MOTION F (2006/07):
Councillor Williams has given notice that he will move in the following terms:
“This Council wishes to express its concern at the recent criticisms of the Council’s allocations policy, which have come from both the Audit Commission and the Council’s own Cross-Party Scrutiny Review.
Council notes;
· That as long ago as 2000 the Housing Service was made aware that it was operating an unlawful and discriminatory lettings policy.
· That 24000 families are currently on the housing register of whom 5800 are in temporary accommodation; Government targets will force the Council to reduce this by 50% by 2010.
· Applicants for permanent housing and transfers have been told that points may have been wrongly calculated and will have to re-register their details.
· This crisis in the Housing Service threatens the Council’s plans to obtain £238m of funding from the Government for housing improvements and may jeopardise attaining the Decent Homes Standard.
In view of these serious failings Council calls on the Lead Member for Housing to resign and for the Council to arrange independent oversight of the allocations system and housing register, so that no applicant for housing or existing tenant suffers discrimination or disadvantage as a result of the mismanagement of the allocations system”.
MOTION G (2006/07):
Councillor Haley has given notice that he will move in the following terms:
"This Council welcomes the current Transport for London campaign to “Share the Road”, supported by a wide range of road user organisations including London Cycle Campaign (LCC), the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), Living Streets, the Motorcycle Industry Association and the Freight Transport Association.
The campaign aims to help the growing trend for cycling to work by encouraging consideration from motorists and cyclists alike to make sure everyone feels safer and more confident on the road, especially those on cycles.
This Council is committed to working to increase cycle use among residents and employees in Haringey, and resolves to support the campaign and promote cycling and considerate road use in the borough through active publicity and as part of its wider commitment to enabling people to use greener transport and to take more exercise."
Minutes:
It was moved by Councillor Williams and seconded by Councillor C Harris
that:
“This Council wishes to express its concern at the recent criticisms of the Council’s allocations policy, which have come from both the Audit Commission and the Council’s own Cross-Party Scrutiny Review.
Council notes;
· That as long ago as 2000 the Housing Service was made aware that it was operating an unlawful and discriminatory lettings policy.
· That 24000 families are currently on the housing register of whom 5800 are in temporary accommodation; Government targets will force the Council to reduce this by 50% by 2010.
· Applicants for permanent housing and transfers have been told that points may have been wrongly calculated and will have to re-register their details.
· This crisis in the Housing Service threatens the Council’s plans to obtain £238m of funding from the Government for housing improvements and may jeopardise attaining the Decent Homes Standard.
In view of these serious failings Council calls on the Lead Member for Housing to resign and for the Council to arrange independent oversight of the allocations system and housing register, so that no applicant for housing or existing tenant suffers discrimination or disadvantage as a result of the mismanagement of the allocations system”.
An amendment to the motion was moved by Councillor Meehan and seconded by Councillor Bull proposing:
Delete all after “This Council ” in the first line, and replace with:
“recognizes the progress being made in improving the performance of housing services in our borough.
This Council notes the plans set out for further advances in the performance of this service in recent reports to the Executive from the Executive Member for Housing and the Chair of Overview & Scrutiny, taking on board all the comments and suggestions in the Audit Commission’s report, which was commissioned by the Council for this purpose.
This Council notes that the recently completed review of the lettings policy to comply with new legislative requirements and to reflect the council’s increased emphasis on overcrowding and local connections issues has been ongoing since 2003 and further notes that the current review of the housing register is an administrative process, which allows the Council to ensure that all applicant’s details are up to date and to remove households who no longer wish to remain on the register.
This Council notes that the delivery of the 2010 temporary accommodation reduction target is a key project for the current Administration. A comprehensive temporary accommodation reduction plan is in place, which will see this Council achieve the required 50% reduction by the 2010 deadline. The plan brings together the following five main areas of activity:
· Prevention activity to reduce the numbers entering the system and temporary accommodation
· Development of alternative housing options, especially in the private rented sector
· Delivery of affordable and intermediate housing options and maximisation of existing stock
· Conversion of existing units of temporary accommodation into assured shorthold tenancies
· Legal propriety and robust action on client fraud
This council notes the progress already made against this plan, through the establishment of the new Prevention & Options service, the further expansion of the successful Landlord Accreditation and Private Sector Voids programmes, the forthcoming launch of the sub-regional choice based lettings initiative, ongoing Partnering work with key Housing Associations and the securing of a £90m investment programme over the next two years for new social rented and affordable housing.
This council notes the radical restructuring of the Housing Strategy and Needs section during the last year, the engagement of extra managerial capacity and extra staff resources, both permanent and temporary, engaged in order to ensure that both the new Lettings and Re-registration projects and the TA reduction Plan are delivered effectively and on the timescales indicated in the council’s regularly published programme highlight reports.
This Council notes that progress on housing issues is monitored closely by the Chief Executive and senior Council Officers and is reported monthly to the Executive, and that meetings are also held with the Department for Communities and Local Government on a regular basis.
This Council reiterates its determination to achieve two stars for its Housing Service and with it the extra investment needed to transform the homes of Haringey tenants and leaseholders for the better.
This Council reaffirms its confidence in the Executive Member for Housing and also in his ability to take forward these improvements to the Housing Service.”
At this point in the proceedings Councillor Williams asked that the acceptance of the amendment be ruled out of order by the Mayor as he believed it negated the Motion. Following advice by the Monitoring Officer the Mayor advised that the amendment would not be ruled out of order and would be accepted.
The entire Liberal Democrat Group left the meeting at this point.
Members present debated the amendment.
The Amendment was then put to the meeting and declared CARRIED.
The substantive Motion was then put to the meeting and declared CARRIED.
The Liberal Democrat Group then returned to the proceedings.