Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Boyland and Wright.  Apologies for lateness were received from Councillor Callaghan.

There were no declarations of interest.

Webcasting of the Meeting

The Chair to announce the following: “In addition to the rights by law that the public and press have to record and film public meetings, I would like to remind everyone present that this meeting will be broadcast live by the Council to the Internet and will be capable of repeated viewing and copies of the recording could be made available to those that request them.

If you are seated in the chamber it is likely that the Council’s cameras will capture your image and you are deemed to be consenting to being filmed and to the use of those images and sound recordings for webcasting and/or training purposes.  If you are addressing the Committee your contribution will be recorded and broadcast unless you have already indicated that you do not wish this to happen.

If you wish to avoid appearing on the Council’s webcast you should move to one of the galleries.”

Any Other Announcements

Broadcast of the meeting

The Chair reminded those present that the meeting was being broadcast live to the internet and could be viewed for twelve months thereafter and then archived and made available on request. Anyone who had asked to address the meeting was deemed to be consenting to having their contribution recorded and broadcast and to the use of sound recordings and images for webcasting and/or training purposes.

Requests to address the Cabinet on a matter on its agenda must be made in writing to the clerk named on the front of this agenda by 5pm two working days before the meeting.

There were no deputations.

There was no notification of urgent business.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 29^th March 2023.

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 29^th March 2023 be approved and signed as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting items referred from a Council Scrutiny Committee requiring urgent consideration will be taken.

There were no matters referred.

Please note that there were no alternative options considered or rejected by the Cabinet for the following items, unless indicated, although Cabinet Members duly considered, where applicable, options listed within the reports.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Voluntary Sector, Equalities and Cohesion

The Leader of Camden Council has established Cabinet Adviser roles to provide evidence-based recommendations and policy-making support to the Cabinet of the Council. Councillor Nanouche Umeadi was appointed Cabinet Adviser for the Diversity Mission in the last municipal year, and her work has focused particularly on opening up opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds. For this reason, there is a strong connection in the Cabinet Adviser's work to both the Youth and Diversity Missions, and the long-term implementation of the Cabinet Adviser's work will be considered as part of these two Missions working with schools, businesses, and the wider Camden community.

This report reviews the twenty-one (21) recommendations made by the Cabinet Adviser for the Diversity Mission, as well as the considerations of the scrutiny committees that her report has been presented to. It provides an initial response and commentary on these recommendations, welcoming the valuable insight and research of the Cabinet Adviser, as well as examining the ongoing work being done by the Council to address them.

Consideration was given to the report of the Cabinet Adviser for the Diversity Mission, which was introduced by Councillor Umeadi, and the response of the Cabinet Adviser for the Voluntary Sector, Equalities and Cohesion, which was introduced by Councillor Shah.

In response to a question about what else the Council could do to support greater diversity in leadership, Councillor Umeadi highlighted the importance of ongoing mentoring, even after an apprenticeship or a STEAM programme placement had ended, and added that the Council needed to provide its own work experience opportunities in a more systematic and well organised way.  She encouraged the Council to use its existing relationships with external organisations in the borough to organise placements and to find a way to take the administrative burden out of it.  Much of course depended on funding, and on the government treating the issue as a priority.

Councillor Shah thanked Councillor Umeadi for her thorough work and summarised her responses to the recommendations as set out in the report.

RESOLVED –

(i)            THAT the recommendations made by the Cabinet Adviser for the Diversity Mission be noted;

(ii)          THAT the response of the Children, Schools, and Family Scrutiny Committee be noted;

(iii)         THAT it be noted that the Cabinet Member for Voluntary Sector, Equalities, and Cohesion welcomes the recommendations of the Cabinet Adviser and the research that supports these;

(iv)         THAT the response of the Cabinet Member for Voluntary Sector, Equalities, and Cohesion to the report, in conjunction with the Cabinet Members for Best Start in Life for Children and Families, and for New Homes, Jobs, and Community Investment to acknowledge and respond to the recommendations included in the report of the Cabinet Adviser be noted;

(v)          THAT all recommendations at points 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.8, 3.14, 3.17, 3.19, and 3.20 of the report be endorsed; and

(vi)         THAT, in relation to the recommendations at points 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, 3.15, 3.16, 3.18, and 3.21 of the report, the response set out in those paragraphs be noted.

Reasons

For the reasons set out in the report.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Better Homes

The Leader Camden Council has established Cabinet Adviser roles to provide evidence-based policy support and recommendations to the Council’s Cabinet. Councillor Eddie Hanson was appointed Cabinet Adviser for the Estates Mission in the 2022/23 municipal year, and his work has focused particularly on how the Council’s decision-making can be more inclusive of all our residents and communities, and how to support community-led activity more effectively.

This report reviews the 10 recommendations made by the Cabinet Adviser for the Estates Mission, taking on board the comments of the Housing Scrutiny Committee, which considered the report at its meeting on 21st February 2023. This report provides an initial response, and any relevant commentary on the priority and delivery of each, in turn, as well as the work already ongoing to support our estates as creative and healthy places to live in the borough.

Consideration was given to the report of the Cabinet Adviser for the Estates Mission, which was introduced by Councillor Hanson, and the response of the Cabinet Adviser for Better Homes, which was introduced by Councillor Apak.

In response to a question about how more residents could be encouraged to participate in tenants and residents associations, Councillor Hanson paid tribute to the work of the Tenant Participation team and observed that sharing success stories and examples of cases where the Council had listened would help people to appreciate the value of tenant involvement.  Training to give tenants the confidence to engage with the Council and to understand how it worked was also recommended.  Work was already happening to encourage more diversity in community leadership and it was important for people to hear views and voices like theirs.  The opportunities available, and the diversity of leadership already in Council, needed to be showcased and the support available needed to be advertised.  The Council should collaborate with TRA leadership on how to make other residents feel welcome at TRA meetings, and how to undertake outreach work to bring neighbourhoods together. 

Councillor Apak thanked Councillor Hanson for his insight and expertise, and summarised his responses to the recommendations as set out in the report.

RESOLVED ­–

(i)            THAT the recommendations made by the Cabinet Adviser for the Estates Mission ne noted;

(ii)          THAT the response of the Housing Scrutiny Committee be noted;

(iii)         THAT the response from the Cabinet Member for Better Homes to the recommendations made be noted;

(iv)         THAT the recommendations at points 2.3 to 2.11 of the report be endorsed;

(v)          THAT, in relation to the recommendation at 2.2 of the report, the response set out in that paragraph be noted.

Reasons

For the reasons set out in the report.

Report of the Cabinet Member for a Sustainable Camden

The Leader of Camden Council has established Cabinet Adviser roles to provide evidence-based policy support and recommendations to the Council’s Cabinet. Councillor de Ayala Parker was appointed Cabinet Adviser on Promoting Green Space and Biodiversity in the 2022/23 municipal year, and her work has focused particularly on exploring how to increase green spaces in the borough and in particular establishing a community green deal. We welcome the research and recommendations of the Cabinet Adviser and alongside this formal response will continue to think about how we can reflect on the research gathered and incorporate into our policy and programmes.

This report welcomes the recommendations made by the Cabinet Adviser on Promoting Green Space and Biodiversity. The report was endorsed by the Culture and Environment Scrutiny Committee where it was discussed in March 2023. This report provides an initial response and commentary on each recommendation in turn, as well as detailing the work already ongoing to promote green space and biodiversity in Camden.

Consideration was given to the report of the Cabinet Adviser on Promoting Green Space and Biodiversity, which was introduced by Councillor De Ayala Parker, and the response of the Cabinet Adviser for a Sustainable Camden, which was introduced by Councillor Harrison.

In response to a question about making climate activism easier for residents, Councillor De Ayala Parker remarked that she had a number of ideas on how to make the website more useful if this respect, such as introducing climate-related breaking news stories.  In terms of reaching less engaged residents, she acknowledged the challenge of increasing engagement during a cost of living crisis, so it was important to make clear the benefits to residents of taking action on the environment, and to bring people into the conversation and hold more frequent climate talking circles.  Feedback from residents indicated that they did not really know where to go to get involved in community action on climate.

Councillor Harrison thanked Councillor De Ayala Parker for her comprehensive report and he summarised his responses to the recommendations as set out in the report.

RESOLVED –

(i)            THAT the recommendations made by the Cabinet Adviser on Promoting Green Space and Biodiversity be noted;

(ii)        THAT the response of the Culture and Environment Scrutiny Committee set out at paragraph 1.10 of the report be noted;

(iii)         THAT the response from the Cabinet Member for a Sustainable Camden to the recommendations made in section 2 and 3 of the report be noted; and

(iv)         THAT the recommendations summarized in section 4 of the report be endorsed.

Reasons

For the reasons set out in the report.

There was no urgent business.