Issue - meetings

To enable Non-Cabinet Members to raise an issue of relevance to Brent for debate on which notice has been provided in accordance with Standing Order 34 and to receive updates from Cabinet members, as required, on any issues previously raised.

Members are asked to note that the subject identified for debate at this meeting is as follows:

Guaranteeing new builds are safe and free of dangerous defects

Please note: The motion submitted as the basis for this debate has been attached.

In accordance with Standing Order 34, the Mayor advised that the next item on the agenda was the non-cabinet member debate, with the subject chosen for consideration being guaranteeing new builds were safe and free of dangerous defects.

Members were advised that the motion submitted as the basis for the debate had been circulated with the agenda and that the time available for the debate was 25 minutes.

The Mayor then invited Councillor Georgiou to introduce the motion which had been submitted as the basis for the Non-Cabinet Member debate.  In moving the motion, Councillor Georgiou began by highlighting the significant increase in residential developments across the borough over recent years, which it was felt had changed the landscape of Brent particularly in terms of the concentration of large tower blocks around Wembley Stadium, Wembley Central and Alperton.  Recognising the need for residents to be able to live in safe buildings free from defects, Councillor Georgiou advised that the subject put forward for debate was seeking to highlight not only the negative impacts associated with the scale of these developments on existing residents in Brent but also the poor standard of many of the new builds and effect on those living within the developments.  As examples, reference was made to issues which had been highlighted by residents relating to dangerous and faulty lifts in high rise blocks, water and waste leaks, damp and mould and unsafe balconies and outdoor communal space.  Whilst developers at the planning stage were keen to highlight how seriously they took building standards with commitments given to the construction of good quality and safe developments. these were not always delivered with concerns also highlighted at the way they were subsequently being held to account by the Council.  As a result, the motion was seeking a tougher line being taken with developers who consistently failed to meet the required standards in terms of building safety and construction with a need identified to better hold developers, construction companies and housing management companies to account for the speedy resolution of safety issues and defects, where identified, to minimise the impact on residents.  Given the concerns highlighted, Councillor Georgiou hoped that all members would support the motion submitted as the basis for the debate and action being sought to ensure the Council became a leading voice in calling for better regulation and accountability from developers who were failing residents living in their buildings.

The Mayor thanked Councillor Georgiou for introducing the motion and then opened up the debate for contributions from other members.

In providing an initial response to the debate and motion, Councillor Muhammed Butt, as Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration Planning & Growth, thanked Councillor Georgiou for highlighting the issues raised and implicit recognition within the motion that devolving more powers, to local government would be a beneficial thing to improve building safety.  In support of this position the Leader advised he would be willing to write to the new Government making the Council’s  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15

To enable Non-Cabinet Members to raise an issue of relevance to Brent for debate on which notice has been provided in accordance with Standing Order 34 and to receive updates from Cabinet members, as required, on any issues previously raised.

Members are asked to note that the subject identified for debate at this meeting is as follows:

Cutting the Winter Fuel Payment

Please note: The motion submitted as the basis for this debate has been attached.

In accordance with Standing Order 34, the Mayor advised that the next item on the agenda was the non-cabinet member debate, with the subject chosen for consideration being Cutting the Winter Fuel Payment.

Members were advised that the motion submitted as the basis for the debate had been circulated with the agenda and that the time available for the debate was 25 minutes.

The Mayor then invited Councillor Jayanti Patel to introduce the motion which had been submitted as the basis for the Non-Cabinet Member debate.  In moving the motion, Councillor J.Patel began by outlining the impact of the proposed cut in the Winter Fuel Allowance on pensioners and vulnerable elderly residents not only nationally but also across Brent given the 30,000 pensioners in the borough.  Highlighting this cut had been introduced without any reference to it being made by the new Labour Government during their election campaign, Councillor J Patel felt this highlighted a level of hypocrisy given Labours criticism of the previous Conservative Government in relation to austerity with many thousands of vulnerable pensioners across Brent just above the cut off for Pension Credit or not claiming benefits now set to lose the allowance and having to make the choice between eating or heating.  As such the approach adopted was felt to represent a betrayal of pensioners and elderly residents given an allowance previously paid to all pensioners was now being restricted to those on income related and means tested benefits or tax credits in order to ease fiscal pressures.  In pointing out that all pensioners deserved to live in warm safe homes and the impact in removing support from a social justice perspective and in terms of potential health risks among the elderly population, Councillor J.Patel advised that in addition to opposing the Government’s approach the motion was also seeking to ensure the Council continued to offer support to those vulnerable pensioners most at risk utilising the Resident Support Fund or similar provision.  Concern was also expressed at the level of savings due to be achieved when compared to the funding being provided for foreign environmental aid or to fund public sector pay awards with the Labour Governments priorities questioned. As a result, Councillor J.Patel hoped all members would support the motion submitted as the basis for the debate and join the call for the Labour Government to  review and reverse their decision to means test Winter Fuel Payments in order to ensure that vulnerable pensioners were protected from fuel poverty with the fear this may lead to further potential action against pensioners in future budget statements.

The Mayor thanked Councillor Jayanti Patel for introducing the motion on behalf of the Conservative Group and then opened the debate for contributions from other members.

In opening the debate, Councillor Kelcher began by highlighting what he felt to be the opportunistic nature of the motion which rather than focussing on the difficulties created as a result of the previous Conservative Government’s fiscal policy failed to recognise the difficult nature  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16

To enable Non-Cabinet Members to raise an issue of relevance to Brent for debate on which notice has been provided in accordance with Standing Order 34 and to receive updates from Cabinet members, as required, on any issues previously raised.

Members are asked to note that the subject identified for debate at this meeting is as follows:

Declaration of a Housing Emergency

Please note: The motion submitted as the basis for this debate has been attached.

In accordance with Standing Order 34, the Mayor advised that the next item on the agenda was the non-cabinet member debate, with the subject chosen for consideration being the Declaration of a Housing Emergency.

Members were advised that the motion submitted as the basis for the debate had been circulated with the agenda and that the time available for the debate was 25 minutes.

The Mayor then invited Councillor Dixon to introduce the motion which had been submitted as the basis for the Non-Cabinet Member debate.  In moving the motion, Councillor Dixon began by recognising the ongoing pressures being experienced by the Council given the 150 families currently presenting as homeless each week and number of households needing to be supported in temporary accommodation by Council’s across London and the country as a whole.  In highlighting the way in which her casework was currently dominated in seeking to advocate and provide support for residents in housing need, Councillor Dixon took the opportunity to provide some specific examples of the impact on individuals and families relating to their health and wellbeing, attainment and employment.  In welcoming the pledges made by the new Labour government the motion, in seeking to support the declaration of a housing emergency and delivery of the necessary interventions following what was felt to be the failure of the previous Conservative government in this respect, had been designed to highlight the Council’s support for the changes proposed in relation to the National Policy Planning Framework (including restoring mandatory housing targets) and work to reform Local Plans and strengthen the planning presumption in favour of sustainable development alongside tackling Section 21 no fault evictions.  As a result, Councillor Dixon hoped all members would support the motion submitted as the basis for the debate.

The Mayor thanked Councillor Dixon for introducing the motion on behalf of the Labour Group and then opened the debate for contributions from other members.

In opening the contributions, Councillor Kelcher began by paying tribute to Councillor Dixon for the way in which she had introduced the debate and  recognised that the approach required to address the housing emergency in terms of encouraging affordable and social housing development would not always be easy and would require strong leadership as, he felt, had been demonstrated in Brent.  The support already identified by the new government had also been recognised and welcomed in terms of the reintroduction of mandatory housing targets, consultation on a new growth-focused planning system, creation of a new task force to accelerate the delivery of new housing sites and programme of funding to increase capacity across planning departments as well as proposals to open up grey belt sites for new housing.  Taken together he felt the benefits arising from the proposed reforms in relation to planning and infrastructure planning reform would help to stabilise and grow the economy delivering wider social benefits.  Support was also expressed for the approach adopted by the new government and intervention by the Deputy Prime Minister  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15