Agenda and minutes
Venue: Room M71, Town Hall, Mulberry Place, 5 Clove Crescent, London, E14 2BG
Contact: Antonella Burgio, Democratic Services Tel: 020 7364 4881, E-mail: antonella.burgio@towerhamlets.gov.uk
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE To receive any apologies for absence. Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Fozol Miah.
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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST To note any declarations of interest made by Members, including those restricting Members from voting on the questions detailed in Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992. See attached note from the Chief Executive.
Minutes: The following declarations were made in respect of agenda item 9.1:
Councillor Islam declared a personal interest in that he was a Council tenant.
Councillor Saunders declared a personal interest in that she was a Tower Hamlets Homes (THH) leaseholder.
Councillor Helal Uddin declared a personal interest in that he was formerly a member of THH Board.
Call-in Member Councillor Judith Gardiner declared a personal interest in that she was formerly a Board Member of THH.
Co-opted Member Mr James Olanipekun declared a personal interest in that he was the Vice-Chair of Poplar HARCA Board.
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UNRESTRICTED MINUTES To confirm as a correct record of proceedings, the unrestricted minutes of the Extraordinary meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 22nd November 2011 and the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 6th December 2011. Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair Moved and it was:-
RESOLVED
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REQUESTS TO SUBMIT PETITIONS To be notified at the meeting. Minutes: Nil items.
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SECTION ONE REPORTS 'CALLED IN' One Section One report was ‘called in’ from the meeting of Cabinet held on 7th December 2011. Minutes: The Committee considered two call-in requests recorded at minutes 5.1 and 9.1.
The Chair moved to vary the order of business to enable the decisions called-in to be determined consecutively.
The agenda order was resumed following these items.
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Cabinet Decision Called-in: Olympic Games Parking and Traffic Management Issues To consider Cabinet decision CAB 053/112 - Olympic Games Parking and Traffic Management Issues which has been called-in.
Additional documents: Minutes: Councillor Marc Francis presented the call-in on behalf of Councillors Carli Harper-Penman, Abdul Ullah, Ahmed Omer and Shiria Khatun outlining the reasons and the concerns that were raised. Councillor Francis then responded to questions from the Committee. The concerns highlighted together with Councillor Francis’ answers are summarised below:
· parking matters were a cause of concern to the residents of Fish Island, which was the last area of the Borough yet to be designated a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ)
· Members wished to highlight matters of concern with the decision that had been provisionally approved by Cabinet and to ask for three assurances to mitigate the effects of the Olympics and the implementation of the CPZ zone on residents of the Fish Island:
1. To limit the period of the CPZ trial to 3 months or a maximum of 6 months. 2. To permit residents of Fish Island to have access to resident parking permits. 3. To undertake a further consultation with residents before a decision to extend and / or establish a permanent CPZ at Fish Island.
Councillor Francis noted that, in principle, there was no opposition to the introduction of a CPZ, taking into account the need for parking controls during the Olympics, the recent increase in traffic complaints in the area and that it would be unreasonable for Fish Island to remain the sole part of the Borough without controlled parking during the Olympics and Paralympics. His concerns were:
Councillor Ohid Ahmed, Deputy Mayor, Robin Beattie, Service Head, Strategy and Resources (representing Stephen Halsey Corporate Director (Communities Localities & Culture)), Jamie Blake, Head of Public Realm, and John Chilton, Head of Parking; responded to the concerns raised, informing the Committee that:
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REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION |
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Open Space Strategy To consider the strategy at its mid-term point and comment on the draft Revised Open Space Strategy at Appendix 1
Note: Appendix J (maps) to the report has been circulated in conjunction with this agenda to the Members of Overview & Scrutiny Committee and made available in the two Group rooms, Council Website and put on deposit at the Town Hall Mulberry Place. Should Members of the Authority or members of the public wish to have a full copy of this appendix they should contact Mr T Dreyer, Strategy & Business Development Manager - Culture, Environmental Control and Spatial Planning on the following number 0207 364 2862 or by email thorsten.dreyer@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Additional documents:
Minutes: Councillor Rania Khan, Cabinet Member for Culture, Robin Beattie, Service Head, Strategy and Resources, and Thorsten Dreyer, Strategy & Business Development Manager - Culture Public Realm and Spatial Planning, presented the report circulated at agenda item 6.1.
Members were advised that the borough was classified as deficient in green space. The Open Space Strategy had been adopted in 2006 to protect existing open space from development and other pressures caused by population growth and to direct improvements to existing open space. An interim review of the Open Space Strategy had been undertaken and the Committee was asked to comment on the draft circulated at Appendix 1, prior to its adoption by Council on 25 January 2012, and to note that detailed action planning for the strategy would be aligned with the annual budget cycle in light of the medium-term reductions in funding from Central Government.
The Committee considered the draft strategy and made the following comments:
That the revised Open Spaces Strategy should:
RESOLVED
1. That the Committee’s comments above be noted
2. That it be noted that detailed action planning for the strategy will be aligned with the annual budget cycle in light of the medium-term reductions in funding from central government.
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Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document To receive a presentation on the Planning Obligations, Supplementary Planning Document which forms part of the Local Development Framework.
Additional documents: Minutes: The Committee received a presentation from Michael Bell, Strategic Planning Manager, Strategic Planning, Development & Renewal, on Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which formed part of the Local Development Framework. The presentation informed the Committee of changes to the SPD since the consultation undertaken during Summer 2011. The revised SPD was to be presented to Cabinet on 11 January 2012. The following information was provided: · in April 2012, the Mayor of London would be able to impose a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). This would place pressure on the ability of Tower Hamlets to secure planning obligations. However, the Planning Obligations SPD served to strengthen the Council's own priorities until its own CIL was prepared and implemented in April 2014. · the rise in education contributions resulting from schemes providing in excess of 35% affordable housing could deter RSLs from making applications. A specific reference in the SPD had therefore been included prior to approval by Cabinet to ensure Officers apply the contribution requirements flexibly. · where improvements could otherwise be obtained under other mechanisms – such as under S278 of the Highways Act, related clauses had been removed from the SPD. · the SPD reflects the priorities set out in the LDF Core Strategy, the Mayor’s priorities and those set out in the individual service strategies from across the Council such as the IDEA Store Strategy and Open Space Strategy.
In response to Members' questions the following information was provided:
RESOLVED
That the presentation be ... view the full minutes text for item 6.2 |
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VERBAL UPDATES FROM SCRUTINY LEADS (Time allocated – 5 minutes each) Minutes: Councillor Sirajul Islam reported that the Resources Directorate budget pressures were ICT and the decant of Anchorage House.
Councillor Amy Whitelock reported that budget pressure areas for CSF were increased demand for school transport and school places and changes in demand for services to schools, particularly if more of them become academies.
Councillor Rachael Saunders reported her concern, in relation to the AHWB budget proposals, about the failure to deliver savings of £800,000 and an unspecified savings proposal of £200,000. She also reported ongoing communication issues with Barts and The London Trust, including, the closure of the Walk-In Centre in Whitechapel and concern about the resignation of a number of orthopaedic surgeons which had been reported in national media. She had met with senior managers from the Trust to discuss these issues.
Councillor Tim Archer reported that the terms of reference for the review of East End Life costs had been agreed.
RESOLVED
That the verbal updates be noted
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PRE-DECISION SCRUTINY OF SECTION ONE (UNRESTRICTED) CABINET PAPERS (Time allocated – 30 minutes). Minutes: Nil items.
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Mayoral Decisions To receive a verbal update on recent Mayoral decisions which have been made.
Minutes: The Chair advised that Mayor’s Executive Decision ”Housing Stock Options Appraisal” (Mayor's Decision Log No. 013) had been published on 22 December 2011 and had been called-in. The call-in was determined under urgent business provisions at agenda item 9.1.
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ANY OTHER SECTION ONE (UNRESTRICTED) BUSINESS WHICH THE CHAIR CONSIDERS TO BE URGENT To consider Mayor’s Executive Decision No013 “Housing Stock Options Appraisal” which, has been called-in in accordance with the Council’s constitution.
Additional documents:
Minutes: The Chair informed the Committee that she had agreed to consider the call-in of the Mayor’s Executive Decision “Housing Stock Options Appraisal” (Mayor's Decision Log No. 013) as an item of urgent unrestricted business to enable the call-in to be discharged within the prescribed timescales.
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Mayor's Executive Decision Called-in Minutes: The Chair moved to vary the order of business. Accordingly, the call-in of the Mayor’s executive decision was considered as the second item of business.
Councillor Judith Gardiner presented the call-in on behalf of Councillors Joshua Peck, Bill Turner, Shiria Khatun, Khales Uddin Ahmed, Rajib Ahmed and Carlo Gibbs outlining the reasons and the concerns that were raised. Councillor Gardiner then responded to questions from the Committee. The concerns highlighted together with Councillor Gardiner’s answers are summarised below:
· the Mayor's decision that the ALMO should continue was supported. · however the decision to reform the Board of Tower Hamlets Homes (THH) and the methods undertaken to do this caused concern. · the source of legal advice that had been sought which then led to the disbandment of the previous THH Board was not clearly presented in the report and not consistently identified across documents and correspondence to Board Members. · many of the key decision criteria were clearly fulfilled but the decision was not dealt with in this category. It was the Call-in Members' view that this had therefore been dealt with incorrectly. · interim arrangements had not been put in place while the reform of the Board was undertaken · the method for handling the old Board was inconsistent. The Independent Members had been dismissed whilst Resident Representatives had been given interim appointments on the Board which, in Call-in Members' view, risked its stability. · it was argued that rather than dismiss the Board, interim arrangements should have been put in place until new Board members were recruited to prevent any risk to THH services. · it was noted that THH had received positive comments about the involvement and commitment of Board members during a recent Audit Commission inspection that has resulted in a two-star rating.
Councillor Rabina Khan, Cabinet Member for Housing, Isabella Freeman, Assistant Chief Executive – Legal Services, and Jackie Odunoye, Interim Corporate Director for Development & Renewal responded to the concerns raised informing the Committee that:
Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the views and comments made by Councillor Judith Gardiner in presenting the call-in, the information and answers provided by Jackie Odunoye, Interim Corporate Director for Development and Renewal, Isabella Freeman, Assistant Chief Executive, Legal Services, and Councillor Rabina ... view the full minutes text for item 9.1 |
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EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC In view of the contents of the remaining items on the agenda the Committee is recommended to adopt the following motion:
“That, under the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting for the consideration of the Section Two business on the grounds that it contains information defined as Exempt in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972.”
EXEMPT/CONFIDENTIAL SECTION (Pink Papers)
The exempt committee papers in the agenda will contain information, which is commercially, legally or personally sensitive and should not be divulged to third parties. If you do not wish to retain these papers after the meeting, please hand them to the Committee Officer present. Minutes: The Chair Moved and it was: -
RESOLVED:
That in accordance with the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting for the consideration of the Section Two business on the grounds that it contained information defined as exempt or confidential in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government, Act 1972.
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EXEMPT/ CONFIDENTIAL MINUTES To confirm as a correct record of proceedings the restricted minutes of the Extraordinary meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 22nd November 2011
Minutes: These were considered and approved in closed session.
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ANY OTHER SECTION TWO (RESTRICTED) BUSINESS THAT THE CHAIR CONSIDERS URGENT Minutes: Nil items.
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