Agenda and minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 1 March 2023 and 17 May 2023 as accurate records.

Please note the minutes from the meeting on 1 March 2023 were previously agreed by Council. However, subsequently a factual error has been identified, and Council is presented with a tracked change version to make the amendment clear.

The minutes of the meeting held on 1 March, which included the amendments detailed in the agenda, and 17 May 2023 were agreed as accurate records.

Members are invited to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs) they may have in relation to any item(s) of business on today’s agenda.

Councillor Ria Patel, Green Party member, declared that she was an unpaid Director and Trustee of Croydon Pride, as during the section of the meeting on Questions to the Mayor and Cabinet Councillor Patel would be asking a question on behalf of the LGBTQIA+ Community.

To receive notice of any business not on the agenda which in the opinion of the Chair, by reason of special circumstances, be considered as a matter of urgency.

There were no items of urgent business.

To receive Announcements, if any, from the Chair, the Mayor, and the Head of Paid Service and Returning Officer.

Councillor Tony Pearson, Chair of Council, informed members that a new board of trustees for the Mayoral Charities had been arranged, and that it was the Chair’s intention to appoint members to the board of trustees for three-year terms to guarantee continuity.

The Chair also announced that there would be a curry night on 26 September at The Royal Tandoori in Selsdon to support the work of the Mayoral Charities.

To receive notice of petitions presented by Members on behalf of local residents.

One Member Petition has been received ahead of this Council meeting from Councillor Chris Clark, Fairfield Ward. This petition is director to Mayor Jason Perry.

The petition has been verified and is worded as follows:

We the undersigned call upon the Directly Elected Mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry, to install a speed visor on Chatsworth Road, to tackle the continuing problem of speeding on this and neighbouring roads.

Council had received a petition from Councillor Chris Clark, Fairfield Ward, who stated that he supported the petition as the issue had been raised by the local residents and Residents Association for a number of years, and has been advised that they should carry out the enforcement work themselves.

Councillor Scott Roche, Cabinet Member for Streets and Enrivonment, in response to the petition stated that enforcement was down to the metropolitan police force, but that he would discuss with the Highways team whether it was possible to carry out additional enforcement in the area where possible. The Cabinet Member also proposed to look into the possibility of putting a speed visor in the area.

a)    Public Questions (30 minutes)

To receive questions from the public gallery and questions submitted by residents in advance of the meeting.

The following Public Questions will be heard at this meeting, which will be responded to. The questioners will have the opportunity to ask a supplementary question based on the answer received.

The questions are as follows:

1.     You have referred to this 15% increase as a one-off. Does this mean that in 2024 this increase will be reversed? If you increase the tax again in 2024 this 15% will be "baked in". Can you please confirm?

2.     What is the Council doing to promote recycling of soft plastics?

3.     As South Croydon councillor and candidate for Mayor a year ago, you campaigned strongly against the council proposal for a segregated cycle lane along the Brighton Road between Purley and South Croydon.

Please set out the reasons you gave last year for why this was a bad idea and should be scrapped.

I say your reasons then were correct.

You now say the council is short of money and must avoid unnecessary expense.

Why then have you now as mayor spent our taxes imposing this dangerous cycle lane which damages travel on this key main road?

Why should we trust you?

4.     I welcome that you have got the police involved regarding Croydon council finances. Can you assure the people of Croydon that if any criminal activity is discovered you will proceed to get the money back through the Proceeds of Crime Act which the government bought in?

5.     With the failings of Brick by Brick from an operational perspective having been acknowledged by the council, could the Mayor please commit to providing a detailed explanation/plan for how Shared Owners’/tenants’ rights are to be safeguarded and enforced against Brick by Brick with respect to their obligations under the various head leases they have entered into for the properties developed?

b)    Mayor and Cabinet Member Questions (65 minutes)

To receive questions from Councillors.

Public Questions

1.     In response to the answer given and printed in the agenda, the questioner stated that rubbish collection at her residence had not been reliable, and asked whether the increase in Council Tax would contribute to improving this service.

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Jason Cummings, stated that the increase in Council Tax was never intended to be spent on services; instead it was increased to emsure the council had sufficient funds to protect it from future financial difficulties.

2.     In response to the answer given as printed in the agenda, the questioner asked a supplementary question, to which the Cabinet Member for Streets and Environment responded that the recycling of soft plastics should be increased by providing residents with greater awareness of where they can recycle these items. Councillor Roche also stated the council intended to promote responsible recycling at local level through communications campaigns and the use of QR codes, but that a lot of the waste contract was out of the council’s control.

3.     The third questioner was not present at the meeting, and so the answer to their question was published in the agenda and no supplementary question was asked.

4.     The supplementary question regarding the investigation into financial mismanagement by previous members of the council and officers was responded to by Mayor Jason Perry who stated that he could not comment on how far the police had progressed the investigation but that the council would do everything it could to support the investigation.

5.     The questioner asked a supplementary question based on the answer given in the agenda, asking the Council to commit to meeting with residents and Brick by Brick to ensure the company heard residents’ concerns, to which the Cabinet Member for Finance replied the resident should get in touch directly with him so that the issue could be discussed with the relevant officers.

Mayor and Cabinet Questions

In response to questions, Mayor Jason Perry, assisted by Cabinet Members, stated that:

• The council was working closely with the head leaseholder of the Purley Pool site to reopen it;
• The LGBTQ population was supported during Pride month through London Borough of Culture events and respect was extended to members of the workforce belonging to the group as well as support being provided to residents;
• Discussions would take place with Councillor Bonham on the petition by Conservative MP Mark Eastward concerning changes to the legal guidance on camera locations to improve road safety in areas of accident hotspots;

• There was no budget cap set in this year, assets were being sold quickly to pay down debts;
• The grass cutting service was not as good as expected; however, there was a need to rebuild the infrastructure around the service by bringing back equipment and staff;
• Westfield’s acquisitions in the town centre and monthly Board meetings with the council were crucial steps in the town centre’s regeneration;
• There was an expectation of a pre-planning discussion and a planning application, the master plan was undergoing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 65/21

To hear maiden speeches from up to five Councillors newly elected at the election held on 5 May 2022.

Council heard the Maiden Speeches of the following members:

-        Councillor Mark Johnson, Shirley North Ward

-        Councillor Enid Mollyneaux, Bensham Manor Ward

-        Councillor Joseph Lee, Selsdon and Addington Village Ward

-        Councillor Fatima Zaman, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale Ward

For Council to agree any in-year changes to Appointments to committees or other bodies made.

No changes to Appointments were proposed.

To debate any motions submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rules.

The following two Motions, one from the Administration and one from the Labour Group, will be debated:

Conservative Administration Motion

This Council RESOLVES:

That the Administration is getting Croydon moving.

Labour Group Motion

Croydon Council welcomes the campaign ‘Treating Care Experienced as a Protected Characteristic’. Despite the resilience of many care-experienced people, society too often does not take their needs into account and they often face discrimination and stigma across housing, health, education, relationships, employment and in the criminal justice system. The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies, such as councils, to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation of people with protected characteristics.

Croydon has a large population of children and young people in care and care leavers. As corporate parents, councillors have a collective responsibility for providing the best possible care and safeguarding for the children who are looked after by us as an authority. Councillors should be mentors and champions of our looked after children and challenge the negative attitudes and prejudice that exist in all aspects of society.

Croydon Council therefore RESOLVES:

1.     When making any decisions in relation to its policies or formulating its Business Plan, that it recognises that care-experienced people are a vulnerable group which faces discrimination.

2.     That it has a duty to put the needs of vulnerable people at the heart of decision-making through co-production and collaboration.

3.     That in the delivery of the Public Sector Equality Duty the Council includes the experience in the publication and review of Equality Objectives and the annual publication of information relating to people who share a Protected Characteristic in services and employment.

4.     It will treat care experience as if it were a Protected Characteristic and review its Equality Impact Assessment process so that future services and policies made an adopted by the Council are assessed to determine the impact of changes on people with care experience, alongside those who formally share a Protected Characteristic.

5.     To formally call upon all Croydon partner organisations to adopt corporate parenting values / processes for children in care and care experienced people and to treat care experience as a Protected Characteristic until such time as it may be introduced by legislation.

6.     To follow best practice in reporting education, health, housing and employment outcomes of care-experienced people in Croydon.

7.     To proactively seek out and listen to the voices of care-experienced people when developing new policies based on their views.

Should the motion be approved, we call on the Executive Mayor to ensure that councillors be updated on progress on the above 7 points before the end of the civic year, including on how services’ processes, ways of working and culture have been embedded to recognise  ...  view the full agenda text for item 68/21

Moving the Conservative Group Debate Motion Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Homes, Councillor Lynne Hale, stated that the council had a long way to go but that it was taking difficult decisions to balance the books, transform services, and provide proper housing services.

Councillor Hale argued that the council was well on the way to doing less but doing better, which had been demonstrated by the improved Housing Transformation Programme, which involved proper engagement with residents, whom Councillor Hale thanked for the time and energy they had committed to the project.

On behalf of the Opposition, Councillor Callton Young, argued that the Mayor was unwilling to share his powers with his Cabinet and that was holding back progress. Councillor Young argued that the Mayor’s key manifesto pledges had not been fulfilled, and that high street stores remained closed, and Purley Pool was yet to be reopened.

Councillor Alasdair Stewart, seconding the motion, stated that the programme of London Borough of Culture events taking place across Croydon this year were demonstrable of the improvements and enthusiasm of residents. Councillor Stewart also mentioned such successes as the plans for Westfield opening in the town centre, the Public Space Protection Orders that were in place, the plans for reopening Purley Pool, and the new approach to planning applications.

Councillor Stewart King, Leader of the Opposition, stated that on the contrary the situation for Croydon’s residents had worsened, citing the 15% increase in Council Tax despite the recognised cost-of-living crisis, cuts to council services, the lack of Levelling-Up Funding, and failed manifesto pledges.

Exercising her right of reply, Councillor Hale argued that the Administration had delivered on balancing the budget, adopting the Mayor’s Business Plan, brought back Westfield, restoring PSPOs, scrapped Planning guidelines which had brought misery to residents, restored the graffiti removal service, opposed the Ultra Low Emissions Zone, approved Early Years and anti-Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, begun improvement work on the Regina Road estate, were putting in place a new waste and street cleansing contract, strengthening contract management and procurement, approved a strategy to tackle homelessness, were winding up Brick by Brick, and had agreed an asset disposal plan to recoup financial losses.

The Chair called Council to vote on the Motion, and member RESOLVED, with 31 votes in favour and 35 against, not to agree the motion.

Councillor Catherine Wilson then moved the Labour Group Motion, declaring that social work was not about box-ticking and meeting targets, but it was about ensuring the children in social care succeeded and had real prospects for achieving in life. Councillor Wilson spoke about how children in care struggled to get support, and that the system was designed against them. Councillor Wilson spoke about how she had seen young people denied services due to the care leaver status, and that they should be recognised as a vulnerable group.

Councillor Joseph Lee, on behalf of the Administration, stated that he and his colleagues had attended a number of events to gain a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68/21