This week in Waltham Forest:

• The Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee revoked the premises licence of Global Food & Drink.

Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee - Tuesday 30 July 2024

The Licensing Sub-Committee revoked the premises licence of Global Food & Drink, 44 St. James Street, Walthamstow after hearing evidence that it had repeatedly broken licensing laws. This means that the shop can no longer sell alcohol. The Sub-Committee heard evidence that alcohol and tobacco had been sold illegally to children at the shop, and that illicit tobacco had been found for sale there.

Review of Global Food & Drink

Waltham Forest Trading Standards requested that the Licensing Sub-Committee review the premises licence of Global Food & Drink. They argued that the shop had repeatedly broken licensing laws relating to the sale of alcohol and tobacco.

Trading Standards officers told the Sub-Committee that:

On the 27 November 2021 the sale of illicit tobacco took place at the premises. On the 29 November 2021 a detection dog detected 54 packs of illicit duty evaded cigarettes. The Court proceedings in respect of these two offences are ongoing and not yet concluded. On the 15 September 2023 there was a purchase of illicit duty evaded cigarettes. On the 19 October 2023, a minor of 15 years of age purchased a bottle of Smirnoff Ice and on 18th April 2024, two minors aged fourteen and fifteen years purchased a Gold Bar Strawberry Peach disposable vape.

The Sub-Committee heard that this was not the first time that the shop had broken licensing laws.

The Sub-Committee noted there was a review of the premises in 2017 and the licence was suspended for 3 months. A condition was also imposed in respect of the current PLH [Premises Licence Holder], Mr [Bilgin] Redzheb. The condition outlined on page 32 of the agenda pack stipulates: “Mr Redzheb shall be excluded from the premises and not be allowed to have any dealings or involvement with the premises”.

Despite this, Mr Redzheb had recently become the designated premises supervisor, the person responsible for the day-to-day running of the shop and making sure that it complies with licensing laws. The Licensing Officer told the Sub-Committee that the Council had made a mistake in allowing Mr Redzheb to become the designated premises supervisor.

Mr Redzheb's lawyer told the Sub-Committee that his client was not the licence holder when the most recent offences took place.

The lawyer explained that his client hasn’t been involved in any form of criminal activity in the last 7 years and it would be unfair to take action against him.

The Sub-Committee decided to revoke the shop's licence, preventing it from selling alcohol. In their decision the Sub-Committee said:

The Sub-Committee are of the view it’s a family run business and do not have faith that Mr Redzheb will run the business responsibly. [...] The Sub-Committee were concerned about the serious nature of the offences committed at this premises and the history of criminal activity at this family run business which have undermined the Licensing Act 2003 objectives.

The Licensing Act 2003 is the law that governs the sale of alcohol in England and Wales. It sets out the responsibilities of licensees and the powers of licensing authorities. It also establishes a system of licensing objectives, which are:

• The prevention of crime and disorder
• Public safety
• The prevention of public nuisance
• The protection of children from harm

Licensing authorities, in this case Waltham Forest Council, are responsible for granting, renewing, and revoking premises licences. They must also ensure that licensees comply with the conditions of their licences.

Global Food & Drink can appeal the Sub-Committee's decision to Thames Magistrates' Court within 21 days.

The Pension Committee met on Monday to discuss the management of climate change risks to the Council's pension fund. The Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider an application for a new premises licence for The Drink Factory on Forest Road. The Scrutiny Coordinating Committee received reports on the council's performance and reviewed the forward plans and work programmes for the council's Scrutiny Committees. An Executive Decision was made on Wednesday on whether to start the process of appointing the main contractor for the Vestry House Museum Revitalisation Project. The Waltham Forest Stop and Search Group met on Monday to discuss the use of stop and search powers in the borough. An Executive Decision meeting was held on Monday but the agenda was not publicly available. An Executive Decision was made on Monday regarding the possible introduction of a PSPO to combat nuisance from car meets. The Whipps Cross Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to meet on Wednesday but the agenda was not publicly available.

Pension Committee - Monday 22 July 2024

The Pension Committee meeting included a report on climate change, a verbal report on the submission of a petition and an update on the status of the committee's work programme.

Climate Change

A report was included on how the Climate Change Act 2009¹ applies to the council's pension fund. The meeting considered the act's requirements in relation to the management of climate change risks.

The Council has a legal and fiduciary duty to ensure that the risks from climate change and the opportunities presented by the transition to a lower carbon economy are appropriately managed across its full range of functions. This includes managing climate-related risks to the Pension Fund’s assets, as required by the Pension Regulator.

The report also presented an update on the work of the London Collective Investment Vehicle (LCIV)² on climate change.

The LCIV has developed a responsible investment framework to manage extra-financial risks, including ESG and climate change factors, when investing the Fund’s assets.

Petition submitted to the Pension Committee

The committee received a verbal report on the submission of a petition. No further information was available.

Work Programme

A report presented the work programme of the Pension Committee, highlighting completed and outstanding tasks.

Executive Decision - Monday 22 July 2024

This Executive Decision was made by Cllr Khevyn Limbajee, Portfolio Lead Member for Community Safety, on whether to introduce a boroughwide Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to tackle nuisance from car meets.

Public Space Protection Order to Tackle Nuisance from Car Meets

The report pack explains that the decision-maker is able to designate a PSPO on behalf of the Council.

A PSPO can place restrictions and requirements on an area where activities have, or are likely to have, a detrimental effect on the quality of life of local people. The activities are persistent or continuing in nature, are unreasonable and justify the restrictions imposed by the PSPO. These can be blanket restrictions or requirements.

The report goes on to describe how car meets are a significant problem in the borough.

The London Borough of Waltham Forest has seen a gradual but significant increase in nuisance and anti-social behaviour (ASB) related to motor vehicles participating in organised car meets (groups of car and motorcycle owners meeting up at a specific and designated location). High numbers of noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour reports are being received by local ward members along with significant online reports received by Council services and Police colleagues as a result.

The pack identifies some locations where car meets have caused particular issues. These include Argyll Avenue in Leyton, Leyton Mills Retail Park, and Tesco Extra at Signal Walk in Highams Park.

Changes to the road structure and layout such as speed humps and vehicle access restrictions were also investigated however significant costs and the impact on the retail park have delayed any planned changes. A high friction surface was applied on the 6th of October 2023 to prevent wheel spinning and a consultation for additional parking restrictions is currently taking place.

The report pack contains a heatmap showing the locations of car meets across the borough. The data for the heatmap was taken from reports made to the Council and the police. Unsurprisingly, it shows a high density of reports in the south of the borough close to the border with Redbridge, an area in which car meets were the subject of a petition in 2022. This is reminiscent of the issues encountered with car meets close to the border with Enfield in 2020, which was eventually resolved with the introduction of a borough-wide PSPO.

A significant number of reports related to car meets are also linked with racing, revving engines, problematic congregation, and drug related reports. The use of NO2 laughing gas and cannabis is also linked with car meet reports.

Details of the Proposed PSPO

Any person is prohibited from congregating for the purpose of being a participant or spectator, as a passenger or driver of a vehicle, in a car meet that is likely to cause a nuisance to persons in the locality of the restricted area by: ▪ Driving a motor vehicle at excessive speed ▪ Revving of engines ▪ Sudden or rapid acceleration / deceleration ▪ Driving in convoy ▪ Idling ▪ Performing stunts ▪ Sounding horns ▪ Playing amplified music ▪ Displaying ▪ Causing obstruction

The report pack includes the results of a public consultation on the proposals. The results of this consultation show a high level of support (88.2%) for a boroughwide PSPO.

Regarding the specific terms within the PSPO, support from the public is high, with an average of 81.7% supporting each of the proposed restrictions.

The report pack includes an Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA) that concludes that there is no negative impact on any protected groups.

This analysis has concluded that the policy will have a positive impact on protected characteristics by preventing the negative impact of the nuisance caused by car meets.

Waltham Forest Stop and Search Group - Monday 22 July 2024

This meeting was scheduled to include updates from the police and the Young Independent Advisory Group (YIAG)³ on a number of topics related to the policing of Waltham Forest.

Stop and Search Statistics

The meeting was scheduled to include a presentation of the latest stop and search statistics for the borough. The report pack included data for the whole of 2023, showing that there were 4,492 stops and searches carried out by the police in that period. This represented a 27.2% reduction in the number of stop and searches compared to 2022. Of those stops, 63% were for drugs and 17% were for weapons. 14% of all those stopped were arrested and 70% were given no further action. The report pack also included more detailed breakdowns of the stop and search figures for 2023 by ethnicity and age.

Scrutiny of searches not recorded

The meeting was scheduled to include a discussion of how the police scrutinise stop and searches that are not recorded on body-worn cameras. This echoes concerns raised in this committee in 2021 and 2022.

Scrutiny of MTIP processes

The meeting was scheduled to include a discussion of the processes involved in conducting MTIP¹ searches.

How Met uses WF Stop and Search Group feedback to improve

This item was on the agenda to allow the Metropolitan Police Force to explain how they have used the feedback from previous Stop and Search Group meetings to improve.

Escalation Routes

The meeting was set to include a discussion about how concerns about stop and search could be escalated.

New Borough Commander

The meeting was due to include the introduction of the Metropolitan Police's new Borough Commander for Waltham Forest.

S&S Charter update

The meeting was also scheduled to include an update on the development of the Metropolitan Police's Stop and Search Charter.

Future meetings

The meeting was also scheduled to include a discussion of the dates and agendas for future meetings of the group.

Waltham Forest Council met 6 times in the last 7 days.

The Audit and Governance Committee considered the Council's accounts and risk register, as well as several reports on fraud.

The Health and Wellbeing Board reviewed updates to the Good Care Conversation project which aims to discover residents' priorities for health and care service design, the Promoting Wellbeing workstream, and received several reports on the performance of local health services.

The Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee discussed the work of the Waltham Forest Health and Care Partnership (WFHCP), reviewed proposals for the procurement of the substance and alcohol use service, and agreed its work programme for the rest of the year.

The Housing and Inclusive Economy Scrutiny Committee discussed the Housing Resident Involvement Strategy and the work of the Stronger Communities directorate.

The Planning Committee reviewed a proposal to increase the number of homes to be built at the former gas works on Perth Road in Leyton from 573 to 652, as well as proposals to redevelop the Regal Cinema in Chingford and make alterations to the Grade II* listed Chestnuts House on Hoe Street and the Grade II listed Vestry House Museum on Vestry Road.

Waltham Forest Council met to discuss a range of issues including the transfer of planning powers from the LLDC, the Council's finances, and to make some appointments to Council Committees.

Lea Bridge Gas Works Redevelopment

The Planning Committee considered a proposal by St William Homes LLP to increase the number of homes on their development at the former gas works on Perth Road in Leyton. This site already has planning permission for a mixed-use scheme, but the developer was seeking to increase the permitted number of homes from 573 to 652. 158 of these homes would be affordable¹.

The report pack prepared for councillors included analysis of the likely environmental impacts of the scheme, including its impact on the nearby Clementina Estate. The pack also included comments from the Environment Agency who objected to the application.

This is the second time this year that the committee has considered plans to increase the number of homes on this site. In March the committee approved plans to increase the number of homes from 550 to 573. The committee's decision to approve those plans was met with opposition from some local residents, who argued that the development would lead to increased traffic and pressure on local services.

This is not the first time that Waltham Forest Council has faced opposition to its plans to increase the density of housing in the borough. The council has a target of building 27,000 new homes in the borough by 2041. This target was set by the Mayor of London.

The council's plans to build new homes in the borough are part of a wider London-wide strategy to address the housing crisis. The housing crisis is a complex issue with a number of causes, including a shortage of affordable housing, population growth, and rising house prices.

The Mayor of London has set a target of building 66,000 new homes in London each year. The Mayor has also introduced a number of policies to try to increase the supply of affordable housing, such as requiring developers to build a certain proportion of affordable homes in new developments.

However, these policies have been criticised by some who argue that they do not go far enough. They argue that the Mayor needs to do more to control house prices and to increase the supply of social housing.

Transfer of Planning Powers from the LLDC

Waltham Forest Council discussed plans to bring responsibility for planning decisions in the borough back under the control of the local authority.

The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) was established by the London Legacy Development Corporation Act 2012 to manage the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park following the London 2012 Olympic Games. One of the LLDC's responsibilities is to act as the local planning authority for an area covering Stratford, Hackney Wick, Fish Island, and parts of Leyton, including the Lea Bridge Gas Works site.

The 2012 Act makes provision for the transfer of planning powers from the LLDC to the relevant local authority, either by delegation or by Statutory Instrument, as the LLDC’s remit changes over time.

The report prepared for the meeting describes the process for transferring planning powers back to the Council and outlines three possible schemes for achieving this: two interim schemes involving the delegation of powers from the LLDC to the Council, and one permanent scheme transferring powers to the Council by way of a Statutory Instrument. The report notes that the third option, a full transfer of powers by Statutory Instrument on 1 December 2024 is the preferred option for both the LLDC and the Council.

This is not the first time that the Council has sought to regain control over planning decisions in this area. In 2018 the Council submitted a request to the then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid, to transfer planning powers back to the Council. However, this request was rejected.

Substance and Alcohol Use Service

The Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee reviewed plans for the Council's substance and alcohol use treatment and recovery service. The Council is legally obliged to provide these services under the Substance Misuse Act 1971 and the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

The Committee were asked to review the Council's proposals for the procurement of a new service contract. The current contract, which is due to expire in March 2025, is worth approximately £2,000,000 per year.

The report prepared for the committee praised the performance of the existing service, and noted in particular the success of its outreach and rapid prescribing elements:

The outreach element is delivered by a worker who acts as the link person between drug users and the services.

The Committee endorsed the Council's proposed service model, but sought further information on how the service would be advertised to those experiencing homelessness.

Waltham Forest Council made a number of significant decisions at its meetings last week. The council has decided to extend its agreement with Microsoft for software licences without putting it out to tender, decided to move ahead with plans to set up a company to build homes on council-owned land, and decided to consult on an updated version of its Local Plan.

Executive Decision - Tuesday 09 July 2024

This meeting of the Executive Decision committee saw the council agree to extend its Enterprise Agreement with Microsoft for software licences for a further three years.

The decision was made without a competitive tender process. The report given to councillors at the meeting noted that the council is locked into using Microsoft software and that if they went out to tender:

The Council does not have the capacity or capability to undertake a full re-tender of these services.

Later in the report, the council explains its reasoning in more detail, noting both the costs of change and the risks of failing to comply with licensing regulations:

Based on previous experience and the current market position of both ICT Software and ICT Infrastructure, should the Council choose not to proceed with the Direct Award to extend the current EA, this would leave the Council in a position of non-compliance with Microsoft licensing.

The report concludes that:

It is recognised that there is currently no realistic alternative to the incumbent supplier due to the dependence the Council has on their software

This is not the first time that Waltham Forest Council has decided not to put a contract out to tender. In 2021 the council decided to award a contract for the provision of waste management services to its own in-house company, Gouveia, without going to tender. This decision was made in part because the council believed that it would be more cost-effective to keep the service in-house.

The decision to extend the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement was made by the Executive Decision committee. The Executive Decision committee is a committee of the council that is responsible for making decisions on behalf of the council. The committee is made up of 10 councillors, all of whom are members of the Labour Party, which has a majority on the council.

Cabinet - Tuesday 09 July 2024

The most significant decision taken at this meeting of the Cabinet was the decision to consult on the next version of the Waltham Forest Local Plan.

The Local Plan is a document that sets out how land in the borough will be used over the next 15-20 years. It includes policies on a wide range of issues, including housing, employment, transport, and the environment. The current Local Plan was adopted in 2013.

At the meeting, the Cabinet discussed the need for a new Local Plan. They noted that the current Local Plan is now out of date and does not reflect the latest national planning policy or the council's own priorities.

The government requires local authorities to review their Local Plans every five years. The process for reviewing and updating a Local Plan is set out in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

In particular, the Cabinet noted that:

The Government has recently announced significant changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), some of which are not yet reflected in extant planning guidance. These changes have the potential to significantly impact housing targets at a local level. It is therefore essential that the Council understands these implications at the earliest opportunity

The Cabinet also discussed the council's plans to build new homes on council-owned land. The council has identified a number of sites that it believes are suitable for housing development. These sites are located across the borough.

The council has previously tried to develop these sites in partnership with private developers but has struggled to find partners who are willing to build the type of homes that the council wants to see built.

In response to the changing economic climate, the council is now proposing to set up its own company to build the homes. This company will be wholly owned by the council.

In response to the changing economic climate the Council took the decision to pause procuring a Joint Venture partner in Autumn 2022 and explore alternative options to accelerate delivery of its housing objectives.

This is a significant change in policy for the council. The council's previous approach was to work with private developers to deliver new homes. However, the council has become increasingly concerned about the ability of private developers to deliver the type of homes that the borough needs.

The council's housing objectives are set out in the council's Housing Strategy 2019-2029.

The Cabinet also discussed the proposed expansion of the council's borough-wide landlord licensing scheme. The scheme was introduced in 2015 and requires landlords to obtain a licence from the council before they can rent out their properties. The council is now proposing to expand the scheme to include all privately rented properties in the borough, regardless of their size or the number of tenants living in them.

Landlord licensing schemes are designed to improve the quality of private rented accommodation. They are also intended to help to tackle rogue landlords. Landlords who are granted a licence must meet certain standards, such as ensuring that their properties are safe and in a good state of repair. They must also comply with certain obligations, such as providing tenants with gas safety certificates and tenancy agreements.

The council believes that the expansion of the scheme is necessary to improve the quality of private rented accommodation in the borough. The council is also concerned about the number of rogue landlords operating in the borough.

The decision to expand the scheme has been met with mixed reactions. Some residents' groups have welcomed the decision, arguing that it is necessary to improve the quality of private rented accommodation. However, some landlords have criticised the decision, arguing that it is unnecessary and will lead to higher rents.

The council is also proposing to change the fees that landlords must pay to obtain a licence. The new fees will be based on the number of bedrooms in a property. The council says that the new fees are necessary to cover the cost of running the scheme.

Executive Decision - Wednesday 10 July 2024

This meeting of the Executive Decision Committee saw the council approve the first stage of the Forest Road Improvement Scheme. This scheme seeks to make improvements to Forest Road in Walthamstow.

The scheme intends to address several issues identified in the Waltham Forest Movement Strategy which was adopted by the council in March 2022. The strategy sets out the council's vision for transport in the borough over the next 10 years.

the severance caused by the A503, with few safe crossing points for people walking and cycling

The strategy identifies a number of key challenges facing the borough, including:

• High levels of car ownership and use
• Poor air quality
• A lack of safe and convenient cycling infrastructure
• Congestion on key roads

The strategy sets out a number of objectives, including:

• Reducing car use
• Improving air quality
• Making it easier and safer to cycle and walk
• Improving public transport

The strategy includes a number of policies and proposals for achieving these objectives. These include:

• Introducing a workplace parking levy
• Expanding the borough's network of cycle lanes
• Improving bus services
• Encouraging the use of electric vehicles

The council has already begun to implement some of the policies and proposals in the strategy. For example, the council has introduced a number of new cycle lanes and has expanded the borough's network of electric vehicle charging points.

However, the council has also faced opposition to some of its proposals. For example, the proposal to introduce a workplace parking levy has been met with opposition from some businesses.

The Forest Road Improvement Scheme will now move to the detailed design stage. The council will then consult on the detailed designs before submitting a planning application.

Shareholder Committee - Tuesday 09 July 2024

At this meeting The Shareholder Committee reviewed the performance of its trading company, Evolve Norse, in the 2023/24 financial year.

Evolve Norse is a joint venture company that was set up by Waltham Forest Council and Norse Commercial Services in 2014. The company provides a range of services to the council, including waste and recycling collection, street cleaning, and grounds maintenance.

We're pleased to see that Evolve Norse has continued to perform well in a challenging economic climate. The company is providing good value for money for the council and residents, and we are committed to working with them to ensure that they continue to deliver high-quality services.

The committee's role is to oversee the performance of the company and to ensure that it is providing good value for money for the council. The committee is made up of four councillors, all of whom are members of the Labour Party.