Motion 11.1 in the name of Councillor Joanne Laban
“The officers who work in the group offices do an exceptional job supporting past and present councillors. Enfield Council wishes to thank officers in both groups for their tireless dedication to the borough and its residents over many years. Their work has been greatly appreciated by councillors and residents.”
Motion 11.2 in the name of Councillor Joanne Laban
“Female Genital Mutilation is a cruel practice and has no place in our country. Enfield Council supports the Let Us Protect Our Girls campaign which is being carried out in partnership between HM Government and the NSPCC. FGM, including pricking, piercing and cutting, has lifelong consequences. This chamber agrees that it is crucial that we continue to raise awareness of this issue and support those women and girls who have undergone this practice in our borough.”
Motion 11.3 in the name of Councillor Joanne Laban
“Enfield Council is committed to delivering fairness and equality. However, it currently has one of the highest levels of nepotism in Local Government. This council agrees to deliver on its promise to tackling inequality by reducing the level of nepotism that exists within the organisation. This act will give a strong signal to the local community as well as Officers that we are truly committed to delivering fairness and equality.”
Motion 11.4 in the name of Councillor Joanne Laban
“The current and draft London Plans both advocate strong protection of the green belt and do not support the re-designation of it. Enfield Council agrees with this view and commits to supporting the green belt so that future generations can enjoy it.”
Motion 11.5 in the name Councillor Joanne Laban
“The small sites project has been an unmitigated disaster for Enfield Council. Nine years on from the start of the scheme it has yet to be finished. Enfield Council’s incompetent management of it has led to delays and overspends with residents picking up the bill for them. This Chamber agrees that an Enfield Council housing scheme should never be mismanaged in this way again and action will be taken to prevent this reoccurring.”
Motion 11.6 in the name of Councillor Chris Dey
“Enfield has the worst crime rates in London, of particular concern is the volume and increase of serious youth violence which is the highest of any other London borough. That the Council writes to the Mayor of London asking that he stops wasting money on public relations and funds additional police officers to address this as outlined by Mayoral Candidate Shaun Bailey.”
Motion 11.7 in the name of Councillor Stephanos Ioannou
“In light of the uncertainty felt amongst schools in our borough about increased petty crime, particularly against young people, will the Council look to set up a new ‘Youth and Crime Committee’- for an initial period that allows pupils from across our borough to come together, raise the concerns they have about crime, and provide potential solutions to fix the challenges our borough faces?”
Motion 11.8 in the name of Councillor Vicki Pite
“More than a dozen councils, including the London Assembly, have passed 'climate emergency' motions since the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) “Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5O C”, published in October 2018, described the enormous harm that a 2°C rise in world temperature is likely to cause, urging instead that governments and authorities world-wide seek to limit global warming to 1.5O C.
The London Assembly, in a unanimous vote, called on the Mayor of London to put an emergency plan in place and declare a climate emergency in London.
Reflecting the will of the London Assembly, Enfield Council:
• Notes the IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C and endorses the proposal that limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities and others.
• Notes the Mayor’s climate change mitigation and adaptation responsibilities and recognises that he aims to make London a zero-carbon city by 2050 and would welcome, and support, further ambitious steps.
• Welcomes actions by Bristol city council and other city councils around the world to declare and commit resources to tackling a ‘Climate Emergency’
• Requests cabinet and officers to examine what more can be done locally to further this agenda and to publish a plan setting out these actions for debate.
Enfield Council further asks, in line with the unanimous vote of the London Assembly, that the leaders of both parties write to:
• The Mayor of London to support the Mayor’s declaration of a climate emergency, supported by specific emergency plans with the actions needed to make London carbon neutral by 2030, and, as vice chair of the C40 Cities network, to be a leader on this agenda.
• The Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs urging him to give the Mayor of London the powers and funding to make this possible.”
Motion 11.9 in the name of Councillor Nesil Caliskan
“London Borough of Enfield has significant inequalities. Enfield Council serves a complex borough with extremes of poverty and affluence and one of the most diverse areas in England.
This Council is committed to delivering high quality public services to create a borough of opportunity for all residents with vibrant, inclusive and economically strong communities.
Outstanding and responsive council services provide residents with an excellent quality of life. They are a catalyst to tackling deep rooted inequalities to ensure every resident can achieve their full potential. Public services also provide an essential safety net to support the most vulnerable from the worst excesses of Tory-imposed austerity.
Outsourcing a local authority in its entirety is a long-held Tory municipal fantasy, first articulated by Margaret Thatcher in the late 1980s. Large Tory-run authorities in Cornwall, Suffolk and Barnet embarked on their own high-profile versions of this Thatcherite model, claiming that impoverishment gave them no choice but to pursue large-scale privatisation.
Enfield Council rejects this failed Tory model of municipalism.
By 2019, local government funding will have been cut by 70% since 2010, and further cuts are planned. Local authorities are, therefore, reviewing how they deliver services in the light of severe budgetary pressure. There is evidence that many councils are bringing a significant number and range of services back in-house to gain maximum value from decreasing resources.
Enfield Council believes that bringing services back in-house is desirable. The benefits of insourcing or direct council provision include:
• Improving efficiency and reducing costs
• Involving local people in the design of services
• Delivering better satisfaction levels and outcomes
• Enhanced public accountability and ownership
• Delivering genuine social impact
• The ability to integrate a range of services
• Reducing cost and time spent managing contracts
• Greater staff motivation and improved service quality
• Creating expertise and capacity in the Council
This Council will conduct a realistic analysis on a service-by-service basis to determine the best option whether it be insourcing or direct council provision, contracted services, co-operatives, mutuals and trusts, as well as partnerships with other boroughs.
This Council welcomes the recent decisions to insource services and resolves to support the renewed commitment from the Cabinet to recognise the benefits of direct council provision when routinely considering options as contracts end.”
Motion 11.10 in the name of Councillor Ian
Barnes
“Enfield Council congratulates the GMB Union on its
ground-breaking deal to give Hermes couriers an improved voice in
their workplace. The couriers will now have the right to benefits
such as holiday pay and individually negotiated pay rates that will
allow them to earn at least £8.55 per hour over the
year.
The often enormous profits of companies in the 'gig economy' are
made on the back of their workers who are experiencing increased
insecurity, low pay and long hours meaning many end up paid below
the minimum wage.
At least 1.3 million people are engaged in ‘gig work’
and basic employment rights do not exist for many. Enfield
employers should now review their approach to their workforce with
the intention to enhance protection and rights and Enfield Council
calls for urgent action.”
Motion 11.11 in the name of Councillor Achilleas Georgiou
“This Council believes:
1. Children in Enfield receive a good education in good schools.
2. Schools, and the education of children, are best served when they are part of the local authority working collectively and collaboratively.
3. Support should be given to schools to remain with the local authority, as opposed to seeking academy status.
4. The government should reinstate the education services grant to local authorities to ensure children get the education they deserve.”
Motion 11.12 in the name of Councillor Doug Taylor
“Council notes the modern-day challenge of plastic to the world environment
and how our behaviours are deeply ingrained. Business and consumers can
all play their part to safeguard the future. Council agrees to hold an ‘Enfield
Planet of Plastic’ week working with schools, businesses, and Council
departments to highlight the impact of plastic use and what can be done by us
all to reduce the environmental impact.”
Motion 11.13 in the name of Councillor Doug Taylor
“Council notes the Bank of England prediction that growth in the UK in 2019 will
be the slowest since 2019. This is an indictment of Government economic
policy and Brexit planning failure and impacts on all of our residents. In the
face of economic uncertainty, continuing austerity can only reduce protection
for those most vulnerable to economic shocks. Council should continue to
monitor how the national economy may drive strategic policy changes in the
Council and lobby Government where required.”
Motion 11.14 in the name of Councillor Doug Taylor
“The last Labour government introduced a free TV licence to all over-75s
regardless of income. Support for the welfare state is dependent upon targeted
benefits and universal benefits that cover everyone. The free TV licence
Labour introduced in 1999 is a benefit available to all more elderly pensioners
in Enfield regardless of wealth and is particularly important in combating
loneliness and isolation. Television is a window onto the world and a steady
companion.
The free licence appears to be under threat and Enfield Council calls upon the
Government to ensure that it remains.”
Motion 11.15 in the
name of Councillor Edward Smith
“The Council expresses serious concern over the slow progress of the Meridian Water Scheme and the increasing financial risk to the Council caused by excessive borrowing and various unresolved strategic obstacles relating to the scheme and seeks clarification as to the alternative options with regard to this project that the Council should be pursuing.”
Minutes:
Motions 11.1 to 11.15 lapsed under the guillotine arrangements.