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>> HTH Room 104 – Council Chambers: Okay. Can you hear us now? Oh, yes. Working out. Perfect. Thanks. I’ve got it again. Welcome to the meeting of the Skills Economy and Growth Scrutiny Commission. I’m Council, Claire Potter and I’m the Chair of Scrutiny commission and this meeting has been recorded and live stream. Now, please keep your microphones on mute if you’d like to speak. Raise your hand to get my attention. The chat function must not be used to have conversation with other participants, or to provide personal information because this is a meeting of Hackney Council, Please note, the press may be in attendance and a note to members attending virtually and your your attendance will be noted as absent in the minutes. Okay. In introduction of apologies. For absence we’ve had apologies from Council Martins, Council Route, Cancer, Davis and Cancer Day. We haven’t invited any offices to this meeting and all our guests are present Item, two urgent items of business. We haven’t had any Item, three declarations of interest, any declarations to declare? Item four, which is the substantive item of this meeting. We were not update from cabinet members achievements of the administration from 22 to 26. so, this this item is a cabinet, member update about the strategic plan, and the manifesto commitments, and mayoral priorities, which underpin it covering the period 2022 to 2026. this is the final year of the exact executives administration, which is why we are revisiting the Strategic plan in relation to our remit for skills academy and growth to receive an update on the progress into service delivery, and any challenges that cabinet members may have. So, thank you very much for the seven cabinet members in attendance and so, starting from my left, we have Bad generation microphones. Sorry about that everybody and it councilorganic Hussain cabinet member for regeneration that includes planning and oversight of economic development and housing regeneration and their houses Thank you. Councilor Joe Walker. Deputy covered a member or struggling neighborhoods which includes the relationship with the council and a bunching community center and resident engagement participation, corporate property in relation to VCs and yeah, that’s probably probably covers. Carol Williams cabinet member for employment HR and equalities. Chris Kennedy and the relevant Parts of my Portfolio Tonight, Voluntary and Community Sector and Culture. Hi, I’m Sarah Young. And I’m having a member for climate change. Environment and transport. Hello. I’m Sam Palace. I’m a deputy cabinet member for the inclusive economy and Mercury. Deputy man, Nicholson around areas such as business support and affordable workspace, and shopping and the local economy. Hogney, I’m Councilor. Susan Fadano Thomas, I’m the cabinet member for regulatory services in terms of these In terms of tonight. So covers my Here tonight covers part of the council regulatory functions, which is licensing in particular, another area function as well as. Front reading markets and Yes, thank you very much and I think I should also introduce the committee members here as well, so I can go over. To my right top right. And high councilor Patrick, Pinkerton counselor for kids snowboard. Counselor, John Norcross. Uh, Classical Smith Counselor Stone Newington Award. Thank you everybody for being here. So we asked, we asked the cabinet members to provide an update to cover the achievements and challenges for this administration so far. priorities for the final 12 months, leading up to spring 2020 6. And an outline of how you’re achievements, have contributed towards Hackney’s Hackney Council’s, strategic plan working together for a better hackney as adopted in November 22. And obviously, Emergency themes will have come up since then and you know please and do expand on anything. You think that’s relevant that we should know about. So we’ve divided it into two parts and so in part one will hear Councilor Kennedy Council Walker and Council for John and Thomas. And in part two will hear Council Williams County Young Council. Nicholson Council Pass. so, I think for part one, if I could invite Cancer Kennedy to unmute your, your microphone and commence your verbal update, you have 10 minutes and then extra time with cancer walk to expand. But thank you very much. It’s good to see. Members of the commission here tonight. I’m sad that not all members of the Commissioner here because obviously what we’re about to tell you is about delivery of during quite challenging circumstances over the last four years of very, very ambitious. Set of manifesto pledges that were laid down by this administration three years ago. And I’ve pulled out the ones that I think are most relevant to this commission and I’ll give you very quick updates. The first one I want to concentrate on is a pledge about Saint. Leonard’s, Hospital Anderson, Leonard’s hospital site. Now I have answered questions about this at another scrutiny commission under another part of my portfolio at the Health in Hackney School need commission. I believe it sits much better here because in our local plan for the site, we acknowledge as a local authority, that on that site, You can only really make it work for our whole community, if the site itself contributes in some way, by being part of the growth of the community and I would I would argue also although I’ve got in trouble for this before but I’m going to repeat it and also of the economy because we do talk in our local plan about how on I as well as healthcare facilities, there must be an opportunity for housing and and possibly even retail in order to make the site work. The pledge was Pledge, 29 in our pledges and it said we would support a partnership-led one public estate approach to see that the public sector land There was a retained by those public sector organizations that are involved. So that means the council in partnership with the NHS to protect services for future generations, and deliver wider public benefits. It’s rag rated Amber, I think that might be a generous amber really because actually, what happened after, we’ve written that pledge was the site was one of those sites that under the previous government. You were allowed. If you are a foundation trust hospital to express an interest in any site that belong to NHS property services and expand how you might want to use it to deliver your services and we will supporting Anderson Healthcare In. fair expression of interest, in that site, then without warning, the then Secretary of State for Health Steve Barkley, just pulled the plug and around the country. There are about 50 Such expressions of interest had gone on and he said, No, I’m I’m having nothing more to do with those. Any idea of those sites being available to NHS, bodies. I’m going to put on hold since then. Nothing much really has happened at Saint, Leonard’s, it’s the healthcare facilities that are being provided. There have been have carried on, there’s been a couple of additions. I would say the reason why it’s amber rather than red as a pledge is because we are starting as a local authority. Now to talk about it again and I’m going to the Hamilton board to talk about it in a couple of weeks time. It’s the first hour of their board meeting. in almost exactly a fortnight. So, we’re beginning to open up and be part of those conversations again. And as I say, our local plan, I think lays out very clearly that it’s got to do some of the work itself as a site to actually generate some value from itself in order for us to get health care facilities, etc, and residential possibly even social rent residential on there. They might need to be some Fit there might need to be some retail as well. I would say particularly interesting to start talking about it now because the recently published NHS 10-year plan, has talked about having neighborhood health clinics, as some Leonard’s, is exactly the kind of site where you can see, if a new one of those was going to be built in acne, it being built. outside of culture. Again, another pledge I’ve pulled out, And, you know, I wanted to be honest with you tonight. There are, there are some pledges we haven’t been able to deliver and there was a pledge around providing 24-hour study space for pupils and students that came out of a hackney young futures. Work Amazon was asked from them. We looked at it, we considered it. We were wondering if we could deliver 24-hour opening of libraries, we considered the safeguarding issues around having pupils in the middle of the night in a public space and how much staffing you would need to guarantee. safety. And yes, the sheer logistics of it when we were talking with the education services, we thought that’s not going to work. So that is a red pledge that we will not deliver. I’m afraid. Chair, because we simply. Simply don’t think it’s practical certainly within our current resource envelopes. But I can talk to you about the big piece for me which is obviously libraries, especially in. relationship to this committee. So the five library pledges in their three of them green one, amber one, red. I know you’re a huge fan of libraries chair and that this committee is a huge fan of our libraries and everything that goes on in them. And I think it’s been a huge effort. You ask us to talk about the successes. I think the work we did on. Upskilling, all our library staff, because remember, we, we did a whole complete restructure as part of our work in libraries, we promised in the manifesto that Because we’d already done a library’s consultation. People had said they wanted to see more going on in there and libraries being more active more varied they wanted to see libraries of as absolute, you know, hubs of creativity interaction, public open, access art learning culture all coming together there. and they’ve been a huge success story. I would say of our strategic plan about getting everybody involved In Hackney and what we do, and what we can do on our estate. Just as an example, I thought because I lifted all those things art learning culture work play, that’s what we said in our in our pledges. Two eight, nine I went to the library Staff weekly update and I said, I bet the staff weekly update that does a headline of things that have happened in libraries Justin one week? We’ll have examples of all those. I’ll just nip you through what’s in the most recent staff. Weekly update that came out on Friday and multilingual storytelling. It will be down for babies and toddlers in Arabic Somali in English. The announcement of the Summer Library Quest for younger children, books, challenges fighting things out, encouraging them to write their own book reviews, creating their own stories across all our libraries, encouraging to visit new libraries, that they might not have been to before. pictures of Deputy Mayor, Bramble listening to pupils presenting on the books that they’ve read. that’s year. Five Years, Six Key Stage 3 and then presenting them with their reading Champion certificates. a weaving rainbows workshop with older residents in one of our housing with care schemes rose Court. And that’s delivered by the artists who were in the studios above. Stoke, Newington. And when we did the work for Stoke Newington, we found them at home above Stanford, Hill Library, and in return for having studio space above the library, they deliver art and culture in the community, one of the things they do is go in and work with our older people in our housing, with care schemes, And another one of the things they do is they produced them a zine with our domestic abuse survivors. It’s a magazine for everyone and it tells anyone in the street, how can you support? Someone experiencing domestic, abuse designed with survivors of domestic abuse and for all of us by our artists who live, in our library. So extraordinary contribution to our community from stuff that goes on, in our libraries. The next thing in the update on Friday was about refugee week, Hackney Museum, that was classes year. Five and six classes, welcome at the museum, Where they were told about how we’ve made the pledge for Hackney as a safe haven and they’ve looked all the different types of refugee immigration. We have had into the borough and how we’ve supported them and the final two things to thank you. So thank you to all the staff who’d help residents talk about the refurbishment work. That’s going to go on in Hackney Central Library and thank you letter from people in the north of England who come down to Hackney were researching, their family history, and had been so welcome in the Hackney archives. When they were looking into their family history that they wrote them this lovely long letter saying, Thank you so much for looking after us. Um, you don’t have to take my word for it. You have the library peer review, Came here to this commission in 2024, complemented, as on what we’ve done, how we’d up skilled the staff, the internal staff, pulse survey shows. Really good satisfaction. So, it worked for staff, as well as for residents, it worked so well for residents that and I’ll put this in the chat later. And when you can have it for your minutes, the annual libraries report, did a resident user satisfaction survey 97% satisfaction with our libraries so have very happy to report those to a very solid green. My third green rag rating. In libraries is the Community Library Service. WE prom Some that we would. invest in that service, give them more tools, and widen the offer of the community library service. And last year, we recruited an extra member of staff there. So dedicated community library service and volunteer manager because we had lots of people who wanted to volunteer delivering books to our residents and now we’ve got someone who can actually look after them. They took the chief executive round, one of their vans, a couple of weeks ago. She absolutely loved it. Loved meeting the residents and actually I’ve been around once. As well, I got given I got into a conversation and very quickly, the resident found out that I had cats and she insisted I take some cat food home with me to give to my cats. You you meet wonderful and lovely people through our library service. So I’ve done you your three greens there. Of my books. That’s not my problems. But I do have a lovely local government Association badge. There’s an amber pledge. So let you know I said, I wanted to be honest. So what are the challenges and you asked us to talk about the challenges we wanted to deliver and we said as one of our pledges that we were deliver major investment in all of our libraries to renovate, an upgrade them and we haven’t been able to deliver that in. This. Period for all our libraries. And I think most of, you know, we’ve got some leveling up funding for Acne Central Library and there’s going to be a great refurbishment there. We’ve spoken already about Stamford Hill Library, we’ve got the work going on on the roof. We wanted that to reopen in summer 26 that’s looking unlikely at the moment because they found us bestos in there. And then obviously we had the instance of the scaffolding falling down chair. I just want to correct something about that Many people thought that the scaffolding there was up was was part of the roof work starting. It wasn’t, it was protective to protect passes by from anything loose on the roof and the parapet that might fall on them. So, actually, it was just protective and I have had people saying they’ve had all that scaffolding up. I haven’t seen any work going on, It wasn’t there for the purposes of work It was there for the purposes of protection of the public in the vicinity. So, not every library has got a a capital program for improvement yet. We’ve we’re developing a 10-year capital program, we’re taking it to the Capital investment board and hoping that we’ll be able to announce improvements everywhere, but we’re not there yet, which is why that is Amber. And oh, and oh, I’ve made myself a note here. Not to forget to remind you, that we secured a huge amount of Heritage Lottery, funding for Hackney Museum, 2.2 million for the refurbishment of that. And if I’m thinking about some of the things I’m really, really pleased that we’ve managed to do during the course of this year, is to secure that kind of money. And It’s, it’s brilliant. The exhibitions and the the permanent display in there is great, but it’s been there for 20 years, it’s especially the stuff, all the kids love jumping on playing with is getting a bit tired. And heritage. Lot of that heritage lottery fundament fund money will make it brand spanking. You the Red Pledge. And the thing, I’m really sad that we can’t deliver at the moment and it’s because of resource reasons is that we said we’d introduce a new library and cultural hub would be down. on, in the new Woodbury, downtown square. And at the moment that Not red because we do not have the resource to deliver that we’re trying to get us. Some sort of strategic plan going with the Woodbury Down, Regen team and consider, how we can build on what’s there. And in fact, we the other day we secured 90k of funding for the existing Volunteer-led library there, So we have had some successes there but I’m afraid that’s something that we haven’t been able to deliver the other part of my portfolio voluntary and community sector. I’m going to hand over to Counselor Walker now. I just want to say one thing about it and that is that the mayor that realize that that relationship is so key to everything that we do. So key to our corporate strategy and plan that she created a specific role, deputy cabinet member for neighborhoods, including all the relationship with that sector and that just shows how important she thought it was that we have Counselor Walker here with us today as a Cabinet member. Thank you. Thank you, chair. And can I just thank Councilor Kennedy, actually, for all the work that he did with the volunteering community sector from from 2022. Until I was appointed and last year and and just to kind of echo. His comments about the That they’ve launching community sector is to the council and not not only in delivering really key frontline services but you know that they’re also a set to that employ a great broad diverse range of skill practitioners and provide you know really critical services for many of our residents across the borough and when we talk about the launching community sector, you know and we’re talking about both the BCS, we’re talking about faith sector and social enterprise as well, but we generally just call it the VCs so just just for a purpose of understanding and that, but we started, we really sort of started the working earnest on the BCS last year with a conference that we held in partnership with HTTPS and stronger together which was trying to bring bring together a lot of our partners that we worked with. Into what some of the issues were going on with the sector, some of the challenges and to, and to also, sort of get a sense of what our community partners felt about the relationship with the council and that was a really important to, to start to inform the consultation process that we, we then launched really this time last year and, and to really sort of set out a consultation process both online. But also in person workshops to bring the sector, Paper and we worked really hard to try and bring bring a broad and diverse range of community organizations and into these spaces to engage with them to really build relationships with them. But to understand, you know what? What they’re kind of key challenges were the issues that they were facing within their communities, particularly around some of the issues that they were working on. And, and importantly, really it was around, you know, how they saw us saw their relationship with the Council going forward. And there were, there were kind of free important issues that we really wanted to to kind of find out from this consultation. And and number one was really kind of looking at resource future resource and how we unlock that. New investment into the sector at a time when we know the sector is really struggling financially. Yeah, alongside you know the council that is having its own financial challenges as well. Secondly it was around partnership and what what kind of you know, real deep meaningful partnership and meant and and how we could reshape and reset some of those relationships that we had with our community partners across the borough and thirdly and I think this is the really interesting piece of work was around power and decision-making and and kind of really looking at where power sat but where decisions were were made and I think, particularly around when we looked at some of the Operation. We were doing on frontline services and and and how we worked properly representing communities across our borough and where those decisions were made. and so, really kind of where we’re at now, with all the work with the BCS is that we’re about to bring two papers to Cabinet this month, one on the BCS strategy. So so we and part of that consultation process was to really inform a review of our BCS strategy, which the last time we published that was 2018. And, you know, the world has changed immersionably since then. And we really felt that we needed a strategy that kind of really reflected the sector as it was now and I was really pleased to present some of the initial findings of that strategy to the Commission back in January. But that was really at the outset of our work and now we I’m really pleased that we’re about to launch that strategy next month. Alongside the redesign of our grant program Some of the challenges have obviously been a little backdrop of the savings that we’ve had to make and and the VCs has reflect some of those savings that were having to make as a council and we we’ve had to look at. So take 33% of funding out of the grant program for the coming year. And this is obviously sort of had An impact on how we how we fund our community partners. But I think it’s been been also a kind of use to let exercise and really, kind of reviewing how we fund but who we fund as well and why we’re funding some of our and community partners. and the way that we do that, and So we’ve, we’ve really sort of shifted part of that strategy has been to shift our funding away from to the project grants, and more to strategic core funding Both for our advice partners community infrastructure partners and also bringing in the funding for lunch clubs which previously was help a CBS that was money that we gave to gave to HCBS but we’ve now sort of brought that back in House. so that we can really kind of review where that sort of funding goes and, and the way that it’s funding, some of our lunch club partners and the other shift that we made was really kind of looking at five-year grants and one of one of the things that we heard from the consultation. with the sector was about the long-term funding needs for organizations and how how kind of previous grants had been either just 12 months or two years really, just sort of helped the creators. Security of in the sector. And if we could really sort of move to kind of longer term funding that would really start to address some of those issues at the set was facing. And so, so part of part of the, the revamping of, of our grants program is to deliver some of these five-year grants going forward, which I really hope will kind of helped to secure some of that and security and sustainability going forward for the sector and some of the challenges that we are facing, is that with 33% savings that we’ve had to make, we’ve had to make some difficult decisions about what we don’t fund, and we’ve had to remove from our grants program and the heritage and immunity grants, which have affected, some of our long-term partners in terms of funding. However, we worked really hard mitigations in place to engage with those partners that will no longer receive those grants. And to ensure that, you know, we can work with them to guide them to look at alternative routes to funding. But also kind of work at, you know, looking at at how, you know, they can can continue some of their kind of core services working in partnership with the Council and the other key challenge has been, we took a decision to remove that we’ve been given to Happy Food Bank. And we knew this would be very challenging for us partly because one of the Meryl priorities is is to tackle poverty and inequality, but the reason for that was, you know, we felt we needed to review but take a more strategic look at actually how we were tackling food, poverty, and food, and security across the right? And one of the mitigations that we in place for that has been to to repurpose that funding to work with both the food bank, and other food partners across the borough to employ a food coordinator, to really kind of work across that network of food providers so that we can really look at and ask those questions of, you know, What are we funding? Why we funding these partners and is it really making an impact to sort of tackling you know, a key issue that we know faces many of our most residents. And so we’ve, we’ve worked really closely with the food bank on this, the chief exec of the Food Bank, and has supported this strategy in this direction, going forward and we will be meeting with both happy food bank and other food partners later this month to start. Look at what that strategy looks like. Going forward. And I think finally, finally sort of what I want to say really is that I think the core message, sort of coming out of all of this work with the VCs, is that this is not about the Council retreating from its responsibilities at all, you know, this is a really about the Council reviewing and resetting it relationship and and working out how we can work. More effectively, with our community partners to ensure that we can work with them to ensure longer term sustainable funding. And to ensure that we have a resilient sector going forward because we recognize and we value the importance of the sector and the role, it plays and delivering frontline services. More residents. Thank you very much. Thank you, Counsela Walker. And if I could go to council for John Thomas and then we’ll have the first round of questions Council of John Thomas. Thanks very much is you to be here. As I mentioned. in my introduction, that tonight, the area that I’m going to be talking about is around the three areas mainly, which would be Oh, I’ve talked about licensing, our nighttime economy as well as market and show front trading in Hackney. or in terms of those a weird, as part of the plegies in 2022, we play to review and develop and public accumulative impact assessment which They’re formally referred to our special policy where because some of our area in half in Hackney like Showdation dosti. We recognize the many private license premises there, and the impact on on resident, and on on Hackney so, the previous special policy area. We The first five years. So as part of those places, back in 2022, we said We’re going to review that because we just don’t want to renew it without it doing it. So we commission and independent organization to where possibly viewed our special policy area and work on boys out be using cumulative impact. Learned from now on. that organization, viewed and made some recommendation for. Also, we went out to consultation and after the consultation, we developed a device, cumulative with developed the cumulative impact assessment, Now, show this remain accumulative, impact assessment area. While dostien area is. Now, especially consideration area, because they review, our evidence is not justified that we need to put continue with the cumulative Impact assessment dosti. And the other nighttime economy, imagine areas in Hackney the London Field mere street Hackney Central as well as Hackney Week, all of those areas we as part of those as part of the review and the consultation that do Serious Day, imagine night time economy. But we they manageable. So that is the first work to take off on the Plagueis which is now there. And there’s been some a few business As usual. We develop the statement of gambling principles which is guiding how we A Consider when we receive applications on that they gambling Act 2020 or five. This again are gambling. state principles, revolve around, making sure that hackney gambling is not a source of crime disorder in hackney making sure that our gambling or gambling principle involve around protecting vulnerable people. Why young people are young people who are children as well as making sure that gambling. So those are the aid to mentioning in license and then I’m now go to the nighttime economy. I’m proud to say that we’ve delivered the first hackney living at nighttime economic strategy, which was approved just last month or cheers. We recognize that for decade Hackney has been an important drivers of London evening, and nightlife activities. People love to come to our borrow to spend the night and the vibrant evening on my time economy as being one of the main drives us of the boroughs transformation. This group ask irritate, he benefited for Hackney in terms of new jobs more in. Event, a better range of leisure opportunities for resident and continually thriving, High Street, despite the Charlie and it has also brought challenges as you said, I’ll mentioned that which include managing the impact of night time activities on the needs and the need of our residents and keeping their news and public species safe from crime and associate behavior or this night time strategy, that would developing hackney has to repeat last. He was before we arrive as two. Three, last I’ll say chair. We it was in a nine times strategy that was developed just by my team. There are other 14 services in the council. They were included. They were involving those conversation as well as with the community or last year when we were having distracted year. My belong here. I think we had the highest numbers of responses to consultation in the ball last year with about 1,400, three residents and contributing to that. solve the 192 visitors and 78 businesses and walk around 15 night workouts contributed to the Strate. He was a strategy that would developed with the communities and our businesses. So out of that, we developed three pillars which is around safety security and well-being of resident people that works in those places promoting inclusivity celebrating diversity and culture, our nighttime species and shaping the evening experiences and supporting growth in the economy. so, oh, Dice about the night time. strategy and as part of the nighttime economy or, you know, I think I have been here with the Hackney Night accreditation scheme, which is a beacon in London or Italian scheme. That we introduce to ensure that our species are. See, we have various training with frontline. staff in the night time economy, which include on issues, such as drink, spiking sexual harassment, conflict management, our recently working with public health calling, we started training on Knox, Ozone, which is the emergency Aunty, Dude, for overdose is cost by no kids. Oh, since 2022, we have trained over tooth with training about 2,500 individuals are in a nighttime workers frontline in my time economy without the successful. don’t cross the line campaign, another campaign, first of his kind in, in London saying that harassment as part of our making sure that our nice species are safe for women working with the Violence Against Women team to ensure that we are tackling All accreditation, scheme city standard for all their new across the Borrow requiring them to act as a safe space for women and making sure. making sure that people that visits their Premises are protected at the moment. We’ve we’ve got 49 accredited venue in the borrow or also with engaging the wave training which is the welfare and vulnerability engagement training to I’m not too sure. We fart about one horror 97 VC to venues making sure their compliance with the with their license or conditions we are advice or more about 68 or license premises and as well as oh, wider training in Hackney, we got For cold water area. This took Newton or acne central dusting and shortish making sure there are the trainees for all. Those are called wash members in those areas of not, just the night time economy, but they time economy is not all of our premises at night time economy. Some of our pops are only looking standards time Guys on the outstop, they are being conscious of the time before. So I’ll go to the market service in 2022 that we committed that we develop our market strategy, 2023, to 2028. We all played. I’m going to promote our street markets So many of us in Hackney will be shopping or within. Markets. And we say, we’re going to invest in Hackney Market traders, help facility trainings and help set of trade, the treat association to be supported. resource. We have been doing that and we continue to do that. Or acne markets and street trading services are the heart of the boroughs Identity, driving inclusive, economic growth celebrating diversity. I’m proud to say that. Our markets now attract over 7.1 million show pass, annually, collectively, acne markets and short form. Now, contribute over 20 million annually to the local economy. acting as engine of inclusive growth and community wealth building. Our markets and nationally and international recognize US engines of community worth building innovation and sustainability. In terms of delivery As I mentioned, we deliver the market strategy in last year 2024, and in terms of the market days, street trading services, with licensed, our support over 3,000 small and micro businesses offering incubation digital tunes. And Support that reflect acne, commitment to fairness, equity and opportunity. our awards winning open market platform, we through the London Digially, we develop an open market platform. That transform traders and services delivery. Not just for Hackney, it’s a london-wide up that instead of you writing to a borrow to say, you want to see whether you can, whether there are opportunity for empty. they can’t stores. All you need to do, nice to go to the on this app, you will be able to see where strolls are really boo, in any London market. Or in 2024-25 chair, which is out can say this is the most successful year to date of the market and front short front services. We we have three million service income, 10 vibrant markets, across the borough. Or is 600,000 operating surplus. Reversing a previous hackney market used to run in deficit that reverse the previous 1.2 million deficit. We have 296 new businesses, that’s the 25% search in market or coupons. We’ve had 428% increase in local job curation. and 60% of traders in Hackney now, are women 74% from acne ethnically diverse background and 10% from Lgbtq+ community. Or Hackney is also home to the UK 4-0 plastic marketing market, eliminating over 100,000, single, use plastic bags, annually, and processing. 100 30 kg of organic waste dealing to certify compost, using schools and community spaces. oh, Work directly contribute to the public rim, vibrance in an high street recovery increase business visibility and local job creation. Or quickly the last beat our quickly. mention a few other things. We’ve got a 10 years on year group in paid Peter Coupons marking the third consecutive year of Double Digit performance setting in New Borough record with over 56,000 each bookings in Hackney Hackney is now the borrow with the most available paid for street. Trading pitches in London, so passing Tower Hamlet and all of that burrows. um, And shop front income. Rose for 67,000 in 2017. To now over 500,000 in 2024, so, Just moving through the digital transformation that I mentioned. Hope where the market platform. have reduced license processing, time by 40% and supported is 16. Increase 16% increase in social media engagement. oh, I think the last thing that I would say, I’ve mentioned how Hackney markets, and but I’ve been said that is not just Me saying it or the team saying it. I get out say with God or a cupboard full of our world. We’ve won the best UK food market for Broadway Market from the National Board of Market Traders Association. We want the best large street market for Ridley Road, from the Great British Market Award. We want the best market service innovation for zero plastic market from the National Board of Market Traders Association. Thanks for John Thomas and the last thing that out the last thing that I mentioned, as part of the world, we supporting young people getting young and Sustainable. Or sustainable businesses in our borough. Again, this in our next weekend, we two years ago. We hosted the Or national. Trading Association, young entire prayers southeast to read, John Competition. Our next weekend, we’re going to be doing same thing. Our Broadway market, thank you. I will stop therefore actually, if you don’t mind, Don’t talk to Sorry, we’re really short. Okay, I’ll stop there. Happy to answer questions. I was going to tell yourself something around trading standard, but that is So, thank you to the three cabinet members of Spoken Cancer, Kennedy, Cancer, Walk and Council of John Thomas is quite a lot there. There’s quite a lot of achievements and you’ve been very honest and open about, you know, where the challenges of life, if we are half an hour, we did start a little bit late so we are half half an hour behind. So I would suggest us a few quick fire questions. if we can be very brief and you can be very brief and then we can maybe follow up on anything specific just so we can allow enough time for for remaining cabinet members. So if I could just start very quickly, just to say, Thank you Councilor Kennedy. Hear about sent Leonard’s and it might be reached up. That process might be restarting and I was just going to comment wasn’t really a question that perhaps when that does come forward again to it if even when to a more of a substantive region item that perhaps we can do a joint piece with health happening on that one. I was just going to comment as well about the obviously the pledge to open study space for 24 hours is not true feasible. I was wondering whether there was any possibility of extended study times that perhaps have been looked at whether that’s a possibility and I’ll also open up to members. Has pink pinkton. I guess it’s directly following from the chairs comment there like Extended library, opening times around exam seasons, potentially, could that be something? You know, just in? Yeah, April May June time for students studying, exams, an idea? Is there any other questions members? Cancerously. Yeah, thank you. Lots of exciting stuff going on. This one’s to cancel Walker. just on the changes in the grants. You’re saying you kind of you’re going to be sort of cutting money from projects. I’m sure there’s quite a number of different projects and some there are probably quite important maybe for children, possibly domestic abuse services, things like that, you know, kind of more critical type of line services with the Council. My question is, which of those key projects? Are we losing funding from? And those key projects are we going to find any way to support them? Like I think you mentioned, a way you’re gonna support one of the organizations with finding something or other account. Remember, it was now now, but Yeah, so support for that key cuts to projects are critical. Okay, and if I could just cancel marks, I will keep my question. I think can cancel the markers. Thank you Main was for a Castle walker and Castle candy. It was just around, obviously Castle. What you talked about sort of supporting and the voluntary sector. I just wondering what role libraries has played in that and whether you know, there’s any work going on about encouraging the use of our kind of library space for the sort of civil society and voluntary sector and encouraging. Those kind of relationships on top of the kind of council led Library program. okay, and if I could just add a very quick question for counts for John and Thomas, really, really great story about markets and this committee very much celebrates, the work that has been done on onto your leadership. I don’t think one of the pledges was about in in hand, sing and exploring new kind of street market potential. So, you know, maybe you can just do a few comments on that and I’m sure that’s in development, so we can first of all, go to cancer Kennedy. And then we are gonna have a very short question and follow up with you answer, Kennedy. So it was about extra possible hours for studies space. Yeah, I think our best prospect of doing that will be revealed by how we get our open access working at Stoke, Newington Library. So when we do the refurbishment of Stoke, Newington Library. I should have added. We reminded you. We’ve got half a million arts counsel England towards the refurbishment, Start Newington when we reopen, but when it does, it will be a kind of swipe card. Let yourself in system with minimal staffing their and it’s and will also work as a as a pilot for something that might we hope might work at other libraries in the future and it would be much easier and much more. resource saving. To have systems like that in our libraries because at the moment. Remember we are very challenged with finding the resource to pay enough staff to be there in our libraries for the extra hours. So, in terms of doing that fully staffed in the way they are now little prospect of that at the moment and then remember we as a council approved as as part of our ongoing budget savings at actually, did we do it as a council? No, we did a cabinet, didn’t we? it’s one of the things coming to our July cabinet is a proposal that we won’t have our libraries open for quite so long weekends and some weekday evenings, I can’t. Sorry. I can’t remember exactly where in the system that proposal is. But it’s part of our resource savings going forward and we’re Now, we must already have agreed it. Because we’re consulting on it. We’re consulting on it in the autumn. So I think that was agreed as part of last year’s savings plans. Yes, it was. So it did go to budget in February. um, so open access is the is the answer to that one and you’re quite right, our libraries are packed around exam time, VCs in libraries? Yes, happens all the time. Our voluntary and community sector groups. We are constantly. I was invited to play chess at Hamilton Library just by way of example and I play chess there. last Monday. As always playing chess. I looked up and I waved and going with Bishop local author, and leader of Black Writers Group who meet in our libraries. Okay, so walk the question on grants. Yeah. Okay, it’s really important question and obviously something that you know, we’ve we’ve looked really hard at, as we’ve kind of had to look at the sort of savings that we we made to the One Sheen Community Center. Grants that what what we thought did sort of mitigate against. Some of that was we gave. We gave all of our current grantees at the moment as six months extension. on their current grant, as we were kind of reviewing this. This was to also allow them, you know, to look at alternative funding plans, you know, should they not be successful in getting sort of future council grants when we really launch the grant program next month? Obviously everybody will be invited to apply that bonding and you know we hope that you know the process will be That. But what I’m certainly what we’re focusing on this time around very strongly is to ensure that the grants program really reflects our equalities and program as well and that and kind of smaller organizations and organizations. Particularly from back back global majority own groups who have probably previously felt excluded from the process. You know, we really wanted to bring them into the process. and one of the, one of the Decisions that we took around the savings which I mentioned in before was taking out the heritage grants from from the Grant program. Now, that, that was really sort of, based on kind of looking looking at all of our grantees. And, and evaluating what they did against our poverty reduction framework. So I’m confident that all the groups that we continue to fund will really kind of reflect those key priorities around our poverty reduction and program and also our quality to program as well. Now we we will be working, you know, with those with those partners who we may not fund in the future to kind of support them to kind of look at alternative funding but also to encourage organizations to work in politics together to look at where, you know they can they can share resource and part of our strateg a with the BCS is to kind of really, look at how we unlock new investment into the sector as well. And we will be convening a meeting in the autumn with London, funders, including organizations like East, London, Community Foundation, which I know Council. Nicholson is a trustee of to really bring them around the table to look at future investment, working with the Council to ensure that, you know, we can we can unlock some of that funding coming into the set of the future. Thank You Council Walker and Council for John Thomas. thanks very much in terms of developing new market, I can assure you, because I didn’t have time to go on alone. We have been doing that at the moment, we’ve done the consultation the LEDs year there is the station of the Broadway market, there’s the Ghost meat round market, or there is, they were looking forward to start Sunday marketing really road, as well as Chatsworth room. When Chatsworldly open back in 2021 following, It was declining, but I can tell you back in 2023, we had 86,000 in a Chatsworth road as a today at now we now have almost all about walking around 133 stores in Chatsworth Road and as well as that we actually working with public REM to as adult development of CHARTROOT to see. Whether there could be either past year or food closure of that road to further. have the opportunity to west as found the market, and the financing to see just last month, I think about a month ago. Oh child was featuring my London as in market to PC Vibrant. Their product, various product of our and good vibes are atmosphere. Thanks Jeff. Thank you. That’s what John Thomas and I think just I suppose to sum up just to say thank you for your contributions. And I think we will certainly want to invite you back the council. Kennedy you alluded to the changes in for the of the impacts. I think we certainly want to write you back at some time this year when it works and for both service and you know, the committee in terms of examining that cancer We don’t like to go a bit more into candle maybe some of the consultation responses, you know, it’s once it’s rolled out, perhaps, see the initial early stages and council for John Thomas. The nighttime strategy is just been launched. So, you know, perhaps near the end of this administration we can look at you know the impacts and so very much would like to invite you back during the year, we’ll be in touch if I could if you do want to leave this junction you’re very welcome. If you want to stay to be to hear what your colleague. So you’re also very well Our counter Smith, just wonder if you have a two minute comfort break, if possible, we can over two minute, comfort break, when any changes can hurt you. oh, Just give you a second to get back in your seat council Smith. And then we’ll start restart again. So Cabinet members saying, Thank you for staying with us. So, for if you could be as precise as possible with your achievements and challenges, and how it links to strategic plan, that would be great. And so, I’m going to go to Council Williams first Then it’s going to be cancer young than Cancer Nicholson in Cancer Pass. Okay, but we’ll take questions as a group because obviously your briefs is a lot of work together. Isn’t that an overlapping? Counselor, Williams whenever you’re ready. Mike, thank you chair. So I’ll try and make it as brief as possible. This is an update on employment skills, adult learning services, over the last financial And our commitments and how they aligned to council’s. Visions outcomes and priorities and outlined in Hackney’s Council’s, Strategic Plan and Acne Works has been instrumental in delivering our pledges and achieving the following out costs comes successfully securing jobs, work experience, and training opportunities for local residents throughout procurement and council contracts by fostering community wealth, billing building and supporting the locally economies grow. Through the leading inclusive, futures through technology program, that’s a lip program. I think we’ve seen great success, that’s delivered in partnership with Camden Islington and Hackney previously, tower hamlets, it’s different developed and sustained program. That provides employment and work experience for underrepresented groups in their techn. Sector. And I was pleased to be able to Sexual 106. And so, funding made answer the Nicholson. and thank you very much for everyone, to extend the Hackney’s contribution and participation patient in that program for further two years, but from 25 to 26, on our investment and apprenticeships as part of our commitments, to the award, we’re gonna apprenticeship scheme happening works as delivered and chair. You have heard some of this at previous meetings we’ve delivered 102 apprenticeships on. through our program. That includes 71 New High Council Anderson, 31, new starts, across our maintained schools. We recognize the need for continued effort to deliver an excellent program and achieve required out Not Required the number of apprenticeships. For a borough that has the level of need. That tag, me does We’ve seen 14 participants graduate from the 1st of three cohorts of the HACKNEY 100 Paid Work Placement Program. And we’ve launched the Hackney 100 skills. Plus in October 20, 24 with 15 participants and that combines credit English math courses, with paid work experience to strengthen pathways to jobs and apprenticeships for those aged over 25. And we provided taste to prep placements for young people in the green sector. Through the Hackney wanted, 100 Green, Construction program, and we planned 15 work, placements, for residents with special educational needs and disabilities. Through the commitment to deliver employment through retail and procurement. We’ve created. that we’ve created by the Regen program and broader council procurement. We’ve seen over 600 residents currently active across the employment support, and ESL service employment skills, and I don’t learning Chair over 900 information advice, and guidance assessments have been conducted by teens delivering employment pathway in the last year. That’s been an increase of top 5% on previous year, and we’ve seen over 230 people supported into employment, okay, an increase on previous years, We have had success on our project search program. Which we’ve been delivering with Hamilton Hospital. It’s been a partnership between Hamilton Hospital and Henry Council. Have been some delivery problems we’ve Hamilton Hospital. So we’ve had a few projects interns this year and so the numbers are down during the administration but we are focusing on reestablishing, our partnership and Hamilton Hospital have committed to relaunching project. Search, we’ve had any works for 25, 26 seconds. I mean, yeah, with recruitments, due to start in September, There are also challenges chair delivering via hackney sixth former college formerly B6, and that could present further challenges of our ambitions for this program, On the Hackney 100 Supports at Placement Program, which commenced the June this year. We’ve seen we had our graduation last week, last Friday. And we’ve seen two residents with Special Education Needs and Disabilities. Support team to work placements. One with the council, one out with And we also have a Connect to Work program, which will provide additional resources to support residents through. The supported Supported internship program. On our lifelong learning and skills courses. We are continuing to ensure opportunities for lifelong learning with excellent skills. Providing qualifications, and routes into good jobs. And there’s been more than 4,700 residents participating in their adult learning courses, 51% of those chair are in vocational subjects and 14% in ESL. With a strong reach across communities. With 81% from black and global majority backgrounds. Early this year. Of stead rated adult learning. Program is good. Noting, an ambition and ambitious. Curriculum inclusive, practice and strong links to employment support. And we’ve had nearly 40 residents, Chief Level Three qualifications in growth sectors, including health social care. Hospitality, Green skills and creative industries. These are all sectors that are focus of our sub regional partnership. And as well as the Council’s priority areas. on green skills in the circular economy and Officers have focused on the successful launch of the Green Skills hub in March this year and I members will have received information from me and we’ll have seen press coverage of that launch And adult learning 360 Residents of participated in. 12 Green focused, Adult Learning courses. It was a quite. It was a Something that came out of this scrutiny commission. I think that the previous code before 2022, There was a question from members of the Commission to ensure the delivery of courses, green skills, courses for adult learners in hackney and so we worked really hard to deliver that. And commission is underway to expand to 17 green skill courses. With over 600 learner places in 2526 and that will be an increase on previous years. We’re also working with Central London forward on crossborough communications plan to promote green skills And we’ll be publishing data on and guide for future delivery and to help scale and give us intelligence and target future. Investment. Chair. Just looking ahead. Some of the things I’d like to focus on in the next 12 months days. How we ensure that our supported internship program, is put on a really firm footing. Securing its longevity and sustainability. We haven’t quite achieved that this year with some of the challenges that we experience with Hamilton Hospital in the current ones were experience in with Acne, 64 College. I think we need to make progress on the apprenticeship program. Getting our numbers back up to pre-pandemic levels. not only across the Council but also within the happy apprenticeship network. And then we changes of the skills and growth level levy which is formally the apprenticeship levy also need to focus on maximizing outcomes and value for money and we need to have an approach that addresses promoters are getting young people onto the creel ladder. Well, so also addressing these of those reentering the labor market. And how we? We? fund obscaling for Council staff as well. So there’s a lot of call and draw on how we spend the growth and skills Levy. I’d like to see a focus on delivering social value of our procurement strategy They’re still room for improvement there and increase outputs and delivering real change for hackney so that we Get value for every hackney pound that we spend on how you value contracts. There’s also a number of things that we can deliver via, or with the regen, including the inclusive talent strategy, which is part of the London Growth Plan. um, and then ensuring that we get investments via into our programs like for example, the Connector Work program, So I think in summary that’s it on challenges. Hackney works really is an operational, they they’re operational delivering programs for the council. They’re not a strategic or policy team which can present challenges their time is often sought by other services. to learn that knowledge and expertise and deliverance strategies elsewhere such as a procurement strategy, the development of the economic development structure aging well and preparing for adult, hold and strategy. So there is a lot of call on their time which takes away focus or on the work that I’d like them to focus on and ensure that we have an excellent offer for for our residents. And I’d ask that you reflect on that as part of your consideration of the reflect of the presentation this evening. I think the team have done its incredibly well, given the demands and then being pulled in all sorts of directions. Across the Council, not just the regeneration team but educate had me education, human. See, and that you see their footprints across the Council. everywhere. Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Councilor Williams. Very very thorough over to you Cancer. I was just sitting reflecting on how much overlap there is between all of our work. This has been a real pleasure actually to look back at the 2022. Manifesto in all its glory, and to see all 309 manifesto commitment, and what a large number of them. Now, fall into or overlap with my responsibilities. I haven’t counted how many unresponsible for, but it feels like quite a large number and looking back it. I was surprised very pleasantly surprised to see that for the vast vast majority of them we have either completed them or on our well on our way to doing. So not all. But the vast majority say actually it was thank you for making us do that and to my responsibilities cover climate change environment, and transport and those not only Overlap a fair bit with each other, but also with lots of other people’s remits here. So for example, when councilor vagina Thomas was talking about markets and she was talking about the plastic free market, our first plastic free market and and also the expansion of markets, particularly Chatsworth Road. So one of the things that we’ve done is to To create a livable neighborhood, including a bus gate. So street that only buses can travel down not other transport to a lot to really support that that expansion and development of Chatsworth market and also on a Sunday. The buses are rewroted so they don’t go through the market at all. So that crossover work is really important and that means not only we then supporting markets and supporting people to walk around their area. We are also reducing traffic, improving air quality encouraging active travel. So the overlaps really significant, as well as, of course economic, you know, supporting the local economy. So that was just one little example and I’m going to talk a little bit about. I can’t talk about absolutely everything, but I’m going to talk a little bit about our climate work, including particularly our energy work, which I know has been to this committee before. But I really wanted to emphasize the delivery of the of our manifesto commitments. Under that a little bit about transport and a little bit about waste, and so, on climate emergency of course way back in 2019, feels a long time ago. Now, we declared a climate emergency in this manifesto, we committed to producing a full climate action plan and an implementation plan, which we’ve done that implementation plan came out in 2023, and we now produce an annual progress report. So last year’s is on the books to have a look at and this year’s is in draft now. So that’s the year 2024 to 25, ending it and in April first of April and we are just that’s just going to the sort of governance processes for publication. So it is a real pleasure to be able to report on progress under all of the many commitments on that plan. We have our Climate Action plan ranges from our Nature recovery work, which is really detailed and important work for example, along the River Lee where we’re doing where we’re working, very closely with community groups to do, you know, small mammal recovery to do to remove, you know, remove those plants, which shouldn’t be there and, and really encourage those natives species to grow to start to try and clear up the river, which works closely with the mayor of London and coban on, you know, reducing river pollution, and also opening up those spaces for people to use and enjoy. So, There’s a lot of work going on around nature recovery and we have a very full green infrastructure plan, which crosses over our transport and how we travel around the borough. But also all those spaces in between our parks, There’s lots of work on parks which I won’t talk about, it’s not in my roommate, but that that worked between the plant. The parks, the green space is a really important and that spreads into some of the transport work we do and also into our climate adaptation work. So we’ve planted over 5,000 trees. Over this period and that is not just because trees are pretty and nice but it’s because they are they are part of really key part of adapting to climate change. It’s been extremely hot recently and we’ve all been quite Grateful for the shade provided by by our street trees. and that green infrastructure is also looking at adaptation to increased flooding. So we’ve put in we call them rain, rain gardens, but they are sustainable urban drainage those areas where we cut out a bit of the pavement. we fill it with plants, which are very hardy and that helps to prevent flooding or to reduce flooding. So this this is kind of In a sense in each bit, it’s small and it’s detailed, but it’s really helping our adaptation to, to climate change and when Metacogan was in this role, he presided over a climate jury which we promised in the manifesto and was actually a really important piece of work. Very, very carefully selected people who were very who were quite well represented of your population in Hackney and came together and looked at specifically at overheating and overheating has become increasingly in the last few years. A real worry in Hackney and came up with a quite a wide range of recommendation which we’ve been slowly working out our way through and as a borough and and an overheating concerns into design and edges into cancer Nicholson’s area, which I won’t go into that in detail. But that’s quite an important part of that that work as is our work with the planning team on looking at energy and other adaptations for buildings to to meet the climate challenge. And so we’ve done some really good work on in the planning team on developing guidance to help and support people to adapt their buildings. So that takes me into the Not just the mitigation work but also into the work. We do improving air quality which I know is health rather than this committee, but it’s a really key part of our climate response, but also our transport work. So whilst we’re encouraging active travel because we encourage actually travel. For health reasons. We are also, of course, improving air quality through doing that. And in hackney we have now over 50 school streets. It’s you quite a number to to increase the safety of kids getting to school but also to improve their air quality and also to give them more ownership of the neighborhoods that they live in, which I think it’s an important part of School Street. We also have 70% of our streets are in low traffic neighborhoods. It’s a really high percentage of our streets. There was another article published today in the Guardian referring to research and showing that low traffic neighborhoods, improve health, and air quality. So worth having a little look at that and and we committed to introducing more livable low traffic and livable neighborhoods in our last manifesto and we are doing that. We’re now on track to do that. So we are introducing the chats with Livermore neighborhood, which I mentioned in relation to the market. But it’s also a bit wider than that. We are Consulting this week, starting this week on Dalston, Liverpool neighborhood and also on a liberal neighborhood in Hoxton. And what I mean by those is an ltn low traffic neighborhood refers to just putting in the the traffic orders that stop certain types of traffic from traveling down the road whereas a livable neighborhood. Is that all of that wider work that goes on, so it’s the rain garden. It’s the trees. It’s the building out the pavement to make it nicer to walk or sit on. It’s all of that other work that makes that area more pleasant. Post me hopefully and I’ll send you the proposal and so, More low traffic neighborhoods. we have, we also committed to putting and I think 1500 cycle hangers we’ve actually put in over 2,000 lots of people living quite crowded homes. Don’t have room to store their bikes so there’s cycle hangers are really important and affordable and we also promise to start putting on one estates and we’ve been doing that. and we have, we also recognize that people are going to, some people are going to continue to drive and some people are going to need to continue to drive. And so we’re supporting that transition from petrol and diesel and gins to electric vehicles. And we’ve got a really strong partnership with zest and through which we are putting in electric vehicle, charging points. All around the borough again, including starting to do that on the state and those are sort of medium charging points as well as rapid charging points. And one of the brilliant things that we are doing, is offering a lower rate to those who sign up to our light and power tariff. So that’s helping to make that electricity cheaper and that brings me to one of my absolute favorite projects that we’re doing. And we said in our manifesto that we would turn hackney light. Hour, which, at the moment is just the best logo in town and into a wholly owned independent company. And we went through quite a lengthy process to look at the costs and benefits of doing that. And at the end of the day, decided that for the moment, we don’t want to have an independent company. We want to keep happy lighting power as a delivery vehicle within the council. So it’s absolutely part of the council. It’s just a badge under the councils and governance so hackney lighting powers been delivering a whole range of projects including our Community Energy Fund, which is supporting organizations to put in energy efficiency, improvements as well as energy and vice and support including for people who are struggling with fuel poverty and other forms of poverty. But hackney light and power is also is also leading on our resident. Solar project which there’s a sort of a bleak reference to in the Manifesto but we’re actually delivering it in a slightly different way to the way we’d envisaged and this is the first project of its kind in the UK and with creating microgrids which allow us to put solar panels on the top of blocks of Council flags and then sell that energy at a cheaper rate back to our residents so residents, get a guaranteed 15% Reduction in their electricity bills. At the same time as we are reducing carbon emissions and switching to renewable energy and springs me back to the charging points. If we’ve got extra energy, extra electricity that we have produced just from the solar panels, we can then start to feed that into other things that we other sources of electricity that we want to use. For example, our electric vehicle charging points, to then, again, reduce the cost of those to our residents. So we’ve we’ve got a really imaginative team of people within hackney light and power who are looking at, what else can we do? What else can we do to make life easier for our residents, to make life cheaper? And also to, to make the borough sustainable and livable in for the future? Very briefly on. transport. We are also doing quite a lot of work around. Improving our junctions and our roads to make them safer road. Safety is a really key issue. In the borough, Our top priority now. Transport strategy is pedestrians and we are working very hard to make sure that our junctions in our streets and more friendly and more usable for those walking and wheeling as well as those cycling pedestrians at the top of that tree. And, and we’ll say, Increasing and this another manifesto commitment, increasing our car share car club, provision, including electric vehicles, that’s been really tricky to do, Because car clubs, find it is very expensive for them to provide electric vehicles through car clubs. And so, it’s been quite hard to find a partner to work with. We have finally managed to do and I should give a little mention to E hire bikes because they are both a great bonus in the borough and also menace and we’ve done, we’ve been hackney we, we do about five million trips to. And from Hackney a year, on E Highway bikes. They are a huge benefit to people out Active travel, people are getting out of cars and on to those bikes. So that’s great. But they also need careful management and we’ve been doing a lot of work, just signed off a Around sort of closer management of those ehar bikes and for the future. And last thing is waste we sorry, second last thing. the Community Energy Fund that I mentioned before and takes funding from a range of sources, including we have a kind of bond climate bond, that people locally, or more widely can invest in. And that’s also fed into our community energy work, and the Community Energy Fund has put energy efficiency measures into quite a large number of buildings in Hackney including 16 schools for faith buildings, eight arts, charities, 12, Other charities, that includes the empire It includes lots of our council buildings. That includes London, Phil’s Lido some Paul’s West Hackney Church Temple Synagogue. The Lee Side Center whole range of different buildings that we’ve been able to support in improving their energy efficiency. So again that’s making that’s making it cheaper for those organ. Organizations to run those buildings as well as decarbonizing at the same time. And that brings me to an area that we have found really difficult, which is retroating, our buildings. Now, that sort of, not this committee, but I’m just going to mention that. That’s one of the things we struggle with last thing is waste. Our principles are reduced reuse. Recycle, we’ve been doing quite a lot of work around. libraries of things, so you don’t buy something. You’re only going to use once or twice, you borrow it. And fixing factories. Teaching us to go back. As, you know, my parents and grandparents would have to actually fix things rather than just chucking them away and introducing repairs vouchers. For example, we also had a specific manifesto commitment on a nappy service and supporting reusable nappy service and we have met that. But we’ve met that commitment and thanks to work that we do with through North London, Waste Authority along with our neighboring boroughs and North London. Waste authorities strategy for the next 15 years will come before you very soon. We had some, we had a scrutiny session on it and back in the autumn and we are now to present the full strategy for the next 15 years. Lasting on that is to say that we have not in, we’ve not reduced waste in Hackney. So one of our aims was to reduce waste, we haven’t managed to reduce waste, we have managed to increase recycling and we have managed to introduce much better recycling on his dates through our estate recycling project. But overall, we are not reducing the amount of waste that we produce and we really still need to meet that challenge going forwards. So there’s a huge amount going on. There are still some challenges but it feels overall that we’re heading in the right direction. Thank You, Council. Young, I mean, obviously the across them with waste which is in Hackney, but library things. And yeah, the kind of circular economy side of waste, certainly. Yeah, something that were key to hear about. Okay, so the last but not least, duo. I don’t know how you want to take it. You want to stop first? yeah, and then Talk. I mean I don’t want to quote yet. Try me as a tires. Yes. So we can get a few questions. Yeah, yeah. Council Smith. Sorry, yes. Sorry. Joe I just had a thought. because we obviously were hearing from all these different directors at one time and sections, I’m getting a bit lost. I’m just wondering if we could maybe like pause between them a bit and I don’t know. He was that we, we had two sections. Yeah, it’s just obviously. there’s quite a lot to say so. I’ll take some guidance and Tracey. We could have a couple of questions could be cancel Williams accountancy young? But that’s okay. People don’t mind. Yeah. Okay. So a cakes. So, cancer young. I’ve had a question from counsel. Liam Davis who couldn’t be here tonight. He refers to the manifesto Mcmint in 2026. The 15% reduction in total miles think you mentioned this, you might, if I did apologies, attend, a ten percent reduction in CO2 from all vehicles, other 10% reduction in the ownership of polluting vehicles so he did look at the strategic plan update but it was more general so it wasn’t specific. So something that I just wanted to ask you very quickly was and I think it’s been in the news as well about the fact. parking for disabled badge, holders and the amount of parking available and I know there was a pledge to you know, look at why do parking permit. So I just want to did any developmental program. There was a sort of like slightly old misrepresentation of the position in Hackney in the Hackney citizen. If that’s the one that you mean. Yeah. And yes. So we There isn’t a lack of disabled parking in Hackney and there was a, there was a problem with some parking, some disabled parking permits being issued and the way in which they were issued. And there’s been a report a full report on that and that’s been resolved but overall, with parking. We are with statutory required to provide adequate parking and we ensure that we provide adequate disabled parking within that by comparison with the number of disabled parking permits that we issue. And of course anybody with a disabled badge, can also park In the mainstream parking. So the disabled parking is additional to that and on the reduction in the number of miles driven Hackney has never returned to has not returned to the number of vehicles on the road a number of miles driven on Hackney roads. have not returned to pre-covid levels so we have had a reduction during covid and we haven’t gone back up to the Pre-covid levels. I don’t have the exact figures but I can say that we’ve also increased our rates of cycling and the vast majority of of all journeys are, of course, walking. So something like 80% 87% of journeys include walking and so we increasing cycling walking is very high. buses, still high. Although, over across London as a whole bus, you just has reduced and hasn’t returned to pre-coated levels number of cars on the road has reduced I think that’s probably. Any other questions from members to Counselor Williams or and so, yeah, sorry, there’s one thing I should add so that the one sort of worrying part of the equation in terms of driving, is that, we, we still have a high proportion of through traffic journey. So, those are those a journeys where they’re not starting or ending in hackney? And if you think about that, only about a third of people in Hackney have access to a car. And if we’re increasing the number of through journeys, we’re increasing traffic, that’s not really benefiting us. And I’ve got a comment on Council Williams, but I’ll come to that last so cancer now across And I decided the questions for Counselor Young. The first one was on the library of things. You mentioned it and I think the library things is great, a this weekend, it’s just really handy and it’s one of those things that when I tell people, I know who don’t live in London, who don’t have a library of things, they kind of blows their mind that we have this resort on a doorstep. I just wonder if you could say a bit more about how successful you feel that’s been and whether there’s only plans to expand it in the future and my second question was on Anderson’s, jury did, and you talked a bit about how you sold getting through those recommendations, I was just wondering if you go a bit more detail about the recommendations, how they kind of implementation is going. And if you plan on doing any more sort of deliberative processes on our climate forward, Council Pinkerton. Sorry. I’ll just try and get Yeah, for Conster, young on these reusable nappies, again, big fan. And there’s an arcos for the library of things. I just wondered in terms of do you know, the sort of who is you’re taking up the vouchers who is who’s been accessing them? Is it a Good. Kind of spread of the Bora. Do we know the kind of? Yeah. Is it getting to the the most kind of wonderful people here? Most likely to be? Yeah, most beneficial benefiting from from that and yeah thank you and I’m gonna answer them backwards just because my memory works like that and so I don’t have the figures, but I’m very happy to dig them out. And North London Way, still authority. Produces the figures on how many vouchers are given out and how many bachelors used few have actually used in a given out of course. But there’s not a bad rate of continuing to use the service. Once people give it a go which I’m surprised by because my own experience was soon as the babies went to the child money. That was, that was a happy service wasn’t gonna continue. And so it’s been a relatively positive experience, but I would say you still quite low, take up, and that’s something that waste authority. Really looking to encourage. And I we I don’t know what demographic data, we collect. I strongly suspect that it’s not very broad, but again, let me have a look and and come back to you and Now, I forgot. Everything. Oh yeah. So at the moment, we have some libraries of things that we run ourselves and then other libraries of things that we don’t directly run and we don’t have a plan to create any more right now, but those which are running a running really effectively, really, really well. And the Dawson library of things is the most successful. It’s been extremely effective. There was a little moment when we thought it might have to leave that site but it’s it’s firmly embedded. It’s moved around in the in the space and it’s you know, running really well. It pays for itself. Which is really successful as well, it’s been really good and it’s used really widely. So it’s used by the demographics of Library of Things, users are pretty broad. And yeah, I mean I think we would look in the future again at sort of whether whether there’s enough business to to create one somewhere else but it’s also about finding a space to put it. those are so I think Council Smith had a question and then I just comment to cousin up, sorry, quite time because I had another question, I didn’t answer. I had another question. Yeah, it was, there was the question about the climate jury and recommendation implementation. I do have an update on the recommendations in which ones we have already completed and one of them was about recommendations for building for new buildings being built. Now part of that is already part of kind of local plan and also national Planning Policy framework recommendation rules on ensuring that buildings are adapted to overheating. And but we ourselves also have have looked at that in our own work. And I hope that it’s something that I’m planning committee, you always ask about, and another was ensuring that was really about making the streets cooler and looking at how to you know, how to make the streets shady and comfortable for people and also to improve that that kind of what we call green infrastructure. And so it’s not formally a part but it’s a space that’s safe. Another was having Having kind of caused spaces. So remember in the winter when the fuel crisis was that, it’s worst. We really looked at having ensuring warm spaces. We also created cool spaces and I don’t know if you saw during the heat wave in the last couple of weeks, there were quite a lot of notices going out around, where is there a cool space and Available drinking water, free drinking water being available, was another. those are the ones that spring to mind. But we do have an ongoing action plan on the climate jury’s recommendations, which we’re finding Because of Smith, I think you had a question, didn’t you? Thank you very much. Council young. Esther Williams in crazy. Great. Fantastic work going on, really? I mean, it’s it’s, this is award-winning sort of work, which is being recognized nationally across the country and I think we’d be very proud. as an administration because of that, I just wanted to touch on a few little points chambers of mine. Manifesto number one, two eight, every child and hackney should have and the opportunity to write a bike by the age of 10. How is that going? And I mean I’m interested in other groups are less than trying to cycle, how we can kind of get some of those groups on board as well. Just on making roads safer, and friendly. And for pedestrians, because they’re at the top of the hierarchy, being the broadcaster of stock Newington Ward. I think you know what I’m about to say, we’ve been trying to to change the directory up there for 20 years. We’ve got very close just prior to covid and then Tfl lots of money. So we can put on hold. I just wondered, Can we have a commitment from you as the cabinet member to kind of push that that change if possible with Tfl when you get the opportunity? When you go to see them? And lastly, On supportable schools to achieve net zero by 2030. Again, just a little comment doesn’t have to be long or lengthy as to how we’re kind of getting on with that. Thank you. And on, Stoke, Newington gyratory, we met the man and I with officers met with Andy, Lord his Tiff, our commissioner a few weeks ago and we raised at Union gyratory and So we keep pushing, we will keep pushing. We know it’s really important to people who live in certain intervals. So people who travel to Stonington and to all cancers and we will continue to raise it. But we also wrote a letter afterwards to the Tfl commissioner, raising student generator again and also the history of it. And I’m afraid we didn’t get an encouraging response back. What they did say, what the team did say is they are prepared to look at some of those smaller things around there to to make sort of other smaller improvements, which I think. is encouraging and I think we should absolutely continue to press on those and I know that, you know, for example, the Rectory Road residents have been really pushing for some you know, not that significant but improvements that would make a big difference to their lives and I didn’t mention kids and young people because I just couldn’t get through everything in my notes. But we, I mean, as you know, and I also wanted to thank you particularly Cancer Smith for your, you know. Brilliant work and encouragement and enthusiasm and kind of ongoing pushing for climate justice, which is absolutely the heart of everything that we do. And all kids in Hackney are offered free cycle training. All kids in Hackney, we also for free, adult cycle training and those spaces do get filled up. Of course, the problem is they probably don’t get filled up by the people who most need them. But anyway, And so every child at primary school gets offered, recycle training. We also do a lot of schools work. We have a wonderful schools officer and eco schools officer who’s working with primary schools to create climate action plans and their work ranges from kind of Educating kids so that they can educate the rest of us on climate and the changes that need to be made to, you know, quite simple stuff like increasing them out of plant-based food, they eat or try and trying that out in schools and then taking that those ideas home and bringing families into to do that. I was last Friday at the Edmonton Eco Park Education Center, which is fantastic actually. Good day out, good half day out with Springfield Primary School and the kids were looking at reducing reusing recycling as well as just seeing the amount of waste produced and being quite horrified by that and understanding how things can be reused repaired and used again. So that work is happening. It’s really positive also, seeing some brilliant, work around schools, in terms of climate adaptation. So, you know, schools building ponds that kids then users and education resource as well as a Just a kind of oasis of calm schools taking up bits of concrete, playgrounds and planting trees to to adapt and so on. So there’s a lot of work going on, there You had a third question and I’ve forgotten it. Cycle training climate. Oh, so good. Thank you. Thank you very much. I’m cancer William. I just wanted to reflect a little bit on some of the feedback you gave back in your presentation here. What he’s saying about the green skills, the Green Skills Harbor and the way that offices of Prioritize that piece of work and also the challenges you say, for this year, in terms of funding up and skilling with in council staff and delivering social value, you know I think we’re all very proud of the apprenticeship program and the way you’ve delivered here I think something we might want to follow up with you this year is looking about social value. We procurement piece that you kind of you, you kind of alluded to. So I don’t know if you had any further comments on and that but certainly we’ll be looking forward to inviting you back. And thank you. I’ll pass that on to receiving. Who’s the head of procurement. I think there is as I say it’s a great deal of work that needs to be done to ensure that we’re getting and bang for our book. Well, thank you very much. Both of you do want to leave at this point before we have the final two cabinet members, very great. For you’ve been with us Life. Right Council Williams. Sorry, I know you’ve been relaxing apparently there is a question. Another question for you if you don’t mind taking it. You’re off. It’s just one question. Just, it’s just on, on equality, impact assessments. And when it comes to policy development and decision making because I know we do them but do we do them for, you know for all decisions to see how, you know, effects on the decision may have different different outcomes on for different groups. Just maybe just very briefly explain how that works. Has been an enhanced equality and impact assessment. Form that has been designed. Which takes officers through. a process where they’re really have to give a great deal of consideration to the impacts of policy strategies and as far as even our proposals around budget implementations, so there is a huge amount of work that goes into it every level right across the council. There’s been a lot of work by offices in policy to develop that new framework and to roll it out across the council chair. I don’t know if that’s something you might want to look at whether it’s in the meeting or to have a copy of That framework that you can then consider, whether it’s something you do want to discuss a future meeting. Thank you, County, Councilman Williams. That was a good party note. So, did you want to add in the comments? Sorry. I just giving you the opportunity to leave both. If you want to, I’ll give you 10 seconds. Now, cancel Nicholson the Casa place. I know you’re both very sharp and precise. And you get to the point. So, of course, chair, of course. Yeah, be very, very, very succinct. Like, if not, it’s not and thank you for the opportunity just to get it sort of share. What what the work that’s been going on. I’ll focus on the regeneration piece, if I may and and Council of Palace can perhaps just sort of segue across with the economic development piece, inclusive economy piece business, support and development. If that’s okay. Chair with the commission. I think on the regeneration piece there is and they’re still remains a great deal of activity going on across the borough. It’s perhaps has changed. It’s evolved since 2021. When we were kind of developing the manifesto for this administration from 2022 on. For all sorts of reasons that are external factors everything from a change of government through to all of the various sort of economic challenges and dynamics that are playing out and that are kind of affecting many many communities. However we’ve remained focused on this business placemaking and good growth, balanced growth. So what we’ve tried to kind of ensure is that the Council has played its part In Curating, the neighborhoods of Tomorrow, the town centers of tomorrow. Focus on Mixed Use Development, There’s obviously a great deal of recognition. from both administration and council, you know, on the need for more homes but equally with those homes comes workspace employment space becomes community infrastructure, as well as perhaps some of those more kind of let’s just call them, sort of regional infrastructure pieces, too or connectivity to those pieces of regional infrastructure. there are some sort of extraordinary investments that that have and are literally being made as we speak. I think it’s all plain to see in Hackney Central that there is UK government funding to the tune of just shy of 20 million that is currently on the ground, delivering in Hackney Central. which at the moment is sort of looking at transforming the public real. Greeting, the public realm indeed of some of some of the busiest thoroughfares in the Barra but equally later on. This month and into August, the town hall square itself. The civic space is public space. will start to see its transformation. As part of that investment program, Councilor Kennedy can mentioned the investment into Hackney Central Library that also sits within that investment stream, there is quite a portfolio of activities coming forward. and that’s just in Hackney Central. The when we look across to Hackney Wick, there is as we had kind of city set out to deliver as part of this manifesto period. A couple of things that have been to have happening as part of that 2012 legacy. One of which was the return of planning powers back to the burrows. And I say the burrows because clearly that is as much to do with Hackney as it is to do with new one and our hamlets, the hackney has sitting embraced. This change the shift, the step change and is already taking. pre-application, applications from developers for development, proposals that could come forward in the Hackney Wick area, that was part of the Development Corporation planning authority is now back with Hackney. It will also fall into the local plan work, which is to come really from summer of 2026. But that’s perhaps a separate conversation to be had around local plans and planning so I’ll just sort of park that off to one side. If I may in regards to what actually physically is happening, the building of new homes is moving forward at great pace in Hackney week both in what was the Olympic Park and in the surrounding area to the park. This new town center is emerging in Hackney week, around that station and that includes a range of registered social landlords, so, Notting Hill Genesis, for example, Peabody for example, very active. In those areas places for people are actually building new homes in Hackney. in the Olympic Park itself, but the other great great outcome from what has happened. As part of that 2012 legacies that the Hearies campus and the Plexal campus that is now kind of touching 6,000 people being employed in that campus and that number is set to grow the most recent addition, which is the Victoria and Albert Museum, the storehouse Project and that has seen some extraordinary outcomes. It’s first weekend I understand. Visit. You’ll be forgiven, though, for thinking that V&A was not in Hackney. I seem to recall, a most frustrating weekend. We’re not. Once was this mentioned in any of the news channels, but the V&A is in Hackney. I just like to make it and put it on the record and Andy T’s, one of the most extraordinary venues and I would definitely recommend that. That’s one take takes a moment and and visit and perhaps the commission perhaps we could organize a candidate that visit I’m sure the director would be more than happy. Facilitate that. But on a very important point as part of that transformation in that area and the But that development corporation is now moving into its next iteration. And that next iteration is about delivering an inclusive economy and not just within acne and the people who live and work in Hackney. But also in those other East London boroughs that are also part of that geography and that is a very, very significant step because we’re looking at building partnerships and quite significant partnerships that we’ll see an extraordinary investment into creating opportunities for residents in this borough the younger generation is also becoming increasingly cited on what it is that’s happening in hackney work and and what it is that is sort of come about in that legacy from 2012. In shortage there is another extraordinary opportunity coming forward. Not only have we got a new kind of area plan coming forward which in this coming or term. consultation draft, will be brought forward. This plan is again looking at a mixed use environment in short. Central activity zone over the last 10 years or so. And I’m sure Council Palace will kind of make a reference to this, but if I may just steal some of his thunder um, is the, you know, over the last 10 years. We’ve seen some of the highest business growth in in the United Kingdom in Hackney and an extraordinary reputation has been to kind of generated as a result. Is a place to come and do business. And I’ll leave it for Council Palace just to talk more about that. but clearly, if we’re looking for kind of providing the spaces and the places for this kind of growth to continue, then we need to do a couple of things we need to make sure that the Council has got. It’s it’s policies lined up to be able to enable that development to take place whatever the challenge is. Maybe I mean, for example, Just just as quick example, I’m to be honest chair. I was quite a great fan of vertical forests, but, um, you know, the very kind of serious nature of the grandfather inquiry and what happened through that disastrous experience in that event itself was that the building regulations have changed and vertical forests are now not seen as a safe proposition to go on to the buildings. So we’ve had to take a step back from that, but looking at the green infrastructure and Counselor young made Turns to this, not so much our parks and open spaces per se. But what connects and threads together? Some of our deficient town centers. And when I say deficient, I don’t mean that economically. I mean, that in terms of the greening of those particular town centers. So both shortage and Alston. Are very, very much challenged by that deficit. Of green space. So that work that counselor young was referring to very important that it comes forward. That is promoted. But one of the most significant significant events is the arrival of one of the first theaters or what’s left of one of the first theaters, which is looked over from one of today’s sort of multinational corporate HQ for certainly, this particular global region. and the Amazon Building and alongside this city. Very, very ancient space, where Shakespeare’s first place. But first performed, it will be turned and it is indeed almost ready to go, into an extraordinary visitor center. Now, the reason why I’m just sort of kind of really referencing this chair, if I may, is that that will transform that neighborhood. There is no doubt about it. Amazon have already acquired and expanded their office footprint in that part of shortage, they have acquired two additional buildings. They will see a net increase of employees from. I believe the figure is currently about 5,000 and it is set to increase that hasn’t been confirmed by how much the the two additional office. Space is represents and significant, increasing capacity. Now, these sorts of dynamics are great, great, and I’ll hand over to Council Palace. Now, if I may, but we mustn’t forget the small business community because the reason why people like Amazon wish to be in a place like acne, it’s because of the enterprise culture, the entrepreneurial culture that creative culture about Innov. And and the development of business and product and content with that. Can I just perhaps suggest I shut up and you know can respond to questions? Of course please do but the best perhaps hand over to Counselor Palace I think questions could be quite tight but we can follow up as well. You have some palace, I’m just going to rattle through the many, many achievements that we have put forward as a council in terms of economic development TV hard-pressed to find. council which has been kind of its innovative. It’s pushing the boundaries on kind of shaping place and shaping the economy to work for local and people work for local businesses. And so to put alternative modes of ownership, right at the center of looking at how we create truly inclusive growth, Sometimes of our business support program hacking impact over the last year. 339 businesses have been supported, 36% of them are black and global majority Businesses and 115 jobs have been created through that program. This is, you know, free business support which has been offered to businesses across the BARRA. And this information, it was shared also with the Commission and it just really shows our commitment to supporting local businesses because they are a center of the growth that Deputy and Nicholson was referring to 99%. I know all businesses in the borough are a small and median term enterprises and we want to do our utmost and to support them in terms of affordable workspace. we did a million pound fund which is funded and 51, new units and also created 89. Supported 89 jobs. So, we’ve got real commitment to not only supporting businesses to grow, scale up to be resilient and through our business support program are. Also, I’m looking to give them those spaces that can really incubate growth, which can really be there for a whole gamut of those kind of key industries, which are outlined in the government’s and industrial strategy. Which our economic development plan is very much and focused on. So we’re looking at our, you know, creative industries, you know, in particular, you know, we have a lot of creative. Businesses on our own assets. But also we have 24, approved, affordable workspace providers, you know, which providing an affordable wayspace across the borough. and through sexual 106 through sill and, and through grants that we receive and we look to as much as possible. You know, increased quantum of affordable workspace in terms of, you know, supporting you know the green economy, we’ve got You know, a very confriving, you know, green economy in hack, anything that’s 300 businesses supporting 800, you know, jobs, That was one of the evidence bases behind and economic development plan as a segment of our business support, you know, we were giving out free energy, audit 63 and 66 were handed out. And then we had a 50K green energy, grant as well. And that, you know, contributed to 37.5, tons of CO2 mission production through businesses and that was really innovative work through green business action and work across London, but we’re a key part of the Hackney Impact. Consortium, alongside organizations like H and developments and social founders. It’s a really working from the bottom up. to show. How actually this is a massive investor save measure for business. this is a way to actually make your businesses a more energy efficient and to get those kind of savings and save the planet and as as you’re doing it, Another key element to what we’ve been focusing on. And I think this is what makes us a real innovative around. What we’ve been doing around social distances. So we commissioned the bespoke piece of research through co-op culture, insert action to access their evidence-based for the economic development plan. and one of the things that came out that fed into our procurement strategy and councilor, putter meant it, and mentioned around procurement, so around that, you know, we’ve seen an Arctic in our social value, requirement 15%. And we’re looking to get to 20% as soon as we can. The key thing around procurement is intentionality is about play shaping about how we are shaping growth. Not just being shaped by growth and that’s one of the key things. And that we’ve looked to bring into their economic development plan. So, you know, for the first time we’ve got co-ops in our procurement hierarchy you know obviously starts off within sourcing that they’re there and I think that’s a real key marker and the other thing is that we lobby for social businesses, being included in the growth plan, which we did secure and now working with the Co-op Party, with our host of different organizations to work with the GLA to try and realize that look like. But the In there. And this comes to Pledge 10, which is Council of Chapman’s pledge. But it’s about really we call it development. That’s something has to mostly be done across burrowborn boundaries. It’s not something that can just be done within the borough because, you know, businesses operate across a whole range of different supply chains. Even in London, even on that kind of level, and that’s one of the kind of key things. I’m very interested in, it’s a big challenge. but that’s where I think we can really, for our convening power and look to see how we can, you know, achieve what the government has asked us to do, which is a double the co-op sector and to really think about what that can look like from finance for business support and really show how this question around ownership is key to tackling our issues around productivity and even though we’ve seen unprecedented As Deputy Magnificent talked about. So 50,000 new jobs and 5,000 new businesses created since 2017, the fastest, you know, growing and economy in, you know, in London, one of the fastest, you know, in in the country we know that growth is not felt by everybody. We know there are major pockets of deprivation, you know in in the Barra and that’s what basically, our economic development plan is all about I can run development plan is about, you know, shaping the economy and we held a great event here. Eastward over a hundred people together, you know, businesses residents, you know, stakeholders from across London and beyond and we’re really good discussions about that. And we’ve been doing a lot of engagement around the economic development, plan going to walk about with Council of Potter on Wednesday, to speak to local businesses. And I would just say I think just going forward. Some of the some of the challenges of opportunities one is around, I think the comms peace and we have had to see a bit of a reduction in that team because of the budget pressures that we are facing. So it’s about how can we bring as much as possible kind of be area-based? How can we kind of expand the Love? Hackney shop, local. You know. offer and how can we link that to things like the responsible business chart and the responsible business charter? Just to let you know the key commitment in terms of what we’re doing as council? There’s 32 businesses, you know, in terms of the responsible, 34 businesses, my bad 34 businesses and their committing to our 184 different pledges. And there’s a whole gamut of being put forward, which are all about, you know, The highest standards in terms of, you know, work about being London, living wage employer, about, you know, doing an utmost to, you know, promote the circular economy and around that. So yeah, going forward, you know, that it’s that comes peace help. Who’s found the responsible business Charter and How can we go further on procurement in terms of maximizing, you know, social value into terms of supporting local businesses. Also, a marker commitment to social businesses, again, with affordable workspace, We’re looking for real, agitation of the creative enterprise zone, which is in hackneywick. We’re currently going through that process right now. I will look for Opportun there and across the borough through planning policy through planning gain and on our own assets to see what we can do to leverage as much affordable and, you know, workspace as possible. But I would also just say one of the key things we’ve got to do, is make sure this is very much, you know, focusing also a local businesses. So that’s why we looking to do a lot of local supplier engagement, meet the buyer invents, and things like that. And I could go on Thank you very much Council Palace. Okay. Well let’s have some quick fire questions and I’m sure you have got some, so I’ve got cancer Smith. And I’d always like to prioritize a question from each member if you want to ask one, countless me. Yeah, thank you. A couple of little points here just in the area action plan for shortage. Mixed Juice, You mentioned. I presume that we’re going to working with the expertise that the City of London Corporation have got to offer as work. So right on the border there and it would make sense really to be kind of working with them so that they’ve got some great work going on down there and on the pledge, 243 which is about the Space Bank initiative in the notes. The cabinet members saying there was a little bit of a problem about, you know, understanding what a space bank actually. Means. i think he says, What does he say? his huddle, space bank suggests that there’s going to be a bank of space that is made more easily available for community use, he said there’s tensions there. Around that being discussed with members. Now, working on a developing a simpler working definition Space bag as a council needs to the aims to facilitate efficient use of premises and to improving Space, Bank’s accounts of Chapman. Sorry, he wasn’t, it wasn’t able to be here tonight. All right? Okay. But it goes. It goes to, it goes to the a CVS point with the kind of restrictions on budgets and grants kind of thing. For space. It goes to council. Palace’s point about affordable workspace. supposed to the question is, you know, We’re saying all these things. But if Joe is saying or cancer walk is saying There’s no, you’re cutting funding for various groups, Then is it going to be possible to sort of maintain that kind of commitment? Going forward offering affordable workspace to to businesses and just one final point here on the The growth issue, which I think is is important. I think I was Council of Palace actually answered the question already. I think the emphasis really okay. Growth, great, but we need good jobs and good wages. That’s really key and I think the responsible business charter, some of the work that you’re doing there is definitely helping to with that. So with good jobs and good wages, you know, the growth growth must offer that must mean good wages for people, especially in London. So thanks for that. That’s more of a comment than a question and thank you both for the all the work you’re doing. I’ll just check with any other questions at the moment in time. Okay, I mean the only kind of, I know there were some pledges around the East and Guild. I know the pledges around Making a business district. Am I right with that terminology? Sorry, I did have some notes. just, I will come back to that so maybe countless comments first. Okay. I mean just to pick up, I’m just on the area action plan. So for shortage, cancer. So if you were just talking about that relationship and read across the Corporation of London and yes indeed that’s been very very much part of the work and the process. So, The hackney kind of city fair and a council kind of team, and the corporation of London team has really played its part there. I think, if Councilor Williams was still here, she would also talk about the read across terms of employment and Skills initiative, which across boundary. And not just involving Hackney and the Corporation but but also Hackney Corporation Islington and Camden Too and so there’s quite a lot of activity in partnership. Will remain the Spacebank proposition. The, that that’s one of these manifesto to kind of commitments that have evolved over the course of the administration. So whereas we don’t have a space bank per say what we do have is some very distinct portfolios and I think Council Walker touched upon this. So for example, until many counselors and many in the voluntary and community sector itself, a very familiar with the Council’s property portfolio, which is discounted rents, and so on, and so forth for that particular sector, which in counseling properties. But equally the affordable workspace, I’ll kind of hand over to Counselor Palace here. But there is a still a great deal of investment coming forward and delivery indeed. Affordable workspace. the problem that we have is that not unsurprisingly, it tends to be in the south of the borough because that’s where the commercial development takes place that unlocks through planning gain in terms of new development. The the kind of the continuing supply of affordable workspace. So at the moment, however to try and sit in balance things out a little was around successful that recent grant fund of around a million pounds. is released to the affordable workspace sector to bring forward enhancements and improvements to existing workspace. But there is still this challenge about how can we redistribute some of this affordable workspace. So that other neighborhoods in the barra could sort of benefit from from that supply, that is something still to be worked through. And I think the Council Chapman would be the better person to talk about the wider general fund portfolio and just the direction of travel, that particular kind of property portfolio. That’s within the council the direction of travel for that. Well, look, I’ll hand over to Council Palace. Just about the the growth and the wages you were talking about jobs. It’s I will just add very quickly to the affordable workspace. Obviously, you know, a lot of that It comes through planning gain and through, you know conversation with developers and then Deputy Mannix it is talking about, you know, shortage if you look in the local plan, it’s for requirement around kind of, you know, affordable workspace. And and going forward I think there is a potential opportunities around our own assets and looking at further. And I think we have, you know, an extremely, you know, generous offer for BCS organizations within our letting policy. I just say We’ve in growth you know I think growth has actually flatlined in London and since the financial crash so that we have on you have seen unprecedented or eventually. I think the big question here is we need to be you know having intention to how we are shaping you know the the economy. And how we are shaping, what’s happening in in the borough and that’s about driving up wages. That’s what the responsible business child is all about. We’re looking at different ways that we can. On that and get more businesses. You know, I’m involved in that but it’s also about, you know, reuse as well. We’ve got our circular economy zone which hadn’t mentioned and in hackneywick and we really want to make that you know, a central part. But we’re doing in terms of, you know, how we how we kind of look at this growth piece. Okay. Cousin or no cost. You have a question? Well, my questions was just off the back of council apartments, mentioning the East End Trade Guild and it was one of the pledges with them around the progressing community Land Trust and Hackney. And I just wondering where that was and what progress if they had been made on that front and then my other question was around. the point about resisting, the conversion of shops and workplaces into locality housing and I just wondering how so successful that’s been in in some of the 2020 to 20205, I guess. Now, period. Sorry. Chat counter knocker. Could you just say your last question again? Sorry. Yeah, so one of the pledges was around protecting sort of shops and workspaces and preventing them from being converted into low quality housing, which obviously, if you know, you look around has been a problem in the past in the borough and I was just wondering if you could talk a bit more year about about that. Yeah. Sorry. Thank you. Thanks for that. Thank you. And first up, just a range of pledges as you were saying to the East End trade skilled, the community land Trust proposition, was specifically for commercial split space employment space basically, rather than any other and if form of development and they are in direct conversation with the around and on that matter and it’s specifically transport for London. So, the mayor of London has basically was introduced them by Councilor Samuel Emma in her assembly member her London. Assembly member capacity. And to take forward, a conversation about a transport for London property asset and I, I’m very aware and I’m sure the deputy Mayor of London for business wouldn’t mind sharing with you that he’s been tasked by the mouth of London of engaging with the East End trade skills on that. As certainly. Yeah, I think so. Yeah, yeah. So we’ve already had one sort of roundtable meeting within the Council itself, involving the Deputy Mayor of London and And that conversation is continuing, so we’ll see where it cut how it sort of ends up kind of sort of being realized. and just in terms of the conversion of shopruns. Sorry. I beg your pun shops or commercial space to residential space. The article for directions are still in force, in Hackney. So what it? What it demands is that planning permission is sort. If you Wish to convert such properties from commercial use to residential use. Now it is focused though, around what an effect of the town centers, so it’s quite geographically specific as to where it is these article for directions can apply. That was a decision that was sort of agreed with then Secretary of State. And we were moving up. We we were kind of instructed as a council to move away from a barrel-wide polic. So it is now centered around the town centers and broadly aligned to the area action plan. but in, That central dalston and shoreditch and hackney, we will come on stream as part that. Constraint. and to close this item, if I could just ask In terms of we talked about in, you know, in the manifesto about business inclusive growth. This districts, I know that might go by another name, another kind of men and how much of that US aspiration has been realized another has been lots of development since and I also wanted to complement you on the fact, we’ve, you know, in terms of your cross for a working and your visit actually counts passes, going to come this week, but your recent visit to resign and refresh the finsu Parker called, which is very important agreement between the three boroughs in my end of Hackney that, you know, by selling that I call, it helps kind of broke broker, that relationship and and naval kind of working. I just want to thank you for that achievement. if you could talk a little bit about the inclusive growth, Districts. You know, thank you, chair. Thank you. Just reminds me on that. In regards to the inclusive growth business, growth districts, that we were kind of sort of describing in the 2022. Manifesto for the administration. I think it’s fair to say that that’s one area again where events have moved on, the economy is continued to evolve, Council of Ballas is bringing forward, the growth of business network, and a range of other support interventions that have come into play, and it’s so in a very kind of sort of organic natural way, it is just about recognizing some of the problems and the challenges that have shaped the approach to how the counseling engages with local businesses. I think it’s fair to say The last thing that really needs to happen is the charging of additional levees on local businesses of any size. And this is always been one of the great challenges of introducing business improvement districts in their traditional settings is there. It’s an additional cost that’s been incurred and this really leads us on to the conversation about the future of business rates because I think is, we’re all aware for those who do have to pay business rates in the bar out. They are some of the highest and they’ve seen some of the highest increases over the last five to ten years than anywhere else in the country. I think it’s possible exception of Lambeth. but it’s, you know, it does have a profound effect. Now, we could argue that it hasn’t really affected, you know, business growth, but it does sort of kind of place an extra burden. now, bringing forward business improvement districts that are adding an additional levy on top of those kinds of expenses and the cost of rents for a growing and thriving business community and as Council Palace reference, you know, predominantly a small business, LED economy. Whole, the level about the outgoings, there are other ways for the Council to be able to benefit from the community as well as the wider community to benefit from that business community. And I’ll just throw it out there. If I may just take this as an opportunity. chair is you know, for example commercial waste contracts. And I think if counsel a young we’re here she may well have a concur that actually commercial waste contracts. All businesses have to have those. they can’t not. So in law they have to have a commercial waste contract and they have to pay for it. They have to pay for that collection and the Council actually runs a very effective, very efficient commercial waste service and it’s affordable and it’s value and it can help balance the books. But again, we have to just need to reflect on the future of, how do we Market and promote and expansion and growth that I just throw that in as an aside at this late hour, just to kind of finish your fun. Thank you. And well just like to thank you very much for attend attending. We also would like to follow up with you, some of the challenges and some of the developments that you’re both engaged with kind of supporting the responsible business charter. which, I know you’re very key to kind of develop further, perhaps business voice It upon some of the, you know, the kind of financial challenges to business, you talked about Like race and also looking more broadly business support. So so yeah, thank you. very much for contributions. We just got a bit of short business to do, but please, please do. Okay members, thank you for staying with us. We have over on the little bit but I hope you appreciate you important conversation to have there. Sorry, I lost my Not, I’ve gone too far. Minutes, Title 5. So minutes of the previous meeting, there’s anybody got any comments on on the minutes and can we agree those April minutes? I think you’re all in attendance of that meeting. Yeah. And they make screed. Great. Okay, in terms of the work program, we had originally allotted 15 minutes to talk about this with. There’s quite a lot of detail in there. We won’t do that now. Well I’m going to suggest is that you feed in what you have, got emerged, You’ve got the public consultation so you’ve got lots of comments. So I don’t have to give you some homework. You have a look at the public consultation you feed in and we would like to do an item that particularly references. What the public, you know, were you. Would like us to investigate how to speak. You did make some suggestions last time we have got those noted I did have a look at that document you mentioned. There was something about Workspace again on there was no. In the SEG section, I’m just trying to find it very quickly in my email. So, which it’s pages? What documentary uniformity in the agenda. No, the list of public. Public concerns. This is as a verbatimist in the summary list. Yeah, I’m not sure which list it was. Okay. Okay. but, So can I suggest you come back to me after having another looking detailed? unless you for the comments to make. Now, encounters me. Yeah. Just wondering Che. Obviously there’s a lot of stuff in there by Ltns and things and obviously, we have covered that already kind of thing in a previous but we want like there’s one here. The impact of road closures on Lordship Lane, for example. And you know that’s very kind of specific where’s ours was a bit broader by presuming more to keep it quite broad ultimately about No traffic neighborhoods and livable neighborhoods across the whole borough, rather than focusing on one specific. I mean, a lot of them relate to main roads. So it is, it is possible that we could do an item where we’re looking more at main roads and bring some of those exams. I don’t know what other members think about that. Looking at main roads? Yeah, I did notice that was in the in the paper Presley, what the main road strategy to. Yeah, yeah, the interesting because that does one that we get quite a lot of criticism on, isn’t it? So facts and figures around that stats and things that would be quite very useful. Yeah, I mean what we’ll have to do is we’ll have to make sure we don’t do, what health and hack me. Do in terms of the air quality, but we can use that to inform our Work. Some of your requests for the Gyrator in Stoke Newington that will come under the main, the main roads piece as well, won’t it? So it’s about traffic flows and you know, As well as seven number 72. Is there any stuff in there a 134? so it’s 1 3 4 8 1 3 4 number 72 sex indicated for some of these so that’s pedestrian pavement is That high class on pavements speeding on main roads. Enforcement against parking in fringe in fringements. I mean, we certainly want to come back to the transport strategy and we can I think we could include a lot of these under that so if you remember the transport strategy went out for consultation for ideas I think the forward plan is that later on in the year and, you know, there will be the more kind of will be the draft transport strategy. So we might want to feed some of this Yeah, into that. And what about Airbnbs? What about limiting? Airbnbs has won the 70 number 73 page. 1 3 4. And that’s sort of regeneration. Instead of issue isn’t it? I imagine that would be living in Hack. Ney crossover a little bit, don’t they? I think it because I saw that and maybe thinks I think obviously housing is living in Hackney, but Airbnb is a company And I guess the kind of You know, the business of economy. Some of the temperate? Yeah. The economy side of the impact, on the kind of the wider economy of, so temporary lands and things. We can have to think about that because it is late, isn’t it? And how that that could work with. Perhaps the station. yes, it’s really important that we go through these in detail and we kind of pull out. It’s gonna relevant and think about how we can incorporate. Oh, yeah. Then the other one page 1 3, 2 number 56. Supporting homeowners to retrofit their homes. I mean, we took talk about retrofit, but we sort of talk about it from the point of view of the council buildings. I think that’s squarely sits in. Even. It was in terms of skills. You know what? We might want to do is that As an aside from, that is maybe go and have a look for a visit. I know those once just to the V&A, I was thinking the green skills of might be worthy. That’ll be great. They’ll be really good. So I think the conversation doesn’t end here. I mean, I will meet up with Tracey several times and couch for Sedek before we next meet. And we’ll start to shape and things. But we’re not going to finalize anything. Without your, your kind of say so. So you know, feeding your ideas and anything you want to pull out. Yeah. That’s amazing. One more. I think in September we will want to have a final plan. For the year. Page 131, number 46. Or is it? You suck is running a pavements and running red lights and sort of like part of the transport. It doesn’t stuff, isn’t it? But that’s like a matter that comes up all the time and starting the Internet that one. Yeah. So I don’t know what we can do about that, but again, I think it can come into the transport strategy because we’ll be certain issues around enforcement or the way we I’m minimize that, which is recalling in the colored, you know, design and things. I mean I would line bike for instance as an idea isn’t there that you you know to try and get the best value you can buy the time passes but there might be a suggestion for instance, that maybe it’s distance related rather than time. So that people are not trying to rush. I’m not it’s not only line bikes people might actually break red lights, but, you know, it’s just an example of perhaps. some thought, where, you know, yeah, so some more food I thought, we’ll get things bottom out but I think we certainly do need to communicate between between ourselves about some of these ideas that can feed in. Yeah. Any more comments on that? I’m sorry, the items ended up being quite short, but really do, please pay attention to all all of the public feedback. There’s also feedback from each cabinet member as well. We’re also going to meet Council of last two people to meet. You’ve got cancer, Chapman. I’m gonna be the car. Don’t as well. The Economy, just to get his latest thoughts on how scrutiny can have value. so feed all of us into Yeah. You happy for me to go on to the next item. Which I think is any other business. I have been notified very soft and probably declare the meeting closed. Thank you, everybody for attending and staying with us. Thanks Emma. We’re finished now.