The Speaker of the Council, Councillor Saif Uddin Kahled in the Chair

The Speaker of the Council provided his update to the Council. He noted that he had attended the London Mayor’s Association’s  induction event and had met with new civic colleagues across London.

He had visited his chosen charities, the Sick Children’s Trust and the Osmani Trust and had the opportunity to see first-hand the work they do. Other highlights included:

·       Attending a celebration event for a lifeboat from Sweden, built in 1868 by Messrs. Forrestt & Son of Limehouse; and

·       Participating in a Democracy event with young Children in the Council Chamber;

The Speaker congratulated Councillor Rachel Blake for being elected as MP for Cities and Westminster and Councillor Nathalie Beinfait for coming a close second in her bid to become MP for Poplar and Limehouse.

The Speaker congratulated Aspana Begum MP on her re-election to Poplar and Limehouse and Rushanara Ali MP on her re-election to Bethnal Green and Stepney constituencies. He also congratulated Rushanara Ali MP for being appointed as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Further congratulations were given to Uma Kumaran MP, elected as MP for the newly formed constituency of Stratford and Bow as well as congratulations to Sir Keir Starmer for being elected as Prime Minister and forming the next government.

Finally, the Speaker thanked the Acting Returning Officer and staff who had worked on the elections and count.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Rachel Blake, Councillor Ohid Ahmed and Councillor Abdul Malik.

Councillor Ayas Miah and Councillor Maisha Begum joined the meeting online.

Members are reminded to consider the categories of interest, identified in the Code of Conduct for Members to determine; whether they have an interest in any agenda item and any action they should take. For further details, see the attached note from the Monitoring Officer.

Members are also reminded to declare the nature of the interest at the earliest opportunity and the agenda item it relates to. Please note that ultimately it is the Members’ responsibility to identify any interests and also update their register of interests form as required by the Code.

If in doubt as to the nature of an interest, you are advised to seek advice prior to the meeting by contacting the Monitoring Officer or Democratic Services.

There were no declarations of pecuniary interests declared by members.

To confirm as a correct record of the proceedings the unrestricted minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Council held on 15 May 2024.

The Council RESOLVED to:

1.    Agree the minutes of the Annual General meeting of the Council of 15^th May 2024, and approve them as a correct record of the proceedings, save for the correction at item number 2, that Councillor Suluk Ahmed was appointed as Deputy Speaker of the Council and not Councillor Saif Uddin Khaled who is the Speaker. The Speaker was authorised to sign the minutes accordingly.

Steve Halsey, Chief Executive provided an update to the Council meeting, highlighting the following issues:

·       Steve Halsey thanked the Elections team, polling clerks and count staff for their work on the General Election and congratulated the MP’s who had been appointed for their constituency.

·       He congratulated Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister and said the Council had already been in contact with the new government.

·       He highlighted the success of the Staff Conference and Awards held in early July and said almost 3,000 staff members had attended.

·       He informed Members, that the new Corporate Director for Health, Adults and Social Care, Ms Georgia Chimbani would be joining the Council on the 29^th August 2024; and lastly

·       Interviews for the Director of Legal Services and Monitoring Officer had been held and Ms Shupriya Iqbal had been appointed to the position.

The Council Procedure Rules provide for a maximum of four petitions to be discussed at an Ordinary Meeting of the Council.

The attached report presents the received petitions to be discussed. Should any additional petitions be received they will be listed to be noted but not discussed.

5.1 Petition requesting the Council to re-open the Boundary Estate Community Launderette.

Johnathan Moberly, Lorraine Hart and Abdul Goffar presented their petition relating to the re-opening of the Boundary Estate Community Launderette. Mr Moberly said many people in the community had concerns about the closure of the launderette in February 2024. He said the launderette was a vital community hub and was used by many residents of the Estate. He said whilst they welcomed the re-opening of the launderette following negotiations with the Council, they were seeking a permanent solution regarding the location and status of the launderette. He said they’d like to see the premises designated to the ‘community asset’ portfolio and not as it is under the ‘commercial asset’ category.

Members asked questions of the petitioners before Council debated the matter as the petition had received over 2,800 signatures.

Councillor Saied Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Resources and Cost-of-Living responded to matters raised in the petition. He said a tenancy at will for a period of up to twelve months was granted on 26 March which allowed the Launderette to resume operations.

The property does not meet the criteria for additions to the community premises portfolio, one of which excludes retail properties. The criteria was agreed at Cabinet in 2021, however we are working closely with the charity and remain committed to dialogue with the Launderette to explore whether there are alternative options that would allow for it to continue occupation on a long-term sustainable basis.

The Council RESOLVED to:

1.    That the petition be referred to the Corporate Director for Communities for a written response within 28 days.

The Council’s Constitution provides for the Elected Mayor to give a report at each Ordinary Council Meeting.

A maximum of six minutes is allowed for the Elected Mayor’s report, following which the Speaker of the Council will invite the leaders of the opposition groups to respond for up to two minutes each should they so wish. Following those contributions, the Mayor may reply for up to two minutes.

Mayor Lutfur Rahman presented his report to the Council.

The Opposition Group Leader, Councillor Sirajul Islam then responded briefly to the Mayor’s report.

Mayor Rahman provided concluding remarks.

To debate a Motion submitted by the Administration in accordance with Rules 11 and 13 of the Council’s Constitution. The debate will last for a maximum of 30 minutes.

MOTION ON BANGLADESHI DIASPORA IN TOWER HAMLETS

Council considered a motion as printed in the agenda on the Bangladeshi Diaspora in Tower Hamlets that had been moved by Councillor Musthak Ahmed and seconded by Councillor Abu Talha Chowdhury.

Following debate, the motion moved by Councillor Musthak Ahmed was put to the vote and was unanimously agreed.

The Council RESOLVED to:

This Council notes:

·       That Tower Hamlets has always been a place known for its tolerance and welcoming of communities from around the world.

·       That one of the largest of these communities to make Tower Hamlets its home is the Bangladeshi community. Comprising over 1/3 of the borough’s population, this community has made its home in Tower Hamlets for over 100 years.

·       That they have continued the rich tradition of immigration to Tower Hamlets. Starting with the French Huguenots; and continuing through the Jewish; Irish; and the African Caribbean communities, the Bangladeshi population – alongside the more recent arrival of a thriving Somali community – has enriched the borough and left a lasting and positive legacy in the borough.

·       The first Bangladeshis to come to Tower Hamlets were Lascars, seamen from the Indian subcontinent who served aboard European vessels. 896 of these Lascars were killed during the Great War, demonstrating the Bangladeshi community’s pride in coming to Britain.

·       That one of the oldest institutions of the Bangladeshi community was founded by one of these lascars, Shah Jalal Coffee House, which was established in 1920 at 76 Commercial Street. This set the precedent for the vibrant and ubiquitous presence of Bangladeshis in the catering business – not only in Tower Hamlets, but across the UK.

·       That the majority of the borough’s Bangladeshi population came to London in the 1950s and 1960s, seeking better lives for themselves and their families following the partition of India. They worked in textile factories; car plants; and the rag trade, as well the now world-renowned curry-houses across the Country, and particularly in Tower Hamlets. They came to help rebuild Britain after the war. 

·       That this community stood against the violent racism espoused by the National Front in the 1970s that led to the tragic and callous murder of Altab Ali and continued violence and attacks against Bangladeshis. They stood alongside black; Jewish; and LGTBQ residents of Tower Hamlets to drive them out.

·       That this continued against the BNP in the 1990s; and the EDL in the 2000s and 2010s.

·       That this community has worked tirelessly through the voluntary and community sectors to support people – regardless of their background – to tackle poverty; inequality; and strengthen community cohesion.

·       That by the 1980s and 1990s, Bangladeshis represented a key component of the cultural; social; political; and economic fabric of Tower Hamlets, with a booming business sector and representatives in Local and National government.

·       That these local activists who went on to be elected representatives in Local Government in Tower Hamlets Council, contributed to the development and improvement of the social; economic; and cultural fabric of Tower Hamlets.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To debate a Motion submitted by the Opposition Group in accordance with Rules 11 and 13 of the Council’s Constitution. The debate will last for a maximum of 30 minutes.

MOTION FOR DEBATE ON TACKLING POVERTY PROGRAMME

Council considered a motion as printed in the agenda on the Tackling Poverty Programme that had been moved by Councillor Asma Islam and seconded by Councillor Amy Lee. Council also considered an amendment proposed by Councillor Asma Islam and seconded by Councillor Amy Lee and an amendment proposed by Councillor Maium Talukdar and seconded by Councillor Abdul Wahid as set out in the tabled papers.

Amendment Proposed by Councillor Asma Islam and seconded by Councillor Amy Lee.

Additions Underlined

Deletions Struck through

This council notes:

-        The United Kingdom is the sixth largest economy in the world and London is the fifth wealthiest city in the world. The Borough of Tower Hamlets has faced disproportionately high levels of child poverty and deprivation for decades.

-        Currently 56% of children in our borough live in poverty, the highest percentage in the UK.

-        Tower Hamlets unemployment rate is at 6.3% and has one of the highest rates of youth unemployment in London disproportionately affecting the BAME population.

-        There have been several, high quality, pieces of research conducted on poverty in the Borough such as the LBTH 2021 Poverty Review and the Toynbee Hall Poverty Review.

-        The 2021 Tower Hamlets Poverty Review found that the primary causes of poverty in our borough are:

§  Joblessness

§  Insecure, low paid work

§  Rising living costs

§  Housing costs, insecurity and undersupply

§  Inadequate and arbitrary social security system

-        Pensioner Poverty has risen dramatically since 2014 especially those who live in private rental accommodation.

-        It’s estimated that residents of Tower Hamlets could have more than £110 million in unclaimed benefits and support.

-        The 2023 O&S Review of Food Insecurity in our borough found that in 2023 there had been a rise of £643 to the annual average food shop.

-        In work poverty has been on the rise since 2010 with more than 75% of children in poverty in 2023 living in a household where someone is in work.

-        Over 60% of families in receipt of tax credits were in work and just under 50% of those in receipt of housing benefit were also in work.

-        That ‘Tackling the Cost-of-Living Crisis’ is a key component of the Tower Hamlets Strategic Plan as well as other anti-poverty measures such as Universal Free School Meals and 100% Council Tax Reduction Scheme.

-        The socio-economic duty, section 1 of the Equality Act (2010) requires public bodies to adopt transparent and effective measures to address the inequalities that result from differences in occupation, education, place of residence or social class.

This council believes:

-        That combatting child poverty/ poverty and deprivation should be its most important objective.

-        Child poverty is linked to household income – Tower hamlets has the highest income earners (second highest in London) as well as the lowest earners or in unemployment.

-        The austerity programme started under the previous government, weakened the social safety net and public services  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

The report of the Corporate Director, Communities, on Markets Designations is marked to follow as it is due to be considered at Cabinet on 10 July 2024 and will be added to the Council agenda should the Cabinet meeting agree for it to be submitted.

The report is available to view on the Council web page for that Cabinet meeting: https://democracy.towerhamlets.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=720&MId=15298&Ver=4

Councillor Shafi Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Environment and the Climate Emergency moved the report on Market Designation (Columbia Road, Watney and Whitechapel). Councillor Kamrul Hussain seconded the report.

Councillor Ahmed said Cabinet had considered the report on the 10^th July 2024 and he was asking Council to approve the recommendations within the report. Members added their comments. Members requested Officers to consider the suggestion to allow market traders in Columbia Road market to extend their over-hung canopies over the pitch-size, of 3m x 3m to provide shelter to visitors from the weather and allow them to display their goods more prominently.

The Council RESOLVED to:

1.    Note the report; and

2.    Agreed to the market improvements as set out in the Cabinet report for Columbia Road Market, Watney Market and Whitechapel Market and asked that Officers review the suggestion put forward by members in relation to pitches for Columbia Road Market.

The report of the Corporate Director, Communities, on Markets and Street Trainding Fees and Charges is marked to follow as it is due to be considered at Cabinet on 10 July 2024 and will be added to the Council agenda should the Cabinet meeting agree for it to be submitted.

The report is available to view on the Council web page for that Cabinet meeting: https://democracy.towerhamlets.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=720&MId=15298&Ver=4

Councillor Shafi Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Environment and the Climate Emergency moved the report on Market and Street Fees & Charges 2024/25. Councillor Abu Talha Chowdhury seconded the report.

Councillor Ahmed said Cabinet had considered the report on the 10^th July 2024 and he was asking Council to approve the recommendations within the report. Members added their comments. Some members argued against the increase in fees however when put to the vote Council decided to approve the recommendation within the report.

The Council RESOLVED to:

1. Note the consultation response; and
2. Agreed to the Option 2 set out in the report, namely to increase the street traders and market fees by 3.1% from September 2024.

To consider the report of the Interim Corporate Director, Housing and Regeneration, setting out proposed delegations schemes relating to the powers of the London Legacy Development Corporation.

Councillor Kabir Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Inclusive Development and Housebuilding moved the report and Councillor Amin Rahman seconded the report.

Members of the Council commented on the report.

Council RESOLVED to:

1.    Enter into the first Interim Delegation Scheme with the London Legacy Development Corporation (under Section 203 of the Localism Act) to perform planning functions on behalf of LLDC limited to determining planning applications on their behalf, as submitted from the 1 September 2024 to 30 November 2024 or until planning powers are formally transferred through legislation.

2.    Enter into the second Interim Delegation Scheme with the London Legacy Development Corporation (under Section 203 of the Localism Act) to perform all planning functions on their behalf from 1 December 2024 until planning powers are formally transferred through legislation.

To consider the report of the Corporate Director, Children’s Services setting out the Annual Report of the Corporate Parenting Board.

Councillor Maium Talukdar, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Youth and Lifelong Learning moved the report. Councillor Bodrul Choudhury seconded the report.

Members of the Council commented on the report.

Council RESOLVED to:

1.    Note the contents of the Corporate Parenting Board Annual Report

To consider the report of the Interim Director of Legal and Monitoring Officer on changes to the proportionality and allocation of places on the Council’s Committees for 2024/25.

Councillor Maium Talukdar, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Youth and Lifelong Learning moved the report. Councillor Bodrul Choudhury seconded the report. Council also considered the tabled nomination of Councillor Sabina Akhtar to fill the ungrouped committee vacancy on the Licensing Committee.

Members of the Council commented on the report.

Council RESOLVED to:

1.    Consider the review of proportionality as at Section 3 of this report and the allocation of seats on Committees and Sub-Committees for the remainder of the Municipal Year 2024/25 as set out at paragraph 3.6.

2.    Note the Committees set out for the municipal year 2024/25 listed in paragraph 3.6 as agreed at the Annual Council meeting held on Wednesday 15 May 2024.

3.    Agree the appointment of Cllr Sabina Akhtar to the vacant ungrouped position on the Licensing Committee.

4.    To agree that the Monitoring Officer is delegated to approve the appointment of Councillors required to fill positions during the municipal year in line with the proportionality arrangements set out in this report on the nomination of the respective group leaders.

5.    Agree that the Monitoring Officer be delegated to approve the appointment of ungrouped Councillors to any committee places not allocated by the Council to a political group, after consultation with those Councillors and the Speaker of the Council where there is only one application for the position (where there is more than one application these will be presented to Council for decision).

The questions which have been received from Councillors to be put at this Council meeting are set out in the attached report.  A maximum period of 30 minutes is allocated to this agenda item.

The following questions and in each case supplementary questions were put (except where indicated) and were responded to by the Mayor or relevant Executive Member.

11.1 Question from Councillor Amin Rahman

Could the Lead member provide an update on the council’s outstanding accounts requiring sign off? These accounts were left unsigned for 6 years under the previous administration. 

Response of Councillor Saied Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Resources and the Cost-of-living

All previous outstanding accounts from 2016/17 to 2019/20 have been prepared, published, inspected as required, and signed off by the external auditor. The accounts for 2020/21, 2021/22, and 2022/23 have also been prepared and published and are now awaiting audit opinions. For the first time in several years, the 2023/24 accounts were published on time, meeting the statutory deadline of 31st May 2024.

Supplementary question from Councillor Amin Rahman

How long were the delays and what has been done to mitigate against this?

Response of Councillor Saied Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Resources and the Cost-of-living

The delays varied from year to year. For example, in 2020-21, the deadline for submission for the accounts was 31^st July 2021 but they were submitted on the 27^th February 2022. There were delays upon delays. However since then we now have a permanent Section 151 officer and have a very capable finance team who are working tirelessly to resolve the backlog.

11.2 Question from Councillor Mufeedah Bustin

The Mayor’s Budget for 2024-25 included targets for generating income from the island’s parks and open spaces. Could the Lead Member provide an update on these plans including what resident engagement has taken place or what is planned?

Response of Councillor Saied Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Resources and the Cost-of-living

There is an income target of £522k for the Arts, Parks and Events (APE) team for 2024-25.  These were approved as part of a three-year income target of £854k in line with the MTFS period.  The APE team manage the parks and open spaces across the borough including the spaces on the Island.

The council does generate income from hiring out the sports pitches and this income contributes towards the income target as well.

The council has an events hire policy and a Major events policy to guide any larger events. These would have a consultation process as part of the licensing process, giving local residents 28 days notice of any activity. Currently, there are no large event applications pending for any of the parks and open spaces on the Island.   

Supplementary question from Councillor Mufeedah Bustin

In the budget, specific reference was made to Milwall Park and for concession stands for vendors in the Island parks. What is happening with these?

Response of Councillor Saied Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Resources and the Cost-of-living

Local residents will be consulted by the Arts, Parks and Events (APE) team in relation to any events planned. They will be consulted as part of the licencing process as well as other processes the APE follows. The Scheme was evaluated  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

There are no further motions submitted for consideration at this meeting.

There were no additional motions submitted for Council to consider.