Minutes

 Cllr Georgiou welcomed everyone present to the meeting

 Cllr Stewart, Andy Barker of FLDRA, Alok (CAPE) and some other local residents.

 References to Colin West should instead refer to Colin Younger

 TfL camera is still out of order, and rubbish by the bridge remains

 Cllr Charalambous provided an overview of the budget. Expenditure is currently £1.064bn, but the vast majority is simply held in the Council’s account, such as Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and Schools Expenditure and the allocation towards the Freedom Pass. The largest budget spend is in Health, Housing & Adult Social Care (£129m), followed by Regeneration & Environment (£56.3m) and Finance (£52.4m).

Though statutory provision includes library services, the number of libraries offered is a local decision. Enfield has 17, which is amongst the most in London, but some boroughs have as few as 6.

Central Government Core Funding has fallen from £191m in 2010/11 to £147m now (2015/16) and is projected to fall to £99m (2018/19). Financial Management will therefore necessarily involve a reduction in services that the public have come to expect.

There are also a number of pressures and some risks. For example, the impact of the Care Act (increase in care costs); Demographics (inward migration, ageing population); Borrowing (for schools, roads and the public realm); and the effects of inflation/pay, upturn in the property market (e.g. rent costs) etc.

The Chancellor has said in his Autumn Statement that we can raise an additional 2% Council Tax to fund additional spending on Adult Social Care. This will be in addition to the 1.98% that the Council can legitimately raise in Council Tax.

The cumulative savings target is £50.4m by 2019/20, which is in addition to the £20.7m already agreed. The core central government funding will fall by a further 24% by 2019/20.

Services up for consultation include:

Adult Social Care, Health & Housing, Services for Children & Young People, Environment & Regulatory Services, Neighbourhood & Street Scene, Regeneration, and Parks, Open Spaces and Leisure & Culture.

Consultation will also include a question on a potential rise in Council Tax that has been frozen for 5 years. A rise by 1.99% - the maximum allowed without a referendum - would bring in £4m by 2019/20.

Discussion covered the following areas:

·         Questions over school place funding and whether it sufficiently compensates for those coming into the borough

·         The Council is looking at selling/acquiring assets as appropriate, such as Meridian Water, which could make a profit

·         Around 600 posts are going and hundreds of jobs though redeployment and leaving positions unfilled

A written statement summary was distributed. There are plans for New Southgate to be a terminus as part of the proposals, which would open in 2030. Development works would begin in 2020. Question is whether it would go via Wood Green as Haringey would prefer or Alexandra Palace as Enfield would prefer. Concerns about the development works that could ensue.

Though the police were not present, a written update was provided and distributed.

A written summary was distributed. Consultation started in September and concluded at the end of November. The feedback is now being analysed. The Heritage Enterprise Fund is a potential option that could be used as a funding stream. The Broomfield House Partnership Board will meet in January to consider where next. Nonetheless Colin Younger expressed concerns as to the viability of resolving all the issues at that meeting. Considerable amount of work is necessary in a very short-time frame. Cllr Charalambous appreciated that, but said that the meeting would help shape the way forward if not resolve them all there.

A written summary was distributed. The plan sets out the planning framework for waste management across the 7 boroughs for the next 5 years. It safeguards the existing waste management sites for continued use and identifies new sites as well as determining waste planning applications. It aligns local, regional and national policies based on robust evidence.

A written summary was distributed. There has been some slippage with phase one, which is now scheduled for completion in the Summer 2016.

A written summary was distributed. Concern that the update newsletter did not go out as scheduled and this has been raised with the contractor. It is hoped that the school will open during February half-term break, though this provisional schedule is subject to change.

A written summary was distributed. Though overall air quality in the borough is good, there are exceedances for nitrogen oxide along the A406 as well as the A10 and Bullsmoor Lane.

A written summary The draft development brief is scheduled for approval by the Council’s Local Plan Sub-Committee on the 14th December. Thereafter, formal public consultation will begin. Some discussion in the relevance given we already have a North Circular Area Action Plan, New Southgate Masterplan and revised Local Plan, which will itself go out for consultation.

A written summary was distributed. Plans are afoot to reintroduce the tree avenue that was lost due to Dutch Elm disease in the late 1970s. This was attempted once before, but was subjected to vandalism. The new trees will be Small Leaf Lime, rather than elm, of which 50 will be planted.

A written summary was provided. The ticket office has now closed and will not reopen. Still concerns about inadequate signage on the platforms and poor disability access.

A written summary was distributed. Smart Water meters are coming to the area and will eventually mean that all residents water usage will be metered. There were some concerns that the rate charged will rise, though smaller households with less usage will be substantially better off.

Cllr Georgiou who is Shadow Cabinet Member for Education updated residents. This is seriously being looked at as an option. However, there are inevitable delays on moving forward as it requires Historic England’s support. The area faces significant pressures post 2019. 10 forms of additional entry are required and we on track for this. Plans are in place for a 60 places primary school at Ashmole and half will be from Enfield pupils. Application will be direct through the school. It should also be borne in mind that all new schools will have to be free schools or academies.

The West Enfield Partnership Board last met in October. Roger Blows is interested in joining. Cllr Charalambous agreed to look into this.

3^rd February 2016        Joint Bowes/Southgate Green Special on Ritz Parade/Local Plan Bowes School), 7pm (for 7.15pm)

8^thMarch 2016            Beaumont Nursing Home, 7pm (for 7.15pm)