None.

There were none.

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.

There were none.

The unrestricted minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 31 January 2024 are presented for approval.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the unrestricted minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday 31 January 2024 be approved and signed by the Mayor as a correct record of proceedings.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the unrestricted minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday 31 January 2024 be approved and signed by the Mayor as a correct record of proceedings.

See the minutes.

Stephen Halsey, Chief Executive, announced that:

·         The Council’s transformation joinery continued apace, and it continued to perform well. It had been shortlisted for 3 Local Government Chronicle (LGC) awards. Results and further details would be circulated.

·         The Transformation Advisory Board (TAB) had met earlier this week. It had reviewed the proposed Action Plan following the recent LGA Peer Review report.

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

See the minutes.

None.

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

None.

DECISION

That the Mayor in Cabinet notes:

1.      the factors influencing pupil population change in Tower Hamlets;

2.      the current position on the provision of school places in the borough;

3.      the projected demand for school places in future years;

4.      the steps being taken to manage the sufficiency and sustainability of school places in accordance with the council’s school organisation strategy.

5.      latest position on SEND, current provision and sufficiency planning;

6.      the specific equalities considerations as set out in Paragraph 5 of the report.

Action by:

TERRY BRYAN, SERVICE HEAD FOR PUPIL ACCESS AND SCHOOL SUFFICIENCY (T. BRYAN)

Head of School Admissions and Place Planning (C. Grace)

Councillor Maium Talukdar (Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Youth and Lifelong Learning) introduced the report that presented the annual review of the council’s planning for school places. It informed Cabinet on the latest position and key factors influencing the borough’s pupil population change and the impact on projected pupil numbers for Tower Hamlets schools. Councillor Talukdar explained the steps being taken to manage the sufficiency and sustainability of mainstream school places, alongside the medium to longer term delivery of places for children and young people with SEND. 

Steve Reddy, Interim Corporate Director - Children's Services provided further detail. Steve explained how the plans for the Institute of Academic Excellence aligned with ongoing work to plan for school places.

The Mayor and Cabinet members welcomed the report.

RESOLVED that the Mayor in Cabinet notes:

1.    the factors influencing pupil population change in Tower Hamlets;

2.    the current position on the provision of school places in the borough;

3.    the projected demand for school places in future years;

4.    the steps being taken to manage the sufficiency and sustainability of school places in accordance with the council’s school organisation strategy.

5.    latest position on SEND, current provision and sufficiency planning;

6.    the specific equalities considerations as set out in Paragraph 5.

DECISION

1.    Agree the Local Authority Relevant Area (geographical area) for admissions purposes.

2.    Agree the admission policy for admission to Community Nursery Schools/Classes in 2025/26, as set out in Appendix A to the report.

3.    Agree the admission policy for admission to Community Primary Schools in 2025/26, as set out in Appendix B to the report.

4.    Agree the admission policy for admission to Community Secondary Schools in 2025/26 as set out in Appendix C to the report.

5.    Agree the schemes for co-ordinating admissions to the Reception Year and Year 7 for 2025/26, as set out in Appendix D to the report.

6.    Agree the scheme for co-ordinating ‘In-Year’ Admissions for 2025/26, as set out in Appendix E to the report.

7.    Agree the planned admission number (PAN) for each school in Tower Hamlets in 2026/26, as set out in Appendix F to the report.

8.    Note the specific equalities considerations as set out in Paragraph 4.1 of the report.

Action by:

TERRY BRYAN, SERVICE HEAD FOR PUPIL ACCESS AND SCHOOL SUFFICIENCY (T. BRYAN)

Head of School Admissions and Place Planning (C. Grace)

Councillor Maium Talukdar (Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Youth and Lifelong Learning) introduced the report that presented recommendations for the Mayor in Cabinet to agree the Local Authority’s school admission arrangements for Tower Hamlets Community Schools and those schools for whom the Local Authority acts as the admission authority. He explained the proposed arrangements included a change to Year 7 admissions, with introduction of a new testing method for schools that use people ability banding. Councillor Talukdar also provided detail on the public consultation between October 2023 and January 2024. He stressed the need for a new approach to public engagement to secure more responses from parents and schools in future consultation exercises.

Steve Reddy, Interim Corporate Director Childrens Services provided further detail and explained that consultation responses were overwhelmingly positive to the proposed changes.

The Mayor and Cabinet welcomed the report and proposed new arrangements. They briefly discussed the appeal arrangements currently in place and expressed dissatisfaction with reported cases of parents not being offered one of their preferred schools. The Lead Member welcomed the comments and offered to provide a briefing to any Cabinet members who wished to know more about the application and appeal process for school admissions.  

RESOLVED that the Mayor in Cabinet:

1.    Agree the Local Authority Relevant Area (geographical area) for admissions purposes.

2.    Agree the admission policy for admission to Community Nursery Schools/Classes in 2025/26, as set out in Appendix A to the report.

3.    Agree the admission policy for admission to Community Primary Schools in 2025/26, as set out in Appendix B to the report.

4.    Agree the admission policy for admission to Community Secondary Schools in 2025/26 as set out in Appendix C to the report.

5.    Agree the schemes for co-ordinating admissions to the Reception Year and Year 7 for 2025/26, as set out in Appendix D to the report.

6.    Agree the scheme for co-ordinating ‘In-Year’ Admissions for 2025/26, as set out in Appendix E to the report.

7.    Agree the planned admission number (PAN) for each school in Tower Hamlets in 2026/26, as set out in Appendix F to the report.

8.    Note the specific equalities considerations as set out in Paragraph 4.1 of the report.

DECISION

1.    Note the Reduction and Recycling Plan 2023-2025, Quarter 3 2023 Progress Report.

Action by:

HEAD OF OPERATIONAL SERVICES (R. WILLIAMS)

Environmental Services Improvement Manager (F.  Heyland)

Councillor Kabir Hussain (Cabinet Member for Environment and the Climate Emergency) introduced the report that reported progress on the Reduction and Recycling Plan (RRP) 2023-2025 approved by Cabinet in September 2023.   Councillor Hussain explained how the cross-cutting action plan drawn from the Council’s Strategic Plan and Tower Hamlets Waste Management Strategy was helping to deliver changes. Finally, Councillor Hussain summarised some of the recent communication and engagement activity which it was hoped would help to reverse a slight decline in the recycling rate from the previous quarter.

Simon Baxter, Corporate Director Communities, provided further detail. Simon asked the Mayor to recognise that recycling is a challenging area, but an improvement plan was in place and he was confident it would secure improvements. Simon explained how the nature of the borough presented unique challenges to recycling performance. He stressed there was much the Council could do to target recycling infrastructure and behaviour among residents in its own properties, but that much of the influence for this rested with  

social landlords, so he was drafting a letter on behalf of the Mayor to the Secretary of State,  inviting them into the borough to see the unique challenges and also requesting that the government consider introducing a statutory instrument to require all landlords (RSLs and private) and land owners to provide infrastructure for recycling and to include recycling provisions within their tenancy and lease agreements. He indicated should this be unsuccessful, the Council could consider introducing bylaws to achieve the same outcome.

Ashraf Ali (Head of Highways & Transportation), Richard Williams, (Head of Operations), Fiona Heyland, (Head of Waste Strategy Policy and Procurement, Public Realm) and Louise Houston, (Environmental Services Improvement Team Leader) provided further details on the work undertaken, planned and being considered to improve recycling performance in the borough.

Stephen Halsey, Chief Executive, welcomed the proposed action plan and drew the Mayor and Cabinet’s attention to proposed action #5, which officers explained was a proposed options paper on policy changes and introduction of new powers to enforce against undesirable behaviour.  Stephen asked that this work be expedited and its timescale reviewed.

Following a wide-ranging discussion on matters relating to recycling and waste, the following potential solutions were voiced by Cabinet members:

·         A focus on quick wins to realise the additional investment to be agreed as part of the 24/25 budget, is preferred.

·         Communications – continue work with partners including schools and faith groups to promote good behaviours. It was noted young people play a key role to influence recycling behaviour in households, but measuring the impact of communications work with schools was very challenging. A children-focussed online information resource could assist with this.  

·         More emphasis on BAME media outlets could provide additional value.

·         Garden waste – many individual house residents had yet to opt-in to the collections. Options were being explored for ground floor flats collections.

·         Improvements to the Council’s online waste and recycling information, which Cabinet members noted was very good.

·         Smarter joined-up working between the Council and front line  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.3

DECISION:

1.    Approve an increase in budget from £4,050,000 to £6,498,047 from the Higher Needs Capital Provision Allocations (HNCPA) grant and Education funding sources as set out in the details of the report.

2.    Approve the contract award to Alexander James Limited for the construction of the extension for the tendered contract sum of £5,503,122 as recommended by the Employers Agent and set out in the Commercial Price Evaluation Report (Appendix 1 to the report).

3.    To Note the Equalities Impact Assessment as set out in Paragraph 5 of the report as appropriate.

Action by:

HEAD OF CAPITAL DELIVERY (Y. ALI)

Principal Project Manager - Capital Delivery (N. Rahman)

Councillor Maium Talukdar (Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Youth and Lifelong Learning) introduced the report that requested approval for budgetary increase and award of contract to enable a permanent extension to the Beatrice Tate school to provide additional places for disabled pupils.

The Mayor and Cabinet welcomed the report and proposals, which they indicated would provide much-needed educational facilities as well as housing provision on the Southern Grove site.  

RESOLVED that the Mayor in Cabinet:

1.    Approves an increase in budget from £4,050,000 to £6,498,047 from the Higher Needs Capital Provision Allocations (HNCPA) grant and Education funding sources as set out in the details of the report.

2.    Approves the contract award to Alexander James Limited for the construction of the extension for the tendered contract sum of £5,503,122 as recommended by the Employers Agent and set out in the Commercial Price Evaluation Report (Appendix 1 to the report).

3.    Notes the Equalities Impact Assessment as set out in Paragraph 5 of the report.

Nil items.

Nil items.

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”.

EXEMPT/CONFIDENTIAL SECTION (PINK)

A motion to exclude the press and public was not required.

Nil items.

Nil items.

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.