Agenda item

MOTION D 2013-14

 

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

 

This Council notes that local residents will be concerned to read news stories published by the Haringey Independent and the Morning Star that suggest Labour Councillor Alan Strickland led a Council delegation earlier this month to Cannes in the south of France to meet property developers on board a luxury yacht, and that this trip cost £16,000.

 

This Council calls on the Chief Financial Officer and the Monitoring Officer to urgently investigate the costs and propriety of making such a trip, to establish:

- which councillors and officers took part in this trip, and how and when the decision to travel to Cannes was made;

- who was aware of this decision and why most councillors only discovered this trip had been made through the news media;

- what were the itemised expenses and total cost of the trip;

- whether the trip was sponsored by private companies who might profit from redevelopment plans, and whether this could result in potential conflicts of interest amongst councillors and officers who took part; and

- the names of the individuals and companies which the delegation met

 

This Council further calls on the Chief Council Officer and the Monitoring Officer to publish the findings of their investigation within 1 month of this full council meeting and send copies of their report to all councillors

 

MOTION E 2013-14

 

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

 

 

This Council believes:

 

• Clause 119 of the Government’s Care Bill is a major change in Government policy on reconfiguration that will allow the Health Secretary to make major changes to hospitals above the heads of local people and local clinicians

 

• Clause 119 is not only taking decision making powers away from local commissioners but shortchanging patients. The Francis report was clear that we need to find better ways of hearing the patient voice.

 

• Given the financial pressures on many NHS organisations, the special administration process is likely to be used on an increasing basis in the future, raising the prospect of the Secretary of State forcing hospital closures over the heads of local communities

 

• There is sometimes a need to make changes to local services, but the TSA route is the wrong way to do this. It is a dramatically wrong solution to a very real problem.

 

This Council notes:

 

• Under the current Government, £2.7 billion has been cut from local council budgets for adult social care and the system is now close to collapse. Charges for vital care services, like home help and meals on wheels, are increasing fast and preventative services have all but disappeared in many areas.

 

• The Institute for Fiscal Studies says “Once adjusted for age, the NHS is being cut by 9% between 2010 and 2019. Suffering five years of annual 4% "efficiency saving" cuts, with the same for another five years to come; it has a £30bn funding gap.”

 

• Clause 119 gives the Secretary of State sweeping powers to make changes at successful hospitals, by extending the powers of the Trust Special Administrator to make recommendations affecting Trusts outside of the failing Trust to which it has been appointed. Even the highest performing, financially healthy hospitals can be closed by administrators if a neighbouring trust is failing.

 

• The High Court ruled that the Secretary of State did not have the power under existing legislation to implement major changes at Lewisham hospital, on the recommendation of the TSA at the neighbouring South London Healthcare Trust. Following the legal ruling they introduced an amendment to the Care Bill to make clear that the TSA can make recommendations affecting other trusts.

 

• The British Medical Association has said that the clause as it stands could become an avenue for “backdoor” reconfiguration being allowed as part of the failure regime and that it “was introduced without full consultation and has significant implications, which have not been thought through.”

 

• Jeremy Taylor, National Voices (representing patients’ groups) said “We think that this is wrong in principle and likely to be counterproductive in practice”

 

This Council resolves:

 

• To write to the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, to outline the Council’s concerns about Clause 119 and to ask that he urgently reconsiders this issue.

 

• To write to Haringey’s two local MPs asking them to publically raise the Council’s concerns in Parliament and demand the Government rethink Clause 119.

 

Motion D (2013/14)

 

The Mayor advised that in respect of MOTION D an amendment had been submitted by the Lib/Dem Group to their substantive MOTION D.

 

In respect of the substantive MOTION D and the amendment by the Lib Dem Group the Mayor advised that it would be Councillor Reece to move the MOTION and not Cllr Wilson as stated on the summons, and Councillor  Wilson would second the MOTION.

 

The amendment was moved by Councillor Reece and seconded by Councillor Wilson that:

 

This Council notes that local residents will be concerned to read news stories published by the Haringey Independent and the Morning Star that suggest Labour Councillor Alan Strickland led a Council delegation earlier this month to Cannes in the south of France to meet property developers on board a luxury yacht, and that this trip cost £16,000.

 

This Council notes the results of the Deputy Monitoring Officer's investigation which was sent to all councillors on 21st March and which reveals:

- that the cost of the trip was £22,000 rather than the £16,000 claimed in the Council's press release of 12th March;

- that over £3,000 was spent on accommodation and travel for Cllr Strickland and the Director of Regeneration;

- according to Haringey's constitution the decision to spend money on this trip should have been made public and reported at a cabinet meeting, but this did not happen; and

- sponsorship was received from five private companies with a commercial interest in Haringey's redevelopment plans, without any particular consideration for potential conflicts of interest

 

This Council calls on the Leader of the Council to:

 

- publish the Deputy Monitoring Officer's report on the Council's website;

- ensure all future delegated decisions are properly reported at cabinet according to the constitution, particularly those involving foreign trips;

- increase transparency about the Council's relationship with developers and consultants and other private firms that stand to benefit from regeneration projects, and avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest; and

- commit to ensuring the regeneration of Tottenham benefits ordinary residents rather than just developers and consultants. 

 

The Mayor asked if the amendment to the MOTION was accepted.

 

On a VOTE there being 16 for, 30 against and 3 abstentions the amendment was lost.

 

Councillor Reece then MOVED, and Councillor Wilson seconded, the substantive MOTION D as follows:

 

This Council notes that local residents will be concerned to read news stories published by the Haringey Independent and the Morning Star that suggest Labour Councillor Alan Strickland led a Council delegation earlier this month to Cannes in the south of France to meet property developers on board a luxury yacht, and that this trip cost £16,000.

 

This Council calls on the Chief Financial Officer and the Monitoring Officer to urgently investigate the costs and propriety of making such a trip, to establish:

 

- which councillors and officers took part in this trip, and how and when the decision to travel to Cannes was made;

- who was aware of this decision and why most councillors only discovered this trip had been made through the news media;

- what were the itemised expenses and total cost of the trip;

- whether the trip was sponsored by private companies who might profit from redevelopment plans, and whether this could result in potential conflicts of interest amongst councillors and officers who took part; and

- the names of the individuals and companies which the delegation met

 

This Council further calls on the Chief Council Officer and the Monitoring Officer to publish the findings of their investigation within 1 month of this full council meeting and send copies of their report to all councillors

 

Councillor Strickland MOVED an amendment to MOTION D, which was seconded by Councillor Kober as follows:

 

 This Council believes that:

 

• The key to tackling poverty, inequality and unemployment in Haringey is delivering the Council’s bold and ambitious plans for more jobs, homes, businesses and regeneration in Tottenham, Wood Green, Alexandra Palace and other regeneration sites.

 

• To secure these ambitions, it is vital that Haringey is seen to be a borough that is open for business and the Council needs to be more pro-active in promoting the area.

 

• The Council’s presence at the MIPIM property conference for the first time was an important step in showcasing the Council’s regeneration ambitions and attracting inward investment.

 

• Further steps should be taken to promote Haringey Council’s strong vision for the borough and secure inward investment.

 

This Council notes that:

 

• The Council has ambitious plans to bring jobs, homes and business to Tottenham, Haringey Heartlands, Alexandra Palace, high streets across the borough and a host of regeneration sites.

 

• The Council’s consultation on the Sites Allocations Development Plan Document to seek the views of residents and businesses on which sites across the borough can offer opportunities for growth.

 

• The Council’s regeneration initiatives are chiming with residents, with 3,700 people engaging in the Council’s recent ‘Tottenham’s Future’ consultation, many feeding back that they are keen to see change and regeneration that improves the area.

 

• The Tottenham Regeneration Programme has delivered a number of important achievements and milestones over the last 12 months, including: the national government commitment to a £500m borrowing guarantee for housing and transport in Tottenham; £72m investment to deliver at least four trains per hour on the West Anglia Main Line between Northumberland Park, Tottenham Hale and Stratford; a successful consultation on the High Road West master plan options; and the opening of the first phase of the Tottenham Hotspur FC stadium development as well as continued progress on key development schemes at Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale.

 

• The Council is taking a number of steps to promote the borough more pro-actively, including a recent special New London Architecture event to showcase Tottenham regeneration, attendance at the MIPIM conference and targeting of the regeneration trade press

 

• The MIPIM conference is seen as an important platform to promote regeneration by the Greater London Authority and many local authorities who attend each year, with over 40 UK local authorities attending this year’s 2014 conference.

 

• Sponsorship from developers and businesses, which are already working closely with the Council to regenerate Tottenham, was used to offset the cost of Haringey Council attending the MIPIM conference.

 

This Council resolves that:

 

• The Council should step up its work to promote Haringey to investors in order to deliver the jobs, homes and regeneration those residents deserve and want.

 

Councillor Cooke moved, given the late hour that the amendment to the MOTION be put.

 

Councillor Reece responded as the original mover to the substantive MOTION D as was her right of reply.

 

On a vote of the amendment to the MOTION D there being 30 for, 16 against and 1 abstention the amendment was carried.

 

The substantive MOTION was put to the vote – there being 30 for, 16 against and 1 abstention it was:

 

RESOLVED

 

This Council believes that:

 

• The key to tackling poverty, inequality and unemployment in Haringey is delivering the Council’s bold and ambitious plans for more jobs, homes, businesses and regeneration in Tottenham, Wood Green, Alexandra Palace and other regeneration sites.

 

• To secure these ambitions, it is vital that Haringey is seen to be a borough that is open for business and the Council needs to be more pro-active in promoting the area.

 

• The Council’s presence at the MIPIM property conference for the first time was an important step in showcasing the Council’s regeneration ambitions and attracting inward investment.

 

• Further steps should be taken to promote Haringey Council’s strong vision for the borough and secure inward investment.

 

This Council notes that:

 

• The Council has ambitious plans to bring jobs, homes and business to Tottenham, Haringey Heartlands, Alexandra Palace, high streets across the borough and a host of regeneration sites.

 

• The Council’s consultation on the Sites Allocations Development Plan Document to seek the views of residents and businesses on which sites across the borough can offer opportunities for growth.

 

• The Council’s regeneration initiatives are chiming with residents, with 3,700 people engaging in the Council’s recent ‘Tottenham’s Future’ consultation, many feeding back that they are keen to see change and regeneration that improves the area.

 

• The Tottenham Regeneration Programme has delivered a number of important achievements and milestones over the last 12 months, including: the national government commitment to a £500m borrowing guarantee for housing and transport in Tottenham; £72m investment to deliver at least four trains per hour on the West Anglia Main Line between Northumberland Park, Tottenham Hale and Stratford; a successful consultation on the High Road West master plan options; and the opening of the first phase of the Tottenham Hotspur FC stadium development as well as continued progress on key development schemes at Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale.

 

• The Council is taking a number of steps to promote the borough more pro-actively, including a recent special New London Architecture event to showcase Tottenham regeneration, attendance at the MIPIM conference and targeting of the regeneration trade press

 

• The MIPIM conference is seen as an important platform to promote regeneration by the Greater London Authority and many local authorities who attend each year, with over 40 UK local authorities attending this year’s 2014 conference.

 

• Sponsorship from developers and businesses, which are already working closely with the Council to regenerate Tottenham, was used to offset the cost of Haringey Council attending the MIPIM conference.

 

This Council resolves that:

 

• The Council should step up its work to promote Haringey to investors in order to deliver the jobs, homes and regeneration those residents deserve and want.

 

Due to the late hour MOTION E 2013/14 was not reached.

 

The meeting ended at 21.59hrs.