Approval is required for a shopfront improvements grants scheme to be delivered under the Middlesex St Regeneration programme as it will benefit businesses in this area.

The cost of the works will be paid for under the Middlesex Street Regeneration Programme, with businesses benefiting from the scheme contributing 10%.

The scope of shopfront work includes replacing solid metal shutters with open grills and oversized or broken signage and protecting heritage features in the façade to uplift the visual appeal of the street.

It is a constitutional requirement that the Cabinet reviews this plan. The plan sets out the priorities and strategic goals of the Youth Justice Board.
This report highlights the current priority areas to tackle which include disproportional representation, and steps to reduce first time entrants.

Sale of 53 Antil Road London E3 5BT, a property previously acquired under Compulsory Purchase Order powers.

As part of the wider decanting of staff to relocate into the new Town Hall, Albert Jacob House has been vacated and deemed surplus to requirements. One option is for the Council to redevelop the site itself, but funds will be required to facilitate this, by disposing of an alternative site, and the Car Pound at 585-593 Commercial Road, subject to obtaining vacant possession, has been identified as potentially suitable.

This item will ask for Cabinet approval for completion of lease arrangements and commercial transfers related to the academy conversion of Canon Barnett primary school. The school received an academy order from the Secretary of State. The school has indicated its wish to convert to academy status and join the Mulberry Trust. Once applications from school governing bodies have been approved by the Secretary of State the expectation is that local authorities will work with schools on all transfer matters.

A Health Scrutiny challenge session took place on the 10th March 2020 reviewing “How health and social care is supporting adults with a learning disability to live independent lives in Tower Hamlets”. This scrutiny session focused on three main areas of the Learning Disability Strategy: Health, Accommodation and Employment. The challenge session report was compiled providing documentation of the sessions and including recommendations to be actioned upon. Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus-19 pandemic in the UK, the report was signed-off in February 2021. The report was updated against the March position and included an impact assessment of the pandemic for the learning disability population.

This report presents the action plan in response to the Health Scrutiny challenge session report for Cabinet approval.

An application for the Historic Buildings Grant has been received for a contribution towards the cost of the reinstatement of the historic shopfront and associated architectural features to corner building, grade II listed 57 Brick Lane (Fournier Street elevation).

A 50% contribution towards costs will come from the shopfront grant scheme as part of the Brick Lane Regeneration Programme. It is proposed to offer £10,000 from the Historic Buildings Grant for the works. The remaining shortfall in funds will be from other sources.

The works are an opportunity to reinstate and repair a significant Georgian grade II listed shopfront in a prominent corner location next to the grade II* listed Brick Lane Mosque and to enhance the appearance of the Brick Lane & Fournier Street Conservation Area.


Rajmahal Sweets is located at 57 Brick Lane, which is a grade II listed Georgian building, in a prominent corner position on Brick Lane and Fournier Street, opposite the grade II* listed Brick Lane Mosque in the Brick Lane & Fournier Street Conservation Area.

The shopfront elevation on the Fournier Street elevation has deteriorated over the last 2 years. The condition of the timberwork in the shopfront and door case is poor and needs to careful conservation repair. Some of the glazing is also damaged and requires replacement.

The shopfront was highlighted for shopfront improvements as part of the Brick Lane Regeneration Programme, which offers a grant of 50% to business owners for shopfront improvements. Because 57 Brick Lane is listed and has a large shopfront area, the cost of the work is higher than for many other shops on the street and beyond the financial means of the business owner.

It is requested that £10,000 of 50% required to match fund the shopfront improvement grant from the Brick Lane Regeneration Programme is met from the Council’s Historic Buildings Grant. The remaining match funding will come from other sources.

To offer a grant of £10,000 to 57 Brick Lane requires the approval of the Grants Determination Sub-Committee.

Following the approval of the £0.442m from s106 for the development of Island Gardens Café (including public toilets) by Cabinet on 26th January 2021 as part of the 2020-24 Approved Capital Programme, the project costs have increased.

The contractor procurement process started earlier this year and resulted in tender returns which exceeded the original project estimate as at May 2020. The construction industry generally has experienced considerable material and price increases. Contractors are therefore approaching tenders more cautiously to ensure their tenders are robust to cover further price increases once material orders are actually placed after a contract award. In addition, the tender market is also incredibly busy at present. Contractors can therefore be more selective in the tenders they price again resulting in a general increase in prices. Following a period of value engineering, the construction costs have been reduced, but are still exceeding the approved budget.

Approval is sought to increase the total scheme budget to £0.983m. The funding for this project will include £0.250m from LIF for the provision of public toilets in Island Gardens, with the remaining £0.692m from s106 contributions. The new café is expected to provide a revenue stream to offset the capital costs.

Once a budget approval is in place, the construction contract can be awarded and work start on site as planned in early November 2021, for completion in July 2022. A delay in budget approval will risk the café not being ready for next summer and continued build cost inflation and supplier risk will be incurred.

This report seeks the formal approval for the Council to enter into a lease and grant a sub-lease to a school provider to enable a school to be built and occupied.

Following the approval of the £626.566m capital programme for the period 2021-2024 by Cabinet on 26th January 2021 and £17.083m for additional capital projects approved by Cabinet on 30th June 2021, further capital projects which support the Council’s strategic priorities have been identified and, where funding sources are available for allocation, have been progressed through the capital governance process.

This report seeks approval by Cabinet for schemes that have been considered by the Capital Strategy Board for inclusion into the 2021-24 Approved Capital Programme and for those where formal changes to the agreed budget or scheme detail is required at the earliest opportunity, to ensure that the pace of delivery is maintained.

This report will also seek approval for the LIF3 Programme.

For Cabinet to approve the Shadow Building Safety Management Framework in preparation for the impending Building Safety Act.

Officers have prepared updated Character Appraisals and Management Plans [CAMPs] for five conservation areas in and around Whitechapel. These documents provide a detailed description of the conservation area’s architectural and historic character and set out management guidelines on how this character should be preserved and enhanced in the context of appropriate ongoing change. Once adopted, the documents serve as planning guidance and are a material consideration in the determination of planning decisions. The updated CAMPS will replace documents that are now more than ten years old. In addition to updating the existing CAMPs, officers have reviewed the boundaries of the five conservation areas and have proposed some changes.

The draft documents were the subject of a six-week consultation period. Comments were received from local residents amenity societies and landowners/developers with and interest in the area. These comments have been careful consideration and the documents have been amended, where appropriate, to address them. This report recommends that the updated CAMPs are adopted, and that the proposed boundary changes are implemented, so that they can provide much needed guidance to help manage the substantial change taking place in the Whitechapel area.

The adjacent St Matthias school will be leased from the Diocese. The Diocese has approached the Council to lease the Sports Hall so they can in term sublet the sports hall to their private school tenant. The term of lease for the sports hall will run concurrently with the lease between the Diocese and the private school provider.

This report seeks authority to declare surplus to requirements the Guardian Angels School, Shapla School and Cherry Trees school and for delegated authority to the Corporate Director (Place) to take forward the disposal of these.

Cabinet are asked close the Housing & Regeneration Scrutiny Sub-Committee’s Fire Safety Action Plan following a scrutiny review held following the Grenfell Tower Fire.

The report also provides members with a progress report on the fire safety work undertaken by the council.

This report presents the outcome of the 2022-23 budget consultation with businesses, residents and key stakeholders.

Fees and charges are reviewed annually as part of the financial and business planning process. This ensures that they are set at the appropriate level for the prevailing economic circumstances and represent good practice in terms of the Council’s aim to provide value for money.

A refresh of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy from 2022-23 to 2024-25.

Setting out issues and actions which inform the development of the Council’s MTFS for 2022-2025 including timescales and next steps.

This report provides the Mayor in Cabinet with an update on the delivery and implementation of the council’s Strategic Plan

1. Approve the draft accounts for 2018-19, 2019-20
accounts 2020 -21
2. Approve the draft annual reports for 2018-19, 2019-20
and 2020-21
3. Note an update in the financial position for current
year 2021-22
4. Approval for transfer of funds from Fields in Trust to
support new 5 a -side pitches in Stepney Green

Disposing of Canon Barnett playground to a neighbouring land owner and receiving a new piece of land to the East of the school which will be used as a new playground.

This report sets out the Council’s delivery activity in the area of local economic support (including employment & skills, and business support)

The report puts forward a proposal to launch a one-off small grants programme for community languages providers that plan to restart mother tongue classes from 201/22 academic year.

The proposal is for the East End Community Foundation, EECF (who already run the small grants programme on behalf of LBTH) to manage this small grants programme of £120k to support voluntary sector providers of community languages classes (mother tongue classes) with a one-off small restart grant. There are around 30 provider organisations in Tower Hamlets that would be eligible for this funding and it would be a closed application process with a maximum grant of £3-4k. There would be an additional fee of 8% fee to EECF for the administration of the funds.

The report sets out the purpose, criteria and funding available and EECF’s role in managing the process of assessing the applications and distributing the funds in the autumn term 2021/22. It will also propose that a further final report on how the funds were spent be considered by the Grants Determination sub-committee later in 2022, once the academic year is complete.

As part of the High Street Heritage Action Zone scheme on Wentworth Street running until March 2024, Toynbee Hall, as the Cultural Consortium lead, has been awarded a grant of £90,000 through Historic England for the Petticoat Lane Cultural Programme.
Under the grant conditions, the local authority, as the High Street Heritage Action Zone lead partner, is required to administer the grant and act as project assurance. LBTH have already entered into a grant agreement with Historic England for this funding and now a third-party agreement between LBTH and Toynbee Hall is required. Authorisation from the Grants Determination Sub-Committee is required before this agreement can be issued.

Note the new Small Grants Programme theme Aiding Recovery from Pandemic Loneliness and Social Isolation. set out at appendix A2, and

Agree, for this theme only, the eligibility criterion for applications relating to turnover not exceeding £250,000 per annum be waived.

The Council is seeking to make an Article 4 direction which would remove permitted development rights for the change of use of E-class uses to residential (C3 Use Class).

The Article 4 direction would result in the need for planning permission to be obtained for the above changes of use.

This item will ask for Mayoral approval for completion of lease arrangements and commercial transfers related to the academy conversion of Cyril Jackson primary school. The school received an academy order from the Secretary of State on 19 March 2021 and has indicated its wish to convert to academy status and join the University Schools Trust (a Multi-Academy Trust) on 1 September 2021. Once applications from school governing bodies have been approved by the Secretary of State the expectation is that local authorities will work with schools on all transfer matters.

This report presents the outcome of the examination of the Spitalfields Neighbourhood Plan, including summarising the examiner’s recommendations.

A review of the consultation on the cumulative impact assessment for licensed premises within Brick Lane and Bethnal Green.

This report seeks approval to purchase supplies of food and household goods from a specific charity for the VCS food hub, using a proportion of the Covid Local Support Grant funding.

Use of this charity would allow a significantly larger amount of goods to be purchased than on the open market, therefore benefitting more residents.

Cabinet are asked to note the scope and progress made by the Homelessness Transformation Programme to date.

In addition, approval is sought from Cabinet to update the council’s Accommodation Placement policy to take into account the provisions of the Homelessness Reduction Act (2017) and how the council as a local housing authority will procure and allocate accommodation in the private rented sector to prevent and relieve homelessness.

Further, approval is also sought from Cabinet to introduce a procedure for officers to follow in the instance where an applicant, who is homeless, or threatened with homelessness, deliberately and unreasonably refuses to co-operate with reasonable steps taken to prevent or relieve their homelessness. This procedure will be followed where an officer wants to discharge duty where the applicant deliberately and unreasonably refuses cooperate (sections 193B and 193C Housing Act 1996).

This report also cites proposals currently under consideration by officers, which intend to align the council’s Common Housing Register Allocations Scheme with upstream homelessness prevention. The proposals will be developed further and brought forward by officers to members in due course.

This reports details proposed amendments to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (“RIPA”) Policies for directed surveillance and the use of covert human intelligence sources (“CHIS”) which currently accompany the Council’s Enforcement Policy . It is proposed to introduce a RIPA Social Media Policy.

A strategy and action plan to improve digital inclusion across Tower Hamlets in partnership

The findings of the 2021 LGA Peer Review and resulting action plan. This item outlines how we intend to address the recommendations made by the LGA team following their September visit

Columbia Market Primary School have applied for a Historic Buildings Grant of up to £10,000 to contribute towards the cost of repair of the grade II listed railings, gate and gate piers and reinstatement of missing lanterns in front of the school.

The school has been offered a grant of £15,000 from the Heritage of London Trust (HOLT) and the Historic Buildings Grant would be used as match funding for the works.

The proposed work will improve the condition of the gates and railings and their future sustainability will be secured through appropriate conservation repair. It will enhance appearance, character and setting of the listed buildings and Hackney Road Conservation Area.

The funding will additionally allow school children, parents and local community groups to be involved in the conservation work through talks and informative sessions as part of the Heritage of London Trust’s ‘Proud Places’ programme.

This report submits the action plan response to the findings of the Tower Hamlets Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic Inequalities Commission.

The Commission made 23 recommendations across areas of community leadership, health, education, and employment. The action plan details what the council, and the wider partnership, will do to respond to the recommendations and improve outcomes for the borough’s Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.

To update the Grants Determination (Cabinet) Sub-Committee on the performance of projects funded through the Local Community Fund from October 2020 to March 2021

This item seeks a decision on the next stages of the measures for Warner Place and Squirries St and the junction between on Gosset St which is part of the Liveable Streets project in Bethnal Green

This report presents the contracts being procured during quarter three. The report also sets out the Contracts Forward Plan at Appendix 2 to the report.
2. The report asks for confirmation that all contracts can proceed to contract award after tender

This report provides the findings and recommendations from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Inequalities Commission which undertook evidence gathering between Sept – December 2020

This item submits the report and recommendations of the Housing and Regeneration Overview Scrutiny Sub-committee challenge session and the recommendations arising from the session for implementation.

As part of the Borough SEN Strategy and Implementation Plan for Social, Emotional and Mental Health Primary provision, Bowden House Special School and Ben Jonson Primary Schools have formed a partnership to jointly run a Social Emotional Mental Health provision, on the Ben Jonson site. This partnership would enhance the educational offer for both schools and benefit all Tower Hamlets children with SEMH needs.

This report presents the outcome of the stage one consultation, and the public representations received in response to the statutory Notice on the proposal to establish a 12 place Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) provision at Ben Jonson School from September 2021
It also presents the outcome of the public representation received in response to the statutory notice on the proposal for a prescribed alteration to Bowden House School and Ben Jonson School, to establish a 12 place Special Educational Needs provision from September 2021.

The report explains the background and reasons for the proposals; the links with the possible closure of Cherry Trees School. It details the consultations undertaken; the responses received with the views of parents, pupils, staff and the general public. It recommends for the Mayor in Cabinet to consider the decision on whether or not the council should agree the proposal and formally proceed with plans to establish a 12 place Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) provision at Ben Jonson School from 1st September 2021, and the prescribed alteration to Bowden House School, to establish a 12 place co-educational, primary, non-residential, Special Educational Needs provision from September 2021 on the Ben Jonson site. The two provisions will be integrated.


The report will include equalities impact assessment; risk and opportunities; officer’s recommendations; decisions available to the Mayor in Cabinet.

Budget monitoring report 2020-21 as at 31st December 2020 (period 9)

Budget monitoring report 2020-21 as at 30th November 2020 (period 8)

This report will set out the outcome of a consultation on a new model of day support for adult social care and will seek approval on the final model.

The report is a follow-up to the 28th October 2020 Cabinet report on day support. The October report described a new model with the following changes:

1. To have fewer day centre service buildings overall
2. To use day service buildings as community support hubs
3. To help people who need adult social care to use a bigger range of daytime activities
4. To support people to organise their own support through direct payments

These proposals include previously agreed savings of £317,000 per year from 2021-22 and proposes additional savings of £252,000 as part of the 2021-24 Medium-Term Financial Strategy.

Public consultation on these proposals ran from 9 November 2020 to 4 January 2021. This item will describe the outcome of the consultation and will present final proposals for the future of day support in adult social care for agreement.

As in the October report, there is a direct impact of these changes on the Council’s in-house day centres for older and disabled people (Riverside and Physical Disability Day Opportunities) and for people who need mental health support (Pritchards Road).

This report sets out the draft budget for the financial year 2021-22.

The report reviews and updates the assumptions made in setting the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for the years 2020-23 and incorporates a new financial year, 2023-24, to maintain the Council’s three-year MTFS.

This item presents the COVID-19 Adult Social Care Winter Plan for agreement. The plan sets out preparations in adult social care for the winter period in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes those in relation to hospital discharge, care homes and personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as wider impacts on adult social care service users and staff.

A refresh of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy from 2021-22 to 2023-24.

Setting out issues and actions which inform the development of the Council’s MTFS for 2021-2024 including timescales and next steps.

This report provides an update on funding awarded to voluntary and community sector organisations under delegated authority since the last meeting of the Sub-Committee.

This item provides a progress update on health and social care integration in Tower Hamlets, including:

- An overview of developments within the North East London Sustainability & Transformation Partnership (STP) arising from the NHS Long Term Plan;

- Successful service transformation to deliver integrated health & social care in Tower Hamlets;

- Changes to the borough based partnership Tower Hamlets Together and local governance arrangements;

- Future proposals for enhancing integrated health & social care delivery in the borough.

The Council operates a concession scheme which provides personalised disabled parking bays for blue badge holders who meet additional criteria in respect of their mobility. This scheme has not been updated for several years, and through experience, there are several concerns which need to be addressed in new criteria.

The purpose of this report is to seek Cabinet approval for the proposed changes to criteria associated with the provision of Personalised Disabled Bays.

The Local Plan sets out a vision, strategic priorities and a spatial planning policy framework for development in the Borough. Its purpose is to direct the determination of planning applications and positively plan for the development and infrastructure requirements to meet the needs of existing and future communities.

It is now necessary to adopt the Local Plan to ensure the Council has a robust and up to date spatial planning policy framework.

The annual report outlines key safeguarding performance information and achievements of the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board partnership over the period 2018-2019.

We are statutorily required to publish an annual report every year.

Tower Hamlets new five year Mental Health strategy provides a high-level framework setting out how Tower Hamlets Council, Tower Hamlets Clinical Commissioning Group and its partners will work to improve outcomes for people with a mental health issue between 2019 and 2024

This report provides the Mayor in Cabinet with an update on the delivery and implementation of the council’s Strategic Plan.

This is to provide updates on: budget, 10 year maintenance plan, proposals for new 5-a-side Astro pitches at Stepney Green and on summer activities.

This report details the Quarter 1 (June 2019) monitoring position against the approved budget for the Revenue and Capital Spend for the financial year end 2019/20.

It also includes information of the councils progress against its saving targets, strategies for reducing overspends and a number of general financial health indicators.

This report makes recommendations for awarding funding to voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations through the Local Community Fund programme.

It summarised the co-production of the programme with the voluntary and community sector, sets out the bidding process, analyses the bids received, describes the proposed new funding programme and makes proposals to mitigate disproportionate equalities impact.

The report also considers the impact on services which are currently funded through the Mainstream Grants programme.

At the Cabinet meeting in November 2018, agreement was given to the expansion of Phoenix Special School. This included the redevelopment of the former Bow Boys School at Fairfield Road, E3 to provide accommodation for its upper school for pupils aged 14 – 19. Cabinet also approved the adoption of a capital estimate of £17m for the redevelopment works.

As the site at Fairfield Road is part of the Grouped Schools PFI contract, the Council needs to enter into a Deed of Variation to the Grouped Schools PFI contract for the works to be carried out. Agreement of the Deed of Variation is usually delegated to the Director of Children’s Services and the Director of Law, Probity & Governance, but was omitted from the report to Cabinet in November 2018.

An urgent decision is required to agree to enter into a Deed of Variation to the Group Schools PFI to enable the works to redevelop the site at Fairfield Road to be developed to provide the accommodation for the proposed upper school for Phoenix Special School.

The report confirms the powers of the Board of the King George’s Field Trust Mile End and explores options to extend the use of Mile End Park for the benefit of local residents