Cabinet - Friday 27 March 2026, 3:00pm - Tower Hamlets Council webcasts

Cabinet
Friday, 27th March 2026 at 3:00pm 

Agenda

Slides

Transcript

Map

Resources

Forums

Speakers

Votes

 

Welcome to our Webcast Player.

The webcast should start automatically for you. 

Webcast cameras are not operated by camerapersons; they are automated and linked to speaker microphone units. The aim is to provide viewers with a reasonable visual and audio record of proceedings of meetings held in public.

Note: If your webcast link appears not to be working, please return to the Webcast Home Page and try again, or use the help email address to contact us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
  1. Webcast Finished

PUBLIC QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION

Thank you.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you and welcome to our cabinet meeting.
I apologise for not being able to start the meeting on time, but I'm grateful to the
Deputy Mayor and the team for starting and pausing so we can recommence now.
I will see you in another meeting and what's running late in that meeting upstairs.
Okay.
So we don't do normally cabinet meetings on Tuesdays or Fridays, but as is.
We're in a very interesting period, so therefore important matters needed decision in cabinet.
So we are here today and I'm very happy we got some very good, exciting papers.
Okay. Any apologies to all the members here?
We have a couple of minutes.
We have a couple of minutes.
We have a couple of minutes.
We have a couple of minutes.
We have a couple of minutes.
We have a couple of minutes.
We have a couple of minutes.
We have a couple of minutes.
We have a couple of minutes.
We have a couple of minutes.
We have got Szymon here for Georgia and Karen here for David.
Richard is here.
Welcome to you all.
We have got no apologies.
It was an apology from the chair of the Ovary and Scrutiny Committee.
We take that.
Apologies, Steve.
Any announcements?
Actually on this occasion, may I know, because we met on Tuesday, so I haven't really got
any updates for the last three days if that's OK.
Thank you.
Any, sorry, go on.
You were going to say any declaration of interest.
Yeah, any declaration of interest, yeah, I'm coming on to that.
I know she was taking an answer before, but we'll do it.
Any declarations of interest?
Yeah, please.

1 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2 DECLARATIONS OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTERESTS AND OTHER INTERESTS

Thank you, Mayor.
This is in relation to 5 .1 for transparency.
I think in recommendation one there's a mention of my employer so I work for Canadian Wolf
Group.
Yeah, that's right, Councillor, it doesn't sound like a pecuniary interest.
Okay great.
Anyone else?
Any other decoration interest?
None?
Okay, great.
We don't have anything as far as I know from Olvins, Virginia, unless you know something,
please.
No, just to confirm that the chair of ONS also spoke to me today and he confirmed there
are no pre -decision questions and obviously because he reported back on Tuesday he doesn't
need to report back again today, so that's why he's not here.
I've got one matter, I know David's not here, Kevin's here, I see Steve Platt is on the
but I am obliged to mention this on live stream in cabinet because it's a
building in Bethnal Green, Klein's house. I was there yesterday, Karen, and a number
of residents came out and this is the first time I heard about it. It was last
night. But other people, council knows about it, I want to have people close to me
know about it, but somehow it wasn't brought to my attention.

3 ANNOUNCEMENTS (if any) FROM THE MAYOR

They don't have bathing water, nor do
they have toilet flush water since December last year.
And now we're coming into the first week of April.
The residents are very upset, rightfully so.
Rightfully so.
I wrote a letter today on hearing those problems.
I picked it up very late last night.
I wrote to Steve, David, and Steven Platt.
Steve Horsley and Steven Platt.
I got a response.
Thank you for the response.
I'm grateful.
But I am disappointed, Karen, that it's taken us,
and you can convey that to David too and you, Steve,
that it's taken us, and it's our property.
I know it's water pressure related, but I believe some
the staff that we're doing now, we should have done way back in December.
So I want an exact timeline, please, when we first heard about the problems.
I want to know exactly what we've done and when and what we're going to do.
And if it seems that we were lagging behind in doing what we should have done as a council,
then we need to get our houses in order.
I know we have a housing subcommittee meeting tomorrow, but we put in a lot of money into
repairs, in housing improvement.
609 million pounds we put in, and we put in money before then.
I don't want our residents to live in a condition that I don't want to live in and they shouldn't certainly live in condition that
you're not going to live in or our directors not want to live in.
For a building not to have toilet flush water,
not to have bathing water with our elderly children for four months,
it's not very good position to be as a council.
So I apologise profusely to our residents.
I want this council to apologise to residents.
I'm requesting Steve a letter.
I want to see that letter.
Going out to residents.
To be drafted today, I want to see it today.
Going out to residents with a very tight timeline what we're going to do.
We need to take emergency measures to put up the pressure, help those with the pressure,
for them to get water for bathing and the toilets, we need to sort it out Steve.
They have drinking water but we haven't done enough as a local authority.
Understood.
Steve.
Understood.
Please.
I know Karen will respond and I think you've already mentioned there's a draught but we'll
make sure this afternoon all the action that you've outlined is taken.
Please and I think, can I just add, I think officers need to be on the doorstep with those
letters, not posting it, with the letters, delivering it for their homes and explaining
to them what we're going to do, please, with a very short and very reasonable timeline.
Is that okay?
Thank you.
That was the thing I was going to say.
Other than that, I've got no other matter.
Please go on.
Can I just add something to what we just mentioned, Mr Mayor?
Thank you.
In Whitechapu Ward, whole Barnard estate have the exact same issue.
So thanks to Steve, we have visited one of the buildings, Everett House, they have installed
a booster there, people are happy now, so they had to go to like six months, exactly
the same issue.
Some of the other block have exactly same issues.
Some of the households don't have any water at all during the day.
Manta from Adana, I appreciate Steve and David Joyce and Gulama helping, so they are looking
to another few boosters in the banner estate.
So kindly requesting again we need to have an action as soon as possible.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Also fair to the officers, fair to the council, some of these buildings are very old, the
pipes are serious wear and tear, but all it is once we identify the problems we need to
move on with it very quickly.
That's my request.
Okay?
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Can we move on to the substantive items, please?

5 a) JP Morgan Chase’s Canary Wharf Development and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Yeah. The first item, sorry, there's no calling,
no over -and -scootiny related matters.
Okay? Thank you.
The first item, extremely good paper,
the JP Morgan Chase Kennel Wolf Development
and Memorandum of Understanding.
Okay. Kabir, is there anything you want to say?
Councillor Kabir, you want to add anything to this?
Yes, Mr Mayor, I think we've spoken about this previously and it's a positive thing
for the borough, it's going to create employment, it's going to re -energise the cluster within
the Isle of Dogs and Tower Hamlets and I'm really pleased for this paper to come forward
and JP Morgan building their building.
We discussed this on many occasions, Mayor, and I know we have had the opportunity to
meet with representatives from central government, from MHCLG, from Canary Wharf, from JP Morgan,
from the Treasury.
It's such an exciting opportunity for the Council.
Getting the indication from you now about your perception and commitment towards the
scheme is really important.
But I know you and I have discussed on many occasions, it's not just the building, it's
not just the 12 ,000 jobs, it's the social mobility that it brings to the residents of
this council.
Potential access to housing, education, health as a result of the benefits that come as a
result of this scheme.
I know that's looking a bit longer term and I know we're talking about a specific issue
today, but I just wanted to make that point and I know Richard's got the detail.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Richard, sir.
Yeah, and I echo that.
I mean, this is of huge importance to Tower Hamlets.
It is of huge importance to London and nationally in terms of the growth agenda that the borough
and the countries are pursuing.
In terms of that importance, this is about getting the authority for the officers in
consultation with the mayor and the two relevant cabinet members to sign that memorandum of
understanding.
At this stage, we await the receipt of that memorandum of understanding that is being
drafted by Treasury.
At the moment, I am in liaison with them to push on with that.
Obviously, we need that delegation, given the period we are going into without a further
cabinet to come.
There are significant sums of money when we get there
and I think it shows that the borough is thinking
not just about now and the next four years,
but beyond that period of time really.
And that there will be lots of issues that we have to
work our way through, both in terms of when we move forward
to a zone to enable this to go forward.
Lots of legal advice which we will obviously take.
and as Treasury will also be doing the same as we work with the Department, MHCLG, in terms of how we work forward with this.
There is nothing agreed as yet. The memorandum of understanding is expected to be relatively high level,
but we await the draught of that for all parties to sign.
I think it's of huge importance and it will bring significant sums of money if we get this over line into the borough.
We are talking hundreds of millions of pounds
for the
borough to spend on its residents
over a period
of 20, 25 years.
So there are significant sums of money
to benefit
residents.
In addition, we will be looking for the job
side
as the chief executive
and the mayor
have already mentioned
.
Obviously what we can do
around social value
will be incredibly important
but I think the job
side is really important
for the borough.
as well for the residents that we all work for.
Thank you, Richard. I'll bring in Steve and I'll bring you in. Sayid, please.
Thank you, Mayor. I just want to mention something else before.
This is, as Richard and I have discussed and we've discussed it with you as well,
this is a significant benefit to the Council.
It's really important that we promote those benefits
and I was rather taken over the last couple of days
by either a misunderstanding or a misrepresentation
of the Council's position in the media.
We are not surrendering anything.
And I think it's really important that we have a common strategy that addresses that point.
Thank you.
Said, you want to come in?
Yes, thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Yes, like colleagues here, I totally agree that this is very important.
It's a huge deal for us in Tower Hamlets, of course, for JP Morgan, such a great company,
global company to choose Tower Hamlets.
London and more of our town and especially our wood, Canary Wolf.
So and we're talking about, you know, millions and billions here.
We've got three billion pound development, estimated 9 .9 billion pounds coming back into the economy over construction.
And it's a three million pound square feet off of high level office space in our ward, in our borough.
So I think it's a great initiative.
I think it shows
as an administration how we attract
business,
we attract development into our borough
and I think
it is exciting times ahead and I'm looking
forward to it.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Please, Deputy Mayor.
Thank you.
I echo
what the Councillor said.
This is a game changer
for not only Isle of Dogs but our Hamlets.
I think
When we met them, you were very clear and passionate about local benefits, local opportunities.
So I just want to echo that and I think it's important that yes, it's a huge development,
it's a huge investment, but we need to make sure that the local residents from Tamahamlet,
they benefit from this in terms of jobs, opportunities.
and I think the work part will have a very important role to play and also the community
benefits as well.
This is a proud moment for us, but I just want to add that there is so much misinformation
happening in the community, even on the JP Morgan issue, how ridiculous it is, the oppositions,
whenever they get opportunity, they just spread full of lies and misinformation.
This is excellent investment, excellent project.
Not for just our handlers, Mr. Mays, for this country.
Even the government is working on it and still they have that,
I can't believe it, still they go out there and spread misinformation.
So I think it's so important that Council will do something about it
and we have a clear comms on that.
I've said it last time and I think enough is enough
and we really need to report some comms out. Thank you.
Thank you. Anyone else? Councillor Tala.
Just very quickly, Mr. Mayor.
I wholeheartedly support the MOU and the development of the site there.
Obviously, colleagues have mentioned the opportunity that presents
through this scheme, but I think we've said for too long that in Canary Wharf
and growing up, the opportunity was always there,
but it's really connecting it with the local people.
And that's what I've seen over the past few years.
maybe things have slowly made some progress there.
But I think there's still a lot more that we can do
in terms of social mobility, as Steve has said,
and Richard's mentioned,
stuff around promoting opportunities there,
and seeing what we can in the most certain terms
to get benefits for local residents and businesses.
And that would be my plea.
There's a lot of potential there,
a lot of opportunity there.
I just don't want local businesses
and local residents missing out.
Thank you.
Anyone else?
Councillor, Kamb look.
Thank you, Mr
Mayor.
I think this is one of the best
example.
Tower Hamlets is how welcoming
is not just for live here or
visiting here, for investment,
jobs and business.
We are proudly
holding the second biggest
financial district in Tower
Hamlets and this is one of
the game changer for Tower
Hamlets, not just for business
opportunity, for jobs
opportunity, a lot of people will be working here, they will create more jobs, apprenticeships
and billions of pounds over the next few decades will be more than two billion pound business
rate will be invested back into our community and this is a wonderful news for our community.
I wholeheartedly support this paper.
Thank you.
Great, thank you. Anyone else? No? Okay, can I just say my piece?
I mean this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
We are grateful to J .T. Morgan, the Canon Wolf Group and the government, absolutely.
and Sir George Akubuski, the former chief executive
and the current chief executive,
Shobhi Khan of Kenilwolf Group, for working with us
and our staff, David, Steve, and the team,
for making, and Richard, you joined us,
and Mr. Bazar before then, for making this possible.
You know, this is, ladies and gentlemen,
a once -in -a -lifetime opportunity.
You lose this opportunity, it doesn't come around again.
To have the European headquarters of J .P. Morgan in Tower Hamlets, they've got the
tallest building in New York and they want to do the second tallest building in Europe,
well the tallest building in Europe in our borough, is something that we should be grateful
and be proud of.
just who we were competing with.
We were competing with Frankfurt, with Paris,
and in this country, the city of London.
And they chose us, Tower Hamlets,
by the Thames to relocate and do a new state of the art,
you know, amenity, building space, office space,
and amenity space on our doorstep.
We are very fortunate.
So reputationally, economically, the benefit that will come our
way is phenomenal, you know, in our children and grandchildren
hopefully can benefit from this.
It's important.
I'm very fortunate.
I was there back in 2010 when we did the original J .P. Morgan
deal and the memorandum of understanding.
It has come our way now, my way again this time around.
And I'm very confident it will happen.
As Seyda said and Richard has said, it's going to deliver
some 12 ,000 jobs, rebates there.
There will be fantastic amenity space, open amenity space,
park space for the borough.
But more importantly, you know, three billion pounds
of development, nine billion pounds, as you say,
construction benefits.
We want the residents of this borough, our workforce,
our boys and girls, our men and women to also tap into
some of those jobs.
So it's going to be a huge responsibility on our
employment and skills team and part of that moment of
understanding to make sure we have at least first
refusal for those jobs.
We did that for the 2012 Olympics.
We had secured some three and a half thousand, four thousand jobs.
We had Sebastian Koh who was here at the time, we did the deal,
and then he was the President of the Olympics Committee,
and the London Olympics Committee was here.
And we were able to secure a memorandum of understanding
where they gave us first refusal for a lot of the jobs,
and around three thousand jobs we were tapping into.
That's what we want to secure here, Steve.
We want first refusal.
We've got an emerging educated class, Richard,
here in Tambler's.
Our boys and girls are going to good universities,
getting good degrees, and they can access some of those jobs.
We don't want just recession jobs, retail jobs.
We want real jobs on the trading floors.
That's the kind of jobs we want, jobs that means real money.
And that's for our corporate directors
to help us to secure those terms and house of terms
in the memorandum of understanding.
We want the, we are not forgoing anything, this borough.
We made, I made it very clear to the government,
to J .P. Morgan and Kennedy Wolf,
our share of the business rates, we are not forgoing that.
If the government wants to help J .P. Morgan,
to retain them in this country, we're happy
for the government to help them.
They should do so, rightfully so.
But we are a borough, very uniquely placed,
businesses, we have huge child
poverty, we have huge poverty
and we are fortunate we have
businesses, our businesses
and the
city of Fringe in Albarra
and we need access to those
business rates.
We made it
very clear, part of any deal,
our business rates, our
share of the business rates,
minimum 30%,
33%, I'm sure Richard's going
to get us a deal
of much more than that.
Much more than that.
It's going to be retained by the residents of this borough.
Let me make it clear for the record.
Okay, so any misinformation that's been peddled out there,
our business rate is not going to be seen away.
It's going to be kept.
It's going to be more than billions, you know,
over the years.
Okay, I want to make it clear.
We want access to those 12 ,000 jobs.
We want access to the construction and the build
in the supply chain benefits.
and we want good Section 106 and sealed deals,
COVID, when they go forward.
It's very important.
So I am thankful, Richard, for bringing this paper to Cabinet.
I think the whole townless and the country needs to know
that we welcome inward investment.
That's what we did in MIPIN.
I know some people in full council were criticising MIPIN.
Let me tell people for the record,
I or officers here are not in developers' pockets.
I can assure you, okay?
A developer gave me a box of dates.
Gave me a box of dates.
You know what?
I declared it and I gave it to the mayor's charity.
That's who we are.
That's what, who I am.
Yeah.
We make sure developers are squeezed for every single penny
they have.
But you know what?
We also, the borough needs them.
We can't deliver all our homes on our own.
We need to squeeze, and David and that team, Sri,
they do squeeze 35 percent minimum homes.
The fact that we are delivering 6 ,441 homes for rent
in this borough by May of next month, by this May,
it didn't happen by chance.
It happened because we worked with housing associations,
we worked with developers, and we worked on our own lands
We need developers
but they need this council.
This council needs
to work with developers
but they need this council
too.
It is a partnership.
That is what we did.
Those top developers in GLA,
we met
the deputy mayor of London.
He has a big pot in grants.
We need that relationship.
That is what we are doing.
Our door is open.
We work with businesses
and we welcome businesses
But this is a business, once the moment of understanding happens, we're going to all
be proud of.
For generations, we're going to get benefits.
Is that okay?
Thank you.
So can we agree this recommendation and we'll request Richard and David Joyce to bring a
paper to Cabinet in the future, please, at the appropriate time for an update.
Is that okay?
Thank you.
Okay.
So it's agreed, yeah?
Grateful.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.

5 b) Contracts Forward Plan Quarter 4 (2025 -2026)

Can we now move on to 5 .2, the contract forward plan, quarter 4.
Thank you, Mr Mayor.
For the quarter 4 contract forward plan, as we know, the cabinet is reported and required
to agree on estimated value of 1 million when it comes to contract and 5 million when it
comes to capital.
and here we have five contracts all from health, adults and social care services.
The first one's around a floating support service, second one's integrated
statutory advocacy service, then the third one's a mental health supported
living services, fourth is substance misuse procurement and the fifth one is
substance misuse extension. Mr. Mayor, open to the floor for us to go
through them individually if we need to.
Great, thank you.
Okay, Andy and the team, welcome.
Welcome, thank you.
Thank you very much.
Let's do the first one,
the Floating Support Prevention Homelessness Service.
Very quickly, in all of them, we suggested some changes.
I understand they've all been incorporated
in other forums, yeah?
Mr. Mayor, that's correct.
There is a slight error on the originally
printed version of one of them.
It has been corrected in the online version.
So which one is it? Can you tell us?
It's the mental health supported living service.
On the printed version it talks about crafting the procurement,
doing an exercise.
On the republished version it says this will be an open tender.
Thank you.
That's the last point I was going to ask, that all of them are open tenders.
That's correct, Mr. Chairman.
Unfortunately I'm very reluctant to direct awards.
Which was the next one?
Thank you.
Thank you for telling me that.
Okay.
Great.
So floating service, any service, any comments anyone?
Are you okay, lead member?
Anyone?
Sorry, Mr. Mayor.
Please.
I just wanted to confirm the floating support service, prevention homelessness, it is general
and not grant because we also receive grant for homelessness.
It is general fund, sorry, yeah it is general fund.
Thank you. Is that ok Kabir? It's general fund, yeah? You got that?
Yep, that's fine, thank you.
Great, good. Anyone else? Any comments? Are we ok with this one?
Great. Thank you.
The next one is the integrated statutory advocacy service.
Again, it's open tender. Any comments on this? Anyone?
Yeah, the old statutory. No? Okay.
Officer, is he okay? Andy? Tim?
Oh, good.
Okay, we agree with this one.
The next one is the one, the mental health support and living service,
subject to that one amendment, which is online to be corrected.
Correct, Mr. Mayor.
Any comments on this?
No, we agree?
Thank you.
Okay.
Can I ask you, sorry, on this one, the others were 3 plus 1, this one 3 plus 2.
Why is that?
Sorry.
Wait, I missed another E. Why is it 3 plus 2?
The Mental Health Supported Living Service.
So Darren is online, I think.
Okay.
I'm going to make a suggestion.
It's three plus one plus one.
Okay, please, rather than three plus two.
We may want to go out to tender.
We'll make that adjustment.
Is that okay, please, yeah?
That's what we normally do, yeah?
Is that okay?
Is that okay, Steve, yeah?
Yeah, okay.
Thank you.
Is that okay?
Subject to those two, can we say, yeah?
Three plus one plus one, yeah?
Okay.
Thank you.
Next one, the substance misuse can we also request
is three plus one plus one.
So we have that leverage.
Okay.
Again, it's open tender.
Any comments on this, Member?
Anyone?
No.
You okay with it?
Okay.
Substitute to that one amendment.
Okay.
Thank you.
Another, this is an extension by 12 months.
The next one, substance misuse treatment and recovery service.
Are you okay with it?
Yeah?
Okay.
Okay.
Is that okay?
Great form of staff.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Okay, the next one is the General Build Measure Term Contract Award.

5 c) Award of the General Build Measured Term Contract

Hi Sam, welcome.
Is it you? Okay, good.
Thank you Mr. Mayor.
So this is quite an important one here.
So by officially awarding this General Build Contract,
we will be putting in a single contractor to deliver essential maintenance
and repairs to our small buildings, works across our corporate buildings and our assets
and parks.
So this will ensure that our sites remain safe, compliant as well as efficient for residents
and staff.
So it really helps us not using the repeated one -off quotations and expensive measures.
So it's something that really helps us financially.
Thank you.
There's an exempt paper attached to it.
Don't refer to it, please, but if you do want, I don't think there is a need for a closed
session.
It's quite straightforward, but if you do need to, let me know.
We can do one.
So any comments on this?
It's quite straightforward.
Sam, anything you want to add, sir?
What's been said?
He's covered that for me, Mr Mayor, but we do need this in place for the General Build
side.
Any comments?
Go on, Tala.
Just very quickly, thanks, Sam.
What's the resilience if this particular contractor can't carry out maintenance or carry out any works do we have any sort of backup options?
In the event of failure then we've got to do a step in via various different immediate awards
We're hoping that the contract we've chose got a broad enough spectrum of experience and depth of finance to be able to take this through
We've done all the due diligence.
That and more, Mr Mayor.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you Mr Mayor. We received three questions on that from one of the bidders and I believe as they're not present we can give them a written response.
Just for us to know if that's okay.
That's fine. That's fine. Great. Anyone else?
No? Can we agree the recommendation please here?
Yes.
Okay. Thank you.
Thank you very much.

5 d) Governance decision to support the completion of the Maltings and Brewster building safety project

The next one is the governance decision to support the completion of the Maltings and
Brewster Building Safety Project.
This is way, way well overdue.
I'm glad we're here.
Okay, Kabir, is there anything you want to add?
Then I'll bring Karen in.
Yeah, Mr. Mayor, just wanted to start off with some background.
Unfortunately, this is an estate that probably we would, as a council, probably look at regeneration.
But unfortunately, before we came into office, contracts were signed regarding the refurbishment
works and it had a number of complications, including charging leaseholders and there
was a court case in relation to that as well.
but unfortunately as a council we were tied into it before we came into office.
Since then various different issues have arisen and now we move on to the bit where hopefully
we can see some light. However that will need a cash injection Mr Mayor of over £11 million
bringing the total cost to just under £23 million.
£11 .3 million in order to complete the programme and give residents that level of safety they
need.
Thank you.
Steve, do you want to come on?
I know you are doing a lot of good work behind the scenes.
You and your team are getting us to a good position than we were previously.
We inherited this mess when we came back, when we came in on 5th of May, 2022. Over to you, sir.
Thank you very much and thank you, Councillor Ahmed, for that introduction. Absolutely, we need to finish this scheme.
Weights are on site, which is why we need to award this third contract to them. There are four elevations
at Mortings and Brewster, which don't have any external wall insulation on them, so they are cold.
residents are experiencing cold flats, we're paying extra allowances to
compensate them. So by this award, by this approval to spend the
required monies, we're going to be restoring people's flats as soon as
possible as we lead into another winter, as we exit this one to make their
properties their own again and we can leave them in peace.
Karen, I know you have done a lot of good work on this since we have been here.
If you would make a comment, please.
I would just echo what Stephen and Kanthar Ahmed have said.
The report really sets out very well the sort of setbacks that have plagued this building,
including COVID and the introduction of the Building Safety Act, which sort of like moves the goalposts and then you have to do more.
And every time there's been a setback, the work has stopped, and then it started again
in order to sort of manage the challenge.
But this final phase, I think we are in the final phase of getting the sort of external
wall installation on the four elevations of the two blocks, and that will mean that we'll
get it over the line, contractors off site, and people enjoying their new homes.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
I'm glad you said that word, people enjoying, getting back to people enjoying their homes,
homes, enjoying their homes because the site is now a
semi -building site.
People need to move back into their homes and kids
and the mothers and the sisters and the elders can
live a normal, homely life.
It's important.
I know you and the team have met and are meeting
residents and you are in a much better position now
than we were a few years back.
Thank you when we first came in.
Anyone in the comments from anyone on this?
Sorry, Mr Mayor. Just I had one more thing to add to this. Um,
I think it's super important that we have robust programme management in place.
So there's no further slippage on that programme. And, uh, Steven, uh,
I'm expecting that you will have a robust programme management and if needed,
a dedicated programme manager for this,
because we've already had 20 nearly 23 million pounds go into this programme.
Thank you. Yes, can I just, he came to me to team me up nicely. I'm bringing an ex -colleague
over from a previous authority to lead on this project, to see it through to completion.
He's joining us on the 13th of March, of April. So that is exactly what we're going to be
stepping up to ensure that we complete it correctly.
Can I just thank you for that, that's really helpful as always.
I just want to be absolutely clear and nobody understands this.
We have and I'm sure they've been adhered to processes in place for the bringing in
of staff into any of these roles.
And I understand from David actually that's the case.
Great, thank you.
So we want this to proceed at pace, make sure Steve and the team with performance manage
it with the vigour that it requires.
It's been six, seven, eight years, this which has been outstanding and it's cost us more
money than it would have if it were here six, seven years ago.
But the tenants require peace and tranquilly.
Now please, yeah, is that okay?
If there are no comments, can we agree with the recommendation, please?
They can get on with the work.
Thank you.
That's done.

5 e) Wraparound Childcare

Can we move on to the next paper, please?
The wraparound child care programme.
And there is pink paper attached, unless if you do need a closed session, we can give
it.
So don't refer to the matters in pink paper, please.
And if the open session is sufficient, we'll close it.
Do you want to say something, Deputy Mayor?
Welcome this report, I think Steve's gonna go for it, he's online.
Okay, Mr. Reddy.
Afternoon Mr. Mayor, you're welcome.
Yeah, you want to come in, yeah?
Yeah, thank you. So this is the wraparound childcare programme, essentially allowing primary age child providers schools to offer extended hours, so from 8 o 'clock till 6 o 'clock.
This is phase four and five of this work and we'll take our spend from the DfE grants up to just short of $900 ,000.
We had 10 applications for phase four which is autumn 2025 and nine recommended.
And then we've got for phase five which is spring 2026, seven applications and six were recommended.
The PING paper is just the detail of the assessment for each of the applications.
But I think we've delivered this programme with our providers really well and the money's
been used effectively.
And we have provided some additional detail following our discussions at MAP about the
process, the evaluation process, when applications are made and the scoring and how the allocation
of money and the number of places made.
Mr Mayor, thanks.
Thank you.
Said, is there anything you want to comment on?
Processes, grant allocation?
No Mayor, I'm okay with…
And those dedicated offices?
Yes, I'm okay with the grant allocation because as you say, it's dedicated offices
and it's a grant from DfE, so as long as it's not affecting our general fund to start
with and just want to make sure that we are reported back on how that is spent.
Great, thank you.
Anyone? Please, Councillor Sabina.
Thank you, Mayor.
I know many parents are struggling to find alternative provisions
near their home, between those hours,
and they're turning down jobs or reducing the hours of jobs.
So I think this will be a real lifeline to those working parents.
And I meet so many women that want to get into jobs,
but because of childcare provision it's really difficult.
So I think it's a really good scheme and it should be opened up more.
I'm really happy to see this in the report and it's a very good news storey
that we can tell people of Tri Hamlets.
Thank you.
Thank you for that, I fully agree with you.
Anyone else?
Can we agree with your recommendation?
Sorry, Mr Mayor.
I may have to make a declaration of interest.
My children go to one of the schools that have put an application in.
So as a result that will make my declaration of interest.
I think some members may go to some schools where they get benefits.
Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you.
With those comments can we agree the recommendation please?
Straight forward.
Yep.
Thank you.
It's a good thing.
Great.
I think we've come to end of cabinet.
Yep.
Is that okay?
There's no other business.
Can we call it a day? Thank you.
It's the last one, this term.
Thank you.
Are we done?
Are we still running the house on time?
If you can hang around, let's do the housing.