Agenda and minutes

1.1  No apologies for absence.

2.1  No urgent items. 

2.2  Order of business is as per the agenda.

3.1  There were no declarations of interest.

4.1  The minutes of the previous meeting held on 16^th September 2019were approved.

5.1  The Chair welcomed to the meeting Councillor Carole Williams, Cabinet Member for Employment, Skills and Human Resources from London Borough of Hackney.

5.2  The Cabinet Member provided a verbal update in response to the questions submitted in advance of the meeting.  They were related to apprenticeship programme and post 18 skills and adult learning.

5.3  In response to Members questions about the council’s apprenticeship programme.  The main points from the response are outlined below.

5.3.1  The Council has a multi award winning apprenticeship programme, the programme is progressing very well and has won awards in 2018 and 2019 for the employment and skills team work in developing and managing the scheme.

5.3.2  In response to the breakdown of apprenticeships across the council.  There are:

·  20 in Chief Executive

·  55 in Finance and Corporate Resources

·  65 in Neighbourhoods and Housing

·  25 in Children, Adults and Community Health.

5.3.3  A dashboard is produced regularly that provides further detail on the above apprenticeships.  The Cabinet Member offered to make this information available to the Commission if they wished to review each category in more detail.

5.3.4  The Council’s corporate apprenticeship scheme is paid at least the London living wage (LLW) and compares well to other London boroughs.  Only 37% of London Boroughs pay their corporate apprentices the LLW.

5.3.5  The council wants to continue its work on apprenticeships by working with local businesses across the borough to share best practice and drive up the quality of apprenticeships.  The council has set up an apprenticeship network.

5.3.6  The criteria for membership of the network requires employers to sign up to paying, at least, the rate of the national minimum wage.  The council also asks employers with social obligations e.g. with Section 106 obligations to join the network.

5.3.7  To date 30 organisations have signed up to the network and an additional 15 are going through the membership process.

5.4  In response to Members questions about post 18 skills and adult learning.  The main points from the response are outlined below. 

5.4.1  The Council’s aim is to improve skills for all residents through adult learning.

5.4.2  The council is exploring the possibility of a pilot for paid work experience for over 50s, similar to the Hackney 100 and apprenticeship programme. 

5.4.3  The council is currently redesigning adult skills and integrating adult learning service with employment and skills service.  There are proposal to co-locate the 2 services.

5.5Questions, Answers and Discussions

(i)  Members made the following enquires:

a)  In relation to the network Members asked for more information about how it is used to support SMEs?

b)  What type of companies they signing up to the network?

c)  Asked for more information about the criteria to be part of network. 

d)  Member pointed out the challenges facing SMEs in relation to operational costs and their ability to cover the cost of an apprentice.  Members asked how the council can support them with apprenticeships

e)  Asked if the council could provide a demonstration of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.1  The Chair welcomed to the meeting Councillor Guy Nicholson, Cabinet Member for Planning, Culture and Inclusive Economy from London Borough of Hackney.

6.2  The Cabinet Member provided written responses to the questions submitted in advance of the meeting.  They were related to Community Infrastructure Levy and Hackney Walk.  The reports in the agenda were taken as read and the discussion moved to questions and answer.

6.3  In reference to Hackney Walk the main points highlighted were:

6.3.1  The commercial ownership has changed and was transferred to Inguia Capital Group (ICG).  Originally commercial ownership was with Hackney Walk.  This was transferred it to Lab Tech who have recently transferred it to Inguia Capital Group (ICG).

6.3.2  Officers explained in terms of ownership Network Rail hold the freehold.  The commercial assets were passed to a company called The Arch Company last year to manage.  Arch Co commenced a 150 year lease from network rail last year. 

6.3.3  Hackney Walk purchased a 25 year lease in 2016.

6.3.4  The Arch Company is a new company that manages network rail’s assets.  Approximately 5000 arches.

6.3.5  The Hackney Walk lease for 25 years was passed to Lab tech who have now passed the ownership to ICG.

6.3.6  The Council is proposing to meet with the new lease owners in the coming days.  In addition it was noted the Council’s Head of Economic Regeneration has regular meetings with The Arch Company and Network Rail.

6.3.7  The officer pointed out the current planning permissions for the Morning Lane arches have a fashion use clause.  There means the current use is only permitted for fashion use.  The council would like to see this changed and was working with the previous owners to include in their plans for the site obtaining a change in use to mixed use.

6.3.8  The Council supports changing the use to mixed use.

6.3.9  The Council was expecting Lab tech to put in a planning application for change of use.  The Council will discuss the plans for the site with the new commercial owners.

6.3.10  The council is not considering acquiring the lease or properties.

6.4  Questions, Discussion and Answers

(i)  Members referred to point 8 on page 30 of the report which highlights that the funding pot would have 2 elements - borough wide and ward level.  Members made the following enquires:

a)  How the fund would be allocated for the 2 elements and if it would be an equal distribution per ward? 

b)  For the borough wide how will this be calculated in relation to the ward? 

c)  Will it be 50% ward element and 50% borough wide?

The Cabinet Member for Planning, Culture and Inclusive Economy advised in regards to the Neighbourhood CIL the detail about the distribution of the funds is still being developed.

The Cabinet Member pointed out the Commission could be involved in providing their thoughts to inform officer discussions in shaping the Neighbourhood CIL allocations in terms of a) what it can look like, b) how  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.1  The Chair informed the Commission the scrutiny review report was in draft and that he would circulate the draft report on email to start the Commission’s sign-off process.

7.2  Members talked about including political oversight as a recommendation in their review report.  The Commission will consider making a recommendation about political oversight in relation to the inclusive economy strategy work in their scrutiny review report.

8.1  The Commission discussed the following in relation to the work programme.

8.2  Changes to SEG meeting dates.  The remaining 2 meetings have been changed to the following dates. 

·  Tuesday 25^th February 2020

·  Move April meeting to March.  This has been changed to Wednesday 25^th March 2020.  This date does fall into Purdah by 2 days.

8.2.1  The Chair informed the Commission the February meeting will be an introductory session to the topic of Just Transition which will be the Commission’s new review.  The Chair explained this session will provide information about the topic (as outlined below) and help the Commission to define the scope of the review.

·  Understand the topic area

·  Any best practice

·  What research has been undertaken

·  What the Unions think about the topic.

8.2.2  The Commission discussed and agreed the guests to invite for this session.  Members suggested having experts, locally focused groups and the Council come and speak on this topic at the meeting in February.  Members suggested inviting the Hackney ZEN project. 

8.2.3  Members highlighted when they commence the review they want to find SMEs and local SMEs (if possible) who are innovative in the area of sustainability to participate in the review. 

8.2.4  The Chair asked Members to send through any further suggestions on email to the overview and scrutiny officer.

Members agreed.

8.3  In regards to the Cabinet Member question time discussion under item 6 and the offer for the Commission to participate in the development of political oversight for the CiL.  Members wanted to follow this up as an action for the Commission.  Members discussed suggesting a working group is set up over the next 3-4 months to feed into the officer’s work on political oversight.

8.3.1  Members wanted to ensure the allocation of CiL and Neighbourhood CiL has a criteria that is clear and transparent, the application process is communicated to all residents and that it is not only allocated by officers there is councillor involvement too.

8.3.2  Members discussed and agreed to write to the Cabinet Member for Planning, Culture and Inclusive Economy to ask him to confirm the role local councillors or the Skills, Economy and Growth Commission the development period over the next 3-4 months. 

9.1  None.