Members are reminded to consider the categories of interest 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, please see the attached note from the Monitoring Officer.

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

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

1. Councillor Marc Francis due to his wife Councillor Rachel Blake being the Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing.

To receive any petitions (to be notified at the meeting).

Nil Items

Noted.

To note the Committees Action Log.

Noted.

To confirm as a correct record of the proceedings the unrestricted minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 13/12/2021.

The Committee confirmed as a correct record of the proceedings the unrestricted minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 13/12/2021.

To confirm as a correct record of the proceedings the unrestricted minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 24/01/2021.

The Committee confirmed as a correct record of the proceedings the unrestricted minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 24/01/2022.

Community Safety Spotlight

The Committee will undertake a Spotlight Session with Borough Commander and Cabinet Member which will outline policing priorities for 2022/23 including an outline of achievements and challenges and a  focus on rising youth violence in the Borough and actions taken to  address this.

The Committee received and commented on a presentation on the progress of community safety priorities including tacking serious youth violence.

The Committee:

v  Agreed that women felt most unsafe when alone and no one should fear being alone or accepting this situation as normal.

v  Agreed on the importance to actively promote women’s night safety and help to make more women and girls to feel confident around Tower Hamlets after dark. Therefore, women and girls need to know what to do if they experience harassment when working, going out or travelling; encouraging reporting by victims and bystanders; offering training to ensure that all who report are believed; and designing public spaces and workplaces to make them feel safer at night as well as shining a light on those areas where there is still a need to do more work.

v  Agreed that recent events has highlighted these concerns and that the  fear of women and girls is not irrational. It comes from a deep acknowledgment that women in the community do not feel safe and addressing the misogyny is necessary.

v  Acknowledged the grave levels of public concern following a number of deeply troubling incidents and allegations. It was felt that the bond of trust between residents and the Metropolitan MPS Service (MPS) locally as well as corporately has been broken.

v  Stated that they were committed to collaborating with Detective Chief Superintendent Marcus Barnett and his Team to rebuild the trust and confidence of Borough’s communities in the Metropolitan MPS Service.

v  Recognised that the Borough has huge numbers of wonderfully professional officers and staff but recognised the actions of some are of serious concern and fall far below the high standards of the Metropolitan MPS Service.

v  As mentioned above wished with work with the Detective Chief Superintendent Barnett and his Team to rebuild trust, raise standards, and ensure the Boroughs MPS Officers work in a positive, supportive, and healthy culture that sets an example for others to follow.

v  Noted that (i) many residents particularly in Limehouse have told the MPS that antisocial behaviour linked to the use of nitrous oxide, otherwise known as laughing gas, is a significant concern, (ii) the (MPS)and its partner agencies have received complaints that it can be intimidating seeing groups of people taking it; and (iii) nitrous oxide causes a noise nuisance and the small metal canisters that hold it are often left on the floor as litter, which creates a mess on the Boroughs streets.

v  Noted that women are constantly worried about their safety when walking at night, walking to their car at night, using an elevator or stairwell in public spaces, taking public transportation, or traveling.

v  Agreed that the (MPS) locally as well as corporately should (i) ensure that the way they deal with violence against women and girls needs to be effective and as assertive as it can be and (ii) make sure that allegations are being thoroughly investigated.

v  Was please to noted that (i)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.1

The Committee will consider an overview of the Mayor’s priorities, achievements, and challenges.

The Chair introduced the main substantive item this evening and he thanked the Executive Mayor John Biggs and the Chief Executive Will Tuckley for, attending this evening’s meeting and the key themes arising from the questioning on the presentation may be summarised as follows:

The Committee:

v  Noted in regard to Covid that vaccines still remain the first line of defence to live with and manage the virus. Staff therefore are encouraged if they have not already, get their first, second or booster vaccine to protect themselves and others.

v  Was advised that from the first week of February, all Council staff were advised that they are expected to be in at least one day a week for the first three weeks of February, and then from at least from February 21^st at least two days a week.

v  Noted that it is intended to keep in place socially distanced lifts, with capacity now at four people at a time. Whilst the cleaning and sanitising stations continue to be available and enhanced cleaning regimes remain in place.

v  Was informed that staff will still be encouraged to conduct regular lateral flow tests (access the lateral flow testing sites at Mulberry Place and the Waste Services Depot). If staff should evaluate positive or are experiencing any symptoms of Covid-19, they must inform their line-manager that they can work from home if in line with service needs.

v  Noted that the health and safety of all staff is the Councils top priority and to support the return of staff to keeping certain measures in place, including risk assessments, enhanced cleaning regimes, cleaning and sanitising stations, and socially distanced desks, lifts, and meeting rooms. In addition to that the Council are also requesting that staff should wear face coverings when entering, walking around buildings, in lifts and when meeting residents/customers.

v  Noted subject to the relevant bylaw if you rent a garage from your Housing Provider as well as being used for the storage of taxed and roadworthy private motor vehicles, garages can also be used to store other vehicles including small commercial vehicles, bicycles tools and garden equipment.

v  Was informed that as the first stage of Leisure Estate Investment Plan, the Council intended to replace the existing St George’s Leisure Centre with a new ‘wet/dry’ leisure centre on the current site, subject to approval of the capital budget by Cabinet

v  Noted that it is estimated this will cost £35m, while the initial allocation in the Council’s 2022-23 Budget Report and Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2022-25 report, considered separately at Cabinet or if desired through further scrutiny is for £25.163m, given the timescales for delivering the project. The existing St George’s building is considered beyond its economic and design life, in a poor condition and with a limited range of facilities to meet the needs of residents in this vicinity, and in the wider context of the whole estate.

v  Noted if no action were taken then St George’s would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.1

The Committee will receive updates from all the Scrutiny Leads in regard to their portfolio’s. 

The Committee received update from Scrutiny Leads in regard to their portfolio’s. 

To consider and agree pre-decision scrutiny questions/comments to be presented to Cabinet.

Following comments by the Committee the Pre-Decision Scrutiny Questions (PDSQ) Members agreed the particular questions/recommendations that they wanted to raise with Cabineton the 9^th February, 2022 (See attached appendix).

To consider any other unrestricted business that the Chair considers to be urgent.

Nil items

As the agenda circulated contained no exempt/ confidential reports and there was therefore no requirement to exclude the press and public to allow for its consideration.

To consider any other exempt/ confidential business that the Chair considers to be urgent.

Nil items