Agenda item

Motion D: Crown Post Offices

 

Proposer: Cllr J Mann

Seconder: Cllr Elliott

 

Over the course of a year, the Post Office announced the franchise (privatisation) of 99 Crown Offices in 3 “Tranches”.

 

Tranche 1 – January 2016

39 Crown Offices to be franchised

3 actual closures

The proposed franchised Crown Offices in tranche 1 include those in Crouch End and Muswell Hill.

 

Tranche 2 – July 2016

A further 40-50 Crowns to be franchised which could include other Haringey offices.

 

Tranche 3 – January 2017

37 Crown Offices to be franchised

Altogether placing up to 1,000 Post Office employee jobs at risk.

 

This Council believes:

•        Closure and franchising of our High Street Crown Post Offices is detrimental to our local communities.

•        The plan to move Post Offices into shops such as WH Smiths will mean a worsening of services, a potential loss of experienced staff and a possible deterioration of workers conditions such as pay and pensions.

 

This Council resolves:

•        To support local residents and community groups and businesses, the Communication Workers Union and other relevant local unions' who are campaigning to save the Haringey Crown Post Offices and helping to protect decent local jobs.

•        To write to Margot James, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Minister stating the council’s opposition to the Crown Post Office closure and franchising programme.

•        To write to local MPs informing them of our position and encouraging them to oppose the Crown Post Office closure and franchising programme.

 

Motion E: Tackling Moped Crime

 

Proposer: Cllr Morris

Seconder: Cllr Newton

 

This council believes that the Labour Mayor of London should be doing more to tackle the scourge of moped crime on Haringey streets.

 

This council notes that:

•        thieves on scooters and pedal cycles are committing up to 50,000 criminal offences in London each year

•        thefts involving mopeds or motorcycles are currently running at 13,000 over the past 12 months, a 41% increase over the previous period

 

This council also notes that:

•        there has been a significant increase in moped crime in North London and in particular in Haringey, Camden and Islington, with a huge rise in phone and handbag snatches by moped gangs

•        police statistics show that between February and March, Haringey saw a 21% rise in “theft of person” crimes

•        that gangs have stepped up the level of violence, with the use of hammers, acid and other weapons

•        that a number of local residents have been seriously injured by moped gangs stealing property

•        This council is concerned that:

•        a moped gang attacked Gail’s bakery on Highgate High Street, smashing the windows with a hammer, stealing property and injuring a resident

•        a moped gang attacked a delivery driver in Tottenham where the victim had a corrosive substance sprayed in his face

•        a moped gang forcibly entered a restaurant in Crouch End and tried to steal a laptop

 

This council is further concerned that the Labour Mayor of London has recently chosen to close Hornsey police station and Wood Green front counter, leaving only 1 police station open in the entire borough.

 

This council believes that it is unacceptable that Muswell Hill, Alexandra, Fortis Green, Hornsey, Crouch End, Stroud Green, Highgate and Wood Green wards will be left with no police counter and no police contact point, as a result of the Labour Mayor of London’s decision.

 

This council calls on the Mayor of London to:

•        improve co-ordination and co-operation between the different borough police teams in London

•        enable boroughs across London to use dedicated police on motorbikes (with the sole objective of pursuing moped-enabled criminals), as they already do in Camden

•        increase the tagging of motorbikes so that stolen bikes can be tracked and picked up so they are not used by the gangs

•        keep Haringey’s police stations and counters open

•        pay for CCTV and increased police presence in moped crime hotspots

•        consider restrictions on pillion riders of moped vehicles, such as a ban, or encouraging the Metropolitan Police to use their stop and search powers on pillion riders

Councillor Jenifer Mann moved Motion D, setting out the importance of post offices in local communities. She regretted the way the post office had been handled by the Government.

 

The motion was seconded by Councillor Mitchell, who was concerned at the so-called ‘modernisation’ programme of post offices, including the further siting of post offices in retail stores.

 

Councillor Engert moved an amendment to the motion, setting out that the private sector could work to deliver public services, as long as there were adequate safeguards. Councillor Newton seconded the amendment.

 

Councillor Tucker criticised the amendment as being supportive of privatisation, and believed that there could not be adequate safeguarding of public services when managed by the private sector.

 

Councillor Jennifer Mann responded to the debate, urging Members to reject the amendment. 

 

The amendment was put to the vote, where it was NOT CARRIED.

 

The original motion was put to the vote, where it was AGREED.

 

The Mayor then invited Councillor Morris to move Motion E. She believed more needed to be done to tackle the issue of moped crime, which involved increasing levels of violence. She reflected that motorcyclists are often themselves the victims of crime, and should not be penalised by efforts to tackle criminality and would be supporting the amendment to the motion.

 

Councillor Newton seconded the motion, noting the incidents of moped crimes that he was aware of in his ward. He supported widespread tagging of motorcycles.

 

Councillor Ayisi moved the amendment, and set out his work with police locally to tackle moped crimes and work quickly to investigate crimes. The amendment was seconded by Councillor Clare Bull.

 

Councillor Peacock spoke in favour of the amendment, and in support of motorcycle-owners who were often the first victims of moped crime.

 

Councillor Ross spoke of his regret at the announced closure of police counters, and his hope the Mayor of London may help improve coordination between boroughs’ police teams and encourage tagging of motorcycles and mopeds.

 

Councillor Reith noted the agreement in the chamber in relation to the seriousness of the issue, but felt that the Mayor of London’s ability to tackle these issues was constrained by a lack of resource from Government despite specific requests for funding to tackle crime in the capital.

 

Councillor Carter described to Members a recent incident he had witnessed of reckless behaviour by moped riders in Wood Green

 

Responding to the debate, Councillor Morris re-stated that she supported the amendment.

 

Following a vote, which was unanimous, the amendment was CARRIED.

 

The motion as amended was then put to the vote, where it was AGREED unanimously.

 

RESOLVED

 

Motion D: Crown Post Offices

 

Over the course of a year, the Post Office announced the franchise (privatisation) of 99 Crown Offices in 3 “Tranches”.

 

Tranche 1 – January 2016

39 Crown Offices to be franchised

3 actual closures

The proposed franchised Crown Offices in tranche 1 include those in Crouch End and Muswell Hill.

 

Tranche 2 – July 2016

A further 40-50 Crowns to be franchised which could include other Haringey offices.

 

Tranche 3 – January 2017

37 Crown Offices to be franchised

Altogether placing up to 1,000 Post Office employee jobs at risk.

 

This Council believes:

•         Closure and franchising of our High Street Crown Post Offices is detrimental to our local communities.

•         The plan to move Post Offices into shops such as WH Smiths will mean a worsening of services, a potential loss of experienced staff and a possible deterioration of workers conditions such as pay and pensions.

 

This Council resolves:

•         To support local residents and community groups and businesses, the Communication Workers Union and other relevant local unions' who are campaigning to save the Haringey Crown Post Offices and helping to protect decent local jobs.

•         To write to Margot James, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Minister stating the council’s opposition to the Crown Post Office closure and franchising programme.

•         To write to local MPs informing them of our position and encouraging them to oppose the Crown Post Office closure and franchising programme.

 

Motion E: Tackling Moped Crime

 

This Council is disappointed that the Government’s Budget failed to respond to the Labour Mayor of London’s request for additional monies to tackle the very serious problems of crime in the capital. The Government’s failure has made it extremely difficult for the Police to tackle the scourge of moped crime on Haringey streets.

 

This council notes that:

•             thieves on scooters and pedal cycles are committing up to 50,000 criminal offences in London each year

•             thefts involving mopeds or motorcycles are currently running at 13,000 over the past 12 months, a 41% increase over the previous period

 

This council also notes that:

•             there has been a significant increase in moped crime in North London and in particular in Haringey, Camden and Islington, with a huge rise in phone and handbag snatches by moped gangs

•             police statistics show that between February and March, Haringey saw a 21% rise in “theft of person” crimes

•             that gangs have stepped up the level of violence, with the use of hammers, acid and other weapons

•             that a number of local residents have been seriously injured by moped gangs stealing property

•             This council is concerned that:

•             a moped gang attacked Gail’s bakery on Highgate High Street, smashing the windows with a hammer, stealing property and injuring a resident

•             a moped gang attacked a delivery driver in Tottenham where the victim had a corrosive substance sprayed in his face

•             a moped gang forcibly entered a restaurant in Crouch End and tried to steal a laptop

 

This Council is further concerned that the lack of adequate funding from Government has led to the Metropolitan Police Service closing Hornsey police station and Wood Green front counter, leaving only 1 police station open in the entire borough.

 

This council believes that it is unacceptable that Muswell Hill, Alexandra, Fortis Green, Hornsey, Crouch End, Stroud Green, Highgate and Wood Green wards will be left with no police counter and no police contact point.

 

This Council calls on the Government to ensure proper funding for policing in the capital so that the Mayor of London is able to:

•             improve co-ordination and co-operation between the different borough police teams in London

•             enable boroughs across London to use dedicated police on motorbikes (with the sole objective of pursuing moped-enabled criminals), as they already do in Camden

•             increase the tagging of motorbikes so that stolen bikes can be tracked and picked up so they are not used by the gangs

•             keep Haringey’s police stations and counters open

•             pay for CCTV and increased police presence in moped crime hotspots