Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors D Crawford, Rai, Murtaza, Kohli and Alexander.

Councillors Sahota, Kohli and Midha were in attendance virtually.

Councillor P Anand declared that his brother owned a business that related to the opposition motion for debate. However this was not his own pecuniary interest and therefore he intended to remain in the meeting to speak and to vote.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2023.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2023 be agreed as a correct record of proceedings.

Before making his announcements, the Mayor noted that Phil Portwood, former Mayor of Ealing, had passed away since the last Council meeting.

Councillors Johnson, Gallant and Ball paid tribute to Phil, and the Mayor then led Council in a minute’s silence.

The Mayor updated the Council in important civic matters, including:

·       The Borough had been honoured to receive a visit from the King, to Ealing Broadway centre. The Mayor had received the King as first citizen of the borough, and the King had taken a look around the Christmas market and then Pitshanger Manor.

·       Cllr Bains was congratulated on the birth of her baby boy.

·       Councillor Raza was wished a happy birthday, and Cllrs Mahfouz and Stafford were congratulated on their candidate selections for Greater London Assembly and Parliamentary seats.

·       The Mayor had been busy during December going to various faith based events such as Navratri, the Acton Crayle Service. A civic service was being organised for the new year.

·       Some dates for the diary in the new year included Holocaust Memorial Day and LGBT History Month in February

There were no petitions from Members of the Public.

There were no petitions from members of the Council.

David Devine asked the following question of Councillor Shital Manro, Cabinet Member for Good Growth and New Housing:

Why is it necessary to use taxpayer’s money to purchase the greenbelt land at down barns farm to only build six traveller pitches, when you own enough land and could use a brownfield site, especially after the prime ministers statement in July about the misuse of greenbelt land?

Councillor Manro responded:

The process developing a local plan is highly technical and governed by strict regulations and requirements. Shaping the local plan requires the Council to take decisions on how the land in the Borough is used and managed in order to meet the needs of all of our residents. Our evidence base has identified the need for six gypsy and traveller pitches in the Borough. As a result we commissioned a study to find suitable sites for these pitches, then consulted on two different options. The site allocation for the pitches, which will be published in the regulation 19 version of the plan, will be based on the results of this consultation. The proposed site will need to balance the use of the space with the deliverability of the site. There will often be competing demands for land use and the local plan will allow us to take a holistic view of needs across the borough and ensure we meet the needs of all of our residents. All stakeholders will be able to comment on the regulation 19 version of the plan, and these comments will be considered by the planning inspector at public examination stage. The council’s proposals will be entirely within government guidance on use of green belt land as they state it is acceptable to alter the defined green belt boundary to meet a specific identified need for a gypsy and traveller site through the plan making process.

Toby Dalton asked the following question of Councillor Shital Manro, Cabinet Member for Good Growth and New Housing:

My Name is Toby Dalton, my family have been farming this land (Down Barns Farm Northolt) since the 1960’s and we currently run 80 grass fed beef cattle with a 30 horse stable yard used by the local community which provides greener outdoor activities including well-being, there are also a small number of local companies renting yard space. In 2011 we lost land to a golf course. If we lose any more land it would make our farm financially unviable. What is your intentions with the remaining land if you only implement the minimum pitches. Why are you threatening the closure of the last working farm in Ealing?

Councillor Manro responded:

It is important for us to meet our requirements in planning law to provide pitches for use by the Gypsy and Traveller Community in Ealing, as they are one of the most marginalised communities in the borough. The Regulation 19 version of our local plan will be published in the new year and will make a site allocation to fulfil  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Councillor Faduma Mohamed asked Councillor Kamaljit Kaur Nagpal:

In April of this year, this Council voted to make experience of care a protected characteristic. Following that, multiple teams across the organisations made commitments to improve access to services and support for care leavers. Can the portfolio holder provide an update on the progress toward implementing those commitments?

Councillor Kamaljit Kaur Nagpal responded:

In April of this year, we took a significant step by voting to make experience of care a protected characteristic when it comes to accessing council services. This was our way of recognising how much of an impact experience of care has on the life chances of young people in our borough, and the importance of carefully supporting them as they transition from care settings. Today, I am pleased to share the strides we have made in translating this commitment into tangible improvements in our policies and practices. These are all on topics identified by care leavers as impacting their lives. 

The Care Leavers summit pledges have seen commendable progress, with 47% already achieved, 48% on track, and the remaining 5% under regular review to ensure continuous advancement. 

Our initiatives are varied, from ringfenced apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programmes to free training for staff focusing on key areas affecting care leavers. 

Housing options for care leavers, a critical concern, will take centre stage at the upcoming Corporate Parent Committee in January 2024, addressing the theme of independent, affordable housing options for our care leavers.

We've also introduced a dedicated Housing officer, a way to identify those leaving care within our housing database in order to offer them targeted support, and twelve ringfenced affordable opportunities in private housing developments for care leavers. 

Collaborations across the council, partnerships with TFL for discounted transport, and waiving prescription charges for care leavers by NHS/West London Health Trust show how we are working across public services to support our care leavers. 

We launched the Care Leavers APP, "Ealing Cares," on November 1st, which was designed alongside young people with experience of care and is already getting a lot of use. And on November 17th we hosted “Take Over the Council Day”, where care leavers were put into positions of responsibility across the council.

The adoption of Care Experience as a protected characteristic within Ealing is an ongoing programme. While we are forging ahead with local interventions, the national landscape is evolving, and we are actively contributing to the broader discourse on the significance of this new status.

Councillor Malcolm asked Councillor J Anand:

Ealing, like many London boroughs, has many trans residents. Could the portfolio holder comment on the awful bill proposed by Liz Truss that would ban trans women from single-sex spaces and prevent under-18s from transitioning?

Councillor J Anand responded:

I share your concerns about the potential impact of this legislation on the rights and dignity of trans individuals, particularly in Ealing.

This is an incredibly emotive issue. I would like to openly admit that I am not an expert in trans  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Councillor Hersch moved, and Councillor Steed seconded the opposition motion for debate. Councillor Blacker moved and Councillor Costigan seconded an amendment to the motion. Councillors Driscoll, Conti, Mahfouz, Knewstub, Johnson, Shaw, Mason and Donnelly responded to the motion and amendment. Councillor Blacker summed up the amendment and Councillor Hersch summed up the motion.

A vote was taken and the amendment was carried.

A vote was taken and it was

RESOLVED: That

Millions of disposable vapes are thrown away each month. Council thanks officers for the work they are doing to tackle vaping from both a public health and environmental perspective and notes that:

·       Disposable vapes constitute a fire risk to households, bin lorries and recycling centres due to their lithium batteries.

·       Disposable vapes cause significant litter.

·       Local Government Association has called for a ban on disposable vapes on environmental and health grounds.

·       Vapes are a public health risk to adults and children.

·       Disposable vapes are often in brightly coloured packaging, brand names which imitate sweets and attractive flavourings, are attracting under-age teenagers.

·       NHS data shows that e-cigarette usage has grown by 50 to 100% in 4 years (2018 to 2021).

·       Vaping was meant to help smokers to quit smoking. However, vapes can now be the first exposure to nicotine for young people.

Research by Action on Smoking and Health finding that 40.1% of 11–18-year-olds who had tried vaping had never smoked before. There is a growing issue of vape usage in schools, with nearly 10% of under 18-yearolds having experience of vapes.

·       While vaping is considered less harmful to health than smoking cigarettes, some vapes have levels of chemicals which are higher than in cigarettes and may contain heavy metals such as lead, chrome, nickel (neurotoxins, allergens which impair brain development) and other compounds such as carbonyls which are mildly carcinogenic.

·       Ealing’s Labour Council has recently been awarded funding for a project titled 'Trading Standards initiative to tackle underage vapes use and availability of illicit tobacco products.’ This will set out to reduce the prevalence of smoking and vaping and clamp down on illicit usage and is due to be launched in 2024.

·       Currently untaxed, vapes are a cheap alternative to cigarettes. The UK market is growing strongly and is valued at some £250m.

·       Ealing Council Trading Standards officers have seized over 40,000 illicit vapes since 2021.

·       Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary has committed to action against the industry in Government.

The Council will build on the existing work it has already done to tackle disposable vape usage and calls for a total ban on disposable vapes in 2024 and notes that with France rolling out a ban this month and an EU-wide ban proposed in 2026 there is a risk that as other markets close, disposable vapes will flood the UK.

The Council resolves o write to the Secretary of State for Health in support of the Local Government Association’s position on banning disposable vapes.

The Council resolves to continue the ongoing good work from officers and members  to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

Councillor Donnelly moved, and Councillor Mason seconded the majority group motion for debate. Councillor Malcolm moved and Councillor Ball seconded an amendment. Councillors Brett, Haili, Wesson, Young, Baaklini, Rice, J Anand and Blacker responded to the motion. Councillor Ball summed up the amendment and Councillor Donnelly summed up the motion.

A vote was taken and the amendment fell.

A vote was taken and it was

RESOLVED:That

The Council notes that:

·       Ealing Council has had its budget cut by nearly 56% in real terms since 2010 by successive Conservative Governments.

·       It was a Conservative Government that crashed our economy yet Ealing’s residents are paying the price.

·       Local services are facing significant budgetary pressures after 13 years of Tory cuts, yet Councils like Ealing are still being forced to confront ever-rising demand for costly services with shrinking budgets.

·       Tory Prime Minister Rishi Sunak boasted about taking money from urban areas to fund more prosperous rural councils, so it’s no surprise that areas like Wokingham have only seen 3% reductions compared to Ealing’s 56% cut.

·       While Ealing Council has managed to balance the budget by making the difficult decisions necessary, local authorities up and down the country are not faring so well. An ever-growing number of councils have already been forced to issue Section 114 notices due to the sustained and systematic underfunding of local government, with many more set to follow suit.

The Council believes that:

·       Ealing residents deserve a fair deal, and the Government must step up to appropriately resource the Council to deliver the services residents rely on.

·       Vital provisions, including housing, children’s services and adult social care require urgent fiscal preservation in order to continue protecting some of the most vulnerable in our borough.

·       In order to plan for the long term, local government must have adequate, sustainable and secure funding. It simply isn’t tenable to continue forcing councils to cut crucial services and increase council tax after nearly 14 years of austerity.

·       Ealing residents must not be forced to pay for the crisis made in Downing Street.

The Council resolves that:

·       The Chancellor should reverse the damaging Tory budget cuts to local Government and commit to sustainable and sufficient funding of local services.

·       The Tory Government  must deliver a fair deal for Ealing and other councils or call a General Election so the country can vote for a Labour Government that will.

·       It will continue to press the Chancellor to appropriately resource local government finances so that quality services can be delivered for Ealing residents.

RESOLVED:

The Council notes that:

·       Ealing has a rich cultural heritage, and Ealing residents have a wealth of talents and traditions.

·       Our borough is a microcosm of different cultures, each with a different array of traditions, food and entertainment.

·       Ealing’s Borough of Culture bid has already received the backing of thousands of residents, all three of our MPs and a number of local cultural stakeholders, with support still growing.

The Council believes that:

·       The diversity of our borough deserves to be celebrated.

·       The additional resources which come from becoming the Borough of Culture would enable us to build on our history, and improve cultural life across our seven towns for generations to come.

·       We should be building on the excellent work contained in our cultural manifesto.

The Council resolves that it will do everything possible in support of Ealing’s bid for London Borough of Culture.

RESOLVED: That the 2022/23 Annual Scrutiny Report is noted.

RESOLVED: That Council

1.     Noted the Treasury Management activities and performance against targets for the period to 30 September 2023.

2.     Noted the Council’s investment balance of £547.235m as at 30 September 2023 of which £455.000m was invested in Debt Management Office (DMO).

There were no urgent key decisions exempted from Call-in.