The Council of Enfield Council was scheduled to meet on 24 June 2025 to discuss a range of issues, including a petition regarding divestment from companies allegedly complicit in international law violations, approval of the Housing & Growth Strategy 2025-2030, and the Treasury Management Outturn Report 2024/25. Councillors were also expected to address questions and consider several motions related to local issues.

Housing & Growth Strategy 2025-2030

The council was asked to consider the Housing & Growth Strategy 2025-2030, a document outlining the vision for creating more and better homes in Enfield through partnership and long-term investment. The strategy identifies key priorities, including building good quality affordable homes, investing in existing council homes, driving up standards in the private rented sector, tackling homelessness, providing specialist housing, delivering carbon neutral homes, and creating well-managed neighbourhoods.

The strategy aims to deliver a range of homes that local people can afford by ensuring where viable at least 50% of new homes are genuinely affordable. It also recognises the need for more homes of all tenures to meet the demands of a growing local population, including market sale, low-cost home ownership, and intermediate rent, as well as social and affordable rented homes.

The document notes that the new government has signalled its ambition to increase housebuilding at scale and pace, with reforms to the planning system and more support for infrastructure. It also welcomes proposed reforms to the Right to Buy, which will avoid the further loss of council homes.

The strategy was informed by targeted engagement with residents, council officers, and partners. A survey distributed to these groups, supplemented by individual meetings with some of the largest registered providers and developers, as well as feedback sessions with the Enfield 500 group of council tenants/leaseholders and a webinar for council staff.

The Equality Impact Assessment - Housing Strategy v0.1 notes that the strategy objectives are designed to deliver housing services that are child, age and disability friendly, inclusive and intended to meet the individual needs of residents, therefore having a positive impact on all protected characteristics.

Petition on Divestment

Councillors were scheduled to discuss a petition calling for the council to withdraw its investments from companies allegedly producing materials used in these violations of international law and in the current genocide . The petition, which had over 3,300 signatures, urged the council to take a stand against complicity in human rights abuses and align its policies with the values of its constituents.

The supplementary agenda Supplementary agenda Item 6 - Petition clarifies that the petition is specifically calling on Enfield Council Pension Fund committee to:

• Divest all Local Government Pension Scheme funds from companies complicit in Israel's violations of human rights and International Law including the genocide, apartheid and illegal occupation of the Palestinian people.
• Use its influence as part of the London Collective Investment Vehicle (CIV) to publicly lobby it to divest from companies enabling Israel's human rights abuses.
• Commit to ending procurement contracts with companies complicit in Israel's attacks.

Treasury Management Outturn Report 2024/25

The council was asked to note the Treasury Outturn position for 2024/25, and approve an update to the Council's investment policy by increasing the limit on deposits placed with UK Banks from £5m to £25m providing the counter party meets the minimum long term credit rating of A-, consistent with the Council's investment policy for Money Market Funds. They were also asked to approve an increase in the proportion of principal loan repayments allowed to fall due in ten years from 45% to 50% to provide flexibility for new borrowing whilst maintaining the stability of the loans portfolio.

The Treasury Outturn 2024-25 COUNCIL report noted that the gross interest cost during 2024/25 was £39.9m, with £13.5m recharged to the HRA, £9.3m related to assets under construction in Meridian Water and capitalised, and £5.5m received from companies to offset interest costs related to loans that were passed on to companies. The council received £7.6m in investment and other income. The overall cost of debt to the Council's General Fund for 2024/25 was £24.0m, which was 7.3% of the net revenue budget. This generated an underspend against budget of £7.4m.

The report also noted that the accumulated external debt as at 31st March 2025 was £1.286bn, with an average interest rate of 3.13%. The council held £90.1m in investments as at 31st March 2025 and generated investment income of £6.6m.

Motions

Councillors were scheduled to discuss several motions, including:

• A motion from Councillor Chris Dey relating to military compensation schemes and their impact on veterans' access to local benefits. The motion calls for all military compensation to be disregarded as income when assessing applications for benefits such as Council Tax Support, Housing Benefit, Discretionary Housing Payments and Disabled Facilities Grants.
• Two motions from Councillor Maria Alexandrou, one seeking to exempt all blue badge holders from all Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) in Enfield, and another urging the council to focus support on men's mental well-being in November, which is International Men's Day.
• Two motions from Councillor Lee Chamberlain, one recognising the benefit provided by Woodcroft Wildspace and directing council officers to ensure its continued future, and another noting the continued failure to fully decommission and decant the Shires Estate Tower blocks and instructing the Housing Cabinet Member to act.
• A motion from Councillor Ayten Guzel, noting the Labour Government's reforms to address the housing crisis and resolving to work closely with the government to deliver more social and affordable homes for Enfield.
• A motion from Councillor Susan Erbil, calling on the government to change the law to help protect communities from gambling harm, and supporting Brent Council's Six Point Plan for Gambling Reform.
• A motion from Councillor Doug Taylor, noting the failing water sector and welcoming the government's resolve to tackle failures, and outlining objectives for scrutinising water companies operating in the borough.
• A motion from Councillor Ian Barnes, welcoming the Labour government's extension of free school meals and resolving to work with government to help bring down child poverty.
• A further motion from Councillor Ayten Guzel, reaffirming the council's commitment to providing high-quality public services, strong support for its workforce, action on the climate crisis, and inclusive communities.

Other Business

The council was also scheduled to:

• Confirm the designation of the function of Head of Paid Service to Perry Scott following his appointment to the permanent role of Chief Executive.
• Approve a dispensation for Councillors Gina Needs and Nia Stevens from the requirements of Section 85(1) of the Local Government Act 1972, which requires a councillor to have approval if they are unable to attend a meeting of the authority for a period of six consecutive months.
• Confirm any changes to committee and outside body memberships.

Questions

Prior to the meeting, a list of questions from councillors was published, covering topics such as the reduction in crime, improvements to the Members Enquiry system, the work of the Enfield Public Safety Centre, tree felling, action days in Ponders End Park, spending on taxis for staff, knife crime awareness week, the A10 Edmonton Skatepark, the Household Support Fund, spending on external consultants and solicitors, the Alma Estate regeneration project, youth services at Croyland Road Youth Club, the enhanced concierge security service, the reopening of the Edmonton Leisure Centre swimming pools, complaints in the repairs department, the new lease for Enfield Town Shopping Centre, the Regulator of Social Housing inspection, and parking charges at Forty Hall.

Monitoring Officer Advice Note

A Monitoring Officer Advice Note 4 was included in the supplementary agenda, reminding councillors of the rules on raising points of order or points of personal explanation at council meetings. The note emphasises that the right to raise such points should not be used simply to secure a further opportunity to speak or to argue with a point made by another councillor, and outlines the procedures for raising and responding to such points.