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.

 

9.1 Question from Councillor Tarik Khan:

 

Can the cabinet member please update members about the council’s investment in its summer programme and what indicators we have about the success of the programme?

 

Response of Councillor Sabina Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Culture, Arts and Brexit:

 

I am so proud that this year we have had an exciting variety of activities, available through our summer programme. These were delivered in parks, leisure centres, youth clubs, Idea Stores, children’s centres and various community venues.  We strongly  believe in Every Chance for Every Child.  We know that families on low incomes often experience a range of challenges, during the holiday period that is why we have aimed to keep over 335 free or low cost activities. I will just refer to some of the highlights: Over the summer holidays we have provided over 21,000 free meals to children at Council funded school holiday activity venues. The Sport and Physical Activity service delivered 262 activities in July and August. We have had the summer reading challenge in the Idea Store. We have a programme that has benefited over 2000 SEND children.

 

The full evaluation of the programme is currently being undertaken and will be available at the beginning of October.

 

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Tarik Khan:

 

Other than the advertised Summer Programme, how many other organisations were funded by the Council to provide summer projects. Do we have any numbers around them. Like for example the Tower Hamlets Homes programme which was not advertised in our yellow book this year?

 

Councillor Akhtar’s response to supplementary question:

 

I don’t have the exact numbers of all the activities done with other groups, but as you have mentioned we have run activities such as the Tower Hamlets Homes Summer programme for young people providing activities on Estates. We have also had the summer transition workshops for children, moving from primary to secondary school. Next year we hope to engage with children not just using our hubs and we will be advertising our yellow book.

 

9.2 Question from CouncillorAndrew Wood:

 

Can the Council confirm that the new Wapping London Dock secondary school which the Council confirmed would be given the lease for the land is a free school being opened up under the free school presumption process?

 

Response of Mayor Biggs

 

Yes.

 

Supplementary question from CouncillorAndrew Wood:

 

We have been trying to get the Local Authority to admit it IS actually a free school. It’s a term you have avoided using.  This is important for other free schools so thank you for that answer

 

Mayor Biggs response to supplementary question:

 

A free school is synonymous with an Academy. Mulberry is a multi-academy trust and it’s the preferred provider of education on the London Dock side. We look forward to a thriving and a state of the art building being constructed there.

 

9.3 Question from Councillor Kyrsten Perry:

 

Will the cabinet member update members on the recent A-level and GCSE results?

 

Response of Councillor Danny Hassell, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Young People:

 

Once again the young people of Tower Hamlets have excelled.

 

Students achieved great success in the Borough . 85 % of Tower Hamlets students achieved grades 9-4 in English, equivalent to the old A to C grades, an improvement of 3% on 2018. In Maths, 74% of students gained grades 9-4. This is up 4% on the comparable figure last year. Those good results continued at A level with nearly 75% of students getting a A* to C grade.  In Tower Hamlets 98.9% students entered for A Levels achieved at least an A*-E grade. I must acknowledge the excellent work of our teachers, our support staff and our youth workers in championing our young people in helping them to reach their potential. We are aware that challenges remain and we will be bringing forward a new 14-25 strategy to look at what more we can do to be able to support young people, to excel in their exams and to set them up for future success.

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

9.4 Question from Councillor Peter Golds:

 

Will the Mayor outline what protection and support is given to council officers who face or have been intimidated within or near council premises or their private homes?

 

Response of Mayor John Biggs:

 

The Council has a zero tolerance approach to all forms of unlawful intimidation, discrimination and harassment of any kind and take all complaints of this nature seriously. Where an employee is shown to have perpetrated such behaviour, disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with the Council’s Combating Harassment and Discrimination and Grievance policies.

The Council also has an employee assistance programme in place that is accessible 24/7 to staff of LBTH and which will provide appropriate support for staff. 

 

If intimidation is by non-council employees, we will consider all options to support our staff including making third-party reports to the police. We would strongly encourage any staff who experience intimidation in their homes or anywhere else to also report this to the police immediately. We have and will continue to support our staff to do this.

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Golds:

 

I was disturbed some two weeks ago to hear a very senior former member of staff say how a member of the public had identified corruption but was frightened to say anything. An investigator was appointed by the Council and he was stopped outside the Town Hall by three youths and threatened. There were two other incidents: the other one involved the person being stopped in the street.  In another incidence, the officer who has raised this had found a toy gun on his doorstep, following being told that the people threatening him knew where he lived and where his children lived.

 

My concern is how this is dealt with internally and also how the Police are brought in to ensure that is stopped?

 

Mayor Biggs response to supplementary question:

 

I refer to the answer that I have given already that we would leave no stone unturned, if a proper complaint is made by an existing member of staff. For former staff, it is slightly more complicated, but if we have a duty of care we should exercise that and urge people to get very actively involved with the Police. I will remind the entire meeting that the incident we are discussing I believe relates to a case that is currently before a tribunal, where there has been substantial reporting of one side. We should not take that necessarily as a statement of fact.  Nevertheless, we do have a duty of care to our employees and I do take very seriously any such suggestions of wrong doing, whether or not they involve the Council. I refer to the Motion previously debated by the Council about community safety. We need to make sure people feel safe in our community and nobody is above the law.

 

9.5 Question from Councillor Marc Francis:

 

To ask the Lead Member, further to the response to my question at Full Council on 17^th July, detailing the growing number of housing OT assessments in the past 18 months and the action now being taken to reduce unacceptably long average waiting times, what factors does he believe have caused this increased demand and consequent delay in ensuring disabled and unwell households are given the Health priority their case merits?

 

Response of Councillor Sirajul Islam, Statutory Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing:

 

There has been a significant increase in requests for OT assessments, particularly from households with autistic children, which represent about 35% of all referrals made this year.

 

In addition, OTs are heavily involved with new builds under Project 120, which ensures new build homes meet wheelchair standards and are suitable for applicants matched for them. This is quite technical and time consuming but an effective in finding long term housing solutions for wheelchair cases.

 

The overall number of referrals this year exceeds 420; half of those have been assessed. The Council is taking a number of measures to tackle the backlog and I am pleased to say has recruited 2 Locum OTs who will start on 16 September.

 

In addition through robust screening and prioritising, training housing officers to allow safety works to be raised by them, and standardising assessments we have put measures in place to improve the pace of delivery.

 

We aim is to clear the backlog within 3 months and we know what a difference this will make to residents lives. Thank you for raising this important issue.

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Marc Francis:

 

It is really encouraging to hear about the extra two Locums OT’s that are being brought in to try to help bring down the waiting time for those assessments. The concern that I have (and Councillor Islam mentioned this) is the increase. The service itself believes this is driven in part by the need to assess many families with autistic children. Most of those families in the past were previously being assessed by Now Medical, the company that carry out the medial assessments. One of the reasons why these families are having to be assessed by our own in house expertise, the professionals in this respect, is that Now Medical was not recognising the additional stresses and problems that those families experience, as Councillor Khan was talking about earlier on. Does he agree that part of the problem for this is the quality of the assessments being carried out by Now Medical and will he undertake a review of the quality of that service?

 

Councillor Sirajul Islam’s response to supplementary question:

 

We discussed SEND in the earlier motion and the increasing number of children with special needs. There is a problem and that problem has been identified and I confirmed that we have taken on additional OT’s and are carrying out additional assessments. I have briefing from Officers and have been following this very closely and I am confident that in 3 months we can carry out quality assessments and get that backlog down to zero. 

 

9.6 Question from Councillor Mufeedah Bustin:

 

What are the next steps for improvement following Ofsted’s ‘good’ rating for Tower Hamlets Children’s Services?

 

Response of Councillor Danny Hassell, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Young People:

 

We are delighted Ofsted has given our Children’s Services a ‘good’ rating. It is a remarkable turn around in just 2 years and is a result of the relentless hard-work not just of our own staff here but other agencies to.  We have a clear commitment to give every chance to every child.  We want them to be safe and secure in out Borough. We are absolutory determined to ensure they we have a role to play in doing that through our social workers and have identified a number of priorities going forward.  The first is workforce development. We want Tower Hamlets to be one of the best places in the county to be social worker. We will be using our Social Work Academy to drive forward our recruitment and retention of both new and experienced social workers. We are developing our operational priorities about how we develop practices in particular areas and have identified neglect, domestic violence and exploitation as the three themes we really want to have a clear focus on to make sure we have great outstanding practice for children and families. We will continue to roll out restorative practice and the social work model and make sure we have clear and really robust quality assurance mechanisms

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

9.7 Question from Councillor Ehtasham Haque:

 

Will the Mayor recognise the importance of saving the Whitechapel Bell Foundry as one of the greatest heritage of the UK and commit to a Compulsory Purchase Order so that it can be preserved?

 

Response of Mayor John Biggs:

 

As Members will be aware the Bell Foundry is subject to a live planning application. The decision will be made in the coming weeks. As Executive Mayor, I don’t have planning powers but I appreciate the community interest in this Grade 11* listed building and can ensure you that our planning policies will protect these.  I understand that the owner has submitted an application to refurbish and reuse the historic foundry for a mix of workspace, workshops and foundry uses, of which 45% will be offered as affordable workspace to Tower Hamlets residents first. As a response to the objections made to the public on the planning application, Officers have investigated the potential for the Council to use Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) powers for the site. Before a CPO is considered, it has to meet requirements that the building is in some disrepair and that the owner is unwilling or unable to carry out the repairs or there is an objective for the site which is not being met. At present there is no reason to serve a CPO and that any attempt would likely to be challenged and fail.

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Haque:

 

When did you first hear about Whitechapel Bell Foundry struggling to survive and what follow up action did you take?

 

Mayor Biggs response to supplementary question:

 

I first became aware of the Bell Foundry about 40 years ago and I have visited it a number of times. I became aware in the last couple of years that it had changed hands and there were proposals for an alternative use. I am also aware that the manufacturing of bells had ceased from the building and that the Foundry has stopped operating. I met two groups of people -  the applicants and representatives from the historic building groups, who were seeking to take it over. I understand that conversations between those two parties have not been fruitful and at present, there is a planning application before the Council. I think other than that, I would refer you to my previous answer on this. It’s quite a technical matter and we need to let it follow its cause and I am happy to meet with representatives who are concerned about the site. There is proper process concerning the planning application that  we should not seek to interfere with and the Committee needs to consider that in its own proper way.

 

9.8 Question from CouncillorVal Whitehead:

 

Can the lead member provide an update on its programme to tackle holiday hunger?

 

Response of Councillor Rachel Blake, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Planning Air Quality and Tackling Poverty:

 

I am really pleased that over the summer, the Council provided 9,259 meals to local children across parks, schools, Idea Stores, Estates and Youth centres and leisure centres. We need to make sure that children are getting at least one heathy meal a day and we are currently evaluating the programme. Personally I think one of the best things about the programme was that it reached into all sorts of community activities, so wherever children were, there was often some kind of offer in terms of lunch. There were also opportunities for children to get involved in cooking their own meals. On top of this, there is the Mayor’s commitment to continue funding free school meals. I know that this is something that we are really proud of, particularly under the savage Government cuts, that we are currently facing.

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

9.9 Question from Councillor Dan Tomlinson:

 

New car-free housing developments at Bow River Village are causing significant parking issues for long-standing residents in Bromley-by-Bow, will the council extend the parking permit times into the evenings and weekends to help these residents?

 

Response of Councillor David Edgar, Cabinet Member for Environment:

 

We are carrying out a parking policy review, that involves looking at controlled parking zones and where  residents and Councillors have identified issues where they think that the Council should address. This is clearly an important issue for residents and Councillors in parts of the Borough. As part of that work, we are contacting ward Councillors to get their views and discuss with them, the things that residents have said to them about hours or other aspects of operation. We have received requests for controlled hours and days for the Bromley-by-Bow area that they be extended in the way set out in the question. Those requests will be included in the public consultation exercise which will be carried out in the next couple of months and the results of that consultation will be used to make recommendations, which are introduced and it is expected that those changes will be introduced in the spring of 2020.

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

9.10 Question from Councillor Shad Chowdhury:

 

Spitalfields has a huge number of historical buildings, what is the Council doing to preserve not just the external face of historical buildings but to ensure the historical planning use of buildings is preserved, like the Whitechapel Bell Foundry?

 

Response of Councillor Rachel Blake, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Planning, Air Quality and Tackling Poverty:

 

We have already discussed the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, and I want to relay the experiences of this Council in terms of preserving Alms Houses for which the Council did a thorough heritage assessment working with Heritage England. That Planning application was refused, demonstrating how seriously we take heritage use in the Borough. We have a Conservation Strategy which protects our historic environment. This has helped inform a new Local Plan, which amongst other things, seeks to enhance and protect our heritage and ensure it plays an ongoing role in the Borough’s regeneration and development. Unlike many other Authorities, we have a team of specialist urban design and conservation officers, that review planning applications that are often focused on the historic environment around Spitalfields.  We also have a small grants scheme for historic buildings which I can certainly provide more information on. We also have a Conservation Area Design and Advisory Panel as well. 

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

9.11 Question from CouncillorAsma Islam:

 

To ask whether the council will be participating in National Democracy Week and what activities are planned?

 

Response of Mayor John Biggs:

 

In responding I would acknowledge that the Speaker plays a substantial role in National Democracy Week. Democratic Services have supported local and National Democracy Week for a number of years with a particular focus on events involving Primary School children. The Speaker as I have mentioned has always been key to those events. As part of the week, the Council has organised for Primary school children to visit this chamber to role play the role of the Speaker and Mace bearer. I would urge all Members to get involved with events in the Chamber and their schools, which we support through school democracy initiatives in individual schools at primary and secondary level. I have also written to the Young Mayor in the Borough proposing that we have a debate in this Chamber on Environmental issues , possible after National Democracy week as part of our civic engagement and trying to encourage our young people to become civically aware and responsible.

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

9.12 Question from Councillor Puru Miah:

 

Why is the Mayor not using Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) powers to save the irreplaceable heritage status of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry? 

 

Response of Mayor Biggs:

 

I have already responded to Councillor  Haque and Council Blake has responded to Councillor Chowdhury. Given the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, is subject to a live planning application, there is not more we can add to this matter at the moment.

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Puru Miah:

 

Will the Mayor join me and the residents who are having discussions about direct action to send a clear signal to the money men in Manhattan, that Whitechapel is not for sale, our heritage is  not for sale and the Bell Foundry should be kept for its historical use. Will he join us in a planned action to occupy the site?

 

Mayor Biggs’s response to supplementary question:

 

I have no plans to respond to that question.

 

9.13 Question from Councillor Rabina Khan:

 

Will the council carry out a serious case review on the Bethnal Green Schoolgirls who left for Syrian?

 

Response of Mayor John Biggs:

 

As we have previously discussed on a number of occasions, a serious case review is just one of a number of meaningful reviews that can be undertaken, when serious incidences occur. At the point when the three young girls  left for Syrian, the Council held numerous meetings with partner agencies and in particular, worked closely with the Police and Government departments to manage the risks associated with the case. A number of multi - agency meetings were held to share intelligence and information in relation to the girls and their families. The group also focused on lessons learnt. This allowed changes to be made to local prevent arrangements and informed multi agency training for staff across a range of roles and establishments. In April 2019, the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB) revisited the original decision in light of the growing public interest. Partner agencies reconvened to consider the case of the young women and the child born to them. The meeting was facilitated by the LSCB Independent Chair, reconfirmed that the case does not meet the threshold for a Serious Case Review and nor have the rational for the decision changed. It is a very important matter, and it does not mean that by not triggering that process, it has not been taken very seriously, as a matter of great concern across our community.

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

9.14 Question from Councillor Harun Miah:

 

Recently I have noticed few large size public litter bins outside Shadwell Overground station, can Mr Mayor tell us, are these new smart bins being rolled out across the borough

 

Response of Councillor David Edgar, Cabinet Member for Environment:

 

Thank you Councillor Miah for raising one of the many changes we are carrying out to make our streets clean. The bin that you refer to is one of the 10 higher capacity smart bins, we put out across the Borough in July 2017.

 

In July 2019, we deployed 17 more smart bins, so we have 27 across the Borough now, which are put in places where there are lots of people.  These bins are ones that compact the litter, they reduce the frequency that they need to be emptied, are solar powered and also indicate to the Council when they need to be emptied. These means that we can improve the standards of cleansing in areas where there are lots of people which often suffer from litter and where normal litter bins require, frequent emptying. These bins also reduce the amount of street furniture that you would need and give more time for street cleaners to be sweeping the streets as opposed to emptying bins and are all round generally good things.

 

No supplementary question was asked.