Agenda and minutes

1.1 The Chair updated those in attendance on the meeting etiquette and that the meeting was being recorded and livestreamed.

1.2 Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Polly Billington and Cllr Clare Potter.

1.3 Cllr Clare Joseph was in virtual attendance.

1.4 Apologies for lateness were received from Cllr Anntionette Bramble, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Young People & Children’s Social Care and Cllr Caroline Woodley, Cabinet Member for Families, Parks & Leisure.

2.1 There were no urgent items, and the order of business was as set out in the agenda.

3.1 There were no declarations of interest.

4.1 The Chair opened the discussion by outlining that the administration had pledged in 2018 to “tackle poverty, including child poverty, as well as key inequalities in health, education and employment based on a solid understanding of the barriers and needs of our different communities, listening to their concerns and expanding the use of social value and co-design”.

4.2 The need to address poverty in Hackney was also a repeated issue in the consultation for the Community Strategy 2018-2028, and tackling inequality and entrenched poverty was therefore identified as one of its key priorities.  The ongoing focus on poverty reduction in the borough had also been amplified by the current cost of living crisis.

4.3 The Panel had received an update last year about the strategic framework outlining the Council’s approach to poverty reduction, the aims, and objectives.  The purpose of this discussion was to review how the Council’s Poverty Reduction Strategic Framework was working in practice and how it had been embedded across council services. The Panel also sought to understand how the Council was working in partnership with key local stakeholders in the voluntary sector to meet the needs of residents.

4.4 To support this discussion, the Panel went on site visits to Woodberry Aid, Chicken Soup Shelter and Stamford Hill Community Centre, engaging with organisations that had been providing the following types of support:

·  Community Shops

·  Advice Providers

·  Orthodox Jewish Organisations/Food Distribution

·  Holistic Support

·  Warm Hubs

4.5 Before beginning the discussion, the Chair thanked Council officers from the Policy and Strategic Delivery Team for supporting the site visits and the external guests in attendance at the meeting.

4.6 Representing London Borough of Hackney

·  Cllr Chris Kennedy, Cabinet Member Health, Adult Social Care, Voluntary Sector and Culture

·  Cllr Rob Chapman, Cabinet Member for Finance, Insourcing and Customer Service

·  Cllr Caroline Woodley, Cabinet Member for Families, Parks & Leisure

·  Cllr Carole Williams, Cabinet Member for Employment, Human Resources and Equalities

·  Ian Williams, Group Director Finance & Resources

·  Sonia Khan, Head of Policy and Strategic Delivery

·  Jenny Zienau, Strategic Lead Change and Transformation

4.7 External Guest(s)

·  Nicolette Nixon, HOPE at Morningside

·  Jabez Lam, Hackney Chinese Community Services

4.8 The Chair invited the representative from HOPE at Morningside to give a short verbal presentation. The main points are highlighted below.

4.9 HOPE at Morningside was a youth and community charity based on Mornington Estate. It provided a range of services which include youth club activities, a food bank, a food hub, community lunches and exercise groups for the elderly.

4.10 It worked collaboratively with a range of voluntary and community sector organisations, and worked with relevant organisations and agencies to provide support on a range of issues from housing disrepair to domestic abuse. The pandemic in particular had proved useful in building these positive relationships.

4.11 Organisations like HOPE at Morningside benefited from having similar life experiences as many of the people that used its services, meaning that it could provide a comfortable space for local people to talk about their issues  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.1 The Chair opened the item by explaining that a key element of the scrutiny function was to consider the call-in of decisions by the Executive, and that a call-in was requested on 3rd April 2023 by Cllr Binnie-Lubbock, supported by Cllrs Garbett, Levy, Papier and Steinberger.

5.2 The call-in related to the Executive Key Decision taken by Cabinet on 27th March 2023 relating to the introduction of parking charges for motorcycles.

5.3 The basis of the call-in request was that the decision maker did not take the decision in accordance with the principles set out in Article 13 (13.3).

5.4 The decision options available to the Panel were:

1)  To take no further action, in which case the decision would take effect immediately;

2)  To refer the decision back to Cabinet for reconsideration, setting out the nature of the Panel’s concerns;

3)  To refer the matter to Full Council if the Panel considers that its recommendations would have an impact on the Council’s budget or policy framework.

5.5 Representing Call-in Request Councillors

·  Cllr Alastair Binnie-Lubbock

·  Cllr Zoe Garbett

·  Cllr Simche Steinberger

5.6 Representing London Borough of Hackney Executive and Officers

·  Cllr Mete Coban, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport

·  Rickardo Hyatt, Group Director Climate, Homes and Economy

·  Keven Keady, Head of Parking and Markets

·  Michael Been, Senior Service Area Manager

·  Dawn Carter-McDonald, Director of Legal, Democratic and Electoral Services

5.7 The Chair invited Cllr Binnie-Lubbock, as Lead Call-In Request Councillor, to give a short verbal presentation outlining the reasons for the call-in request and the alternative action being sought. The main points are highlighted below.

5.8 A petition asking the Council to reconsider its plans for motorcycle parking charges was presented to Full Council on 23rd November 2022. Subsequent to the petition some changes to the proposed motorcycle parking charges were introduced. However, the campaigners who brought the petition forward did not believe that those changes went far enough to address their concerns around proportionality or consider the full range of evidence or alternative measures available.

5.9 It was not clear that the measures proposed could be considered proportionate, as they disproportionately targeted a lower emission form of transport and may as a result push residents to use larger, more polluting and more congestion-causing vehicles. Many people who used motorcycles for work were also on the lower end of the income spectrum and it would be reasonable to assume the changes would disproportionately affect them.

5.10 The proposals committed to installing security features across the Council’s 50 existing solo motorcycle bays at a cost of £152,000. However, other boroughs which only allow all-day motorcycle parking in solo motorcycle bays had around 300 such bays and if the Council were to expand commuting in each parking zone this would suggest a significant additional expenditure which had not yet been accounted for.

5.11 The proposals would also likely have a negative impact on the local economy, and in particular small businesses and gig workers that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.1 The draft Council Tax Reduction Scheme Review Task and Finish Group report was presented.

6.2 The Panel RESOLVED to agree the Council Tax Reduction Scheme Review Task and Finish Group report.

7.1 The draft Net Zero Scrutiny Panel report was presented.

7.2 The Panel RESOLVED to agree the Net Zero Scrutiny Panel report.

8.1 The draft minutes of the previous meeting held on 20th February 2023 were presented.

8.2 The Panel RESOLVED to agree the draft minutes as an accurate record.

9.1 The Chair referred to the Commission’s work programme for the 2022/23 municipal year.

9.2 Members noted the work programme.

10.1 None.