The Cabinet of Waltham Forest Council met on Thursday 9 May 2024, addressing key issues including housing complaints, the progress of the Soho Theatre Walthamstow project, and the upcoming expiry of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) school contract. Decisions were made to note improvements in housing complaint handling, approve budget revisions for the Soho Theatre project, and allocate funding for the PFI contract expiry.

Ombudsman Housing Complaints and Complaints Improvement Plans

Cabinet noted the trends and patterns in housing complaints upheld by the Housing Ombudsman and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. They also acknowledged the steps being taken to address issues raised by the Ombudsmen and to mitigate future complaints against the council. Improvement plans for the corporate complaints service, as outlined in Appendix 1 of the report, were also noted. Councillor Ahsan Khan, Deputy Leader (Housing and Regeneration), highlighted the significant work undertaken to improve housing services, emphasizing the importance of learning from ombudsman judgements. Councillor Grace Williams, Leader of the Council, welcomed the report as an opportunity to get housing services right for residents.

Soho Theatre Walthamstow - Project Update

A project update on the Soho Theatre Walthamstow, located in the former EMD Cinema, was presented. Cabinet noted the programme and construction update, which indicates practical completion is expected in late September 2024. Initial proposals and the programme for the Welcome Festival were also noted. Crucially, Cabinet agreed and noted the revised project budget, detailed in the exempt Appendix 1. Councillor Khan expressed his gratitude to the officers involved, including Joe Garrod, Acting Strategic Director, Place, and Dan Stapleton, Director of Major Projects, for their hard work on this project, which is anticipated to bring significant benefits across London.

Private Finance Initiative (PFI) - Schools Update, Expiry Activities and Resourcing Plan

The Cabinet received an update on the Council's three school PFI projects, with a particular focus on the upcoming expiry of the Lammas School PFI Project agreement on 31 August 2026. Cabinet approved a Resource Plan for the New Schools (Leyton) PFI Project (Lammas School), allocating up to £95,000 from corporate contingency for asset condition surveys. They also noted that resource costs of £58,000 for Project Management and Technical and Commercial support in 2024 would be funded by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA). Authority was delegated to the Corporate Director of Property and Delivery to procure necessary technical advisers, staff, and surveys, and to award contracts within the available resources. Furthermore, authority was delegated to the Strategic Director of Resources to increase the future budget for the Lammas School PFI Project expiry activities up to a maximum of £500,000. Councillor Kizzy Gardiner, Portfolio Lead Member for Children and Young People, introduced the report, thanking the officers for their work.

Vote of Thanks

Councillor Grace Williams, Leader of the Council, extended thanks to the Cabinet Commissioners for their support and hard work throughout the municipal year. She also thanked Ms Linzi Roberts-Egan, Chief Executive, the Elections Team, and all officers involved in the recent election, describing it as a very smooth election process and noting that Waltham Forest performed well in comparison to other London Boroughs.