To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from:

·         Councillor Kabir Hussain

·         Councillor Iqbal Hossain

·         James Thomas, Corporate Director Children and Culture (Susannah Beasley Murray, Director Supporting Families was deputising).

Apologies were received from:

·         Councillor Kabir Hussain

·         Councillor Iqbal Hossain

·         James Thomas, Corporate Director Children and Culture (Susannah Beasley Murray, Director Supporting Families was deputising).

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.

None.

The unrestricted minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 29 March 2023 are presented for approval.

RESOLVED

1. That the unrestricted minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday 29 March 2023 be approved and signed by the Mayor as a correct record of proceedings.

Stephen Halsey, Chief Executive, made the following announcement regrading the Mayor’s community grants programme:

At the last Cabinet meeting the Mayor and Cabinet approved the new Grants policy and outcomes framework for the voluntary and community sector. As part of that is agreed to establish a Mayors community grants programme. This is a three-and-a-half-year program, with an annual budget of £3.5million. The new programme will address the needs of our community and provide funding projects to achieve the objectives in the Strategic Plan., namely tackling the cost of living crisis, accelerating education, promoting culture, business jobs and skills, investing in public services, empowering communities and fighting crime.

I am pleased to announce that this programme was launched on Monday, 24 April. The deadline of grants application is 12 noon on 5 June. Organisations can apply for up to five projects across all themes and a maximum of £40,000 per annum for each project. We have produced a detailed prospectus and guidance which is available through our website. There is also support available for organisations, including three information sessions which will take place on Wednesday 26 April in the Council Chamber, Friday 5 May online and Thursday, 11 May at the Reach Community Hub, Blackwall.  There will be a range of support from the Council for the voluntary services including group workshops and one to support for organisations. We want to make sure our grants programme reaches a wide range of organisations, and I would encourage Members to help us promote this amongst local groups in their area.

Further details are available via the Members Hub and Members Bulletin and on our website. As confirmed at last Cabinet meeting, the decision-making on grants allocations has been delegated to me, and my decision will be published, which is expected to be around third week August.

We will also take a noting reports to the Grants Determination Sub Committee and to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in September. This process is subject to advice from counsel, who the Council is working with to clarify some remaining points. We will provide further update at the next Cabinet meeting.

Cabinet will also be aware that at the last meeting I was given delegated authority to be able to extend existing grants in the existing grants programme by up to one month. Having considered the current timelines and representations, I have taken decisions to extend the current local community funded projects and the infrastructure and capacity building grant with a new end date of 31 October 2023. This means the Mayor’s community grants programme will commence from 1 November 2023 to 31 March, 2027. Officers will write to relevant organisations to confirm this decision.

Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) to report on any issues  raised by the OSC in relation to unrestricted business to be considered.

Nil items.

(Under provisions of Section 30, Rule 59 of the Constitution).

Nil items.

DECISION:

1.    Endorse the proposed youth service operating model.

2.    Agree to implement and operationalise the model.

Action by:

CORPORATE DIRECTOR CHILDREN AND CULTURE (J. THOMAS)

Deputy Head of Service Development (L. Norberry)

Councillor Maium Talukdar (Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Youth and Lifelong Learning (Statutory Deputy Mayor) introduced the report that proposed a major investment in the Youth Service which would deliver a transformation in the level of support available young people and a diverse range of youth work opportunities and support through the delivery of a high-quality youth service. Councillor Talukdar explained how he hoped the proposals would help to produce the community leaders of tomorrow.

Susannah Beasley-Murray (Divisional Director of Supporting Families) and Kelly Duggan           (HOS Youth Justice & Young People's Service) provided further detail of the proposals included in the report.

The Cabinet discussed the report and made the following points: 

·         The planned work would help to overturn under investment in youth provision by the previous administration.

·         Youth investment would help the Council’s wider aspirations to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB).  

·         The demography of the borough, especially an increasing and increasingly dense population, necessitated enhanced access to youth services.

·         Proposals would also provide welcome jobs and training and development opportunities for local people

The Mayor welcomed the proposals. He explained how he feels he was a  product of the youth service, recounting how respectable and relatable youth workers influenced mentored and influenced his younger-self. He noted the significant additional investment in the service proposed, which totalled nearly £14million. He also stressed that the Council would continue work with schools and other youth providers as it did currently.

RESOLVED that the Mayor in Cabinet:

1.    Endorses the proposed youth service operating model.

2.    Agrees to implement and operationalise the model.

DECISION:

1.    To note the contract summary at Appendix 1 to the report.

2.    To authorise the appropriate Corporate Director in consultation with the Mayor to award those contracts set out in Appendix 1 to the report and not identified in accordance with recommendation 1 and following an appropriate  procurement exercise

3.    To authorise the Director Legal Services (Monitoring Office) to execute all  necessary contract documents in respect of the awards of contract referred  to at resolution 2 above subject to an appropriate award decision  being achieved in accordance with resolutions 1 and 2 above.

4.    Note the procurement forward plan 2022-2027 schedule detailed in Appendix 2 to the report.

ACTION BY

CORPORATE DIRETCOR RESOURCES (C. HOLLAND)

Interim Head of Procurement (W. Jabang)

Councillor Saied Ahmed (Cabinet Member for Resources and the Cost of Living) introduced the report that set out a forward plan of supply and service contracts over £1m in value, or capital works contracts over £5m for quarter four of the 22/23 financial year. Councillor Ahmed summarised each of the proposed contracts from the report.

The Mayor and Cabinet stressed that, further to previous directions, all new contracts must have 10% overall weighting in the tender evaluation process.

The Mayor welcomed the report. Further to the vehicle lease contract summary, he asked officers to explore options to ensure school buses can enter estates to make collection and drop-off points convenient for parents and pupils. 

RESOLVED that the Mayor in Cabinet:

1. Notes the contract summary at Appendix 1 to the report.

2. Authorises the appropriate Corporate Director in consultation with the Mayor to award those contracts set out in Appendix 1 to the report and not identified in accordance with recommendation 1 and following an appropriate procurement exercise

3. Authorises the Director Legal Services (Monitoring Office) to execute all necessary contract documents in respect of the awards of contract referred to at resolution 2 above subject to an appropriate award decision  being achieved in accordance with resolutions 1 and 2 above.

4. Notes the procurement forward plan 2022-2027 schedule detailed in Appendix 2 to the report.

DECISION

1.    To approve the Code of Construction Practice (2023) for adoption, authorise officers to prepare an adoption statement and withdraw the current Code of Construction Practice (2006).

2.    To authorise the Corporate Director of Place to make any necessary factual or minor editing changes prior to publishing the final Code of Construction Practice (2023).

3.    To note the Equalities Impact Analysis Screening Tool as summarised in Paragraph 4 of the report (and included in Appendix C to the report).

4.    To note the Consultation Statement summarising representations received during the public consultation and the responses to these representations as set out in Appendix D to the report.

ACTION BY:

CORPORATE DIRECTOR PLACE (A. SUTCLIFFE)

Development Coordination Manager (H. Horton)

Councillor Kabir Ahmed (Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Inclusive Development and Housebuilding) introduced the report that set out the Council’s expectations on the operations and logistics planning of construction sites within the borough. Ensuring the safety of the public and workers navigating the public realm surrounding active sites and the adequate mitigation of any adverse impacts including noise, dust and traffic issues.

The Mayor welcomed the report and the safeguards that adoption of the code would provide for residents whilst allowing crucial construction and investment to take place.

RESOLVED:

1.    To approve the Code of Construction Practice (2023) for adoption, authorise officers to prepare an adoption statement and withdraw the current Code of Construction Practice (2006).

2.    To authorise the Corporate Director of Place to make any necessary factual or minor editing changes prior to publishing the final Code of Construction Practice (2023).

3.    To note the Equalities Impact Analysis Screening Tool as summarised in Paragraph 4 of the report (and included in Appendix C to the report).

4.    To note the Consultation Statement summarising representations received during the public consultation and the responses to these representations as set out in Appendix D to the report.

DECISION:

1.    To agree the council’s Equality Policy 2023-27.

ACTION BY

DIRECTOR STRATEGIES, TRANSFORMATION AND IMPROVEMENT (S. GODMAN)

Head of Corporate Strategy & Communities (A. Hoque)

Councillor Suluk Ahmed (Cabinet Member for Equalities and Social Inclusion) introduced the report that set out a refreshed equality policy (2023-27) for the council. The refreshed policy reflected the council’s priorities as set out in the Strategic Plan 2022-26 and outlines how the equality policy is at core of all council business and applies to all aspects of the council’s function. Councillor Ahmed explained the policy also applies to all groups who might face discrimination, including care-leavers.

The Cabinet noted the report and made the following points:

The policy builds on a proud local history of promoting and celebrating diversity and tackling intolerance.

The addition of faith and trade union groups was welcome.

The Mayor welcomed the report and expressed his thanks to all members and officers involved in producing the proposed policy. He asked that an appropriate communications strategy be developed to support the policy’s implementation.

RESOLVED that the Mayor in Cabinet:

1.    Agrees the council’s Equality Policy 2023-27.

None.

Should the Mayor in Cabinet consider it necessary, it is recommended that the following motion be adopted to allow consideration of any exempt/restricted documents.

“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”.

None.

The exempt / confidential minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on xxxxxx are presented for approval.

None.

Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) to report on any issues  raised by the OSC in relation to exempt/confidential business to be considered.

Nil items.

(Under provisions of Section 30, Rule 59 of the Constitution).

Nil items.

Nil items.