Agenda and minutes

Reverend Meatcher performed a blessing for the evening’s meeting.

The Mayor welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Condolences were given to the friends and family of Christine Chamberlain who sadly passed away.

The Mayor spoke of his upcoming events which he looked forward to as many of last years had been cancelled.

To receive and agree the minutes of the meeting held on the 17^th November 2021.

The mintues of the previous meeting were AGREED.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Hayward, Fallart, Needs, Oykener, Aydin, Boztaz, De Silva, Eren and Achilleas Georgiou.

Councillor Laban declared an interest in item 9 as she serves on the JMC

Councillors Thorp and Dey declared interests as they work with the Scouts Association. Councillor Dey also declared an interest in the motion relating to Cladding.  

The Director of Law & Governance made the following statement on Council Tax:

“In accordance with guidance from the department of levelling up housing & communities there is no requirement for members to declare a disclosable pecuniary interest in relation to items on the agenda. The expection to this being any councillor who is two months or more in arrears on their council tax. I can confirm for the minutes that on the date of the meeting there is no member two or more months in arrears.”

45 minutes

An issues paper prepared by the Opposition Group is attached for information.

Councillor Laban introduced the Opposition Business paper, The Labour Administration 2018-2022. During Councillor Laban’s opening speech, she made the following key points:

·         The administration had made local and national media for the wrong reasons during 2018-2022 which in turn gives the borough a bad reputation;

·         On more than one occasion the administration had not listened to the views of residents. Residents were given eight options for bin collection proposals and the Council went for the option least favoured by residents.

·         The recycling rate in borough is lower than when residents used black sacks and a small recycling box.

·         Fly tipping has increased for the last four years and the costs of this have increased significantly.

·         Low Traffic Neighbourhoods have been implemented despite residents not wanting these. The question to support their implementation is “questionable”.

·         Councillors and residents raised concerns regarding building on the green belt in the draft Local Plan which is still going to consultation.

Councillor Laban encouraged residents to vote Conservative in the next election.

Councillor Caliskan responded stating how the administration supported services during the pandemic ensuring communities and vulnerable residents were protected. The changes to the bin collection were implemented as funding for bin collections were scrapped.  The opposition were encouraged to share their ideas on how to deliver affordable homes.  Councillor Caliskan spoke of the actions of the Prime Minister breaking the Covid laws during the pandemic and how this has affected residents. The administration’s goal is to protect frontline services and residents and the Leader of the Council is proud of its achievements.

The administration made the following points in response:

·         Efforts have been made to create new homes and create jobs within the borough, and create a borough that people want to live in

·         The administration have worked to generate income for Enfield’s future.

The majority opposition made the following points in response:

·         Councillor Neville stated that during his nine terms as a councillor the current administration is the worst he has experienced due to the lack of accountability and efficiency. 

·         Concerns were raised that it has been 14 years since the Meridian Water development was agreed and there is still no one living there.

·         Pollution has increased due to the implementation of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and the incinerator.  

The minority opposition made the following points in response:

·         The prime minister should resign from his position.

·         Felt that some councillors are unable to understand they are awarded the status of a councillor by residents.

·         As former labour councillors, the Community First group hoped the next election would take into account the behaviour of the administration.

·         Concerns were raised that the administration had given themselves higher special responsibility allowances.

·         Asked for the administration to build on brown fields sites and listen to residents

·         Concerns were raised about the appointment based system at Barrowell Green Recycling Centre.

After the debate, the recommendations were not agreed.

That Council:

A.    Note, pursuant to this report and in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of the Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by the London Borough of Enfield as its Council Tax Base for 2022/23 shall be 96,369 Band D equivalents.

B.    Agree the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) NNDR1 Business Rate base return for 2022/23 as set out in Appendix B, and delegate to the s151 officer the right to adjust any additional changes that have taken place before submission.

C.   Agree the amendment to the discretionary rate relief scheme as set out in paragraph’s 18 and 19.

D.   Delegate to the s151 officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance & Procurement to agree the details of the CARF relief scheme for businesses for which Government has provided funding of £6.3m for Enfield.

Councillor Mary Maguire introduced the report and highlighted that this is produced and brought to Council annually. A formula is used to show Council Tax income for the Council. Increases to this are expected collection rates improve. There will be a slight increase in income from business rates affected by the pandemic. £6million will go to businesses affected during the pandemic by March 2023.

The administration made the following points in response:

·         There is currently a cost of living crisis in the country.

·         The administration worked hard to support businesses during the pandemic.

·         Government hasn’t helped families with the potential NI Tax which is looming and youth employment set to rise.

The majority opposition made the following points in response:

·         Support for reducing the Council Tax support.

·         The budget figures are better than expected over the next three years.

·         The Conservative Government “put a floor under the economy” through schemes such as furlough.

The Council agreed to:

·         Note, pursuant to this report and in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of the Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by the London Borough of Enfield as its Council Tax Base for 2022/23 shall be 96,369 Band D equivalents.

·         Agree the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) NNDR1 Business Rate base return for 2022/23 as set out in Appendix B, and delegate to the s151 officer the right to adjust any additional changes that have taken place before submission.

·         Agree the amendment to the discretionary rate relief scheme as set out in paragraph’s 18 and 19. D Delegate to the s151 officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance & Procurement to agree the details of the CARF relief scheme for businesses for which Government has provided funding of £6.3m for Enfield.

The Council is asked to agree:

·         The Local Council Tax Support Scheme for 2022/23 as summarised in Appendix A to provide financial support for households on low incomes in paying their Council Tax. The 2022/23 scheme is based on the 2021/22 scheme, updated for legislative amendments, income uprating and administrative changes.

·         Other than the minor changes above, the 2022/23 scheme is the same as the 2021/22 scheme, i.e:                                                                     

-       the minimum contribution for working age households not in a protected group will be maintained at 24.5%.

-       The maximum earned income for Universal Credit claimants to receive council tax support will be maintained at £1,100 net per month 

Councillor Maguire, introduced the Council Tax Support Scheme for 2022/23. The Scheme will help Enfield’s poorest residents with their Council Tax. During the pandemic there were 1,200 claims for Council Tax support. The Council helped residents organise their benefits and pay their bills.

The administration made the following points in response:

·         A third of residents are supported by the scheme within the borough.

·         A number of groups are already exempt from paying Council Tax.

·         To vote against this report would be mean that 36,000 people in the borough would not receive support.

The majority opposition made the following points in response:

·         Support was given for the Scheme supporting the most vulnerable.

·         Council officers were thanked for their work in this area.

·         Noted that the Government gave financial support to allow this to happen.

·         Concerns that the Scheme assumes that 1,600 residents who currently use the scheme will stop.

The minority opposition made the following points in response:

·         Concerns were initally raised about the scheme two years ago as it removes support from poor people to help other poor people.

·         In 2020, 122 families were affected by the change and lost £17 per week.

·         It was raised that the administration had increased their Special Responisbility Allowances during this period.

The Council agreed the Local Council Tax Support Scheme for 2022/23 as summarised in Appendix A to provide financial support for households on low incomes in paying their Council Tax. The 2022/23 scheme is based on the 2021/22 scheme, updated for legislative amendments, income uprating and administrative changes. Other than the minor changes above, the 2022/23 scheme is the same as the 2021/22 scheme, i.e:

·         The minimum contribution for working age households not in a protected group will be maintained at 24.5%.

·         The maximum earned income for Universal Credit claimants to receive council tax support will be maintained at £1,100 net per month.

Council to agree the amendments to the statutory Pay Policy Statement attached as Appendix 1 of this report.

Councils are required to formally review and adopt the pay policy statement by 31 March every year. 

It was noted that the adoption of the statutory pay policy statement would need to be agreed by the 31^st March 2022.

Councillor Lemonides stated he would be abstaining from voting on this report as the auditors have not responded to issues from 2019/20.

The Council agrees the amendments to the statutory Pay Policy Statement attached as Appendix 1 of the report.

This will provide the quarter two capital monitoring 2021/22.

(Key decision – reference number 5340

Councillor Maguire introduced the report stating the report is to inform Members on the position (as at the end of Sept 2021) of the Council’s 10 Year Capital Programme 2021/22 to 2030/31. An updated version of the report will go to each meeting of the Cabinet.

The administration made the following points in response:

·         Concerns were raised as the opposition often vote against investment in the borough.

·         The cost of slippage in developments is the same across the country.

·         The current government have got the country into £3m of debt and that is not mentioned by the Opposition.

·         The report clearly sets out where the money goes when it is borrowed.

·         The Key Decision process will be used for all projects which meet the requirements.

·         Tests for affordability are in place and delivery will create future income.

The majority opposition made the following points in response:

·         The proposals will increase Enfield Council’s debt.

·         Re-paying the debt will come out of frontline services therefore the debt will lead to cuts in services which the borough cannot afford.

·         Concerns as Energetik is not expecting to make a profit until 2027, and until then it will be funded by tax payers money.

·         The Council’s debt will be around £1.2 billion over the next ten years.

·         Large sums of money will be used towards the Meridian Water development and the housing gateway.

·         The money available to the Council needs to be managed better to enable to show what can reasonably be achieved.

·         Covid is not an excuse for slippage which costs the borough money .

The Council agreed to:

·           Approve the additions to the Capital programme as set out in Table 4 10. The inclusion of the following capital programmes, including updated grant funding, as detailed in Table 3. The programmes listed below, were included as ‘Requested Additions’ in the Council’s 10 Year Capital Programme and have now been granted approval to spend:

a. Corporate Condition Programme-KD5371

b. IT Investment

c. Community safety

d. Housing Adaptations and Assistance-KD5365

·           Appendix A details the revised 10 Year Capital Programme including all programmes with approval to spend. The total budget is £1,730,629k.

·           Appendix B details requested additions, that are subject to further approval.

·           Appendix C details the total revised 10 Year Capital Programme. The total budget is £2,691,468k.

Council is asked to agree the Scrutiny Annual Report for 2020/21

Councillor Susan Erbil introduced the report and highlighted that this was the first year the standing scrutiny panels were introduced. Despite the pandemic, the panels had worked well. Meetings which were held virtually were still fully functioning.

The administration made the following points in response:

·         Cabinet members only attend a scrutiny panel when invited by the Chair in line with the Constitution.

·         The role of scrutiny has increased with the introduction of the standing scrutiny panels.

·         Any concerns about Chairs and Deputy Chairs of Scrutiny panels should be raised through the proper channels in order for them to be investigated properly.

The majority opposition made the following points:

·         Supported the report as it lays out clearly what scrutiny has done.

·         Would like all members to reflect on the role of scrutiny as a “critical friend”.

·         Councillor Erbil was thanked for her work as Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. It was highlighted how effectively she managed meetings in a fair, non-partisan way.

The minority opposition made the following points:

·         Cabinet members have rarely attended the scrutiny panels this year.

·         Raised concerns that scrutiny is not currently “enough”.

·         Felt the scrutiny in the borough was not impartial as Chairs of Scrutiny Panels consider themselves as an extension of the Executive.

·         Felt that scrutiny should be led by independent people who lead on their roles.  

The Scrutiny Annual Report for 2020/21 was AGREED.

Council is asked to approve a general dispensation to remain in place until the 25^th May 2022 AGM, to all councillors from the requirements of Section 85(1) of the Local Government Act 1972.

The report was agreed under the guillotine arrangements.

Council is asked to:

·         Review current Election pre-planning tasks;

·         Note the Outreach and Electoral Registration activities.

The report was agreed under the guillotine arrangements.

Members are asked to note the questions submitted for written response. Responses to the questions will be published the day before the meeting.

This item was noted under the guillotine arrangements.

Motion 1 in the name of Councillor Maria Alexandrou

Cervical Cancer Screening

Cervical screening is a way for women to protect themselves from cancer. The sad reality is that fewer women are now having cervical screening. Last year 1.3m women didn’t attend NHS screenings. There are 3,200 new cases of cervical cancer every year and of those 870 women die from it.

According to CANCER RESEARCH UK 99.8% of cases are preventable. When Jade Goody fought her cancer battle, nearly 80% of women went for smear tests.10 years later, only 72% of women go. If this rate falls any lower, the rise in deaths will shoot up. In the case of Jade Goody, she ignored letters about her abnormal cells. She needed to go to hospital for surgery to remove those abnormal cells, surgery which most probably would have saved her life.

Many young women in their 20s and 30s are dying from cervical cancer and the tragedy is they are leaving behind their partners and young children.  We need to encourage everyone to look after their health and have regular check-ups.

Enfield Council therefore agrees to work together with other agencies for a local campaign on cervical cancer awareness and encourage women to attend that important screening test. It only takes 5 minutes at the doctor’s surgery and this test can save your life.

Motion 2 in the name of Councillor Maria Alexandrou

Low street lighting

Residents have raised concerns that the street lighting does
not produce a safe and even level of illumination across the public highways
and footpaths. The streetlights have been replaced with LED fixtures that are not being operated by the council at full capacity. In Bowes Ward the roads from Bounds Green to York Road have dark areas due to the dimmed lighting, creating a threatening situation, especially for women given the recent attacks highlighted in the news, with the potential for other criminal activity. Low level lighting results in an unsafe environment,  residents fear venturing out for walks and daily routines therefore  dark streets are inhibiting active travel which compromises the climate change agenda. Natural surveillance is greatly reduced as there is less footfall and no passing cars since the introduction of the LTNs. This worsens the personal safety aspect.

This chamber agrees to: 
· Listen to residents’ concerns
· Review the effectiveness of the street lighting across the borough and Bowes Ward   in particular
· Make improvements to any deficiencies highlighted by the review
· Consider lighting fixtures with wider light dispersal
· Risk assessment on equality, active travel and crime impact

Motion 3 in the name of Councillor Edward Smith

This Council supports the findings in the recent letter to all councillors from Andrew Boff, AM, Chair of the London Assembly's Planning and Regeneration Committee dated 2 September, which sets out the many disadvantages of residential high-rise buildings such as life-time costs, excessive density, impact on family lives, quality of design and post Covid 19 issues.

Motion 4 in the name of Councillor Andrew Thorp  ...  view the full agenda text for item 15.

Urgent motions in the name of Councillor Erbil and Councillor Uddin were withdrawn.

Following the decision, the urgent motion in the name of Councillor Caliskan was AGREED:

“On the 25th January 2022, Commissioner Cressida Dick confirmed that the Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into parties held in No 10 during the coronavirus pandemic. At a time when we need the public to continue to listen to important Public Health messages in order to help stop the spread of the virus, the public have lost trust and confidence in Prime Minister and the Conservative party. Enfield Council calls on the Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign.”

Under the gullotine arrangements the remainder of the motions set out on the agenda were not heard.

To confirm changes to Committee memberships agreed since the last meeting.

Any changes received once the agenda has been published with be tabled on the Council update sheet at the meeting.

There were no amendments to the committee memberships.

To confirm any changes to the nominations on outside bodies agreed since the last meeting.

Any changes notified after the agenda has been published will be reported to Council on the update sheet tabled at the meeting.

There were no nominations to outside bodies.

To note the date for the next Council meeting is 24 February 2022.

The next scheduled meeting of Council is the 24 February 2022.