Agenda item
Mayor's Spotlight
As Mayor Lutfur Rahman was unable to attend both the 24 April and 16 May Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings, the Mayor’s Spotlight item has been moved to 22 May 2023 Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Minutes:
The Mayor’s Spotlight was presented by Mayor Lutfur Rahman, with Stephen Halsey, Interim Chief Executive and Stephen Bramah, Head of Corporate Strategy & Improvement, covering the achievements of the Council within 2022-24.
The committee raised the following comments and questions:
- How close are the council in reaching the house building targets? What progress is being made with bringing the council house management back in house?The Mayor stated that good homes for residents is a priority and is in partnership with organisations to deliver on this, including ensuring as many new homes are affordable as possible. Partnership working is important in housing, with Tower Hamlets Homes being brought in house and areas of regeneration within the borough.
- When will the free school meal roll out be achieved? How long will the free school provision be budgeted for? The Mayor reported that the free school meals will be rolled out in phases, with most starting in September, with other schools to follow in the next phases. The free school meal will be universal for all students.
- How is the council tackling crime within the borough? And will the council be requesting more police officers across the borough? How is crime being tackled in the council housing estates? Violence towards women and girls within the borough is a concern. The Mayor stated that the administration inherited a high crime borough and improvements in crime have been sought within the first year, including recruitment of local police and increased CCTV within the borough. There does need to be a cultural change in the borough to create a safe environment for women and girls and education can play a part in that, with investment in educational schemes.
- In what ways is the council learning about complaints? What examples can you suggest showing there have been improvements? The Mayor stated that residents bring complaints to him directly about services and these are brought to directors for action, but a lot of work needs to be done to ensure that residents see improvement in services. Stephen Halsey reported on how the council’s corporate plan addresses complaints and how complaints are audited annually. Big concerns from residents are on housing and environment, including waste collections. Work will need to be done across the council to address these concerns.
- What understanding does the council have on its own grants provision? Will there be an effect on voluntary and community groups? The Mayor reported on the current grants process, which is delegated to Officers but welcomed organisations within the borough to apply for the grants. Stephen Halsey confirmed that grant giving is now delegated to Chief Executive, and will be audited and subject to scrutiny in the usual way.
- What is the council doing to improve its waste collection service? Stephen Halsey commented that process around improvements in waste collection is not going fast enough, but recent recruitment should help with this and additional resources will be used to tackle the waste emergency.
- What is the progress on the improvements to Roman Road, when will the works be completed? The Mayor confirmed he will get back to the committee about the plans for Roman Road.
- Housing improvements in the borough can feel slow to see the progress. Residents have issues with organisations like Clarion Housing, what is being done to ensure standards are raised? Will the council escalate concerns about these organisations to national government level? The Mayor confirmed that he has heard many concerns raised by residents about slow improvements by organisations like Clarion Housing and this will be raised with the Executive Member. The Council will consider escalating concerns if action has not been taken.
- Can the Mayor confirm plans for the rollout of Idea Stores? The Mayor confirmed that £1.1m has been pledged to open five residents hubs by the end of 2023. The hubs need to be open and across the borough, to ensure all residents can access council services and get support.
RESOLVED:
Members noted the update.