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Agenda, decisions and minutes

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Contact: Victoria Lower
020 8726 6000 x14773  Email: 
victoria.lower@croydon.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1/21

Minutes of a previous meeting pdf icon PDF 199 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 19 October 2020 as an accurate record.

Minutes:

The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 19 October 2020 were agreed.

2/21

Disclosure of Interests

In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct and the statutory provisions of the Localism Act, Members and co-opted Members of the Council are reminded that it is a requirement to register disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs) and gifts and hospitality to the value of which exceeds £50 or multiple gifts and/or instances of hospitality with a cumulative value of £50 or more when received from a single donor within a rolling twelve month period. In addition, Members and co-opted Members are reminded that unless their disclosable pecuniary interest is registered on the register of interests or is the subject of a pending notification to the Monitoring Officer, they are required to disclose those disclosable pecuniary interests at the meeting. This should be done by completing the Disclosure of Interest form and handing it to the Democratic Services representative at the start of the meeting. The Chair will then invite Members to make their disclosure orally at the commencement of Agenda item 3. Completed disclosure forms will be provided to the Monitoring Officer for inclusion on the Register of Members’ Interests.

Minutes:

There were none.

3/21

Urgent Business (If any)

To receive notice of any business not on the agenda which in the opinion of the Chair, by reason of special circumstances, be considered as a matter of urgency.

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

4/21

Update on the Croydon Renewal Plan and Submission to MHCLG (presentation) pdf icon PDF 849 KB

Cabinet Member: Leader of the Council, Councillor Hamida Ali

Officer: Interim Chief Executive, Katherine Kerswell

Key decision: no

Decision:

RESOLVED: To note the presentation.

 

Minutes:

A presentation was given to the Cabinet by the Leader, Councillor Hamida Ali, the Interim Chief Executive, Katherine Kerswell, and the Director of Finance, Investment & Risk, Lisa Taylor. A copy of the presentation can be found online

(https://democracy.croydon.gov.uk/documents/b8064/Presentation%20-%20Item%205%20Croydon%20Renewal%20Update%2018th-Jan-2021%2018.30%20Cabinet.pdf?T=9).

 

The Leader informed Members that the presentation gave Members an overview of the latest position of the council. The Leader highlighted the council’s new priorities and noted that whilst the council was undergoing financial difficulties this was against the backdrop of the pandemic which continued to have severe health and economic implications. It was highlighted that whilst positive test rates were decreasing Croydon still had the 13th highest rate in the country.

 

The economic impact had seen an increase in the number of residents claiming Universal Credit in Croydon and nationally. The rise, it was noted, was universal in that it was impacting people on low incomes from all age groups and both genders. The Leader further highlighted that over 53,000 Croydon residents were furloughed which amounted to more than one in four who would be eligible for furlough.

 

Whilst the council was focused on resolving the financial position, the Leader stressed it was also supporting communities who were being severely impacted by covid-19; both from the sad loss of life and financially.

 

The Interim Chief Executive noted that in September 2020, Cabinet had made a decision to develop the Croydon Renewal Improvement Plan which was an overarching document to cover the fundamental change required to take place over the following three years. The Plan outlined the transformation of council systems of internal control, governance and management which would underpin the financial recovery of the council. The Interim Chief Executive advised Members that the Plan drew together all of the recommendations from both internal and external reports and put them together into a single clear improvement programme to support delivering change as the right pace and in the right way.

 

It was highlighted by the Interim Chief Executive that action was being taken, with Scrutiny & Overview Committee (SOC) and General Purposes & Audit Committee (GPAC) consultation on the Report in the Public Interest (RIPI) action plan due to be considered later in the agenda, the second report on the Strategic Review of Companies due to be taken to the February 2021 Cabinet meeting and the reserves would be considered in the budget papers.

 

The Interim Chief Executive advised Members that the council was waiting for the report following the rapid non-statutory review which had been undertaken on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG). It was noted that the council’s submission for a capitalisation direction was made on 15 December 2020 and Members were advised that conversations were still ongoing with MHCLG on a weekly basis and often with other government departments; including a meeting that had been held with the Home Office and Department for Education in relation to the costs associated with Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children.

 

Members were advised that MHCLG had established an Improvement  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4/21

5/21

Action Plan to address the Report in the Public Interest pdf icon PDF 237 KB

Cabinet Member: Leader of the Council, Councillor Hamida Ali

Officer: Executive Director Resources, Jacqueline Harris Baker

Key decision: no

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED: To

 

1.    Agree the amendments to the RIPI action plan recommended by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee (Appendix 1);

2.    Agree the amendments to the RIPI action plan recommended by the General Purposes & Audit Committee (Appendix 2);

3.    Agree that the action plan (Appendix 3) should be updated accordingly;  and

4.    Note that in accordance with the resolutions of Council on 19 November 2020, Cabinet, alongside the General Purposes & Audit Committee, the Scrutiny & Overview Committee and Council, will receive quarterly reports detailing progress of delivering the action plan as part of quarterly progress monitoring reports from the forthcoming Council Improvement Board.

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council introduced the report which included the outcome of the consultation on the draft Report in the Public Interest (RIPI) action plan with the Scrutiny & Overview Committee (SOC) and the General Purposes & Audit Committee (GPAC). It was noted that both committees had detailed discussions on the draft plan and had made a series of suggested amendments to the plan which were outlined in the appendices to the report. The Leader stated that Cabinet were being asked to agree those amendments and note that quarterly progress updates would be taken to both Cabinet and Council.

 

The Executive Director of Resources, Jacqueline Harris Baker, advised Members that the report was in line with the decisions made at the Extraordinary Council Meeting on 19 November 2020 to report to Cabinet the proposed amendments to the action plan following consideration by GPAC and SOC. It was noted that both committees had considered the action plan in detail.

 

Members were advised by the Executive Director that a revised action plan would be produced which incorporated the proposed amendments and revised timescales for delivery. The Executive Director stated the council had only 21 days to produce the original action plan and subsequent detailed work had been undertaken which was cross cutting with improvement work across the council.

 

The Executive Director confirmed that the council had strengthened its systems for monitoring, reporting performance and expenditure, and that a programme delivery approach had been adopted. A central programme management office had been established to ensure consistent and effective management of improvement and savings programmes was being delivered. Furthermore, an internal Croydon Renewal Steering Group had been established to ensure all projects were being delivered and would hold officers to account for delivery; this Group, it was reported, was chaired by the Interim Chief Executive and included members of the Executive Leadership Team.

 

It was further stated that progress against the action plan would be monitored, tested and reported upon by the council’s internal audit team.

 

Cabinet were advised by the Executive Director that the next report would include an updated action plan, revised deadlines and progress updates on all actions. In the interim, it was suggested that Members would experience progress on actions as they happened; such as financial reports and an update on the review of Brick by Brick being taken to February Cabinet.

 

The Assistant Chief Executive, Elaine Jackson, thanked Members for their contribution and amendments to the action plan which would be incorporated in the next iteration of the action plan. It was noted that it was a complex piece of work with over 434 actions or programmes of work that were being undertaken but it was the ambition of officers to distil the work into a structured report process which would assist in the oversight of progress.

 

The Chair of the Scrutiny & Overview Committee, Councillor Sean Fitzsimons, stated that the committee had considered the RIPI and action plan in December 2020. Following consideration of each line of the plan the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5/21

6/21

Education Estates Strategy pdf icon PDF 330 KB

Cabinet Member: Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Learning, Councillor Alisa Flemming

Officer: Interim Executive Director Children, Families & Education, Debbie Jones

Key decision: yes

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED: To

 

School Admission

1.    agree to recommend to full Council that it determine the proposed community schools’ Admission Arrangements for the 2022/23 academic year (Appendix 1);

 

2.    approve the continued adoption of the proposed Pan London scheme for co-ordination of admissions to Reception and Junior schools as set out at Appendix 1a of the report; and adoption of the proposed Pan London scheme for co-ordination of admissions to secondary schools as set out at Appendix 1b of the report;

 

School Place Planning

3.    approve the Capital Programme Budget summary (as set out at Appendix 2 of the report);

 

School Maintenance and Compliance

4.    approve the proposed Schools’ Maintenance Plan (as set out at Appendix 3 of the report) for 2021/22 with an overall budget cost of £2.945m;

 

5.    Delegate authority to the Executive Director, Children, Families and Education to vary the proposed Schools’ Maintenance Plan to reflect actual prices and new urgent issues that may arise, including authorising spend against the allowance for emergency and reactive works. The Executive Director, Children, Families and Education shall report back to members in respect of any exercise of such authority;

 

School Place Planning

 

Academy conversion

6.    note the change of status of Woodcote Primary to an academy;

 

Early Years

7.    note the 2020 Childcare Sufficiency Assessment report as set out at  Appendix 4 of the report;

 

           Special Educational Needs and Disability(SEND)

8.    note that the SEND Estates strategies are contributing positively to the development of local provision maintaining some of our most challenging and vulnerable children and young people with SEND within their families and communities. For example, the:

 

9.    new special school – Addington Valley Academy - for severe and complex children with Autism Spectrum Conditions is underway and on schedule;

 

10.new school build for St. Nicholas Special School was completed and the school moved in over the last academic year;

 

11.Croydon College Coulsdon Pathways provision for students with SEND aged 19-25 is now in its third year and has been a great success;

 

12.review of the SEND estate – Red Gates / St. Giles / Priory - in terms of its quality, safeguarding and feasibility as approved by Cabinet in January 2020 is underway; and

 

Alternative Provision / Pupil Referral Unit (PRU)

13.note information on Alternative Provision / PRU.

 

Minutes:

The Leader informed Cabinet that the order of the agenda would be varied to:

 

·       Item 9/21 – Dedicated Schools Grant Schools Funding 2021/22 Formula Factors

·       Item 7/21 – General Fund Capital Programme 2020-2024

·       Item 8/21 – Proposed closure of Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School

·       Item 6/21 – Education Estates Strategy

 

The Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education, Councillor Alisa Flemming, noted that the report was the annual report to Cabinet on the education estates and was split into two sections; the first being focussed on decisions for Cabinet to make and the second being for information. It was noted that Council would be asked to determine the proposed community school admission arrangements for 2022/23. The Cabinet Member highlighted that there were no proposed changes to previously determined arrangements barring updates in relation to DfE guidance.

 

It was further noted by the Cabinet Member that the council was responsible for having a scheme in place for the coordination of admission arrangements for both primary and secondary schools as part of the pan-London agreement which sought to simplify the application process and ensure a fair distribution of places across London.

 

The Cabinet Member stated the council was committed to reducing the high needs deficit but stressed that the decision to deliver Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) places was not driven by finances but by the desire to ensure young people could access education within the borough and could live independent lives by travelling by bus to school, for example.

 

It was highlighted that the mainstream school supply strategy had not been included in the report on this occasion as Croydon did not plan to create additional mainstream places. Pupil forecasts indicated there was a sufficiency of places in both primary and secondary schools for the next three years. The Cabinet Member stated that there would be a need to review the strategy as a result of covid-19 as there had been an increase in number of parents choosing to home school, and whilst the numbers were low it was stressed that the forecasting and places available aligned.

 

The Cabinet Member for Croydon Renewal, Councillor Stuart King, welcomed the feasibility work which was underway at Gresham Primary School to establish whether the bulge class could be made permanent as supporting popular schools was an important objective. The Cabinet Member for Croydon Renewal noted that there had been significant investment in the SEND programme and requested further information on how that investment would support managing the financial challenge of the delivering the service whilst not impacting the education the children received.

 

In response, the Cabinet Member stated that she also welcomed the feasibility studies into expanding popular schools and more details would be provided by the Interim Director of Education & Youth Engagement, Shelley Davies, outside of the meeting.

 

The Interim Director advised Members that the Addington Valley Free School was open on a temporary site with 25 students and from September 2021 would open on its permanent site for 80 pupils. Providing an  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6/21

7/21

General Fund Capital Programme 2020-24 pdf icon PDF 239 KB

Cabinet Member: Cabinet Member for Croydon Renewal, Councillor Stuart King

Officer: Interim Chief Executive, Katherine Kerswell

Key decision: no

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED: To

 

1.    Note the draft capital programme, which excludes the Housing Revenue Account capital programme. Note the final capital programme will be presented for Full Council approval as part of the budget setting process;

 

2.    Recommend that Full Council approve amendments to the in year capital programme;

 

3.    Note the changes to the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) borrowing requirements, include the need to provide an outline capital strategy to central government before any further borrowing is permitted;

 

4.    Note the proposal to review the Highways budgets alongside the Highways Strategy in the new financial year; and

 

5.    Cease the Asset Investment Board, as the Asset Acquisition Programme has stopped.

 

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Croydon Renewal, Councillor Stuart King, noted that the report included the draft capital programme for 2021-24 and proposed in-year amendments to the capital budget. It was noted that the in-year capital programme had been reduced by £155m in October 2020 to reflect the council’s financial position which had been principally made of £100m of savings from the removal of the asset acquisition line. The Cabinet Member stressed that the 2021-24 capital programme was indicative only and revisions would be made ahead of the final version being taken to Cabinet in February 2021 and Council in March 2021 for approval. The Director of Finance, Investment & Risk and Section 151 Officer reiterated that the programme was draft only and that further changes would be made ahead of final approval.

 

In response to the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Croydon’s question on the impact on the Growth Zone, the Cabinet Member for Croydon Renewal stated that Growth Zone funding had been reduced at the beginning of the 2020/21 financial year to reflect the current economic position of the town centre. It was stressed that it was important that investment in the Growth Zone was affordable and would generate revenue in terms of business rates. The Director for Finance, Investment & Risk and Section 151 Officer advised Members that the Growth Zone had been adjusted from £15m to £7m and had been adjusted in light of the economic climate and would continue to be reviewed in the development of the capital programme.

 

The Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources, Councillor Jason Cummings, stated that Members had got used to seeing borrowing figures increase year on year but noted that the council’s ability to support borrowing had been significantly impacted by the financial position of the authority. The Shadow Cabinet Member noted that the draft capital programme committed the council to increased levels of borrowing despite the council already being at the Prudential borrowing limit. As such, it was queried whether the council would look to increase that limit and when plans would be brought forward to reduce the total level of borrowing.

 

In response, the Cabinet Member stated the indicative programme represented a reduction in borrowing to fund the capital programme as it was recognised that it was essential that capital programme was affordable. The Director for Finance, Investment & Risk and Section 151 Officer confirmed that the Treasury Management Policy, which included the Prudential borrowing limit, would be taken to Cabinet in February 2021 and Council in March 2021. It was further noted that borrowing would likely increase if the council’s capitalisation direction request was approved but it was the ambition of the council to reduce the level of borrowing required by reviewing the capital programme.

 

The Shadow Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure & Sport, Councillor Vidhi Mohan, noted that the draft programme identified £47.9m from asset disposal and queried what assets were due to be disposed. In response, the Cabinet Member stated that the council was developing an Asset Disposal Strategy which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7/21

8/21

Proposed closure of Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School pdf icon PDF 255 KB

Cabinet Member: Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Learning, Councillor Alisa Flemming

Officer: Interim Executive Director Children, Families & Education, Debbie Jones

Key decision: yes

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED: To

 

1.    Consider the representations made in response to the statutory notice and consultations regarding the proposed closure of Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School from August 2021; and

 

2.    Approve the proposed closure of Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School from August 2021.

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Learning, Councillor Alisa Flemming, informed Members that the report recommended the closure of Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School, which was a Roman Catholic voluntary aided secondary school for girls aged 11 to 18 years old and was based in Upper Norwood.

 

The school’s Interim Executive Board in consultation with the council and the Archdiocese of Suffolk had agreed to undertake a statutory consultation on the proposed closure from August 2021 due to the state of repair of the buildings, the pupil roll consistently decreasing during the previous seven years and the school budget deficit being significant.

 

The Cabinet Member confirmed that the consultation had taken place and the majority of respondents were opposed to the proposed closure with the three main reasons being; the loss of a catholic school in the area, the reduction in single sex schools in the borough and the history attached to the school. It was noted by the Cabinet Member that there was another catholic school in the borough, St Mary’s Catholic High School, and there were two single sex schools for girls in the borough, including Norbury Manor Business & Enterprise College which was in close proximity.

 

The Cabinet Member for Croydon Renewal, Councillor Stuart King, noted that at paragraph 6.7 of the report that there was a requirement for the council to take on the schools deficit following closure and requested assurance that while the school was running that the deficit was being managed and would be as small as possible. In response, the Interim Director of Education & Youth Engagement, Shelley Davies, confirmed the council was in regular contact with the Interim Executive Board and the school’s leadership team to ensure the deficit was kept as low as possible as it was understood that this would impact the council. Legal advice would also be sought in relation to the deficit and what support was available.

 

The Leader noted that the school was the second school in recent years to be put forward for closure and queried whether horizon scanning was taking place to understand whether there were any other schools which could face similar challenges. The Interim Director confirmed that strong processes had been put in place in the previous 18 months to monitor schools which had submitted a deficit and regular meetings took place with those schools. Detailed information was requested from schools so that the council could understand why there were deficits and plans were required to be submitted which outlined how they would manage the school within budget. It was stated that there were a number of schools in the borough which had submitted deficits but that she and the Head of Finance for Children, Families & Education, Kate Bingham, were meeting those schools regularly to both provide a level of challenge and support.

 

The Shadow Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Learning, Councillor Maria Gatland, noted that the council had little choice but to consult on the proposed closure of the school as pupils  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8/21

9/21

Dedicated Schools Grant Schools Funding 2021/22 Formula Factors pdf icon PDF 398 KB

Cabinet Member: Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Learning, Councillor Alisa Flemming

Officer: Interim Executive Director Children, Families & Education, Debbie Jones

Key decision: yes

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED: To

 

1.    Approve the funding formula for Croydon schools for the financial year 2021/22 for maintained schools, and the academic year 2021/22 for academies, in line with the recommendations of the School Forum:

 

a.    To agree for the phased implementation of the National Funding Formula in 2021/22 to ease the potential turbulence of moving to a hard formula at a later stage; and

 

b.    To agree the funding formula factors set out in Table 2 and paragraphs 3.10 to 3.31 of the report.

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Learning, Councillor Alisa Flemming, noted that the report outlined the proposed allocation of the schools block element of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for both maintained and academy schools in Croydon. The Department for Education (DfE) required Cabinet approval prior to submission on 21 January 2021 and the proposal contained within the report sought a phased implementation of the DfE’s proposed national funding formula.

 

Jolyon Roberts, Chair of the Schools Forum, was welcomed to the meeting. He informed Members that he had been Chair of the Schools Forum for over ten years and had been a Head Teacher in Croydon for 17 years. He stated that he had followed the discussion on the DSG High Needs Funding at the General Purposes & Audit Committee and had fed back to the Schools Forum on that discussion. Members were informed that the Schools Forum met monthly and there were several sub-committees and working groups which looked at specific areas and fed back to the Forum and all those involved in developing the report were thanked for their hard work.

 

Jolyon drew Members attention to paragraph 3.10 of the report and stated the Forum had sought to progress towards the national funding formula over time to manage the change more effectively and Croydon was now closely aligned to the recommendations of the funding formula. Members were assured that the DSG was considered carefully by the Schools Forum ahead of recommendations being made and was reviewed quarterly.

 

The high needs block of the DSG was raised by the Chair of the Schools Forum as being a concern for all as there had been increased levels of responsibility for young people aged 18 to 25 whilst there had been no additional funding to support that work. A plan had been developed in response to the RIPI and regular meetings were reported to have taken place to ensure effective scrutiny was being implemented.

 

The Leader thanked the Chair of the Schools Forum for his attendance at the Cabinet meeting and for all of his work as both the Chair of the Schools Forum and as a Head Teacher in Croydon.

 

The Interim Head of Finance for Children, Families & Education, Kate Bingham, advised Members that the wording of the recommendation should be amended to remove the word “provisional” as Cabinet were being asked to agree the final funding formula. In response, the Leader thanked the Interim Head of Finance for the clarification and confirmed that Cabinet understood the amendment.

 

The Shadow Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education, Councillor Maria Gatland, thanked the Chair of the Schools Forum for his attendance and attested to the work on the Forum which often considered complex pieces of work. The Shadow Cabinet Member welcomed the expansion of places for pupils with SEND which she hoped would support managing the high needs deficit and questioned whether the proposal was enough. Furthermore, she noted that it was proposed that there would no longer be transfers  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9/21

10/21

Making Croydon's Private Rented Homes Safer and Protecting Residents pdf icon PDF 405 KB

Cabinet Member: Cabinet Member for Homes & Gateway Services, Councillor Jane Avis

Officer: Executive Director Place, Shifa Mustafa

Key decision: yes

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED: To

 

1.    Note the new enforcement powers available to the Private Sector Housing Enforcement and Trading Standards teams including the various responsibilities, duties and commencement dates.

 

2.    Adopt the proposed policy ‘Determining the Penalty and Banding the Offence’; attached as Appendix 1.  This policy covers the process to both:

·      Determine the Penalty - determine what is the most appropriate sanction to be taken against an offending landlord; and

·      Banding the Offence - where the sanction is a Financial Penalty, the level of penalty. 

 

3.    Resolve for the proposed policy ‘Determining the Penalty and Banding the Offence’ to supersede the existing policy “Determining the Penalty” which was approved on the 3rd May 2017 and which the Council commenced using on the 8th May 2017.

 

4.    Adopt the proposed revised Statement of Principles attached at Appendix 3 of the report which has been produced as required under regulation 13 of The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (England) Regulations 2015 and agree to the publication of the Statement of Principles.

 

5.    Resolve for the proposed Statement of Principles attached at Appendix 3 of the report to  supersede the existing Statement of Principles, attached as Appendix 2 of the report, which was approved on the 3rd May 2017 and which the Council commenced using on the 8th May 2017”.

 

6.    Agree to the proposed policy ‘Determining the Penalty and Banding the Offence’ and proposed revised Statement of Principles to commence on the 1st February 2021 in respect of powers created under the various enactments.

 

7.    Approve the revised proposed houses in multiple occupation licensing [“HMO”] fee payment arrangement that requires the applicant to make the same total payment under the scheme if the licence is successfully granted, but in two stages, Part A on application and Part B if the License is granted, as detailed in a fee structure section 18 of the report and documented in Appendix 4 (current fees) and Appendix 5 (proposed fees) of the report.

 

8.    Authorise the Council to include new or revised houses in multiple occupation licence conditions as detailed in section 17 of the report and documented in Appendix 6 (current conditions) and Appendix 7 (proposed conditions) of the report covering:

·         the safety of the electrical installation requirements, new condition 1.2.1; 

·         the revision of conditions 1.1, 1.2.2 and 1.2.3 to give a deadline of 14 days in which a licence holder must return a declaration to the Council on request;

·         the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm requirements, new condition numbers 1.3.1 and 1.3.2;

·         the control of anti-social behaviour, reworded condition 1.5 with new sections 1.5.2 and 1.5.3;

·         the storage and disposal of household waste requirement, new condition 1.6.1, 1.6.2, and 1.6.3; and

·         the introduction of minimum room standards in paragraph 2 and through 2.3 and 2.4, a system for managing breaches of 2.1 a landlord was not aware of.

 

9.    Agree to adopt the proposed revised fee charging mechanism for houses in multiple occupation applications attached as Appendix 5 of the report  ...  view the full decision text for item 10/21

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Homes & Gateway Services, Councillor Jane Avis, stated that she did not underestimate the importance of the report as keeping residents safe was a key priority of the Administration. It was noted that a third of properties in the borough, 58,000, were privately rented and 3,000 of those properties were Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO); as such it was imperative that the council had policies and enforcement in place to protect residents.

 

Officers were thanked by the Cabinet Member for developing the paper and their dedication to the work of keeping residents safe.

 

The Cabinet Member highlighted that the report sought agreement for the revised policy, Determining the Penalty and Band, to be utilised and for the revised Statement of Principles relating to smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to be agreed. It was noted that the latter was integral to resident safety as a number of people passed away from carbon monoxide poisoning annually. Furthermore, the revised fee structure and amended licensing conditions for HMOs were also included within the report for agreement. It was noted that it was proposed that all aspects would commence on 1 February 2021.

 

It was noted that the Government had given council’s additional powers and sanctions to impose which was welcomed by the Cabinet Member as it supported the council to tackle rogue landlords, letting agents and property managers. The Cabinet Member stated that she felt covid-19 had highlighted the situation further as people had been forced to stay in their homes and so ensuring the safety of those residents was essential. It was hoped that the private rented sector would welcome the new regulations as it was noted that each rogue landlord negatively impacted the reputation of the whole sector.

 

The Executive Director of Place, Shifa Mustafa, noted that recommendation 1.8 in the report would give the council additional powers and control around the disposal of waste which would also protect tenants and residents within the vicinity.

 

The Cabinet Member for Sustainable Croydon welcomed the report as ensuring high living standards for those living in HMOs was important. He queried whether further details could be provided in terms of the enforcement which would be put in place as the issues highlighted within the report caused a great amount of concern for tenants and residents across the borough.

 

In response to the query the Private Housing Manager, Nick Gracie-Langrick, stated that he had a good team who were all well trained. As part of the implementation of new powers, all team members would undergo additional training in relation to the new powers and when it was appropriate to enforce those powers. Furthermore, the team worked with landlords across Croydon and would utilise different forums to promote the new regulations to ensure landlords were aware of the new conditions and ran their properties safely.

 

The Cabinet Member for Croydon Renewal, Councillor Stuart King, noted that household waste management presented a challenge to all residents and was often raised with councillors. As such,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10/21

11/21

London Councils Grant Scheme 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 305 KB

Cabinet Member: Cabinet Member for Communities, Safety & Resilience, Councillor David Wood

Officer: Executive Director Resources, Jacqueline Harris Baker

Key decision: no

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED: To agree the recommendations of the London Council’s Leaders Committee to:

 

1.    Approve the London Councils Grants Scheme budget for 2021/22 of £6.668m; and

 

2.    Agree Croydon Council’s 2021/22 contribution to the London Councils Grants Scheme budget amounting to £287,731. 

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Communities, Safety & Resilience, Councillor David Wood, stated that Cabinet were being asked to approve the recommendation of the London Council’s Leader’s Committee that the 2021/22 grant scheme budget be £6,668,000 with a contribution of £287,731 from Croydon. It was reported that Croydon’s contribution would support activities to tackle two key priorities; combating homelessness and tackling sexual and domestic violence.

 

Cabinet were informed that applicants for the grants must be non-profit organisations which were able to work across more than one borough and could evidence that its work sought to tackle one of the priorities. Thirteen projects had been commissioned to deliver pan-London services and officers had reviewed the data provided by London Councils and were satisfied that Croydon had received its fair share of the services provided.

 

The Cabinet Member reported that since April 2017 an annual average of 859 Croydon residents had been supported under the first priority; combating homelessness and an average 5,130 residents had been supported under the second priority each year; tackling sexual domestic violence.

 

It was noted that the council was legally required to contribute towards the scheme based on the borough’s population size and that the expenditure had been agreed by the Section 151 Officer.

 

The Shadow Cabinet for Safer Croydon & Communities, Councillor Andy Stranack, paid tribute to Elaine Collins who had sadly passed away during the preceding week from covid-19. It was noted that she had been excellent advocate of the community sector and Members sent their condolences to her husband and family. It was noted that paragraph 3.2.8 of the report highlighted the impact lockdown had on many organisations, with a number of groups having to close down or furlough staff. In light of this, the Shadow Cabinet Member queried whether any money had been returned to the council from London Councils and it was noted that he council had received money back from organisations within the borough due to the impact of covid-19.

 

In response, the Cabinet Member stated that he was not aware that money had been returned by London Councils but confirmed he would seek clarification and would write to the Shadow Cabinet Member to confirm the situation. The Leader noted that she had previously looked over the portfolio and her experience had been that where projects had been underperforming and there had been a saving, the Grants Committee had consistently sought to redeploy the funds to other projects to deliver the key priorities.

 

The Cabinet Member stated that the claw back in relation to the Job Retention Scheme had been different to the London Councils Grant Scheme. The council had been in contact with organisations to discuss when monies would need to be repaid due to the Job Retention Scheme. The Cabinet Member further confirmed that he would write to the Shadow Cabinet Member with further details.

 

The Leader of the Council delegated authority to the Cabinet to make the following decisions:

 

RESOLVED: To agree the recommendations of the London Councils Leaders Committee to:  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11/21

12/21

Scrutiny Stage 1: Recommendations from Scrutiny & Overview Committee's consideration of the Strategic Review of the Council's Companies - Action Plan pdf icon PDF 217 KB

Lead Member: Chair of Scrutiny & Overview Committee, Councillor Sean Fitzsimons

Officer: Executive Director Resources, Jacqueline Harris Baker

Key decision: no

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED: To receive the recommendations arising from the Scrutiny & Overview Committee’s consideration of the Strategic Review of the Council’s Companies - Action Plan at the Committee meeting held on 21 December 2020, and to provide a substantive response within two months (i.e. at the next available Cabinet meeting on 22 March 2021.

Minutes:

The Chair of the Scrutiny & Overview Committee informed Cabinet that the Committee had met on 21 December to discuss the PwC report on the Strategic Review of Council’s Companies, including Brick by Brick, and had put forward 24 recommendations which were contained within Appendix A of the report. Responses from Cabinet on those recommendations were requested.

 

The Chair requested that the Scrutiny & Overview Committee be given the opportunity to review the second phase of the PwC report once it was available.

 

The Leader of the Council delegated authority to the Cabinet to make the following decisions:

 

RESOLVED: To receive the recommendations arising from the Scrutiny & Overview Committee’s consideration of the Strategic Review of the Council’s Companies - Action Plan at the Committee meeting held on 21 December 2020, and to provide a substantive response within two months (i.e. at the next available Cabinet meeting on 22 March 2021.

13/21

Investing in our Borough pdf icon PDF 146 KB

Cabinet Member: Cabinet for Resources & Financial Governance, Councillor Callton Young

Officer: Executive Director Resources, Jacqueline Harris Baker

Key decision: no

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED: To note

 

1.    The contracts between £500,000 and £5,000,000 anticipated to be awarded under delegated authority from the Leader by the nominated Cabinet Member, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Resources and Financial Governance and with the Leader in certain circumstances, before the next meeting of Cabinet, as set out in section 4.1.1 of the report; and

 

2.    The list of delegated award decisions made by the Director of Commissioning and Procurement, between 25/11/2020 – 17/12/2020, as set out in section 4.1.2 of the report.

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Resources & Financial Governance, Councillor Callton Young, stated that there were no separate contract awards for Cabinet to consider at the meeting, however Cabinet were being asked to note a contract variation to be taken under delegated authority for the Drop in Zone. It was explained that this extension would cover the period until the service was brought in house. The Cabinet Member further highlighted the decisions which had been made by the Director of Commissioning and Procurement since the last Cabinet meeting which were outlined within paragraph 4.1.2 of the report.

 

The Shadow Cabinet Member for Homes & Gateway Services, Councillor Lynne Hale, noted that whilst she did not disagree with the funding of the Turnaround Drop in Zone ran by CAYSH as it supported some of the most vulnerable young people in Croydon, she was concerned that the report highlighted the council had been in breach of public contract regulations. It was noted that concerns had been previously raised by the Shadow Cabinet Member at the Cabinet meeting on 19 October 2020 and the response had been that contract breaches had been due to the impact of covid-19. The Shadow Cabinet Member noted that contracts of this nature often took a significant amount of time to put in place and so work should have begun long before the pandemic. It was questioned whether the breach was due to covid-19 or that contract management had moved into a department of the council which had insufficient resources to manage them.

 

In response the Cabinet Member confirmed that the delay in extended the contract had been due to covid-19 but stressed that he agreed with the Shadow Cabinet Member’s concerns. It was noted that the need to improve contract management had been raised as part of the RIPI, improvement plans and reviews of financial governance and that the council was looking to strengthen this area of work. The Cabinet Member noted that the council had a Contracts and Commissioning Board and discussions were underway to strengthen governance and use the Board to programme manage. 

 

The Leader of the Council delegated authority to the Cabinet to make the following decisions:

 

RESOLVED: To note

 

1.     The contracts between £500,000 and £5,000,000 anticipated to be awarded under delegated authority from the Leader by the nominated Cabinet Member, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Resources and Financial Governance and with the Leader in certain circumstances, before the next meeting of Cabinet, as set out in section 4.1.1 of the report; and

 

2.     The list of delegated award decisions made by the Director of Commissioning and Procurement, between 25/11/2020 – 17/12/2020, as set out in section 4.1.2 of the report.

14/21

Exclusion of the Press and Public

The following motion is to be moved and seconded where it is proposed to exclude the press and public from the remainder of a meeting:

 

“That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information falling within those paragraphs indicated in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.”

Minutes:

This item was not required.