Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillor Prentice and Councillor O’Macauley. Councillor Edwards was also absent from the meeting.

The Worshipful the Mayor was present.

Rabbi Berger was called upon by the Worshipful the Mayor to speak to Council and say prayers.

Councillor Zinkin declared a pecuniary interest in relation to item 14.3 of the agenda, the motion on Dealing with Dangerous Cladding, by virtue of having an interest in a property which may have dangerous cladding.

Councillor Hutton declared an interest in relation to item 14.7 of the agenda, the motion on Stand up for Carers – Increasing Carer’s Allowance, by virtue of being a trustee of Barnet Carers Centre.

The minutes of the meeting held on the 20^th October 2020 were agreed as a correct record.

The Worshipful the Mayor expressed sincere condolences on behalf of the Council to all Barnet Residents who had sadly lost a loved one over the last few weeks due to Covid and to those who continue to struggle with long-Covid.

The Worshipful the Mayor also expressed sincere condolences on behalf of the Council to: all Members who had been recently bereaved; Councillor Sargeant who lost her husband Malcolm, who was the Mayor’s consort during 2000-2001 and previously a Barnet Councillor; Councillor Zinkin and Councillor Rutter who had recently lost their mother; and Councillor Teare who had sadly lost both his mother and father.

The Worshipful the Mayor invited Councillor Narenthira to say a few words in memory of Malcom Sargeant.

The Worshipful the Mayor invited the Director of Public Health to provide an update on the Council’s response to the pandemic. Following the update The Worshipful the Mayor thanked the Public Health Team for everything they had done over the past few months during such unprecedented times and acknowledged the extremely difficult pressures the department had adapted to.

There was none.

Answers to the questions submitted were provided as a supplementary paper to the agenda.

Supplementary questions were then asked and answered within the allotted time given for the item.

There were none.

There were none.

Councillor Melvin Cohen, Chairman of the Constitution and General Purposes Committee, moved the reception and adoption of the recommendations in the report. Debate ensued.

On the recommendations in the report being put to the vote, the votes were recorded as follows:

RESOLVED that Council:

1.    Noted the report of the Constitution & General Purposes Committee held on 12 January 2021 (Annex 1) and noted that the Committee approved the changes as proposed.

2.    Approved the Constitution amendments as set out in Appendices A to B.

3.    Authorised the Monitoring Officer to implement these revisions and publish a revised Constitution. 

Councillor Melvin Cohen, Chairman of the Constitution and General Purposes Committee, moved reception and adoption of the recommendations in the report. Debate ensued.

On the recommendations in the report being put to the vote, the votes were recorded as follows:

RESOLVED that the Council approved the Annual Pay Policy Statement for the financial year 2021/22 (Appendix A).

The Worshipful the Mayor moved reception and adoption of the recommendations in the report.

On the recommendations in the report being put to the vote, the recommendations were unanimously agreed.

RESOLVED that Council:

1.    Approved the recommendation of the London Councils Leaders’ Committee for an overall level of expenditure and borough contributions of £6,668,000 in 2021/22, involving a levy on Barnet of £294,546.

2.    Instructed the Director of Finance to inform the Chief Executive of London Councils accordingly.

The Worshipful the Mayor moved reception and adoption of the recommendations in the report.

The Head of Governance asked Council to note a change to the current calendar of meetings 2020-21 in addition to those set out in Appendix A, as follows:

-       The Health and Wellbeing Board on the 23^rd March 2021 to be moved to the 8^th April 2021.

The Head of Governance asked Council to note changes to the proposed calendar of meetings 2021-22 in addition to those set out in Appendix B, as follows:

-       The Health and Wellbeing Board proposed to be held on the 23^rd of September 2021 be moved to the 30^th September 2021.

-       The Health and Wellbeing Board proposed to be held on 13^th January 2022 be moved to the 9^th December 2021 and the start time to be amended to 9.30am.

-       The addition of an Audit Committee meeting on 26^th April 2022, originally proposed to be held in June 2022 after the Local Election. However, officers had reported a meeting in April was required to approve the Annual Audit Plan.

-       The addition of a Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on the 25^th May 2022 to enable the Committee to undertake scrutiny of the NHS Trusts Quality Accounts.

-       The Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting proposed to be held on the 1^st November 2021 be moved to the 12^th October 2021.

On the recommendations as amended in the report being put to the vote, the recommendations were unanimously agreed.

RESOLVED that Council:

1.    Note the changes to the calendar of meetings 2020-21

2.    Approved the proposed calendar of meetings 2021-22 as outlined in Appendix B, including the additional amendments outlined above.

There were none.

Councillor Weeden-Sanz moved the motion in his name. Councillor McGuirk moved an amendment in her name. Debate ensued.

The amendment in the name of Councillor Kath McGuirk was put to the vote.

The votes were recorded as follows:

The amendment in the name of Councillor Kath McGuirk was declared LOST.

The substantive motion in the name of Councillor Weeden-Sanz was put to the vote.

The votes were recorded as follows:

RESOLVED that:

Council notes:

1.    A number of London Councils, mainly those controlled by the Labour Party, imposed Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) in their boroughs.

2.    These LTNs form part of Labour London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s London Streetspace programme.

3.    There are around 200 LTN schemes underway across London, none are in Barnet.

4.    Thousands have protested against LTNs in boroughs such as Ealing, whose MP wrote to her Council stating that these LTNs had been “poorly thought through and rushed.”

5.    A number of LTNs were reversed after surrounding roads saw major surges to congestion. One LTN in a neighbouring borough caused such considerable extra congestion that there was traffic spill-over in Barnet wards such as Brunswick Park.

6.    Sadiq Khan has also floated the idea of a daily charge being levied on all cars entering anywhere in London, from anywhere outside.

7.    Sadiq Khan increased the Congestion Charge, and proposed extending it into Barnet.

8.    TfL, which is Chaired by Sadiq Khan, received two bailouts in 2020.

Council believes that:

1.    LTNs have been implemented without being thought through, leading to greater traffic elsewhere in boroughs in which they have been built, with knock-on effects in neighbouring boroughs, and causing difficulty for some emergency service vehicles in those areas.

2.    As an outer-London borough, Barnet’s businesses, and indeed residents’ families, would be damaged by a charge levied on all those entering the city in a car.

3.    Decisions, plans and proposals by Sadiq Khan to increase and extend the Congestion Charge, as well as to create a new charge for entering London is an outcome of a mismanaged TfL, throughout Mayor Khan’s term.

4.    Extra charges such as these will have the greatest negative impact on the poorest in our borough and across London.

5.    The Covid pandemic has simply revealed the dire state of TfL’s finances, and while it exacerbated their problems, it was not the sole cause of the organisation's financial difficulties.

Council resolves to:

1.    Not impose any LTNs on Barnet residents.

Call on Sadiq Khan to not levy a new charge for those entering London, or to increase or extend the Congestion Charge, or to threaten Londoners with these actions – which would financially harm Barnet’s residents and businesses.

Councillor Alan Schneiderman moved the motion in his name. Councillor Dean Cohen moved an amendment in his name. Councillor Anne Clarke moved an amendment in her name. Debate ensued.

The amendment in the name of Councillor Dean Cohen was put to the vote.

The votes were recorded as follows:

The amendment in the name of Councillor Dean Cohen was declared CARRIED.

The amendment in the name of Councillor Anne Clarke was put to the vote.

The votes were recorded as follows:

A formal division was called in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 14.

The Monitoring Officer provided advice to the Council on the legality of the amendment in the name of Councillor Anne Clarke. It was agreed to minute that ‘ask’ should be included in brackets after the word ‘instruct’ to make clear that Council cannot make the Environment Committee vote in a certain way, but it can ask. 

Votes were individually recorded for all Members.

The votes* were recorded as follows:

*Cllr Edwards and Cllr Ryde were absent for this vote.

The amendment in the name of Councillor Anne Clarke was declared LOST.

The motion as amended by Councillor Dean Cohen was then put to the vote.

The votes were recorded as follows:

RESOLVED that:

Council notes:

1.    Just how important it has been, for residents' health and wellbeing, to have access to parks and green spaces during the Covid-19 pandemic.

2.    That the Council has invested in parks across the borough over the past few years – with Montrose and Silverstream as great examples for what a green space should look like  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.2

The amendment in the name of Councillor Anne Clarke was put to the vote.

The votes were recorded as follows:

*Cllr Zinkin did not take part in the vote as he declared a pecuniary interest in the item.

The amendment in the name of Councillor Anne Clarke was declared LOST.

The substantive motion in the name of Councillor Sarah Wardle was put to the vote

The votes were recorded as follows:

*Cllr Zinkin did not take part in the vote as he declared a pecuniary interest in the item.

RESOVLED that:

Council notes:

1.    There is a national issue whereby some buildings were clad with materials that are dangerous and have now been banned, including several within Barnet.

2.    Dangerous cladding has led to catastrophes in the UK, such as the fire in Grenfell Tower of 2017.

3.    In light of the Grenfell fire, the Council set aside £30million to improve fire safety measures across its housing stock. The Council swiftly assessed our Council-owned blocks and took the necessary action to support residents, with £7million being spent to replace cladding on three local tower blocks.

4.    Hendon MP Matthew Offord has launched a petition urging urges the Government to take immediate action to complete necessary remedial cladding work at no cost to leaseholders.

5.    Inside Housing published “10 steps to End Our Cladding Scandal”, based on the recommendations of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee.

Council believes that:

1.    People should feel safe in their own homes, and it is unacceptable for any people to live in homes that are dangerously clad.

2.    Residents who bought new-build flats should not have to pay for remedial works to address cladding safety.

Council resolves to:

Support Inside Housing’s 10 steps that must be taken to End Our Cladding Scandal:

a)    The government must lead an urgent national effort to remove all dangerous cladding from buildings by June 2022.

b)   The Building Safety Fund must cover all buildings, regardless of height, and a range of internal and external fire safety defects, not just cladding.

c)    The government should provide the money up front and then seek to recover it from any responsible parties or via a temporary levy on development.

d)   Social housing providers must have full and equal access to the fund. The government must compel building owners or managers to be honest with residents about fire safety defects.

e)    The government should cover the cost of interim safety measures. The government should act as an insurer of last resort and underwrite insurance where premiums have soared.

f)     A fairer, faster process is needed to replace the EWS form and funding is necessary to ensure all buildings requiring a form are surveyed within 12 months.

Mental health support must be offered to affected residents. j. Protecting residents from historic and future costs must be a key commitment of new building  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.3

The amendment in the name of Councillor Gurung was accepted by the Opposition group.

The motion as amended by Councillor Gurung was put to the vote.

Votes were recorded as follows:

RESOLVED That:

Council notes:

1.    Commonwealth veterans have a long and proud history of service in the British military. From World War II to recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Commonwealth veterans have served with distinction alongside British born veterans.

2.    Commonwealth veterans are supposed to receive indefinite leave to remain in the UK, however, when their service is complete many are left with extortionate charges to do so.

3.    Fees for indefinite leave to remain have also dramatically increased. Since 2015, fees have increased by nearly 127% from £1051 - £2381 with a family of four having to pay nearly £10000 to remain in the UK. This doesn’t include associated legal fees that some who have struggled with immigration applications may need to pay. This has led to many facing spiralling debt and uncertain immigration status with the very real prospect of deportation. Whilst their applications are ongoing commonwealth veterans are also unable to seek employment or claim benefits.

Council believes:

1.    This is poor reward for people persuaded to leave their countries in order to serve in the British armed forces and put their lives on the line in the service of this country.

Council resolves to:

1.    Make Barnet’s armed forces champions and lead officers aware of the difficulties experienced by commonwealth veterans and ensure that those who are currently experiencing problems, whether financial or immigration difficulties, are not disadvantaged whilst their applications are ongoing.

2.    Council also asks the Leaders of all three political Groups to write to the Prime Minister, the minister of state for immigration, and the minister of state for veterans’ affairs outlining Council’s support for all commonwealth veterans who have served a minimum of 4 years to be granted automatic and free of charge right to remain in the UK and that any veteran who completes 12 years of service to be automatically given British Citizenship.

3.    Council also asks the Leaders of all three political Groups to write to all three Barnet MPs to ask them to press the Government for a change in the legislation as set out above.

The amendment in the name of Councillor Sara Conway was put to the vote.

Votes were recorded as follows:

The amendment in the name of Councillor Conway was declared LOST.

The substantive motion in the name of Councillor Daniel Thomas was put to the vote.

Votes were recorded as follows:

RESOLVED that:

Council’s vision for food security in Barnet is that:

1.    All residents, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs for an active and healthy life. We want to ensure people have such access consistently and reliably, without resorting to emergency supplies, scavenging, stealing or other coping strategies.

Council believes that:

1.    Covid has created unprecedented challenges for residents across the borough and impacted on access to food for various reasons such as shielding, the inability to book online delivery slots and fear of supermarket visits and an increase in unemployment.

2.    The Council should help those most vulnerable tackle the underlying causes of food insecurity, minimise its health impacts and support the voluntary and community sector who aid in this area.

Council notes that:

1.    The Council has been combatting food insecurity for years, having established a Working Group in 2017, and signing off an action plan in 2019. This action plan has now been amended in light of the Covid pandemic.

2.    At the beginning of the pandemic outbreak, the Council set up an Essential Supplies Hub that provided food and other essentials to vulnerable individuals and families across the borough.

3.    The Council has continued to support foodbanks throughout the pandemic, with a particular emphasis on ensuring good supply during school holidays.

4.    The Council was allocated almost £1million from the Government’s Covid Winter Grant Scheme. 80% of this grant went to providing meal vouchers for children and families, to ensure no children went hungry over the school holidays, while the remainder was allocated to supporting other vulnerable residents across Barnet.

5.    Over 650 people volunteered to support our Essential Supplies Hub, helping to support those in need and to fight food insecurity.

6.    Should a food bank be forced to close due to extenuating circumstances, the Council has contingency plans to ensure a continued supply.

7.    To ensure the long-term sustainability of Barnet’s local food aid providers, we are providing them with links to resources to attract new direct donations, in addition to resources provided via the Essential Supplies Hub. As part of this, Young Barnet Foundation (YBF) is currently running a campaign to encourage donations directly to foodbanks.

Council resolves to:

1.    Produce a new food security action plan.

2.    Continue working to ensure that future emergency plans incorporate food security.

3.    Place an even greater emphasis on tackling the underlying causes of food insecurity.

4.    Thank all Barnet residents and community groups who have helped fight food insecurity in our borough by supporting  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.5

The amendment to the motion in the name of Councillor Sachin Rajput was put to the vote.

Votes were recorded as follows:

The motion in the name of Councillor Sachin Rajput was therefore CARRIED.

The motion as amended by Councillor Sachin Rajput was put to the vote.

Votes were recorded as followed:

RESOLVED that:

This Council notes:

1.    Announced on the 20th March 2020 as part of his pandemic response package, the Chancellor of the Exchequer created a time-limited increase to the basic rate of Universal Credit (and the tax credit equivalent). This gave millions of people across the UK extra money to help them through the expected period of financial hardship brought on by the Covid pandemic.

2.    The Government’s time-limited increase to the Universal Credit is due to expire in April.

3.    The £20 a week boost reflected the reality that the level of benefits were not adequate to protect the swiftly increasing number of households relying on them as the crisis hit. This was a very significant and welcome move to bolster low and middle-income families' living standards.

4.    The increase in benefits has had a positive effect on the lives of thousands of local claimants who are better able to pay for life’s essentials such as food, clothing and utilities.

5.    It must be recognised that these are exceptional measures, which will have to be phased out at the appropriate time.

This Council believes:

1.    Covid pandemic relief must not be used as an ideological excuse to increase future reliance on the welfare state.

Council resolves to:

1.            Write to the Chancellor to request that he considers extending the period in which the uplift is granted if Covid challenges continue for longer than expected at the introduction of the benefit.

The amendment to the motion in the name of Councillor Sachin Rajput was put to the vote.

Votes were recorded as follows:

The motion in the name of Councillor Sachin Rajput was therefore CARRIED.

The motion as amended by Councillor Sachin Rajput was put to the vote.

Votes were recorded as followed:

RESOLVED THAT:

The pandemic has highlighted the invaluable role of Barnet’s carers, both those employed in the care sector and unpaid people who care for family members. Carers in Barnet have been at the forefront of the coronavirus pandemic response and continue to do a selfless and remarkable job in very difficult circumstances. Situations provoking care interventions can happen with little warning. Often those giving care have to reduce their working hours or give up work to juggle competing demands. The pressures on young carers can negatively impact on their experiences and outcomes in education, having a lasting effect on their life chances. Many carers in Barnet are unaware of their entitlement to financial support, a carers assessment or break, and the support services available.

Council notes that:

1.            There are approximately 6.5 million volunteers in the UK who look after a family member or friend who is elderly or has a disability, or a mental or physical illness.

2.            Many people who provide care do not recognise themselves as a ‘carer’. The latest government figures show that 4,784 unpaid carers in Barnet are entitled to receive Carer’s Allowance, although only 3,695 currently do.

3.            At just £67.25 a week; Carer’s Allowance is the lowest benefit of its kind.

4.            In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government increased the Universal Credit standard allowance and the Working Tax Credit basic element by £20 a week above the planned uprating in April 2020, but it has not increased Carer’s Allowance.

Council resolves to:

Call on the Leader to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer

a)    Emphasising that Covid has highlighted the importance of the carer’s allowance.

b)   Requesting that the Treasury investigate what could be done to recognise those who provide care to family members in the future.

There were none.

The Mayor declared the meeting closed.

The meeting finished at 9.13pm