To debate a Motion submitted by the Opposition Group in accordance with Rules 11 and 13 of the Council’s Constitution. The debate will last for a maximum of 30 minutes.

 

Councillor Marc Francis moved and Councillor Amina Ali seconded the motion as printed in the agenda.

 

Councillor Kabir Ahmed moved and Councillor Harun Miah seconded a proposed amendment to the motion as printed in the tabled papers supplement.

 

Additions underlined

Deletions struck through.

 

This Council believes: 

·       Tower Hamlets Homes (THH) has on balance led to a significant improvement in the quality of housing management than was achieved when council housing was last a direct in-house service. 

 

·       Simply bringing THH back in-house will not deliver the improvements in repairs services and value for money tenants and leaseholders consistently say they want to see. 

 

·       Stronger direct accountability to council tenants and leaseholders and to elected councillors is an essential component of the alternative governance arrangements. 

 

·       The current arrangements for the democratic oversight of THH’s performance are already inadequate and will be even more so if the service is brought back in-house and councillors no longer serve on its Board. 

 

·       Tower Hamlets Homes (THH) was established as an Arm’s Length Management Organisation (ALMO)  in 2008 to assist with elevating all Tower Hamlets homes to compliance with the Decent Homes Standard. 

 

·       That the ALMO model has served its purpose, with Tower Hamlets comprising one of only four London Boroughs who still adhere to the ALMO model.  

 

·       That another of these Labour-run Boroughs with the ALMO model (Lewisham) have just voted to conclude their ALMO services and bring housing back in-house.  

 

·       That the building of new homes and the tackling of the overcrowding crisis in Tower Hamlets, and the maintenance and improvement of existing stock, was and remains the central pledge of Mayor Lutfur Rahman’s transformative Manifesto. 

 

·       That this is reflected in both the Council’s Strategic and Delivery plans.  

 

·       The insourcing of the ALMO would enable the council to deliver services to residents living in social and council housing that meet their needs, and assist in the delivery of this Administration’s central pledges around housing.  

·       That this Administration is confident that the insourcing of Tower Hamlets Homes has overwhelming support from residents.  

 

·       That Officers have already begun the necessary processes to instigate a review of housing management functions, that will strengthen accountability and resident and stakeholder engagement with the service if it were to come in-house. 

 

 

This Council therefore resolves: 

 

·       To call on the Executive Mayor to commit to instruct THH/LBTH to proactively organise a minimum of four Tenants & Residents Association meetings on each estate/neighbourhood. 

 

·       To call on the Executive Mayor to instruct officers to begin an open and transparent consultation with stakeholders on the level of performance an in-house service would be expected to achieve over the next three years. 

 

·       To call on the Executive Mayor to establish and resource either a new Housing Committee of elected councillors to oversee the performance of THH increase the number of meetings of the existing Housing & Regeneration Scrutiny Sub-committee to ten each year, with an expanded membership. 

 

·       To support officers in the process of insourcing Tower Hamlets Homes, should residents vote to return to the Council. 

 

·       To regularly update residents and all related stakeholders on the progress of this process.

 

·       To provide reassurances and updates to all Tower Hamlets Homes staff, to ensure that they are aware that their jobs are safe if the service comes in-house. 

 

·       To call on the Executive Mayor to re-establish the Borough wide Tenants Federation with resources. 

 

Following debate, the amendment moved by Councillor Kabir Ahmed was put to the vote and was agreed.

 

The motion as amended by Councillor Kabir Ahmed was put to the vote and was agreed.

 

RESOLVED:

 

This Council notes that:

·       Tower Hamlets Homes (THH) was established as an Arm’s Length Management Organisation (ALMO)  in 2008 to assist with elevating all Tower Hamlets homes to compliance with the Decent Homes Standard. 

 

·       That the ALMO model has served its purpose, with Tower Hamlets comprising one of only four London Boroughs who still adhere to the ALMO model.  

 

·       That another of these Labour-run Boroughs with the ALMO model (Lewisham) have just voted to conclude their ALMO services and bring housing back in-house.  

 

·       That the building of new homes and the tackling of the overcrowding crisis in Tower Hamlets, and the maintenance and improvement of existing stock, was and remains the central pledge of Mayor Lutfur Rahman’s transformative Manifesto. 

 

·       That this is reflected in both the Council’s Strategic and Delivery plans.  

 

·       The insourcing of the ALMO would enable the council to deliver services to residents living in social and council housing that meet their needs, and assist in the delivery of this Administration’s central pledges around housing.  

·       That this Administration is confident that the insourcing of Tower Hamlets Homes has overwhelming support from residents.  

 

·       That Officers have already begun the necessary processes to instigate a review of housing management functions, that will strengthen accountability and resident and stakeholder engagement with the service if it were to come in-house. 

 

 

This Council therefore resolves: 

 

·       To support officers in the process of insourcing Tower Hamlets Homes, should residents vote to return to the Council. 

 

·       To regularly update residents and all related stakeholders on the progress of this process.

 

·       To provide reassurances and updates to all Tower Hamlets Homes staff, to ensure that they are aware that their jobs are safe if the service comes in-house. 

 

·       To call on the Executive Mayor to re-establish the Borough wide Tenants Federation with resources.