The Cabinet of Tower Hamlets Council met on Wednesday 25 September 2019, discussing a range of issues including the formalisation of mental health and learning disability services, the establishment of a Business Improvement District in Orgate, and capital schemes. The meeting also reviewed performance reports and budget monitoring.

Formalising Mental Health and Learning Disability Services

The Cabinet agreed to formalise the existing partnership with the East London NHS Foundation Trust for the provision of Mental Health and Learning Disability Services in Tower Hamlets. This formalisation, under a Section 75 Agreement, aims to strengthen the long-standing working relationship between the Council and the NHS Trust. The agreement will ensure a shared strategy for service users and carers, with services managed by a joint board. This move is not expected to introduce significant changes but will provide a legal framework for the existing collaboration, underpinned by the NHS 2006 Act. The total budget for these services is £45 million, with the Council contributing eight-ninths and the NHS Trust one-ninth, a disparity attributed to different accounting procedures.

Orgate Business Improvement District

A proposal to establish a Business Improvement District (BID) in the Orgate area was put forward and supported by the Cabinet. This initiative, driven by the Orgate Partnership, will allow businesses with a rateable value over £100,000 within a defined geographical area to pay an additional levy. The funds generated, estimated at £3.62 million over five years, will be used to enhance and improve the area, including cleansing initiatives, going beyond the services already provided by the Council. Small businesses within the BID area will not be required to contribute but will benefit from the improvements. The Council's cost for supporting this initiative is approximately £25,000, primarily for staff time to assist with the collection of the levy. The BID is expected to involve around 1,000 businesses, with approximately 82 contributing to the levy. The proposal is scheduled for a ballot on January 16th. The Cabinet noted that this would be the first BID in Tower Hamlets and would span the boundary with the City of London, with arrangements in place for BIDs that cross local authority boundaries. The recent relocation of British Telecom's headquarters into the borough was seen as a positive sign of confidence.

Capital Schemes and Exception Records

The Cabinet reviewed a detailed report on capital schemes and exception records, which itemised a number of capital bid proposals. These proposals have undergone departmental review and require further development, with funding not yet definitively agreed for each individual scheme. A delegation has been given to the Corporate Director of Place, Corporate Director of Governance, and Neville Murton, Corporate Director of Resources, to prioritise and fund these schemes, which fall outside the February capital programme.

Councillor Peter Golds raised several questions regarding specific schemes:

• Signage and Heritage (4.6): He inquired if the proposed £250,000 for signage and heritage could include the updating of the Island History Boards on the Isle of Dogs, which are in disrepair.
• Liverpool Streets Programme (4.10): Concerned that the programme, stated to cover 17 areas across the borough, might not include the three wards on the Isle of Dogs, he sought assurance that these wards would be included.
• Street Tree Planting (4.11): Similar to the Liverpool Streets Programme, he asked if the Isle of Dogs would be included in the street tree planting initiative and if a list of planted trees and their locations would be published.
• Accelerated Street Lighting: He questioned whether the entire borough would be covered by the accelerated street lighting programme and, if not, if the covered areas would be published.

In response, it was indicated that the signage and heritage funding would likely include the replacement of former LDDC signage on the Isle of Dogs. For the Liveable Streets programme (formerly Liverpool Streets), while not all 20 wards are initially covered due to capacity and resource limitations, the intention is for the entire borough to be covered eventually. Prioritisation is given to areas with significant traffic challenges, with Barkentine (a Canary Wharf ward) and potentially Chapel House on the island being considered. The street tree planting programme aims for potentially 1,000 trees and will be responsive and opportunistic, with a commitment to provide an answer on publishing a list of areas. The street lighting programme is intended to cover the entire borough, with a plan to convert all street lights to LED, including heritage lamp stands where possible. Councillor Rachel Blake expressed her support for the recommendations, subject to individual projects being managed effectively and priorities being set thoughtfully, particularly in relation to housing and liveable streets.

Performance and Improvement Monitoring

The Cabinet received the quarterly performance and improvement monitoring report for quarter one, detailing progress against the Council's performance and strategic plans. The report indicated that all planned strategic activities are expected to be completed by the end of the year, with 15 performance indicators (PIs) meeting or exceeding their baseline targets. Seven PIs are falling short of the baseline, and nine are exceeding the minimum. Improvement plans are in place for underperforming areas. Areas of ongoing concern include moving homeless households into permanent accommodation, affordable home completions, and council staff sickness. Thorsten Dreyer, responsible for performance, clarified the target-setting methodology, explaining that minimum expectation or floor target is set to ensure a baseline is met, while target or ceiling target represents a stretch goal. The use of traffic light symbols was discussed, with the aim of encouraging ambition and a culture of excellence.

Contracts Forward Plan

The Cabinet reviewed the quarterly report detailing contracts over £250,000 in value or capital work contracts exceeding £5 million. Appendix 1 listed 22 contracts with a cumulative annual value of £30.7 million and a total contract value of £271.5 million. Bidders are evaluated on community value, including work-focused training, local recruitment, and apprenticeships. Four specific contracts for maintenance, fire safety, and planned lift maintenance are to be negotiated by officers before consultation.

Other Matters

The minutes of the previous meeting on 31st July were confirmed, with Councillor Peter Golds raising a concern about the issue of Reign School, seeking assurance that it would be brought before the Cabinet as soon as possible. The Mayor assured that school reorganisation discussions are guided by strict procedures and that the Council listens to residents and makes decisions lawfully.

The Council also received recognition for winning six prizes in the London Bloom competition, with awards for Vicky Park, Canary Wharf, Cemetery Park, and Trinity Square Gardens.

There were no pre-decision scrutiny questions from Overview and Scrutiny (ONS). However, the Chair of ONS, Councillor James King, presented findings from their recent meeting, which focused on resident intelligence, complaints procedures, and the Annual Residents' Survey. Concerns were raised about delays in complaint handling and siloed working within the Council. The survey indicated that crime and anti-social behaviour are the highest concerns for residents, and there was noted low and declining satisfaction with idea stores. ONS also expressed concern about the presentation of performance reports, suggesting that amber statuses were sometimes described as meeting or exceeding minimum expectations, which they felt was not entirely accurate.

The Cabinet also discussed the budget monitoring report, noting the need for significant savings and focusing on how these could be achieved, particularly within children's services. The need for greater accountability for budget holders and the exploration of how parking income could be used to ease other budgetary pressures were also discussed.

An update on the Local Community Fund was provided, addressing previous concerns about the Equality Impact Assessment. Transition arrangements and mitigation processes to address equality gaps were presented, with a commitment to provide a full breakdown of funding before the next Cabinet meeting in October.