SMEs in the construction sector take advantage of the work generated by the programme.
• The Mayor of London to act as a one stop shop for construction apprenticeships, streamlining the process for SMEs in particular and providing career development for apprentices.
• Government to increase its investment in affordable homes, shifting the balance of its spending from housing benefit to bricks and mortar.
• Devolution of responsibility for Skills Funding Agency money for London to the Mayor, so that it can be better focused on addressing local needs.
• A package of measures to help SMEs in the construction sector take advantage of the work generated by the programme.
• The Mayor of London to act as a one stop shop for construction apprenticeships, streamlining the process for SMEs in particular and providing career development for apprentices.

The Council resolves to endorse the main recommendations in the Affordable Homes and Jobs for London report.

Due to the late hour Motions B &C were not considered.