Agenda item

[Report of the Assistant Director for Strategy and Communications. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Civic Services.]

Cabinet agreement will be sought for the launch of the Fairness Commission .

A deputation had been received from Ms Mirca Morera, representing Save Latin Village and Wards Corner campaign, in relation to item 9 of the Agenda.

Ms Morera spoke as the representative of Save Latin Village and Wards Corner and firstly welcomed the creation of the Fairness Commission as it had the potential to signify necessary change to ensure fairness for all.

Ms Morera further stated that such a body was significant in creating a dialogue for the future with its number one regeneration resource, its people. Ms Morera spoke about the Fairness Commissions set up in other Boroughs which served as a valuable blueprint for the Haringey Fairness Commission to follow.

Ms Morera went on to highlight the following:

• The good community work that takes place at the Latin Village, such as, providing access to childcare, health and supporting users with disability.

• The alternative community plan that Save the Latin Village campaign has produced for Wards Corner which, in the view of the deputation, was a viable and affordable plan that would involve a full renovation to provide a diverse and genuinely unique landmark.

• In the deputation’s view, the developer had not complied with section 106 of the agreement to support existing traders.

• The Save Latin Village and Wards Corner campaign has had three failed judicial reviews but had now filed a race discrimination claim against the developer agent following several disputes with local traders.

• The deputation felt that the diversity of Latin village should be valued and questioned the lack of affordable housing on the site.

• The Save Latin Village and Wards Corner campaign was seeking Haringey Council to withdraw and annul its co-operation the developer at Wards Corner and referred to the recent behaviour of the developer agent at a meeting.

The Cabinet Members asked the deputation questions and the following was noted:

• That the race discrimination case, mentioned above, was filed in November 2017 but, as of yet, there was no update regarding the progression of this case.

• The deputation welcomed the opportunity to take part in the evidence gathering stage and asked for Cabinet to look at the Wards Corner development with fresh eyes and review the case of Latin Village, judging this on its merits.

The Cabinet Member for Civic Services thanked the deputation for their presentation, which covered a range of areas, wider than the remit of the Fairness Commission. The Commission would be gathering information from across the borough and would welcome hearing from the group. They were invited to submit evidence in writing to understand implications for policymaking. The Cabinet Member was interested in deputation’s comments about childcare as this was an area of particular concern in the borough. Also how the Council shapes its policies in relation to this will be important going forward.

The Leader invited the Cabinet Member for Civic Services to introduce the report on the Fairness commission.

The Cabinet Member for Civic Services introduced the report which sought agreement to the establishment of the Fairness Commission, in line with the current Council’s Leadership pledge during the recent electoral campaign, and the early actions to be undertaken. The Council’s overarching aim was to improve the quality of life in Haringey. This work was especially important given the impact of the last 8 years of austerity and cuts in local government funding which had a substantial impact on communities.

Through listening and collecting information from community stakeholders, the Commission would make proposals on how to make Haringey a fairer borough for all. The commissioners would be drawn from as many different sections of the community as possible to represent the voices of all those within the borough of Haringey.

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The Cabinet Member emphasised the importance of Councillors hearing and listening to local residents , discussing issues related to fairness. Key activities would involve backbench members to further allow them to participate in shaping the Council’s decision making to achieve the aim of becoming a fairer borough.

In response to questions, the following information was noted:

• In relation to the key priorities of the Fairness Commission, it was highlighted that the issues presented in the report for coverage was not an exhaustive list and that the process was an organic one by which issues may present themselves for discussion through the course of the evidence gathering. Amongst the key issues to be addressed, by the Fairness Commission, were : housing; the supply of housing; issue of private sector housing; debt, access to credit; rising household costs; the impact of welfare reform; safety and security; projects that seek to tackle loneliness via social media; access to information; health and wellbeing; and issues of mental health. It was noted that the likely question for the Commission will be how it narrows the scope of its report.

• In addressing how the Fairness Commission will go about getting the viewpoints of those who do not actively choose to participate in such formal meetings, it was noted that the intention of the Commission was to travel throughout the Borough to extend its reach and to invite all communities to give evidence. For individuals who were not be able to access meetings or not comfortable speaking in meetings, the Commission may look at providing alternative means by which these individuals can give evidence. This could be by providing evidence via a tape recording for these to be played at the public hearings. It was further noted that the Council was taking all of these sensitivities into account and that there was a dedicated team of officers thinking about all of these issues regarding how best to collate and present evidence before the Commission.

• With regards to how often the Fairness Commission findings will be reviewed and considered, it was highlighted that other London boroughs, that have set up similar Commissions, have produced reports on an annual basis to ensure that the Commission is still working effectively.

• The success of the Fairness Commission report will be measured against the improvement it achieves in creating policies that are workable and mitigate poverty or any other problems that affect people. The commissioners, including members of Overview and Scrutiny, will be invited to sit on the Fairness Commission and will have a full range of varying experiences and are people who come from all different walks of life. The idea was to balance individuals sitting on the Commission with different experiences and different skills.

RESOLVED

1.    To agree that the Haringey Fairness Commission is established;

2.    To agree the appointment of Cllr Brabazon, Cabinet Member for Civic Services, and Dr Paul Watt, Professor of Urban Studies at Birkbeck, University of London, as Co-Chairs of the Commission;

3.    To note the range of partners and stakeholders who have been approached to join as Commissioners;

4.    To note that the Commission will conduct a range of evidence and public engagement sessions between October 2018 – March 2019, with a view to publishing a final report and set of recommendations in summer 2019.

Reasons for decision

This report and recommendations seek to establish the Haringey Fairness Commission. The Commission will aim to hear from a wide range of residents, stakeholders, partners and experts with a view to publishing a final report setting out their findings and recommendations in summer 2019.

The recommendations are intended to be practical, setting out how the Council and its partners can tackle issues of inequality and fairness that are highlighted through the evidence sessions and public engagement that is planned to take place.