There were no apologies for absence.

Members are invited to disclose any interests in any of the items on the agenda at this point of the meeting. Members may still disclose an interest in an item at any time prior to the consideration of the matter.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 17 March 2021, and to authorise the Chairman to sign them.

The minutes of the meeting were agreed as a true record of the same and the Chair was authorised to sign them.

Cabinet will give consideration to this Topic Group report at the request of the Overview and Scrutiny Board, pursuant to Executive Procedure Rules paragraph 6(e).

Cabinet agreed to refer this matter to Full Council.

Cabinet were grateful to the care and work put into the Topic Group report and were very pleased to consider it.

At its meeting on 13 October 2020, Overview & Scrutiny Board commissioned a number of Topic Groups to review the impact of the COVID pandemic and the Council’s response  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Cabinet:

AGREED to increase both the support and the financial incentives provided to ‘in-house’ carers in order to increase retention of our in-house foster carers by:

a.    Increasing the financial allowances as set out in Appendix 1  one of the report and improve a comprehensive wrap-around support package as covered in this report;

b.    Approving Havering resident foster carers as a class subject to Council Tax Relief from 1 April 2021.

c.     Approving the amendment to the Council Tax Discretionary Policy to include Havering foster carers with effect from 1 April 2021

d.    Providing complimentary access to the borough’s leisure centres for in-house carers and children in their care;

e.    Waiving free green bin refuse collection charges; and

f.      Offering free parking in resident bays and council carparks borough-wide, this will not include paid for parking bays.

Cabinet considered the report and noted that as corporate parents it is the ambition of members and the Council to recruit and retain the best foster carers to provide the best possible care for the Looked After children in Havering.

This decision proposes to improve our offer to prospective  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Cabinet:

APPROVED the commencement of a 10 week public consultation on a draft Street Trading Policy beginning on 1^st September 2021.

The report was presented to Cabinet by Councillor Viddy Persaud. It was noted by Cabinet that Havering adopted Street Trading in 1999 as part of its Environment Strategic Policy.  Following natural changes in the Borough since the adoption of the relevant provisions of the London Local Authorities Act 1990 (as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Cabinet:

1.     APROVED the release of the Preliminary Draft of the East London Joint Resources and Waste Strategy (ELJRWS) and associated documents to the four statutory consultees (Environment Agency, Greater London Authority, Historic England and Natural England).

2.    APPROVED the start of wider public engagement in line with the proposals in this report.

3.    DELEGATED to the Director of Neighbourhoods in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment, the decision to make minor amendments to the proposal set out in this report. Such amendments will be limited to changes in the public consultation timeline and minor changes within the Strategy document.

Councillor Osman Dervish was delighted to present this report to Cabinet and recommend the proposals within it.

The Preliminary Draft of the new East London Joint Resources and Waste Strategy (ELJRWS) had been developed in close cooperation between officers and Members of the Partner Authorities and could be seen at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The report included in agenda item 10 contains exempt documents, namely Appendices 1 to 4 inclusive.  Cabinet will consider whether the public and press should  be excluded from the meeting on the grounds that it is likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, if members of the public were present during that item there would be disclosure to them of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972; and, if it is decided to exclude the public and press on those grounds, Discussion of public papers can be transacted in public. Cabinet to resolve accordingly on the motion of the Chairman in relation to discuss on exempt matters.

Cabinet resolved to exclude members of the public and press for agenda item 10.

Cabinet resolved to exclude members of the public and press for agenda item 10 and so the webcast was closed.

Cabinet:

1.    APPROVED the new operating model whereby waste and street cleansing, trunk road cleaning, recycling collection and weed control services are combined in one single integrated contract offering and the commencement of the procurement of that contract; and

2.     DELEGATED authority to the Director of Neighbourhoods, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Director of Legal & Governance, to take all necessary steps to award the contract post procurement at the estimated value of £10 million per year and deliver an integrated contract for street cleansing, trunk road cleaning, waste and recycling collection and weed control.  

Councillor Osman Dervish presented the report to Cabinet who were addressed by the report author Peter Gay who gave a history of this matter to Members.

In September 2019, the Council started the procurement process for an integrated public realm services contract, tendering for a single contract to include waste  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.