The Overview and Security Committee met to discuss the Mayor's achievements and priorities, the Mayor's Waste Improvement Programme, and a progress update on actions to support local markets and traders. Councillors questioned the Mayor on topics ranging from hate crime to housing, and agreed to revisit the waste improvement programme in six months to assess progress on data collection and community engagement.

Mayor's Spotlight

Mayor Lutful Rahman and Stephen Holsey, Chief Executive, presented an overview of the council's achievements and priorities. The Mayor highlighted successes including an outstanding Ofsted rating for children's services and various cost of living support initiatives, such as free swimming for women and girls over 16 and men over 55, educational maintenance allowances, and free school uniforms. He acknowledged the C3 rating from the housing regulator¹ and outlined investments to improve housing stock, including a £140 million investment to bring homes up to decent standards. Looking ahead to 2025-26, the Mayor stressed the importance of financial stability and embedding the improvement plan.

Questions from Councillors

• Customer Services: Councillor Natalie Bienfait raised concerns about customer service, citing a resident's inability to query their council tax bill and the need for more accessible communications for disabled residents. The Mayor acknowledged room for improvement and expressed interest in reverting to a one-stop shop model for resident hubs. He tasked Stephen Holsey, Chief Executive, with addressing accessibility issues.
• Female Staff: Councillor Natalie Bienfait also voiced concerns about the departure of senior female staff members. The Mayor stated that people move on to better pastures and that one had left to become a director at another local authority. Stephen Holsey, Chief Executive, added that the council now employs more women than men and has closed the gender pay gap.
• School Uniform Grant: Councillor Ahmodur Khan asked about the criteria for the school uniform grant. The Mayor clarified that the grant is for children whose family income is less than £50,350.
• Hate Crime: Councillor Abdi Mohamed asked what more the council could do to tackle hate crime. The Mayor affirmed his commitment to making Tower Hamlets a no place for hate and expressed willingness to explore recommendations for increasing the council's presence in local communities.
• Council Communication: Councillor Abdi Mohamed also highlighted a gap in the council's communication, with some residents unaware they live in Tower Hamlets. The Mayor acknowledged the issue, particularly in areas like Fish Island, and tasked Stephen Holsey, Chief Executive, and Andreas Markides, Head of Marketing and Communications, with improving communication strategies.

• B-Well Membership: Councillor Bodrul Choudhury raised concerns about low membership among men over 55 for the B-Well leisure facilities². Simon Baxter, Corporate Director Communities, attributed this to communication issues and pledged to address disability access to sports facilities. The Mayor agreed to promote swimming sessions for men over 55 and investigate complaints about cold swimming pool temperatures.

• Homelessness: Councillor Abdul Mannan raised concerns about homelessness, high private rents, and the progress of the buyback scheme. The Mayor acknowledged the pressure on homelessness services and the council's limited ability to control private rents without government legislation. He affirmed the council's commitment to the buyback scheme, particularly for family-sized homes.

• Resident Support Scheme: Councillor Halima Islam asked about delays in the resident support scheme. The Mayor initially stated there was no funding problem but later acknowledged a process issue that would be investigated.

• Housing Investment: Councillor James King questioned when tenants in unsafe buildings would see the impact of housing investment. David Joyce, Corporate Director Housing Regeneration, stated that the council has improved compliance positions, reduced outstanding fire risk assessment actions, and is up to date on water quality testing. He added that the council is working to complete electrical safety testing and bring all homes up to the decent homes standard³ over the next five years.

• Customer Service Call Waiting Times: Councillor Kabir Hussain raised concerns about long call waiting times for council services. The Mayor called the waiting times wrong and improper and asked for specific service details to address the issue.

• Community Safety: Councillor Zahid Ahmed asked about the impact of new community safety policies. The Mayor cited investments in crime prevention, a modern control room, and a dedicated drug squad. Simon Baxter, Corporate Director Communities, added that the council is realigning services with the Metropolitan Police and working on initiatives like no place for hate .

• Mudgee Farm Lease: Councillor Amy Lee raised concerns about the lease of Mudchute Park and Farm, and other organisations' relationships with the council. The Mayor stated that the council's asset management team does a good job, and that he is not in favour of freebies or peppercorn rents⁴. David Joyce, Corporate Director Housing Regeneration, added that he and Simon Baxter, Corporate Director Communities, had written to the Mudchute Association to offer a meeting to resolve lease issues.

• CCTV Installation: Councillor Suluk Ahmed asked about the CCTV installation programme. The Mayor confirmed that all 350 CCTV cameras are in operation and that another 125 cameras are planned for housing estates. Simon Baxter, Corporate Director Communities, added that the council is working with the Metropolitan Police to tackle knife crime and drug-related crime.

• Registered Housing Providers: Councillor Bellal Uddin asked what the Mayor was doing to get registered housing providers to improve housing conditions for residents. The Mayor stated that the council does not have powers over registered social landlords (RSLs), but encourages them to address issues.

• Housing Application Backlog: Councillor Asma Islam, Chair of Overview and Scrutiny, raised concerns about a seven-month waiting list for processing new housing applications. The Mayor acknowledged the backlog and stated that the council is exploring options to reduce it.

• Maternity Unit at the Royal London Hospital: Councillor Asma Islam, Chair of Overview and Scrutiny, also raised concerns about the maternity unit at the Royal London Hospital. The Mayor expressed his willingness to work with other leaders in East London to address the government's need to review the maternity offer.

Mayor's Waste Improvement Programme (MWIP) 2024/25

Councillor Shafi Ahmed, Cabinet Lead Environment and Climate Emergency, and Simon Baxter, Corporate Director Communities, presented the quarter four report on the Mayor's Waste Improvement Programme (MWIP) 2024/25. The report highlighted improvements in street cleansing, with 95% of inspections graded good in quarter four, and a 52.7% reduction in missed collections compared to the previous year. The presentation also included a video showcasing the positive impact of the programme on frontline workers.

Questions from Councillors

• Underground Refuge Systems: Councillor Abdul Mannan requested an update on the underground refuge systems. Ashraf Ali, Director for Public Realm, stated that four new URS vehicles are expected in September to October.
• Recycling Education: Councillor Abdul Mannan also asked about recycling education programmes. Councillor Shafi Ahmed, Cabinet Lead Environment and Climate Emergency, highlighted workshops with schools, community centres, and faith groups, as well as bilingual advertising campaigns.

• Data Quality: Councillor Abdi Mohamed questioned the quality of the data presented, noting a disconnect between the positive data and residents' experiences. Simon Baxter, Corporate Director Communities, stated that the data is independently verified by Keep Britain Tidy⁵.

• Value for Money: Councillor Abdi Mohamed also questioned the value for money of the £164,000 spent on community engagement and communication. Simon Baxter, Corporate Director Communities, defended the investment, citing the need for campaigns on litter and recycling.

• Data Transparency: Councillor Asma Islam, Chair of Overview and Scrutiny, requested a more robust plan for data collection and reporting, including ward-level data, reporting methods, and heat maps of contamination and missed collections. Simon Baxter, Corporate Director Communities, agreed to provide this information.

• Find It Fix It App: Councillor Tody requested data on the uptake of the Find It Fix It app. Officers agreed to provide this information.

Scrutiny Challenge Session on Supporting Markets and Traders

Councillor Shafi Ahmed, Cabinet Lead Environment and Climate Emergency, and Damian Patchell, Street Trading & Markets Manager, provided an update on the action plan to support local markets and traders, following a scrutiny review in 2024. The report outlined actions to address recommendations related to market infrastructure, anti-social behaviour, waste management, attracting younger traders, and improving communication.

Questions from Councillors

• Implementation Authority: Councillor Kabir Hussain asked who has the authority to instruct that actions set out in this report will be taken. It was clarified that the cabinet had noted the plan, and the service would monitor the action and recommendations.
• High Street Regeneration: Councillor Abdi Mohamed asked how the market improvements link to rejuvenating the high streets. Officers agreed to include this in future updates.

The committee agreed to receive another update on this in six months.

Scrutiny Leads Updates

Councillor Abdi Mohamed, Scrutiny Lead for Community Safety, stated that he would provide an update on the tech and hate crime review at the next meeting.