Agenda Item 3 CABINET, 06/04/2011 SECTION ONE (UNRESTRICTED)
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Agenda Item 3 CABINET, 06/04/2011 SECTION ONE (UNRESTRICTED) LONDON BOROUGH OF TOWER HAMLETS MINUTES OF THE CABINET HELD AT 5.30 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY, 6 APRIL 2011 COMMITTEE ROOM, 1ST FLOOR, TOWN HALL, MULBERRY PLACE, 5 CLOVE CRESCENT, LONDON, E14 2BG Members Present: Mayor Lutfur Rahman Councillor Ohid Ahmed (Deputy Mayor) (Deputy Mayor) Councillor Alibor Choudhury (Cabinet Member for Resources) Councillor Rabina Khan (Cabinet Member for Housing) Councillor Rania Khan (Cabinet Member for Regeneration) Councillor Oliur Rahman (Cabinet Member for Children's Services) Other Councillors Present: Councillor Stephanie Eaton (Leader, Liberal Democrat Group) Councillor Marc Francis Councillor Ann Jackson (Chair, Overview & Scrutiny Committee) Councillor David Edgar Officers Present: Kevan Collins – (Chief Executive) Isobel Cattermole – (Acting Corporate Director, Children, Schools & Families) Isabella Freeman – (Assistant Chief Executive - Legal Services, Chief Executive's) Stephen Halsey – (Corporate Director Communities, Localities & Culture) Chris Naylor – (Corporate Director Resources) Helen Taylor – (Acting Corporate Director Adults Health & Wellbeing) Heather Bonfield – (Interim Service Head Cultural Services , Communities Localities & Culture) Deborah Cohen – (Service Head, Commissioning and Strategy, Adults Health and Wellbeing) Mohammed Ahad – (Scrutiny Policy Officer, Scrutiny & Equalities, Chief Executive's) Afazul Hoque – (Scrutiny Policy Manager, Scrutiny & Equalities, Chief Executive's) Khaled Abdul Moyeed – (Interim Political Advisor to the Mayor, Chief Executive's) Jackie Odunoye – (Service Head Strategy, Innovation and Page 3 1 CABINET, 06/04/2011 SECTION ONE (UNRESTRICTED) Sustainability, Development & Renewal) Murziline Parchment – (Head of Mayor's Office) Chris Saunders – (Political Advisor to the Labour Group, Chief Executive's) Takki Sulaiman – (Service Head Communications, Chief Executive's) Louise Fleming – (Senior Committee Officer, Democratic Services) MR L. RAHMAN (MAYOR) IN THE CHAIR MAYOR’S WELCOME AND OPENING STATEMENT The Mayor welcomed those present in the public gallery and made an opening statement as follows: • At the first Cabinet Meeting of the new financial year the Mayor reminded those present of a total of 44 tax and benefit changes being introduced as part of the Tory-led government’s programme of cuts. This, coupled with January’s VAT rise would hit families with children the hardest. This was why the Mayor marched with residents and trade unions on 26 March to protest against the government’s cuts which were considered to be too fast, too soon and ideologically driven. • The Local Government Association’s survey on 1 April revealed that 63% of local authorities were cutting SureStart and Children’s Centres, 83% were cutting library services. However, Tower Hamlets could be proud that it had ensured that all the children’s centres and all libraries remained open. • Last month, the Council passed a truly progressive budget that protects jobs and frontline services. Another £60 million had been secured for secondary school refurbishment in the Borough. This took investment in schools to over £300 million. This was part of the Mayor’s commitment to invest in schools for better standards and results. • Last week, Brick Lane was officially launched as the Olympics curry capital by the Mayor with Princess Anne and Lord Coe. • The Council was working to deliver all the things that the Mayor agreed with LOCOG from jobs to a Games experience for every child in the Borough. The Mayor also announced that the Council’s 2012 ticket allocation would be made available for the local community and he would give every one of these tickets to residents who had made an outstanding contribution to sport and community wellbeing. • The Mayor and his Cabinet would be considering a range of proposals at the meeting: o The disposal of 63a Sewardstone Road on the open market as it was surplus to the Council’s operational requirements. The Page 4 2 CABINET, 06/04/2011 SECTION ONE (UNRESTRICTED) money would be invested into affordable housing or regeneration in the Borough. o Agreement to keep Lifelong Learning course fees at last year’s prices. Courses in Tower Hamlets were already among the cheapest in the country. It would be ensured that there was wide access to further education opportunities for all. A proposal would be considered that borrowing CDs and DVDs from Idea Stores would be free which would continue the investment in libraries when other local authorities were actually closing them. o A Supporting People Strategy for 2011-16 would be considered to support people to live as independently as possible and rebalance services towards prevention and early intervention. o £89,500 in grants would be allocated to small user-led groups for people with mental health problems. 24 diverse groups would be supported to promote social inclusion with an emphasis on service users to feel, and become part of the local community. o The Council’s Strategic Plan for 2011/12 would also be considered. o Finally, the Mayor wanted to share the sad news of the death of Cllr Kabir Ahmed’s brother. He attended the funeral prayers with Members of the Cabinet earlier that day. The Mayor’s thoughts were with him and his family. The Mayor then informed those present that there would be an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions before proceeding to the substantive business. Questions were asked in respect of o Sewardstone Road, and a deferral was requested in order to conduct further consultation. o Sheltered Accommodation, in relation to the Supporting People Strategy. o Automatic Energy Meters in schools and public buildings in the Borough. o The Localism Bill, in terms of setting up a Committee to look at the implications for reinstating business rates. The Mayor asked Ms Jackie Odunoye, Service Head Strategy Regeneration and Sustainability to respond to the question regarding Sewardstone Road and the automatic energy meters in the presentation of the relevant report. Ms Helen Taylor, Acting Corporate Director Adult Health and Wellbeing, responded to the question regarding sheltered accommodation and advised that the funding was no longer ringfenced nationally. However the Council had managed to retain provision within existing budgets. Mr Chris Naylor, Corporate Director Resources, advised that the implications of the Localism Bill were being discussed as part of a pan-London approach and would be examined in detail as part of the Council’s budget process. Page 5 3 CABINET, 06/04/2011 SECTION ONE (UNRESTRICTED) 1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received on behalf of: • Mr Aman Dalvi, Corporate Director, Development for whom Ms Jackie Odunoye, Service Head, Strategy Regeneration and Sustainability was deputising. Noted. 2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST No declarations of interest were made pertaining to the unrestricted business to be considered in Section One of the proceedings. Noted. 3. UNRESTRICTED MINUTES Resolved That the unrestricted minutes of the ordinary meeting of the Cabinet held on 9th March 2011 be approved and signed by the Mayor, as a correct record of the proceedings. 4. PETITIONS Nil items. 5. OVERVIEW & SCRUTINY COMMITTEE 5.1 Chair's advice of Key Issues or Questions in relation to Unrestricted Business to be considered Councillor Ann Jackson, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, addressed the members of the Cabinet: • Thanking Councillor Rabina Khan for her Scrutiny Spotlight presentation on her Housing portfolio which helped understand some of the Key successes and challenges facing this policy area. The Committee raised a number of points which included: o Welfare Reform and working with RSLs and THH o Issues around sub-lets o Buy back scheme o Under Occupation Strategy o Relationship and contract management with major regeneration RSL partners o Pan-mobility and impact on local allocation. • Thanking Councillor Rania Khan and Mr Nick Smales, Service Head, 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, for presenting the draft Page 6 4 CABINET, 06/04/2011 SECTION ONE (UNRESTRICTED) Employment Strategy to the meeting. The Committee found this helpful and gave a better understanding of the issues around employment in the Borough. The Committee made a number of suggestions: o Specific Actions outlying how aspirations could be raised. o The Strategy should consider the link with schools, local colleges and universities. o Specific Actions on developing a more sophisticated understanding of barriers to employment specifically for hard to reach communities and different equalities groups. Consider specific support for those groups. o Consider how the Council’s other work contributes to increasing local employment specifically the LDF and Enterprise Strategy. o Focus on basic skills such as speaking English which was preventing residents from accessing jobs. o Consider breaking down geographical boundaries to support residents to access jobs across London. • The Overview and Scrutiny Committee also considered the Strategic Plan 2011/12: Outline Plan and Year 1 Action Plan and highlighted the need for residential engagement in the delivery of the Action Plan. • The Scrutiny Working Group reports on Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults at Risk and the Scrutiny Challenge Session Report on Development of Early Diagnosis and Preventative Services for Cancer had been agreed and would be sent to the Mayor, relevant Cabinet Members and Corporate Directors. • Sheet of questions and comments arising from