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:

 

 

 11.1   Question from Councillor Amina Ali:

 

Given the on-going Omicron wave, can the Lead Member provide an update on what the Council is doing to ensure all residents are provided with the opportunity to receive two doses of the vaccination along with the booster jab?

 

Response of Councillor Rachel Blake, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing:

 

Thank you for your work with people in encouraging the take up of the vaccine in the Borough.

 

In December, the Government announced a rapid expansion of the Covid – 19 booster programme. We had already by then established important relationships and partnerships with grass root organisations to encourage take up of the vaccine.

 

As at last week, the Partnership had administered over 109,000 booster doses, which was the equivalent of 53% of the eligible population.

 

The Council has played a really critical role in terms of making buildings available, and working in partnership with the NHS.

 

I am particularly proud of the work we have done to provide culturally competent engagement with grass root organisations to support our diverse community.

 

No supplementary question was asked.

11.2Question from Councillor Kabir Ahmed:

 

The Mayor will have seen reports circulating on social media that in response to an FOI request the Council has revealed that it has spent some £156 million over the last three years via the “AP1” voucher procedures.  Will the Mayor please explain to the Council the following:

 

a)  what the procedures for authorising an AP1 payment  are?

b)  whether there are any caps on the sums which may be spent via the AP1 procedure?

c)  whether it is correct that AP1 procedures are used for spending in “exceptional circumstances”?

d)  whether the Mayor was made or became aware of this level of spending using the AP1 procedure before the FOI response was made public?

 

Response of Mayor John Biggs:

 

It’s not as sensational as suggested by the question. This was a fairly routine process, by which the Council manages payments. API payments are authorised by the budget holder, based on the Council’s Scheme of Delegation. There are additional levels of authorisation rather than an upper limit – with the   larger decisions taken by more Senior Officers.

 

There are limits on how a BACs or a CHAPs payment may take place.  They are not only used for exceptional payments, but in  incidences where there are no invoices, where it’s a non regular payment. Property transactions is a fairly significant example of that. Other examples would be ad hoc foster career allowances, grants paid out by the Council’s refunds and long service awards.

 

The procedures are used for a wide variety of purposes. Every council had such procedures. I welcome scrutiny on this matter and public and press interest in this.

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Kabir Ahmed:

 

Can you explain the circumstances around purchase of free homes in Erith – including – how they were identified, was it value for money, and who authorised the purchase?

 

Mayor John Biggs’ response to supplementary question:

 

In relation to this matter, my understanding is that we purchased properties for temporary accommodation. This had provided a far better standard of temporary housing than some of the private rented accommodation, which can be of a very low quality. Erith is within the travel policy as defined by housing policy over many years.  Whilst we try to provide homeless places in the Borough, we also work hard to sources homes in other London Boroughs, and do better in relation to this than many other Borough regarding locating people in the Borough.

 

If you wish for a detailed breakdown of this matter and how this was accessed, I will make sure this is provided.

 

11.3Question from Councillor Leema Qureshi:

 

Victory Day took place on 17th December 2021 which marks the independence of Bangladesh and it is a special day for many residents in the borough. Can the Mayor update us on what the Council did to mark this important occasion?

 

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

 

Victory Day took place on 17th December 2021. It’s a very special day for many residents in the Borough.  We arranged for St Georges and the Bromley Public Hall to be lit up in red and green. In addition,  a special concert had also been planned  with Queen Mary’s University of London.  Due to the increasing rates of Covid – 19, and the fact we could not guarantee the health and safety of those attending,  the Council, in conjunction with Public Health and QMU, cancelled the live event. The artists due to perform were filmed at the Queen Mary’s Great Hall on 17^th December, and links to this are on our website and the Tower Hamlets You Tube Channel.

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

11.4Question from Councillor Peter Golds:

 

What communication has LBTH had with the Royal Borough of Greenwich as regards the non-working lift(s) at Island Gardens and Cutty Sark serving the Greenwich foot tunnel?

 

Response of Mayor John Biggs:

 

I have contacted the Royal Borough of Greenwich and their Leader about the operation of the foot tunnel. More recently, Council Officers in Place have also been engaging with relevant staff at the Royal Borough.  I am disappointed by the non operation of the lifts given many rely on these. This problem is however, to a certain extent, offset by the accessible services provided by the Docklands Light Railway. This allows people to get down to platform level by lift.

 

I understand that the preliminary works are due to start on 24^th January 2022 with the installation on the 14^th February 2022. The expected hand over date is 4^th March 2022.

 

I think that the lifts need to be replaced in the longer term. The Council shares some of the costs of this with the Royal Borough of Greenwich. However they are responsible for the management of the tunnel.

 

 

 

 

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Peter Golds:

 

Thanks for confirming the timetable for this and the responsibility arrangements. Is there anything the Council can do to push this issue forward -  given the importance of the foot tunnel for huge numbers of people in Tower Hamlets?

 

Mayor John Biggs’ response to supplementary question:

 

We have escalated this issue. The Chief Executive has spoken to their same post at the Royal Borough of Greenwich.  We have expressed concerns about the unavailabilty of the lifts. The Borough has sent us the bill for the cost and we have limited control over what can be done.  I had proposed to Officers during the Covid pandemic closure, that the Council stop making our payment when the footpath was unilaterally closed to Tower Hamlets Residents, which I felt was disproportionate and unreasonable.

 

11.5   Question from Councillor Rajib Ahmed:

 

Can the Mayor provide an update on how the Council is supporting the borough’s COVID recovery during these continued uncertain times?

 

Response of Mayor John Biggs:

 

The Council has stepped up to provide a number of initiatives to support residents during the pandemic. This includes: delivering emergency food aid, PPE, as well as working with health partners in relation to key messages and the vaccination drive. We are also working to support businesses.

 

In June 2021, we agreed the Mayor’s Covid Recovery Fund, supporting 25 projects.

 

The grant element consists of the following:

 

·       £190,000 committed to grants for supporting the voluntary sector.

·       £350,000 for grants to businesses.

·       £166,00 for grants to tackle loneliness.

 

The Mayor’s Covid Recovery fund has already recruited 105  volunteers with:

 

·       Over 460 residents in mental health and wellbeing training sessions.

·       Over 150 residents in physical activity and healthy eating training sessions

 

Over 630 children and youth people have attended the summer holiday programme.

 

It has been a useful boost for the Borough during the pandemic and has helped the recovery. But we still need to do quite a lot to help people in the community to recover.

 

No supplementary question was asked

 

11.6    Question from Councillor Harun Miah:

 

Can the mayor update this chamber to aftermath of the very tragic incident at Nida House, Sutton street on the 11th of December 2021? Which sadly resulted in the death of 11 year old Fatiha Sabrin?

 

Response of Mayor John Biggs:

 

This was a very tragic event. I attended the building shortly after the incident and I laid some flowers. We have also helped in rehousing the households affected and with communicating with the landlord. We have also worked with the safety authorities on this matter.

 

I understand that virtually all of the families have moved back into the accommodation -  with the exception of the family that had lost their child, who are living in temporary accommodation. We are looking to provide them with alternative arrangements.

 

We cannot control everything that people bring into their homes and unwittingly, someone had taken agricultural industrial type pesticide into a residential dwelling, resulting in this tragic incident.

 

We need to learn from that and emphasis the dangers to people of the use of such unregulated products

 

It was an usual and unprecedented incident. Our thoughts are with those affected by this.

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

11.7    Question from Councillor Zenith Rahman:

 

Can the Lead Member please let us know many electric charge points are currently installed in the borough, and how many were installed by this administration since 2018?

 

Response of Councillor Kahar Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Highways and Public Realm:

 

Tackling the climate emergency and air pollution are key priorities for the Council.  Encouraging the switch to electric vehicles is a key part in delivering both of these aims.

 

There are currently 178 on street electric charging points installed in the Borough. 173 of which had been installed since April 2018.

 

Installing electric charge points is just one of a range of measures the Council  are taking as part of our commitment to be a Net Zero Carbon  Council by 2025 and an Net Zero Borough by 2045. The recently published Net Zero Partnership Action plan sets out a lot of this work.

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

11.8  Question from Councillor Andrew Wood:

 

How much s106, Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and New Homes Bonus money was in the Council bank account at the end of 2021?

 

Response of Councillor Rachel Blake, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing:

 

I am always grateful for the opportunity to talk about the Council’s investment in infrastructure and to support our vibrant and diverse community.

 

I can confirm that at the end of 2021, the following:

 

·       In relation to s106 (provided by developers to mitigate the impact of development in accordance with restrictions) – we received 161. 5M. Not all of which was capital.

 

·       Regarding CIL (a per square metre levy, not restricted to a certain use) – 112.2M

 

·       The New Homes Bonus, (a non - ringfenced grant allocated to Councils based on new homes provided) – 44.2M.  Nearly all had been programme.

 

All of the information is in the public domain, through Cabinet and Council  reports and is available on request

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

11.9Question from Councillor Marc Francis:

 

Will the Lead Member for Housing set out the actions that Tower Hamlets Council has taken to support residents of Clare House since Clarion Housing Group announced the evacuation of this tower block for fire safety reasons on 29th September 2021?

 

Response of Councillor Danny Hassell, Cabinet Member for Housing:

 

Since the Council became aware of the intended evacuation in September last year - we have been supporting residents during this very difficult time.

 

The decision to evacuate was a difficult and a complex exercise and an emotional event for residents being told that they would never return to their homes again.

 

The Council has regular meetings with Clarion Housing regarding such issues as: the quality of temporary accommodation, the permanent housing offer,  Clarion’s resident engagement strategy, resident welfare and the safety of the building, whilst some residents are still in occupation.

 

The Council has also provided British Red Cross humanitarian support  for residents and advice on availability of serviced apartments.

 

We have also facilitated emergency priority on the common Housing register, with up to three  offers of suitable housing for residents. The Council also processes application forms for those not on the housing register with speed. We will continue to work with Clarion about the future of Clare House and the reprovision of the housing.

 

I also wish to thank the Mayor, Councillor Francis, ward Cllrs and the MP for all your work on this matters and advocating for residents

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Marc Francis:

 

In October 2021, Clarion refused to provide a copy of a report by consultants about the structural integrity and fire safety of Clare House. In November, they tried to force tenants evacuated to relinquish their secure assured tenancy, when they moved into long term temporary accommodation. This was in return for an assured tenancy from a private landlord.

 

In December, they withdrew their promise to tenants evacuated – to provide three direct offers of a permanent home, directing them instead to  a home seekers website.

 

By Christmas, only 10% of those tenants evacuated, received a permanent home.

 

Will the Lead Member and the Mayor agree to write to the Housing Minster to request that he meet with Clare House residents to understand their concerns and that he intervene to get a more quicker and empathetic response by Clarion Housing Group?

 

CouncillorDanny Hassell’s response to supplementary question:

 

We share the concerns about the speed of the response. Whilst it’s a logistically complex  matter, we note that there are clearly areas where Clarion should have done more, quicker, and with more sympathy and empathy. Yes myself and the Mayor will be happy to make the representations you have suggested.

 

11.10Question from Councillor Dan Tomlinson:

 

Could the Lead Member provide an update on the URS waste collection issues, detailing how many URS trucks are currently working and how long it will be until the out-of-action vehicles are back in action?

 

 

 

 

Response of Councillor Asma Islam, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning:

 

As a Borough we have the largest number of URS sites. (Underground Refuse System) There are over 700 bins that can only be lifted by URS trucks. These vehicles provide a challenge for waste services. They are highly specialist vehicles, with not many in existence in the UK. We have had problems with ensuing that all three of our URS vehicles are operational in recent months, due to breakdowns and difficulties in repairing these specialist vehicles.

 

Actions plans are in place to ensure we have two URS vehicles  available with a third acting as a  spare. We are also expecting the delivery of a brand new URS vehicle soon. We have also experienced problems with staff shortages due to Covid – 19 related sickness. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this has caused. I want to assure you and our residents that we are working very hard to resolve the issues, and that we will continue with  surface waste collection until the issues with the URS trucks has been addressed and they are fully track.

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Dan Tomlinson:

 

What further plans are in place to ensure the service is more resilient, particularly with reference to the introduction of the URS vehicle? This is a big issue particularly in my ward.

 

CouncillorAsma Islam’s response to supplementary question:

 

We note that improving resilience is key to addressing the issues and we wish to develop this further by the introduction of the three vehicles.

 

We are looking at the  issues with officers -  at how to improve the service, with the growth in the Borough to prevent problems arising again

 

11.12 Question from Councillor Victoria Obaze:

 

The vibrancy of our neighbourhoods is just one of the many aspects that makes Tower Hamlets the best borough in London to live.  The presence of offensive graffiti can have a really negative impact on the community. Can the Lead Member provide an update on what the Council is doing to keep the borough clean and safe from vandalism?

 

Response of Councillor Asma Islam, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning:

 

The vibrancy of our neighbourhoods is just one of the key features that makes us the best Borough in London and graffiti has a negative effect on this.

 

We are targeting graffiti with an increase in removal activity, over the last 12 months. This is as part of our work to make Tower Hamlets cleaner, safer and fairer.

 

We are focusing our efforts to target:

 

·       Hots spots to remove graffiti more quickly.

·       Agree plans to target offenders, in partnership with the Police and Community Safety.

·       Working on plans to ensure other landowners take responsibility for tackling graffiti on their land.

 

I am pleased to confirm that nearly 2000 locations across the Borough, blighted by graffiti had been cleared up over the last 8 months, including action by the Mayor to help with the clean up. This means that approx. 50,000 square metres, of graffiti (the size of  seven full sized foot ball pitches) have been cleared away by council teams.

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

11.13Question from Councillor Rabina Khan:

 

How does the Mayor and the administration intend to reach vulnerable people, diverse communities geographically surrounding St George’s, including those with protected characteristics, so that a fair proportion are able take part in the Leisure Strategy which is transparently referring to St George’s Pool? (as set out in the supplementary agenda)

 

Response of Mayor John Biggs: 

 

The consultation has been very difficult during Covid – 19, due to the constraints in reaching people. I am really looking forward to meeting people and attending public meetings. We have done the best we can in terms of the consultation in view of the restrictions.  I refute the suggestion that we have failed against our Strategy in view of this.

 

I note the passion people feel about the pool and importance of this issue. This is why I have attended so many meetings and I intend to continue to do so. I have spoken to Councillor Khan and many other representatives.

 

I am committed to re - providing a swimming pool in the area.  We have reached the conclusion that it cannot be refurbished in its current state. We are looking at the capital provision of that and a report will come to the Cabinet on 9^th February 2022. I think what we are proposing to do will be largely in accordance with the objections of residents regarding the risks of closing the pool and losing it.

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Rabina Khan:

 

I note your commitments. I would request again that the meeting is extended under procedure rules to debate Motion 12.3 regarding the St Georges Pool. It would be good for the residents to hear the debate.

 

 

Mayor Biggs response to supplementary question:

 

I have agreed to meet the main group who are active in this. I am happy to do this in person or on line, as well as yourself again and your fellow local ward Councillor. I have also been meeting with the St Katherine’s and Wapping Councillors who have an interest in this matter. I agree it’s an important asset.

 

Having received advice, we have reached the conclusion that it is at the end of its refurbishable life. The conclusion I have therefore reached, subject to the outcome of the public consultation, that it is best to relocate the pool on its current site, given the good transport links, proximity to the most neediest community, and the opportunities to provide a range of sports at the centre, but predominantly swimming.

 

Question 11.11 was not put due to the absence of the questioner. (Written response attached)