13.1 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:
1. Recognise that the Cost of Living and Climate Crisis are connected and jointly require attention to ensure the wellbeing of local people and businesses.
2. Make decisions on investment and delivery that, wherever possible, contribute to environmental and social benefits across Enfield.
3. Advocate for more robust, affordable public transport that connects employees with work, links students to education and reduces carbon emissions.
4. 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.
5. 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.
13.2 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 2022, sparking world-wide protests.
We stand together in support of Amini’s family and the brave people of Iran demanding Freedom.
13.3 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.
13.4 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.
13.5 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.
I urge the council 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.
13.6 Motion in the name of Councillor Chris Joannides
Enfield Council welcomes the government's initiative to help local authorities across England to receive funding to combat drug and alcohol misuse.
Local authorities across England will benefit from an extra £421 million government funding through to 2025 to improve drug and alcohol addiction treatment and recovery.
The extra funding means that total local authority funding for treatment will have increased 40% between 2020 to 2021 and 2024 to 2025. It will enable the creation of over 50,000 high-quality places in drug and alcohol treatment.
The funding will enable local authorities to:
· Recruit more staff to work with people with drug and alcohol problems
· Support more prison leavers into treatment and recovery services
· Invest in enhancing the quality of treatment they provide, in turn helping make streets safer by getting people out of the addictions which are known to drive offending.
This Council recognises that more people will benefit from residential rehabilitation or inpatient detoxification, while improvements to the recovery services will sustain them outside treatment - helping to reduce relapse rates.
This Council acknowledges the following:
· Drug misuse has a massive cost to society, more than 3,000 people died as a result of drug misuse in 2021.
· Addictions drive about half of all theft, burglary and robbery. Boosting treatment centres and outreach support for addicts will help reduce crime.
· The government investment will help fund and improve treatment and recovery services, which will continue to save lives, improve the health and wellbeing of people across the country and reduce pressure on the NHS by diverting people from addiction into recovery.
13.7 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 chamber 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.
13.8 Motion in the name of Councillor Maria Alexandrou
International Men’s Day started in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago by Jerome Tuluk Singh to commemorate his father’s birthday.
Today it is a global awareness campaign and a great opportunity to appreciate and celebrate the positive values MEN bring to the world.
This year’s theme is Zero Male Suicide. Suicide is the biggest killer of MEN under the age of 50. The Council agrees to focus on support on MEN’s mental well-being.
13.9 Motion in the name of Councillor Chris Joannides
Enfield Council notes that World Aids Day on the 1st December is an opportunity to show support and solidarity for people living with HIV. Furthermore, we remember those who have lost their lives because of Aids, and we honour their memories by breaking down the stigma attached to people who have HIV.
This Council fully supports World Aids Day and supports the objectives of the national HIV Action Plan, which are:
1. Ensure effective co-ordination of prevention, treatment, and care
2. Reducing levels of undiagnosed HIV and transmission in the UK
3. Effective monitoring of HIV resources and improved accountability and commits to flying the “red ribbon” flag on 1st December, and during the week after World Aids Day, to promote the sale of Red Ribbons at the public points controlled by Enfield Council.
This Council further notes that:
1. HIV is no longer a death sentence and HIV treatment and medication as prescribed helps people with virus to live a natural life span.
2. HIV treatment is available to everyone living in the UK regardless of social-economic status.
3. People living with HIV have their rights protected under the Equal Opportunities Act 2010 and should not be discriminated against.
4. Recognises several voluntary organisations including the National Aids Trust, Body and Soul charity and Terence Higgins Trust are commended for their work in helping people living with HIV and their families.
13.10 Motion in the name of Cllr. Paul Pratt
In the course of carrying out case work in Arnos Grove Ward I have come across what can only be described as waste and bureaucracy gone mad. Specifically, if a vehicle is obstructing scheduled highways works, said vehicle will be moved at zero cost by a pooled ‘lift-and-shift’ vehicle. If a vehicle is obstructing scheduled arboricultural works (tree pollarding) they do not have access to the same. This is despite both teams being part of the same department.
A complex and costly internal procurement process must be initiated, which for just 16 streets costs up to 15% of the annual tree pollarding budget. This must be paid by one section of a council department, to another section of the same department, before a subcontract tree surgeon can even unhitch her wood-chipper and unsheathe her chainsaw. Arboricultural works are therefore carried out at risk, often several non-budgeted return visits are required by tree surgeons, and it isn’t unusual for trees to remain unpollarded for years after being scheduled for pollarding.
This Council agrees that the Highways and Arboricultural teams should have equal access, at zero cost to the pooled Enfield Council ‘lift-and-shift’ vehicle when carrying out scheduled works.
13.11 Motion in the name of Cllr. Lee Chamberlain
This council regrets the continued delay in decommissioning the Shires Estate blocks. It must not forget those residents still living in the estate, either in the blocks or under their shadow.
Given the Towers risk of collapse set out in the June 2022 structural report, the Council resolves to put more resources into improving its efforts to do everything possible to move them to safe accommodation.
13.12 Motion in the name of Cllr. Lee Chamberlain
This Council resolves that any new construction utilising prefabricated or modular building methods, whether it is for permanent or temporary accommodation purposes, must not result in poor quality housing with poor quality amenity spaces.
The provision of good
quality green amenity space with new housing is particularly
important for well-being and environmental reasons.
The use of prefab modular homes must not lead to the Administration establishing low quality prefab estates because it has failed to deliver enough good quality permanent homes.
13.13 Motion in the name of Councillor Lee Chamberlain
This Council resolved to fully, and publicly, consult with residents in housing blocks on which it intends to add additional floors. It furthermore will undertake to offer residents within those blocks first refusal to relocate into the new homes created, in order to recompense those residents for the inconvenience they will be subjected to during the building works.
13.14 Motion in the name of Councillor Nesil Caliskan
Enfield Council stands in solidarity with all those affected by the recent events in Israel and Gaza.
The extreme humanitarian emergency in Gaza, following the 7 October attacks on Israel have both been shocking for us all to see. The situation has had a deep impact on our communities in Enfield.
Enfield Council denounces hate crime in the strongest terms and community cohesion remains a priority for this local authority. It is important that we do not allow these tragic events to divide our communities here in the UK.
The rise in Antisemitism and Islamophobia in our communities is unacceptable, and Enfield Council will continue to work with the police to ensure residents feel safe and free from hate.
The Council supports the humanitarian work being done in the region and encourages residents to donate to organisations raising funds for those in need.
13.15 Motion in the name of the name of Councillor Ayten Guzel
Ahead of the final local government finance settlement announcement, Enfield Council is calling on the Chancellor to address immediate funding pressures in local government, secure long-term financial stability and provide more support to councils in key areas such as housing, adult social care and children’s services.
Government inaction has meant that the homelessness crisis has spiralled out of control. Councils in London are currently spending £60 million per month on temporary accommodation alone. Council notes the recent study by London Councils, showing that 60,000 Londoners could become homeless by 2030 if Local Housing Allowance rates remain frozen.
The Government should also provide funding for local government that reflects the acute rise in demand for adults and children’s social care, with these statutory services causing significant pressure nationally.
Thirteen years of cuts and underfunding from Government has exacerbated these problems, with Enfield receiving 60% less than in 2010. Like other local authorities across the country, Enfield Council has also had to deal with the consequences of the Government crashing the economy, causing record inflation and interest rates.
Enfield Council will:
· Continue to work with London Councils and the Local Government Association (LGA) to lobby the Chancellor ahead of the local government finance statement so that funding reflects the severity of the challenges local government faces.
· Proactively pursue dialogue with all government departments to explore additional funding opportunities for our council services and the borough as a whole.
13.16 Motion in the name of Councillor Kate Anolue
The first few days of a newborn's life is not only critical for the child, but also an important time to support mothers towards a successful breastfeeding.
The World Health Organisation currently recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months due to the endless benefits breast milk provides to both baby and mother.
Research by WHO on 16 European countries found that breastfeeding can cut the chances of a child becoming obese by up to 25%, and each additional month of breastfeeding was associated with 4% reduction in the prevalence of overweight.
Analysis by the LGA shows that the United Kingdom has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe, and that breastfeeding rates in England drop to 46% after only eight weeks.
Enfield Council pledges to continue to support breastfeeding mothers across the borough. We will continue to work with local groups such as Enfield Children’s Centre in offering breastfeeding support sessions to mothers.
Council commits to developing a visible scheme that encourages businesses, shops, cafes, restaurants, leisure centres and libraries to be supportive of mothers who wish to breastfeed their babies while shopping.
13.17 Motion in the name of Councillor Bektas Ozer
Council notes that:
1. There is great concern at reports that Thames Water continue to discharge raw sewage into Enfield’s waterways and rivers. Raw sewage was released into open water in Enfield more than a dozen times in 2022, figures show.
2. This has an impact on the quality of our natural water sources. Some charities allege that storm overflows are being misused and under-reported.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Discharging untreated sewage in dry weather is bad for both human health and river health.
Council believes that:
1. The rules on sewage discharges must be tightened and enforcement improved, in conjunction with the Environment Agency.
2. 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.
3. The Government must make capital funding urgently available to address these issues.
4. Council therefore 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.
13.18 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.
13.19 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 document to manage the proliferation of fast-food outlets in particular areas, resisting the opening of new hot food takeaways near schools and youth facilities.
13.20 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.
13.21 Motion in the name of Councillor Thomas Fawns
Homelessness in the UK is at record high because of government inaction. It is not a ‘lifestyle choice’ as the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman has recently said.
Enfield Council profoundly disagrees with the Home Secretary, and the council will call on the government through lobbing with London Councils and the Local Government Association (LGA) to take short-term and long-term action to address the housing crisis across the country.
13.22 Motion in the name of Councillor Nicki Adeleke
The recent events in Israel and Gaza have had a deep impact on our communities here in the UK.
This is a time when we need those in leadership positions to exercise responsibility and support good community cohesion through the language they use.
It is appalling therefore, that in recent weeks the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has actively inflamed the situation with provocative language, and that she has also attacked and undermined the Police by stating that they were applying ‘double standards’ and ‘played favourites when it comes to demonstrators.
Enfield Council will write to the Home Secretary to raise our concerns and ask her to issue an apology to the Police, who only police by consent and work to keep us all safe.
13.23 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:
1. 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
2. Work with local NHS services and commissioners for better GP provision in the borough.
13.24 Motion in the name of Councillor Thomas Fawns
Council notes that England is facing a housing crisis of supply and affordability. The latest government statistics on homelessness in England show 101,300 households are currently living in temporary accommodation, the highest figure since 2005.
The Council believes that not enough homes are being built — one of the answers to the housing crisis.
Council also believes that this crisis is being 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, and in some parts of London it is more like 0.1%. 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.
13.25 Motion in the name of Councillor Doug Taylor
The Council notes the issue of dangerous dogs in the community and the complexities of protecting residents against attacks on their person and on other dogs. We recognise there are complexities around differentiating breeds of dog in terms of bans or compulsory muzzling. Nevertheless, there is a need to consider what is practical particularly in Council parks and open spaces.
The Council requests that the Cabinet consider, in consultation with relevant agencies such as the police and RSPCA, what might be done to protect residents without unnecessarily interfering with the peaceful enjoyment that most people have with their dogs.
13.26 Motion in the name of Councillor Abdul Abdullahi
That Enfield Council recognises that Care Experienced people are a group who are likely to face discrimination.
That future decisions, services and policies made and adopted by the Council should be made after a thorough Equality Impact Assessments (EQIA) to determine the impact of any policies on care experienced people, alongside those who formally share a protected characteristic.
That the Fairer Enfield Policy and Equality Objectives will be reviewed to ensure that it is reflective of the Council’s commitment to recognise the impact its decisions will have on Care Experienced People and it will annually publish information relating to people who share protected characteristics.
The council will treat Care Experienced individuals as well as those with protected characteristics fairly and equally.
To formally invite our partner agencies to treat Care Experienced people as those with protected characteristics until such time as it may be introduced by legislation.
For the Council to continue to proactively seek and listen to the voices of Care Experienced people when developing new policies.
Minutes:
13.15 Motion in the name of the name of Councillor Ayten Guzel
“Ahead of the final local government finance settlement announcement, Enfield Council is calling on the Chancellor to address immediate funding pressures in local government, secure long-term financial stability and provide more support to councils in key areas such as housing, adult social care and children’s services.
Government inaction has meant that the homelessness crisis has spiralled out of control. Councils in London are currently spending £60 million per month on temporary accommodation alone. Council notes the recent study by London Councils, showing that 60,000 Londoners could become homeless by 2030 if Local Housing Allowance rates remain frozen.
The Government should also provide funding for local government that reflects the acute rise in demand for adults and children’s social care, with these statutory services causing significant pressure nationally.
Thirteen years of cuts and underfunding from Government has exacerbated these problems, with Enfield receiving 60% less than in 2010. Like other local authorities across the country, Enfield Council has also had to deal with the consequences of the Government crashing the economy, causing record inflation and interest rates.
Enfield Council will:
· Continue to work with London Councils and the Local Government Association (LGA) to lobby the Chancellor ahead of the local government finance statement so that funding reflects the severity of the challenges local government faces.
· Proactively pursue dialogue with all government departments to explore additional funding opportunities for our council services and the borough as a whole.”
Following the debate, the Motion was put to the vote and AGREED.
13.26 Motion in the name of Councillor Abdul Abdullahi
“That Enfield Council recognises that Care Experienced people are a group who are likely to face discrimination.
That future decisions, services and policies made and adopted by the Council should be made after a thorough Equality Impact Assessments (EQIA) to determine the impact of any policies on care experienced people, alongside those who formally share a protected characteristic.
That the Fairer Enfield Policy and Equality Objectives will be reviewed to ensure that it is reflective of the Council’s commitment to recognise the impact its decisions will have on Care Experienced People and it will annually publish information relating to people who share protected characteristics.
The council will treat Care Experienced individuals as well as those with protected characteristics fairly and equally.
To formally invite our partner agencies to treat Care Experienced people as those with protected characteristics until such time as it may be introduced by legislation.
For the Council to continue to proactively seek and listen to the voices of Care Experienced people when developing new policies.”
Following the debate, the Motion was unanimously AGREED.
The remainder of Motions LAPSED under the guillotine arrangements.