Agenda and minutes

1.1  Apologies for absence were submitted from Councillors Brett, Buitekant, Levy, Mulready, Potter and Sharer.

2.1  There were no declarations of interest.

3.1  The minutes of the previous meeting held on 13 October 2016 were agreed as a correct record.

MATTERS ARISING

Annual Report of the Community Safety Team and Noise Nuisance- Construction waivers

3.2   Councillor Hanson requested that since the Council retained a database of construction waivers granted in the borough, whether it would be feasible to have an online public register of the waivers.

To request the Council consider having an online public register of granted construction waivers in the borough.

Corporate Committee Reports / Work Programme

3.3  Councillor Sharman reported that he had been liaising with the Director of Legal to improve the standard of Corporate Committee reports to ensure a consistent approach to reporting to the Committee and a review of the Committee’s work programme.

Highway Obstruction and Enforcement

3.4  Councillor Stops reported that a letter had been drafted to the Deputy Mayor of Transport requesting that the pavements between Old Street and Dalston Junction, Upper and Lower Clapton Roads, and Stamford Hill and City Road be deemed priority roads for highway obstructions and be designated zero tolerance areas for A- boards.  The draft letter was currently being reviewed by the Director of Public Realm and Cabinet Member of Neighbourhood, Transport and Parks. 

Action: The letter to be submitted to the Deputy Mayor of Transport.

4.1  Dan Paul introduced to report on the Annual Pay Policy Statement 2017/18. 

4.2  The Chair and Members expressed their significant dissatisfaction with the unsatisfactory administration and performance of the 2015 general elections in Hackney.

4.3  Members requested that the Council’s Returning Officer consider waiving the parliamentary elections allowance awarded for theyear 2015/16.  Members believed that following the introduction of the government’s new individual voter registration system there had been sufficient time for the Council to plan for the elections and submit the electoral data within the specified deadline.Due to the unsatisfactory management of the elections in Hackney residents had been unable to register their vote in the general elections despite having registered to vote.  As a consequence of the poor performance the Council suffered adverse publicity and reputational damage.

4.4  Mr Paul stated that the elections duty allowance varied depending on the election being held.  Parliamentary election allowances were set by statute and the Electoral Commission had set a minimum performance standard that Electoral Returning Officers had to meet to qualify for the general elections allowance.  Mr Paul advised that the Electoral Commission had been monitoring Hackney Council’s elections performance since 2015 and also the Overview and Scrutiny Committee was scrutinising the Council’s performance.

4.5  Councillor Fajana-Thomas sought clarification in relation to the continuing payment of bonuses to former Hackney Homes staff which had been TUPE to Hackney Council and was contrary to the Council’s current policy of eliminating bonus payments.  Mr Paul explained that the bonuses were paid primarily to craft employees such as electricians under a previous productivity based incentive scheme that formed part of the employee’s terms and conditions of employment.  The Housing Team was currently in the process of reviewing this scheme and the Council would also be reviewing it following the transfer of Hackney Homes staff to the Council. However, any removal of the bonus scheme would have to be based on economic or technical reasons. 

RESOLVED to agree the Pay Policy Statement and whilst obliged to recommend to the Council to approve the policy the Committee noted with concern in relation to the 2015 general election the performance issues identified by the Electoral Commission.

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5.1  Councillor Sharman indicated that it would be useful to have a brief summary of the report.

RESOLVED to note the work programme for 2016/17.

6.1  There was no other urgent business.