Agenda item

a)         Public Questions (30 minutes) 

 

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

 

 

b)         Leader and Cabinet Questions (105 minutes)

 

            To receive questions from Councillors.

The Mayor began the item with questions from members of the public.

 

Tony Pearson asked for details on the long term plans for Fishers Farm recycling centre. Councillor Collins responded that the centre was important for the area and had benefited from recent investment. There would be a recycling centre in New Addington for the foreseeable future.

 

Tony Pearson asked a supplementary question over concerns raised in the area by Councillor Hall. Councillor Collins responded that Councillor Hall had reported an issue and local officers had dealt with the matter quickly. There were new big belly bins deployed in the area and new cleaning vehicles were being utilised. There were also plans for an education programme in the ward similar to the pilot launched in Thornton Heath.

 

Michael O’Dwyer asked whether a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) would be imposed in three roads in the Addiscombe ward. Councillor King responded that the formal consultation had not yet been completed, but when it had been, the representations would be published and an officer report would be taken to the Traffic Management Advisory Committee (TMAC).

 

Michael O’Dwyer asked a supplementary question related to a Labour commitment that no CPZs would be imposed on roads where residents voted against it. Councillor King responded that the approach taken had been approved at TMAC by Members of both parties.

 

Ola Kolade asked when the railings on Norwood Grove Park would be repainted. Councillor Godfrey welcomed residents raising such concerns and would add the issue onto the work programme for officers.

 

Ola Kolade asked a supplementary question as to a specific date and time such works would be completed. Councillor Godfrey responded that the works would be undertaken as soon as possible, but the significant cuts in government funding provided less resource for such works.

 

Eunice O’Dame asked why the new street lights on Stroud Green Lane were more dimly lit than the old lights.  Councillor King responded that all street lights in the borough had been replaced as part of a borough wide campaign that had been completed in 2017. In response to the issue raised, the service manager had been asked to accompany ward Councillors in the area on a walk around to investigate the concerns.

 

Eunice O’Dame asked a supplementary question on whether a risk assessment was carried out prior to the installations at Stroud Green Road. Councillor King responded that all lights installed met the appropriate light standards and the new lanterns used were of a higher wattage than the old ones.

 

Joseph Lee asked why there had been delays in updating residents on the works being undertaken at the Blackhorse Lane bridge.  Councillor King responded that there had been regular dialogue with residents and local businesses throughout the first phase of the works. Prior to the next phase of works, a letter was due to be circulated to all residents and businesses providing information on the next steps.

 

Joseph Lee asked a supplementary question as to whether a commitment could be made for a timetable of the closure of the bridge. Councillor King responded that Transport for London (TfL) had only recently appointed a contractor to undertake the works and thus a detailed plan wasn’t possible at that stage. However there was a clear commitment to organise local stakeholder events once a detailed plan was in place.

 

Rob Elliot asked a question over concerns that the 20mph speed limit was not being adhered to in roads in Shirley. Councillor King responded that the area was being monitored by officers who would be investigating what traffic calming measures could be implemented to deal with the issue.

 

Rob Elliot asked a supplementary question as to whether the Cabinet Member had been informed of the issue by local ward Councillors.  Councillor King responded that the Council had not been made aware of the issue prior to the question being submitted.

 

Scott Roche asked a question related to what quality control measures were in place for contractors providing care in the borough. Councillor Woodley responded that a recent CQC inspection had rated care provision in Croydon as good, only one provider had been rated as inadequate and 80% had been rated as good. The Council’s procurement process contained stringent quality tests for providers to pass.

 

Scott Roche asked a supplementary question pertaining to what systems were in place for residents to raise concerns over their quality of care. Councillor Woodley responded that there were carers’ meeting held in the borough, as well as a draft strategy for carers currently being considered, as well as support groups for carers. 

 

Gemma Patient asked why local residents had not been given notice of plans to build on the Norwood recreation ground. Councillor Butler responded that there were no plans at all to build on the recreation ground. It was stated that there were local designations in place to protect the area and the question was just a political ploy.

 

 

The Mayor then moved onto Councillor questions to the Leader.     

 

Councillor Tim Pollard read quotes from the Commissioner’s report on the steps taken in Children’s Services since the Ofsted inspection, stating that opportunities had been missed to intervene when the service was struggling. The Councillor asked what investigations had taken place when the Chair for the Children’s Safeguarding Board had resigned.  The Leader responded that Councillor Flemming had been involved with discussions with the Chair at the time about her concerns. There had been disappointment at the speed of implementation of the changes required at that time.  The steps undertaken since the Ofsted report had put the service in a much stronger position. It was stated that the problems with the service had been there before 2014, and whilst the current administration had taken its share of responsibility, the opposition party had failed to take their share from when they were in administration prior to 2014.

 

Councillor Tim Pollard asked a supplementary question as to why concerns raised by the Chair of the Board were not responded to immediately. The Leader responded that the safeguarding report had portrayed that the service was in better shape than it actually was and the administration had taken this at face-value.

 

Councillor Rendle asked whether the Leader agreed that there should be a government ban on coaches and buses using tyres older than 10 years’ use. The Leader responded that there should be such a band and the falling of the private members’ bill on the matter in Parliament was disappointing.

 

Councillor Tim Pollard asked a question pertaining to the Commissioner’s report and whether the evidence suggested that the Leader and the Cabinet Member knew about the issues but didn’t act on it. The Leader responded that officers were always being challenged and the issue had been the lack of speed on implementing the changes needed. The Commissioner’s report had noted that the administration had turned the service around and had supported the Council to continue to run the service.

 

Councillor Tim Pollard asked a supplementary question pertaining to claims about the Cabinet Member’s attendance at key meetings such as the Safeguarding Board and one-to-one meetings with key officers. The Leader responded that the Cabinet Member had his full support for the action undertaken and the Minister for Children’s Services had agreed by allowing the Council to continue to run the service. The key issue was funding to children’s services, as stated by the Chair of the Local Government Association.

 

 

The Mayor then moved the item to Councillor questions to the first pool of Cabinet Members.

 

Councillor Godfrey announced that the borough’s libraries previously run by Carillion had been brought in-house, and had ensured all staff were paid the London Living Wage.

 

Councillor Woodley announced that the work carried out on living independently had received praise from national organisations as good practice. Croydon was also the first borough to set up a project on hoarding and had recently made national news.

 

Councillor Flemming congratulated Martin Williams, Chair of the Foster Carer Association, for his recent OBE. It was also announced that the nominations for the young Mayor of Croydon had been launched.

 

Councillor Gatland asked why the Cabinet Member had ignored reported issues of poor practice in children’s services prior to the Ofsted report. Councillor Flemming responded that issues within the service dated back to 2012 when the opposition were in power. Whilst the current administration had accepted their responsibility, the opposition had failed to do so. Funding was also a critical issue that raised in the Commissioner’s report – specifically in relation to Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASCs).

 

Councillor Gatland asked a supplementary question related to a number of issues that were raised prior to the Ofsted report which should have alerted the Cabinet Member to act. Councillor Flemming responded that the Commissioner’s report had noted that the multiagency work was being delivered effectively and areas that needed improvement were being acted upon.

 

Councillor Mann asked what action was being taken to ensure contractors whose vehicles were damaging the surface of Ashburton Park. Councillor Godfrey responded that the contractors in question were not up to the standard expected, and had failed to deliver the London Living Wage to their staff, however they had been appointed under the previous administration.

 

Councillor Mann asked a supplementary question pertaining to feedback on the winter festival at Ashburton Park held in December 2017. Councillor Godfrey responded that repair work to the park surface had been undertaken immediately following the conclusion of the festival. It was also noted that the festival had been a huge success.

 

Councillor Hopley asked a question pertaining to questions raised in the Commissioner’s report over the Cabinet Member’s expertise and capacity to undertake the improvements to the service needed. Councillor Flemming responded that the report was alluding to specific areas where the service could benefit from support, such as Camden Council providing guidance in services for vulnerable adolescents. Changes in the business support department had led to support issues in certain areas of the service however there had been an injection of £3.5million into the service to fund immediate support in areas required.

 

Councillor Hopley asked a supplementary question on the Cabinet Member’s attendance at the Children’s Safeguarding Board. Councillor Flemming responded that herself and the Deputy Cabinet Member attended Board meetings as observers but additionally attended a variety of meetings with senior officers. The issue highlighted in the report was the delay in implementation of improvements, not that the administration was unaware of the problems within the service. 

 

Councillor Canning asked for an update on the planned development of football pitches in the Purley Way playing fields. Councillor Godfrey responded that state of the art football pitches were being delivered in collaboration with the Premier League in both Purley Way and Ashburton.

 

Councillor Stranack asked whether the Cabinet Member would publish her work diary up to the election in May 2018. Councillor Flemming responded that the Councillor had no right to question her commitment to the job at hand.

 

The Mayor then moved to Councillor questions to the second pool of Cabinet Members.

 

 

Councillor Butler provided details of the significant amount of work that had been undertaken inspecting private tower blocks to ensure property fire safety. The work had been recognised in a letter by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

 

Councillor Ali congratulated Croydon resident Lucy Njomo who had been recognised in the New Years’ Honours list, receiving the British Empire medal for her work with young people in combatting female genital mutilation.

 

Councillor Hale asked a question on council housing construction since the new administration got into power. Councillor Butler responded that they had delivered new council homes that had been delayed by the previous administration. It was further stated that central government had imposed a number of obstacles in the way of local authorities’ ability to build new council housing.

 

Councillor Hale asked a supplementary question pertaining to whether the administration would support the Conservative call for armed forces personnel to receive housing priority and further, whether the administration supported Jeremy Corbyn’s pledge to house every homeless person. Councillor Butler responded that veterans of the armed forces already received priority for social housing in Croydon. It was further stated that the Council did a huge amount of work for homeless people in the borough and worked with a range of organisations and charities in ensuring homeless people received housing.

 

Councillor Audsley asked how community-led housing could be integrated into the Council’s housing development. Councillor Butler responded that community-led housing had an important part to play in the strategy and officers were already working with such organisations in some schemes.

 

Councillor Audsley asked a supplementary question pertaining to how Brick by Brick could work with community-led housing projects. Councillor Butler responded that Brick by Brick could work with such schemes effectively.

 

Councillor Perry asked a question on protection of green spaces in the local plan.  Councillor Butler responded that there was a housing crisis and more housing development was crucial to tackle issues from homelessness to access for young people onto the property ladder. However any development would be sustainable and not cause over-intensification of areas. It was the government appointed inspector whom had removed protection from some areas of Croydon, however the administration was listing additional protections for green spaces in the borough.

 

Councillor Perry asked a supplementary question related to an alleged lack of robust evidence submitted which caused the inspector to remove protections from green spaces. Councillor Butler responded that the submitted plan had originated with the previous administration. The current administration had committed to not develop on any green space designated by the plan.

 

Councillor Patsy Cummings asked how the Council could work with Crystal Palace Football Club to mitigate any potential impact of the proposed redevelopment of Selhurst Park on local district centres. Councillor Butler responded that a lot of work was required to support the development which included supporting local residents, the local economy and delivering a transport strategy. Officers from across the Council would work with the developers to ensure that when the planning application was submitted it would be the best for Croydon. 

 

Councillor Jason Cummings asked whether there were plans for Brick by Brick to develop Ruskin House. Councillor Butler responded that no such plans were in place for the site.

 

Councillor Jason Cummings asked a supplementary question over allegations that Brick by Brick was ignoring concerns raised by residents. Councillor Butler confirmed that residents located near development sites had the right to raise concerns which would be considered as part of the development process.

 

Councillor Prince asked for updated information on the award-winning Community Connect scheme in New Addington. Councillor Ali responded that the pioneering work brought the Gateway service closer to the community and included projects such as a community food shop to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to those most in need. The scheme was well used and there were plans in the pipeline to launch it in other wards across the borough.

 

Councillor Creatura asked what action had been taken since the announcement that the Citiscape tower block required unsafe cladding to be removed. Councillor Butler responded that a number of actions had been taken by Council officers and it wasn’t right, nor financially feasible, for Croydon tax payers’ money to pay for private development re-cladding while central government was not providing support.

 

 

The Mayor then moved to the third pool of Cabinet Members.

 

Councillor Collins thanked enforcement officers for a spate of recent successful prosecutions for fly tipping in the borough.

 

Councillor Hall announced that the Council had changed payment terms with Carillion in 2017 in anticipation of financial difficulties within the company. Those changes had put the Council in a stronger position when the contractor was liquidated in January 2018. Thanks were passed on to officers in the Human Resources and Finance departments at the Council for their hard work to ensure all the Carillion employees taken in-house got paid. Councillor Hall also noted the unfair government funding proposed for Croydon for supporting the borough’s UASCs. Finally, the new pay award for Council staff was announced, which recognised the hard work of officers.

 

Councillor Tim Pollard asked why the Council was not working pro-actively to identify fly-tips across the borough for clearing.  Councillor Collins responded that the Council was very pro-active on the issue and that new vehicles purchased for street cleaning included three-way cameras which would monitor areas for fly tip clearance.

 

Councillor Tim Pollard asked a supplementary question on public meetings which heard many concerns from residents about the level of fly-tips in the area. Councillor Collins responded that he had attended a number of meetings with residents’ associations, many of whom welcomed the Council’s proactive approach and the speed of clearances once reported.

 

Councillor Fitzsimons asked for an update on reviewing the Council tax support system, particularly in relation to the alleged penalisation of residents’ properties in Band D or above. Councillor Hall responded that the system was devolved to local government and had its budget cut. It was stated that the welfare reforms were having a devastating impact on residents and the tax support system needed reviewing to ensure it matched the welfare system.

 

Councillor Jason Cummings asked why a fly-tipping issue in the New Addington ward had taken months to be dealt with. Councillor Collins responded that when the issue was raised with him it was dealt with immediately. 

 

Councillor Jason Cummings asked a supplementary question related to the New Addington incident which it was claimed had been an ongoing issue for months. Councillor Collins responded that if this had been the result of poor performance from the contractor then penalty fines would be issued.

 

Councillor Hall added that the issue had originally been raised with officers whom had received reassurances from the contractors.

 

Councillor Canning asked how many vehicles had been seized in the borough for illegally dumping waste. Councillor Collins responded that 34 vehicles had been seized, and that Croydon was leading nationally on this issue.

 

Councillor Canning asked a supplementary question pertaining to how this performance compared to the previous administration. Councillor Collins stated that no vehicles had been seized for illegally dumping waste under the previous administration.

 

Councillor Clancy asked whether the improvement in fly tipping figures was due to the re-classification of the data. Councillor Collins responded that the change in the dashboard data was purely to make the data more accessible for public consumption and that the figures provided were exactly the same.

 

Councillor Mann asked whether the government policies on plastic recycling were panic measures due to growing public outcry on the issues. Councillor Collins responded that he believed it was a panic policy and did not go far enough in removing plastic packaging from consumer goods.

 

Councillor Mann asked a supplementary question on steps taken with regards to recycling plastic bottles and coffee cups in the borough. Councillor Collins responded that the administration supported the Mayor of London’s draft recycling policy. The Council had undertaken a number of steps internally to encourage staff to use reusable receptacles for water and coffee. In addition, conversations were taking place with coffee suppliers in the borough to encourage the use of reusable cups.

 

Councillor Neal asked whether the introduction of a free bulky waste collection service would help drive down fly-tipping in the borough. Councillor Collins responded that there may be opportunities to look into such a service however the outcomes were mixed in boroughs that had already implemented a free collection service.

 

Councillor Neal asked a supplementary question related to the success of such schemes in other boroughs. Councillor Collins responded that a free bulky waste collection service had not proved to be a panacea for fly-tipping where it had been introduced in other London boroughs.

 

Councillor Fitzsimons asked for an update on the Blackhorse Lane bridge repair works and whether pedestrians and cyclists would benefit from the investment. Councillor King responded that work on phase two of the repairs would begin in the summer of 2018 and whilst the bridge would be open for pedestrians for most of the time, there would be short periods where access would be closed for safety reasons.