Agenda and minutes

 Apologies were received from Councillor Khondoker

There were no declarations of substitute members

If you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest* in an item of business:

§  if it is not yet on the council’s register, you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent;

§  you may choose to declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest that is already in the register in the interests of openness and transparency. 

In both the above cases, you must leave the room without participating in discussion of the item.

If you have a personal interest in an item of business and you intend to speak or vote on the item you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent but you may participate in the discussion and vote on the item.

*(a)   Employment, etc - Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.

(b)     Sponsorship - Any payment or other financial benefit in respect of your expenses in carrying out duties as a member, or of your election; including from a trade union.

(c)  Contracts - Any current contract for goods, services or works, between  
 you or your partner (or a body in which one of you has a beneficial
 interest) and the council.

(d)   Land - Any beneficial interest in land which is within the council’s area.

(e)   Licences- Any licence to occupy land in the council’s area for a month
   or longer.

(f)    Corporate tenancies - Any tenancy between the council and a body
   in which you or your partner have a beneficial interest.

 (g)   Securities - Any beneficial interest in securities of a body which has a place of business or land in the council’s area, if the total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body or of any one class of its issued share capital. 

This applies to all members present at the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest

RESOLVED:

That, subject to the addition in minute 468 paragraph 2 the addition of the words, in line 4 – there is also the need to look at the installation of planters and greening of areas where there are flytipping - the minutes of the meeting held on 8 June 2021 be confirmed as an accurate record of proceedings and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

The Chair referred to the fact that items on GLL Leisure and NLWA would be added to the work programme for the Committee in September and November respectively

The Chair added that the first meeting of the informal working group on NLWA incinerator would be taking place on 20 July at 6.30 p.m. by Zoom and any Members who wished to attend could be sent the link

The Chair added that she was  pleased to note that part of Highbury Fields was not being mown and she welcomed this

The Chair stated that the order of business would be as per the agenda, and that evidence would be received from Professor Clarke from Westminster University and Councillor O’Sullivan Chair of Housing Scrutiny Committee

For members of the public to ask questions relating to any subject on the meeting agenda under Procedure Rule 70.5. Alternatively, the Chair may opt to accept questions from the public during the discussion on each agenda item.

The Chair stated that due to social distancing requirements and the limit on the number of people attending the meeting that any public questions should be directed to the Clerk following the meeting, as the meeting was being webcast

Simon Kwong, Director, Housing Property Services, Councillor O’Sullivan, Chair of Housing Scrutiny Committee, and Professor Linda Clarke, Westminster University were present and made witness submissions to the Committee. During consideration of the submissions the following main points were made –

·       Professor Clarke stated that the main issue in terms of achieving net zero carbon in housing was the lack of a trained workforce, that more training needed to be undertaken in order to skill up the future workforce. In addition she noted that as the larger contractors often sub-contracted work out, they were not directly responsible for skilling their workforce.

·       More training opportunities at college and also work experience should be made available, noting that the workforce in this industry tended to be more male dominated. Professor Clarke advised that this is an opportunity to look at models in Canada and Europe to ascertain best practice, and was concerned that presently there were not enough trainers to train the numbers of staff required. In addition a number of European staff, who were well trained had left after BREXIT which further exacerbated staffing shortages

·       Meeting was advised that Islington should take advantage of its situation especially as it has a directly employed DL workforce, to train them up to broaden expertise and build a multi-skilled workforce. It was noted that workforce capacity in the DL workforce was an issue that was being looked at, in view of the speed of training and costs that this would involve. The current level of qualifications also needed to be raised and there needed to be a better understanding of the requirements of other trades when such workforce was trained

·       Reference was made to the GLA construction hubs, that Councils should engage with them, and enter discussions with larger contractors to skill staff up, as well as ensuring that DLO workforces were engaged as well

·       It was noted that with regard to retrofitting, London Councils are looking at this and there was a meeting the following week where this could be raised

·       It was noted that LBI with its variety of housing stock, which presented a number of challenges, there is a need to balance the requirements of tenants and leaseholders, and the Council were looking at a workforce ‘roadmap’

·       Noted that work was being undertaken by the Council in terms of employing apprenticeships and that evidence on this could come to the Committee

·       Noted the initiative at Glasgow City Council which employs 2200 staff, and trains 60 apprentices, and focusing on building green homes and retrofitting. Also noted that the Holloway Prison site where discussions were taking place with the GLA. It was felt that the Council could start a pilot to look at a fuel poverty estate and train up the workforce

         Presentation by Simon Kwong

·       Scope – residential homes, commercial and industrial buildings – commercial and industrial buildings c.323k tonnes of CO2 – 48% of all emissions. Residential homes c,246 tonnes of CO2 36% of all emissions, and new build Council homes,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 479.

RESOLVED;

That the report be noted