Agenda item

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee will hear from the Leader and Chief Executive outlining priorities and areas of challenge.

The Leader and Chief Executive will be asked to leave the meeting at this point.

The Chair invited the Leader of the Council, Cllr Nesil Caliskan to out-line the Council’s Priorities for the coming year.

Cllr Caliskan reminded members that the administration’s priorities were set out and detailed in the Council Plan.

The Chair noted that many areas raised by the Leader were in relation to the scrutiny panels in place and these will be picked up by the panels. It was confirmed that the minutes of this meeting will be circulated to all the panel chairs.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Nesil Caliskan presented the Council’s local priorities for 2022/23.

Cost of Living Increases 

Identify ways to provide as much support as possible across the Borough, particularly from the residents’ perspective.  Including benefits, homelessness, debt management and advice, debt welfare teams maintain council tax support scheme, protect the hardship fund. 

More and Better Homes  

Interventions into the housing market by the Council as soon as possible.  Quality of homes and the impact of the changes to the private rented sector which has increased homelessness in the Borough. 

The use of strategic industrial land, e.g. Meridian Water, in the provision of thousands of affordable homes already pledge and additional units.  The renewal of the Council’s estate.  Recognition that the Council could not provide the homes needed alone and needed to work with the private sector to find resolutions.  The Council’s policy documents were pivotal to land designation.

Skills and Local Economy

The Council is to provide support around homes which are not connected to public transport links.  Renewal and regeneration of the Borough’s high streets and town centres.  The use of strategic industrial land to provide two academies, one for construction and for the film industry to train over 1,000 each year.

Young People – Best Start         

Continue to provide early intervention.  Rollout additional school streets and encourage active travel. The introduction of free-swimming lessons, if possible.  A review of the unsatisfactory leisure provision across the Borough.  The creation of five new family hubs and children’s centres to meet the particular needs of communities in which they are located and to work with Ward Councillors.

Healthier Enfield    

To reduce inequalities.  New health and wellbeing centres once sites have been identified.  To review adult social care and the impact on the Council’s budget.

Safer Enfield           

Creation of a new Enfield Council Law Enforcement Team of 50 officers, working with but independent of the Police.  There was much work to be completed to scope the roles and how these would support the role of the Police.

Parks and Open Spaces 

Enhancement of parks and open spaces across the Borough, the facilities in the parks were an important part of the Council’s work.

The Chief Executive, Ian Davis presented the regulatory changes and inspections affecting Local Government.

Adult Social Care  

Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections challenges were around having the right systems in place to meet the needs of adult social care required.  Significant changes ahead including funding which are unclear at this stage.  There is a budget gap, which will increase as interest rates increase.

Housing Regulator

Impact on the Council in terms of registered social landlords, social housing provision, age of stock and the number of high-rise residential buildings.  Ensure that the regulations are fully understood.

Grenfell Inquiry      

Impact on the Council of the Grenfell inquiry around structure and fire safety.

Budget        

Energy costs for schools – knock on effect on the school structure and teaching budget, better insulation to reduce energy costs, additional Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision, the cost of transport to school and impact on the revenue budget.  Increase of materials associated with housing construction, maintenance and repairs, both in the private sector and for the Council.  The impact of the increase in the cost of materials and freeze on construction.

Local Government Pay   

4% pay increase suggested and resulting budget pressures.  The Council was looking for 2-2.25%.

Recruitment and Retention of staff, particularly in children’s services and social workers but across the organisations. 

Merger of five NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)       

Continued and developing relationships with the NHS before during and after transition.

The Leader of the Council and Chief Executive provided the following responses to questions raised by Members of the Panel.

• The covid pandemic had a significant impact on the Borough and a flexi approach needs to be taken towards the recovery, focussing resources where they are needed most for example the increase in evictions now that the restrictions to prevent evictions had been lifted.
• Innovative ways to support residents and to provide a better Council presence across the Borough would be identified and implemented where practical such as touch points in libraries.
• The timelines for the Local Plan, Meridian Water and the Council’s estate were crucial to drawing many areas of work together from across the Council such as the provision of better homes, the housing crisis and the private rented sector.  There were a number of elements to this - grant funding, the Council’s partnership working, using empty homes to help address homelessness and the number of people in temporary accommodation as well as how the housing gateway is addressing voids to make those properties available.
• There were additional pressures on the supply chain with many small businesses operating on very limited cash flow.  The Council were supporting these businesses where possible.
• The merger of the five NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) provided a window of opportunity for the Council to work with the NHS to improve and secure the best provision of services for the residents of the Borough.
• The Leader and the Chief Executive were confident that the Council would deliver 3,500 additional affordable homes despite the current challenges and those following the two-year pandemic and significant increases in the development costs which will affect the level of affordable housing.  The prices were unlikely to go down to the previously level due mainly to the increases in the interest rate.

(Actions: Leader to circulate the current draft Local Plan timetable.  Chief Executive to circulate advice of the London Fire Brigade on fire safety in high rise buildings).

The Chair, on behalf of the Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, thanked the Leader of the Council and Chief Executive for attending the meeting and presenting a comprehensive set of Council priorities and answering questions in relation to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee work programme for the forthcoming year.

At 8.40pm the Leader of the Council and Chief Executive, as asked by the Chair and endorsed by the Scrutiny Panel members, left the meeting.