14.1 Motion in the name of Councillor Maria Alexandrou
We condemn the shocking brutality that led to the death of 22 year old Mahsa Amini on the 16th of September, sparking world-wide protests.
We stand together in support of Amini’s family and the brave people of Iran demanding Freedom.
14.2 Motion in the name of Councillor Julian Sampson
· Over 2,000 Enfield residents are members of Enfield clubs, of which approximately 900 are resident in an N postcode,
· Of these residents, almost 700 are women and over 200 are under 18 years old.
· Irrespective of membership basis, over 60,000 members of the public who were not golf club members played golf at one of the Enfield clubs in the y/e 31/12/22;
· All Enfield clubs are open to non-members throughout the week and year, with only some weekend times reserved for members;
· These non-members would have paid a price from as little as £18 to £125 at the most, depending on which course and the time of year;
· For a four-hour round this represents an hourly rate of £4.50 to £31.25 / hour;
· Enfield clubs have outreach programmes to attract men, women and young people from all socio-economic groups not traditionally associated with golf;
· Enfield clubs host and support local civic groups through their use of club facilities, often at discounted rates.
· Golf clubs are probably the most bio-diverse outdoor leisure / sporting facility there is, being more biodiverse than any football / rugby / tennis / hockey club;
· Enfield golf clubs are all making efforts to phase out the use of chemicals and fertilisers, following National Course Sustainability programmes;
· Enfield golf clubs are making additional habitats for flora and fauna, including log piling, wildflower seeding and hedgerow maintenance.
Council resolves
· that Enfield golf courses are a community asset to be valued, not an investment to be priced;
· that Enfield golf clubs and courses should be protected in any development plans;
· that the Cabinet Member for Public Spaces, Culture and Local Economy and the Director of Leisure, Park and Culture should meet with a delegation from Enfield golf clubs to explore ways in which their relationships can be developed for the mutual benefit of residents, club members and other users.
14.3 Motion in the name of Councillor Chris Dey
Enfield Council notes:
The obligations it owes to the Armed Forces community within the London Borough of Enfield as enshrined in the Armed Forces Covenant; that the Armed Forces community should not face disadvantage in the provision of services and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given the most.
• Enfield Council along with all other local authorities in Great Britain, has proudly signed the Armed Forces Covenant.
• That in the course of their service in His Majesty’s Armed Forces, some members of the Armed Forces Community, by virtue of the often dangerous and risky nature of their work, or environments in which they are required to operate, become wounded, injured or sick in such a way that affects their life in a permanent or significant way.
• A 2022 Freedom of Information request by the Royal British Legion showed that only one in five (20%) of Local Authorities in Great Britain rightly disregarded all military compensation when assessing local benefits claims for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, Discretionary Housing Payments and Disabled Facilities Grants.
In light of the above, this council resolves
• That no member of the Armed Forces Community should be forced to give up their military compensation to access the same welfare support as their civilian counterparts.
• That all compensation paid under any of the relevant military compensation schemes should be treated as such and not regarded as income when the Local Authority assesses applications for benefits over which they exercise discretion: Council Tax Support scheme, Housing Benefit, Discretionary Housing Payments and Disabled Facilities Grants. Rather it should be treated as intended, as a compensatory payment made in recognition of the often significant and life changing service or sacrifice an individual has made in the course of their service in our nation’s Armed Forces.
• To support the Royal British Legion’s call for all forms of military compensation to be disregarded as income in the assessment and administration of locally administered benefits over which this council exercises discretion.
• To ask the cabinet member for finance to amend local policies to reflect such a position.
• For the cabinet member for finance to update members on this work, reporting back to an appropriate future meeting of this Council.
14.4 Motion in the name of Councillor Maria Alexandrou
All blue badge holders to be exempt from all LTNs in Enfield.
When other boroughs are ensuring all blue badge holders are allowed to travel in and out of the implemented LTNs, it is only right that Enfield Council considers this policy.
In the name of equality and fairness, as blue badge holders are impacted more severely by these schemes, they should have access without the fear of penalty notices.
The council resolves to have meaningful engagement with disability groups. This will help the council better understand the difficulties in travelling, such as using public transport and the dependency on cars for hospital appointments.
With over 11,700 blue badge holders in Enfield, the LTNs are creating hardships that didn't exist before the implementation of Enfield’s LTNs.
The council resolves to review the impact on those with mobility issues and support them by giving exemptions to all blue badge holders in Enfield.
14.5 Motion in the name of Councillor Paul Pratt
In the weeks before the Summer Holidays an 8 year old resident of Arnos Grove said to their parent on the way to school “Daddy, why is that man asleep in his car and blowing up a balloon?”
The Home Office consulted on the legitimate uses and appropriate controls of nitrous oxide and the government is clear that nitrous oxide has a negative effect on individuals and communities. Over the summer residents have made many representations to myself and local police about the social harms such as littering of discarded canisters and drug driving. The burden of proof incumbent on police for ‘drug driving’ when under the influence of nitrous oxide is such that their powers in this matter are limited. The government acknowledges that these harms are felt acutely by communities and as a result announced in the government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Plan, published on the 27th of March, to make nitrous oxide a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
The council need not wait until such amendment is made to the law – they already have powers to issue fixed penalty notices or issue Public Spaces Protection Orders. As such this Council agrees that a targeted operation utilising its own enforcement officers be set up to deter and reduce the use of nitrous oxide across the borough.
14.6 Motion in the name of Councillor Joanne Laban
Cash remains a form of legal tender in the UK. Cash is used by many Enfield residents as it allows people to budget easily. It is also used widely by small businesses that are the backbone of our economy. However, there are now shops and restaurants in Enfield that are only accepting card payments or reducing the number of checkouts where you can pay by cash.
This council agrees to work with Enfield businesses to encourage them to continue to accept cash in order to support local residents and small businesses that rely on it.
14.7 Motion in the name of Cllr Bektas Ozer
The Council notes that:
There is great concern at reports that Thames Water released raw sewage into Enfield’s waterways and rivers more than a dozen times in 2022, figures show.
Figures from the Environment Agency show storm overflows were used 15 times within Enfield's local authority boundaries in 2022, discharging for a total of around 121 hours.
Enfield Council share The Rivers Trust’s concerns that storm overflows are being used during hot periods – a risk as England continues to face increasing heatwaves.
Discharging untreated sewage is bad for both human health and river health.
The Council believes that:
The rules on sewage discharges must be tightened and enforcement improved, in conjunction with the Environment Agency.
The Government must set legal requirements to monitor all sewage outlets - with fines for firms who do not follow the rules - and set a legally binding target to reduce dumping events.
The Government must make capital funding urgently available to address these issues.
Council will write to the relevant Government Ministers, requesting urgent action to lower risks of untreated sewage discharges into our rivers, and an assurance that the government will take steps to tackle the climate crisis and protect biodiversity in Enfield.
14.8 Motion in the name of Councillor Nesil Caliskan
Enfield Council welcomes the decision of the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities not to call in the development of Cockfosters London Underground Station. This development would provide over 350 new and affordable homes that are urgently needed both in Enfield and across London.
The Council believes that providing affordable housing in a well-connected area is an important priority and regrets the delays to block the development when better-quality housing is desperately needed by so many of our residents.
The Council resolves to continue supporting affordable, sustainable developments that help to end the housing crisis and to give residents the right of a secure roof over their heads.
14.9 Motion in the name of Councillor Ayten Guzel
Recent data from the NHS on children’s health show that Enfield was ranked as the fourth-worst borough in London for obesity in four and five-year-olds. 25.5% of four and five-year-olds and 41.7% of ten and eleven-year-olds were found to be either overweight or obese.
This Council believes we need to help children and young people establish healthy eating habits from an early age to tackle existing and future health inequalities in Enfield.
‘Fast food' outlets are shops that are popular with students. The nutritional quality of the food available is generally poor and some shops use ‘student offers' specifically to target school children.
Enfield Council must do what it can to reduce unhealthy eating amongst children, limit the opportunities that young people have to eat ‘fast food', and create a healthier borough.
This Council agrees to review all relevant supplementary planning documents to manage the proliferation of fast-food outlets in particular areas, resisting the opening of new hot food takeaways near schools and youth facilities.
14.10 Motion in the name of Councillor Ayten Guzel
Pertussis or Whooping Cough is a respiratory infection that can cause severe symptoms or death in unvaccinated individuals. It is of particular risk to unprotected babies. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent infection.
Current uptake of pertussis vaccination is low resulting in many babies being unprotected from birth until their first vaccination.
To increase immunisation uptake of the Whooping Cough vaccination, Enfield Council will implement a collaborative campaign with NHS maternity services and VCS partners, focusing on pregnant women and their families to encourage uptake in whopping cough vaccination.
14.11 Motion in the name of Councillor Bektas Ozer
This Council notes that:
The mismanagement of the NHS by central government has resulted in more than 7 million people currently waiting for treatment – the highest on record. Years of cuts to the NHS has left our health system unprepared and overwhelmed.
Government ministers continue to ignore the crisis in our NHS. Ambulances queue outside hospitals and patients are treated in corridors in Enfield and across the country. Alongside this, seven million people in the UK continue to wait for elective treatment.
In the Borough of Enfield, hundreds of people wait for 4 weeks or more to see a GP.
NHS staff provide an enormously important service to our communities, and they have the Council’s support. Nurses, and all NHS staff, should be paid a decent wage.
The Council agrees to:
Write to the Prime Minister, our local MPs, and the relevant government ministers to call for:
a. Adequate funding for the NHS across the country
b. Fair funding for Enfield’s NHS services
Work with local NHS services and commissioners for better GP provision in the borough.
14.12 Motion in the name of Councillor Thomas Fawns
Council notes that England is facing a housing crisis - 101,300 households in England are currently living in temporary accommodation, the highest figure since 2005.
Council believes that this crisis is exacerbated by the Local Housing Allowance rates freeze – the amount of money a Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimant can expect to receive to cover their rent in the private rented sector – which has been frozen since 2020.
According to London Councils, just 8.8% of rental properties in London are available at LHA levels. The cost to rent a two-bed home in Enfield is around £1,500 per month, while the maximum housing benefit for an Enfield two-bed home is £1,296.
The Council believes the Government should listen to the cross-party Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee in its call for LHA rates to match rents, so more families are not priced out of areas like Enfield.
The Council resolves to join the lobbying efforts of the Local Government Association, London Councils, charities Z2K and Shelter and others in calling for LHA rates to rise to stop low-income families from being priced out of the borough.
14.13 Motion in the name of Councillor Ergin Erbil
This Council notes that:
The mismanagement of the economy by central government has caused the highest levels of inflation in 40 years, rising interest rates and stagnant economic growth.
Household energy bills have skyrocketed over the last year – 96% higher than last winter – while just over 16,000 households in Enfield are already fuel poor.
The effects of climate change are intensifying the impact of energy prices, increasing pressures on families and businesses.
As the cost-of-living increases, people and businesses are less able to finance adaptations to improve energy efficiency and to prepare for extreme weather events.
More families need help. Yet steeply increasing inflation means this Council’s ability to mitigate impacts and provide essential services is increasingly challenging.
The Council agrees to:
Recognise that the Cost of Living and Climate Crisis are connected and jointly require attention to ensure the wellbeing of local people and businesses.
Make decisions on investment and delivery that, wherever possible, contribute to environmental and social benefits across Enfield.
Advocate for more robust, affordable public transport that connects employees with work, links students to education and reduces carbon emissions.
Work with social landlords operating in Enfield to review the energy efficiency of their housing stock, recognising that poor insulation and inefficient heating are key factors in the rising cost-of-living.
Write to the Prime Minister, our local MPs, and the relevant government ministers to call for:
a. Increased financial support for residents, with most support provided to low-income households.
b. Lobby government to deliver a more ambitious nationwide commitment to fund improvements in the energy efficiency of homes, resulting in energy bill reductions and environmental benefits.
c. Insulation schemes and renewable energy generation programmes funded by fossil fuel profits.
14.14 Motion in the name of Councillor Alev Cazimoglu
Immunisations are one of the most effective and cost-effective ways to prevent disease. Despite this childhood Immunisation uptake across Enfield, North Central London ICB and London is lower than that required for ‘herd immunity’
Within the above there is growing concern across London regarding the potential for an outbreak of a number of vaccine preventable disease but especially measles. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has estimated that in London this might mean an outbreak of between 40-140,000 cases of which 25% might require hospitalisation.
This Council calls on the government to take the following actions:
· Increase access to vaccination for children through pharmacies, hospital ED departments, outpatient clinics and other health care settings ensuring that all health services share responsibility for increasing immunisation
· Tackle disinformation / misinformation as a life-threatening intervention
· Improve NHS systems to collect data and allow the better targeting of vaccine initiatives
· Making it easier for residents to see what immunisations they’ve received e.g. through NHS App.
· Providing additional resources to engage with communities with low vaccine uptake.
The Council therefore calls upon all Councillors to write to the Secretary of State for Health (the Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP) expressing their concern at the low uptake of childhood immunisation and calling for implementation of the above actions.
14.15 Motion in the name of Councillor Nia Stevens
The Council notes that, on the 31st of August, with just 4 days to go before the start of the school term, the Department of Education demanded that 104 schools close all or some buildings due to structural risks associated with the use of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). No additional funding was made available from the government to support these sudden closures.
Council believes that it should not have taken the recent sudden building collapses last month for the RAAC to be treated as an emergency, given the 5 years since the Kent school collapse.
This is a crisis created by chronic underinvestment in school buildings, and has caused disruption for school staff and pupils. Parents, teachers and pupils at schools housed in older concrete buildings are anxious, with new schools being identified as at risk.
Enfield Council resolves to
· Work with affected schools in Enfield to ensure pupil and staff safety while minimising disruption to learning
· Communicate with parents and pupils to clarify risks and explain safety measures
· Call on the government to give schools the money to undertake all repairs and investments needed to make buildings safe over their long-term future.
· Call on the government to offer financial support to all schools impacted by full or partial building closures.
Minutes:
14.15 Motion in the name of Councillor Nia Stevens
“Council notes that, on the 31st of August, with just 4 days to go before the start of the school term, the Department of Education demanded that 104 schools close all or some buildings due to structural risks associated with the use of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). No additional funding was made available from the government to support these sudden closures.
Council believes that it should not have taken the recent sudden building collapses last month for the RAAC to be treated as an emergency, given the 5 years since the Kent school collapse.
This is a crisis created by chronic underinvestment in school buildings, and has caused disruption for school staff and pupils. Parents, teachers and pupils at schools housed in older concrete buildings are anxious, with new schools being identified as at risk.
Enfield Council resolves to
· Work with affected schools in Enfield to ensure pupil and staff safety while minimising disruption to learning
· Communicate with parents and pupils to clarify risks and explain safety measures
· Call on the government to give schools the money to undertake all repairs and investments needed to make buildings safe over their long-term future.
· Call on the government to offer financial support to all schools impacted by full or partial building closures.”
Following the debate, the Motion was AGREED.
14.14 Motion in the name of Councillor Alev Cazimoglu
“Immunisations are one of the most effective and cost-effective ways to prevent disease. Despite this childhood Immunisation uptake across Enfield, North Central London ICB and London is lower than that required for ‘herd immunity’.
Within the above there is growing concern across London regarding the potential for an outbreak of a number of vaccine preventable disease but especially measles. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has estimated that in London this might mean an outbreak of between 40-140,000 cases of which 25% might require hospitalisation.
This Council calls on the government to take the following actions:
· Increase access to vaccination for children through pharmacies, hospital ED departments, outpatient clinics and other health care settings ensuring that all health services share responsibility for increasing immunisation
· Tackle disinformation / misinformation as a life-threatening intervention
· Improve NHS systems to collect data and allow the better targeting of vaccine initiatives
· Making it easier for residents to see what immunisations they’ve received e.g. through NHS App.
· Providing additional resources to engage with communities with low vaccine uptake.
The Council therefore calls upon all Councillors to write to the Secretary of State for Health (the Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP) expressing their concern at the low uptake of childhood immunisation and calling for implementation of the above actions.”
During the debate, a procedural motion was moved by Cllr Sabri Ozaydin and seconded by Cllr Ergin Erbil under paragraph 13.20 (viii) of the Council’s Procedure Rules to extend the debate for a further 10 minutes which was AGREED.
Following the debate, the Motion was AGREED.
The remainder of Motions LAPSED under the guillotine arrangements.