12.9 Motion regarding the Bedroom Tax

 

Councillor Rania Khan moved and Councillor Aminur Khan seconded the motion as printed on the agenda.

 

Councillor John Pierce moved and Councillor Sirajul Islam seconded an amendment to the motion:-

 

“Under ‘This Council notes that’:

Add a bullet point which reads:

Some Councils around the country are investigating the redesignation of homes, where practical, in a bid to stop residents being penalised for living in ‘under-occupied’ homes.”

Under ‘This Council resolves’:

Add a bullet point which reads:

To call upon the Mayor to investigate the cost of redesignating homes, where possible, and the impact that this would have on the Housing Revenue Account and the Council's ability to build new homes in the future, and to report back to Council at its next ordinary meeting.”

 

The amendment was put to the vote and was agreed.

 

The motion as so amended was then put to the vote and was agreed.

 

DECISION

 

This Council notes that:

-          On April 2 2013 another of the Government’s Welfare Changes came into effect.

 

-          The Bedroom Tax is a reduction in Housing Benefit to households in Council and Housing Association properties, who are deemed to have extra bedrooms.

 

-          Households will lose 14% of their rent if they have 1 extra bedroom and 25% of their rent if they have 2 or more extra bedrooms.

 

-          The Bedroom Tax will affect thousands of residents in Tower Hamlets.

 

-          Last month the government U-turn exempted Foster Carers, families of disabled siblings and families of service men and women from the tax.

 

-          The Government’s own figures suggest that 420,000 disabled adults will be affected by this tax.

 

-          The Council has launched a Prepare and Act Now Campaign to ensure that residents are aware of all the welfare changes and can seek advice and assistance from the Council and third sector organisations. Five events were held across the borough where residents could speak to Housing staff, Benefit Team staff, Skillsmatch and JCP staff, as well as staff from third sector advice agencies. There are a further four events planned during the summer. 

 

-          Some Councils around the country are investigating the redesignation of homes, where practical, in a bid to stop residents being penalised for living in ‘under-occupied’

 

This Council believes that:

-          The government’s U-turn demonstrates that this is a misguided policy

 

-          These measures will have an adverse and disproportionate effect on Tower Hamlets residents, especially those already living on a low income.

 

-          The Bedroom Tax disproportionately affects disabled residents, many of whom need an additional bedroom for medical reasons as well as due to large medical equipment and supplies.

 

-          These measures will increase poverty, and reduce the ability for residents to adequately heat their homes and feed and clothe their children. 

 

This Council resolves:

-          To lobby against the coalition’s policies which clearly have a discriminatory affect on the residents of Tower Hamlets. 

 

-          To call on the government to also except disabled adults from the Bedroom Tax.

 

-          To continue to offer support and guidance to any families who find themselves in financial difficulties due to these changes 

 

-          To call upon the Mayor to investigate the cost of redesignating homes, where possible, and the impact that this would have on the Housing Revenue Account and the Council's ability to build new homes in the future, and to report back to Council at its next ordinary meeting.

 

(Action by:  Aman Dalvi, Corporate Director, Development and Renewal)

 

 

12.1 Motion regarding Car Free Developments

 

The Legal Officer advised the Council that the existing Car Free Developments Policy was part of the Council’s statutory Development Plan.  The Permit Transfer Scheme was an operational change to that policy which was made following an investigation by officers of the perceived need and the impact it would have on the Council’s parking network.  It was likely that any extension of the Permit Transfer Scheme would need to be subject to a similar investigation.

 

Councillor M.A. Mukit MBE moved and Councillor Khales Uddin Ahmed seconded the motion as printed on the agenda.

 

The motion was put to the vote and was agreed.

 

DECISION

 

This Council notes:

 

-          The Permit Transfer Scheme (PTS) which allows some families to move to larger social rented homes in car free developments by allowing them to retain one on-street resident car parking permit.

-          This scheme is designed to help to reduce the levels of overcrowding in social rented housing in the borough by enabling residents to move to properties which were previously off limits as they need access to a car.

-          The Permit Transfer Scheme is only eligible to residents moving to three+ bedroom social rented car free homes

 

This Council Further notes:

 

-          According to the Tower Hamlets Housing List there are:

o       11,532 residents in need of a one bed property

o       5,093 residents in need of a two bed property

-          Together these two categories represent 69% of those on the borough’s housing waiting list.

 

-          The Budget amendment presented by Councillors Khan and Gibbs in 2012 that proposed extending some Car Free Development permits to 1 and 2 bedroom properties

-          That the Council resolved at the 2012 Budget meeting:

o       That the Council further notes that residents are often forced to refuse much needed new homes in Car Free developments because they need a car.

 

o       That the Council resolves to call on the Mayor to implement extended car free developments to one and two bedroom properties.

 

This Council Believes:

 

-          The excluding one and two bedroom properties from the Permit Transfer Scheme means that many residents have to turn down one and two bedroom homes due to the lack of parking provision.

-          That the inequality of access to the Permit Transfer Scheme between one/two bed properties and three+ bedroom families unnecessarily penalises smaller families.

-          Extending the PTS would help to enable more residents to move into more appropriate property including downsizing, which in turn would create new opportunities to house larger families as well.

-          That residents needing one and two bedroom properties may have as great a need for a car - because of age, disability, ill health, work or children for example - as those needing larger properties and is therefore discriminatory

 

This Council Resolves:

 

-          To reissue our call on the Mayor to extend the Permit Transfer Scheme to one and two bedroom properties.

 

(Action by:  Aman Dalvi, Corporate Director, Development and Renewal)

 

 

12.2    Motion regarding Mayor’s Group Meeting

 

Councillor Peter Golds moved and Councillor David Snowdon seconded the motion as printed on the agenda.

 

The motion was put to the vote and was agreed.

 

DECISION

 

This Council notes the Minutes of the Mayor’s Group Meeting, as published on a recent local blog, held in the Mayor’s Office on 19^th May 2012.

 

This meeting also notes:

 

• That the substantive subject of the Group Meeting regarded the organisation and funding for the 2014 election campaign.

 

• That the Mayor is asking each ward councillor “to seek out, identify local level multicultural issues and, in the words of the agenda,  deliver”, and that this group is to be a “parallel campaign for the ward councillors and Mayor”

 

• That the Mayor’s Community Liaison Officer, a PO6 grade council employee, on the staff of the Mayor’s office is listed as campaign Leader whose tasks include “identifying a team to collect data and identify Vote ID”, preparing calling cards and literature “per ward” and setting up a bank account.

 

• That 10 ward supporters/stakeholders are to be identified in each ward and that the Mayor is to “lead induction/training” for these stakeholders.

 

• This Council further notes that it is illegal to use council facilities and staff for electoral and partisan political purposes. 

 

The Council calls upon the Head of Paid Service to appoint an independent investigator into this and subsequent meetings of this group in order to identify all misuse of public funds by using council facilities and officers for political campaign activity.

 

The Council expects this investigation be undertaken promptly and a full report, including recommended actions be submitted for consideration by the full council.

 

That a copy of the Agenda for the 19^th May Mayoral Group Meeting be sent to the District Auditor along with this resolution, to ensure that any potentially improper use of facilities and officers is fully investigated.

 

(Action by:  Stephen Halsey, Head of Paid Service)

 

 

12.7    Motion regarding the Women’s Library

 

Councillor Denise Jones moved and Councillor Bill Turner seconded the motion as printed on the agenda.

 

The motion was put to the vote and was agreed.

 

DECISION

 

This Council notes:

 

·        In 1997, the Council agreed to the disposal of land at Oldcastle Street to the London Guildhall University/Fawcett Library to support the conversion of the old Bath Houses into the Women’s Library building.  The Fawcett Library collection then expanded into the new building.

 

·        The Heritage Lottery Fund donated over £4 million, being 75% of the costs of the land and development of the building. The council donated 25% of the land value and the University paid the balance of 25%.

 

·        As a result of this financial support and commitment, the Council is represented on the Women’s Library Council. It was agreed that Library facilities should be made available free of charge at all opening times to Members and officers of the Council, local school use, students in the Borough, a defined list of Local History Societies and Charities in the Borough, all residents with Library/Leisure passes for 20 days a year. The disposal was conditional upon a separate agreement to ensure the University provided the existing Barrow Store for Petticoat Lane market and the Community School.

 

·        In the spring 2012, London Metropolitan University Trust (previously Guildhall University) agreed they could no longer find the revenue costs to operate the Women’s Library and started a process to dispose of the Collections. Most Members of the Women’s Library Council were not informed of the process until the press carried the announcement that LSE had agreed to take the collections.

 

·        In mid-summer, MPs, Lords, London Assembly Members, Local Councillors, Residents, Trade Unions, Academics, Architects and local residents formed the ‘Save the Women’s Library Campaign’ with the campaign objective of keeping the collections in the  building.

 

·        Save The Women’s Library Campaign called on the Heritage Lottery Fund to intervene, in line with the original objectives of its grant, to keep the library in its home.  To date the Heritage Lottery Fund has not intervened to this effect.

 

·        While the collections have been preserved, London Metropolitan University made no attempt to keep them in its own building.

 

·        The Women’s Library collections have now been taken on by London School of Economics and are currently being transferred there.

 

·        Whilst the Women’s Library building has been registered as a Community Asset with the council, the future of the building in Oldcastle Street is uncertain.

 

This Council believes:

 

·        The Women’s Library collections belong in Tower Hamlets with its proud women’s history.

 

·        The Women’s Library Council, on which Tower Hamlets Council is represented, was not adequately consulted about the disposal of the collection or the future of the building.

 

·        The Council made an investment in the Women’s Library building in good faith that the building would remain in women’s and community use.

 

·        It would be wholly inappropriate for the investment made by Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund to be lost and for the Women’s Library building to revert to generic university use.

 

·        The Heritage Lottery Fund should be asked to intervene to ensure that the Women’s Library Building retains a community use.

 

This Council resolves:

 

·        To formally investigate the conditions attached to the sale agreement of the old bath houses by Tower Hamlets Council.

 

·        To call on the Heritage Lottery Fund to claw back the grant that it made in the building, should the building revert from women’s and community use.

 

·        To recognise the Women’s Library as a community asset for women’s and community use.

 

(Action by:  Isabella Freeman, Assistant Chief Executive (Legal Services))

 

 

12.4    Motion regarding Open Spaces Strategy

 

Councillor Amy Whitelock moved and Councillor Carlo Gibbs seconded the motion as printed on the agenda.

 

The motion was put to the vote and was agreed.

 

DECISION

 

This Council Notes:

 

-    The motion passed by Council on the 16^th May 2012 which resolved:

 

o   To amend the Open Spaces Strategy to include a section on Commercial Events in parks, to reflect the prior decisions of Council, that:

 

In regards to Victoria Park:

  Limits the number of large commercial music events in the park to six days each year;

  Prevents the park being used for commercial events on consecutive weekends throughout the summer, with at least two weekends free after a weekend of events;

  Sets a closing time for events to 10pm;

  Sets a reduced noise levels for commercial events.

In regards to Sir John McDougal Gardens, Millwall Park and Island Gardens:

  Prevents the holding of commercial events.

In regards to the gardens at Trinity Square:

  Allow the use for weddings but prevent the holding of other commercial events.

 

o   To exclude the Live Site events in Victoria Park in 2012 from the above.

 

-    The resolution of Council on 8 December 2010 calling on the Mayor to put limits on the use of Victoria Park for commercial events, whilst still recognising that some events should still be allowed

 

-    The resolution of Council on 21 December 2011 asking that Sir John McDougal Gardens, Millwall Park and Island Gardens should not be made available for commercial events.

 

-    That over 400 residents signed a petition presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet, calling for the number of events to be reduced.

 

-    That no amended Open Spaces Strategy has been presented to Council even though it is included in the list of policies reserved for Council who have expressed a will to see the policy amended.

 

-    The serious damage done to the park by last Summer’s commercial events and the continued degradation of the park.

 

This Council Believes:

 

-    That the Mayor should respect the democratic mandate of the Council and the wishes of residents and bring forward a revised Open Spaces Strategy which reflects the stated position of Council.

-    That a failure to do so not only fails to show regard for the Council’s democratic ruling but also leaves the Council open to unnecessary legal challenge.

-    That the adoption of this amendment would be in the interests of local residents and those visiting the borough as it would provide a sustainable and manageable basis on which to hold commercial events.

-    The events in excess of the cap proposed by Council will have a detrimental effect on local residents and users of the park.

 

This Council Resolves:

 

-    That the Mayor should bring forward a renewed Open Spaces Strategy to the next ordinary Council meeting including within it the amendments set out above.

 

(Action by:  Stephen Halsey, Corporate Director, Communities, Localities and Culture)