Agenda and minutes
Housing and Regeneration Committee
Tuesday 19 June 2012 3.30 pm

To receive any apologies for absence and any announcements from the Chair.

1.  Apologies for absence were received from Steve O’Connell AM, Roger Evans AM and Nicky Gavron AM for whom Joanne McCartney AM attended as a substitute.

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Note the list of memberships of functional bodies and London Borough Councils, as set out in the table at Item 2;

(b)  Note the gifts and hospitality received by Members, as set out on the Authority’s gifts and hospitality register; and

(c)  Declare any other personal or personal prejudicial interests in specific items listed on the agenda over and above those items listed in the table at Item 2 and including any interests arising from gifts or hospitality received within the previous three years or from the date of election to the London Assembly, whichever is the later, which are not at the time of this meeting reflected on the Authority’s register of gifts and hospitality.

2.1  Resolved: 

(a)   That the relevant Assembly Members’ membership of Functional Bodies and London Borough Councils, as set out in Item 2 on the agenda, be noted and recorded as personal interests; and

(b)  That gifts and hospitality received by Members in the previous three years, as set out on the Authority’s gifts and hospitality register, be noted.

The Committee is recommended to note the membership and chairing arrangements for the Committee as agreed by the Annual Meeting of the Assembly on 11 May 2012, as follows:

Len Duvall (Chair)   John Biggs

Darren Johnson (Deputy Chair)   Andrew Boff

Tom Copley   Steve O’Connell

Onkar Sahota   Richard Tracey

Nicky Gavron   Roger Evans

Fiona Twycross   Caroline Pidgeon

3.1  Resolved

That the membership and chairing arrangements for the Committee as agreed by the Annual Meeting of the Assembly on 11 May 2012, be agreed as follows:

  Len Duvall (Chair)

Darren Johnson (Deputy Chair) 

John Biggs

Andrew Boff

Tom Copley 

Roger Evans

Nicky Gavron 

Steve O’Connell

Onkar Sahota 

Richard Tracey

Fiona Twycross 

Caroline Pidgeon

The Committee is recommended to note the following terms of reference for the Committee:

1.  To examine and report from time to time on –

·  the strategies, policies and actions of the Mayor and the Functional Bodies

·  matters of importance to Greater London

  as they relate to housing and regeneration matters in London.

2.  To consider housing and regeneration matters on request from another standing committee and report its opinion to that standing committee.

3.  To take into account in its deliberations the cross cutting themes of: the health of persons in Greater London; the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; climate change; and the promotion of opportunity.

4.  To respond on behalf of the Assembly to consultations and similar processes when within its terms of reference.

4.1  Resolved

That the terms of reference for the Committee be agreed as follows:

1.  To examine and report from time to time on –

·  the strategies, policies and actions of the Mayor and the Functional Bodies

·  matters of importance to Greater London

    as they relate to housing and regeneration matters in London.

2.  To consider housing and regeneration matters on request from another standing committee and report its opinion to that standing committee.

3.  To take into account in its deliberations the cross cutting themes of: the health of persons in Greater London; the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; climate change; and the promotion of opportunity.

4. To respond on behalf of the Assembly to consultations and similar processes when within its terms of reference.

The Committee is recommended to delegate a general authority to the Chair, following consultation with the lead Members of the party Groups on the Committee, to respond on the Committee’s behalf where it is consulted on issues by organisations and there is insufficient time to consider the consultation at a Committee meeting.

5.1  Resolved

That the Committee delegate a general authority to the Chair, following consultation with the lead Members of the party Groups on the Committee, to respond on the Committee’s behalf where it is consulted on issues by organisations and there is insufficient time to consider the consultation at a Committee meeting.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  Paul Watling, paul.watling@london.gov.uk, 0207 983 4393

The Committee is recommended to note the report as background to discussing with the Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property, the range of issues set out in paragraph 4.2 of the report.

6.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of the Secretariat.

6.2  The following guests attended the meeting to answer the Committee’s questions on Strategic Housing and Regeneration Issues:

·  Richard Blakeway, Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property, and

·  David Lunts, Executive Director for Housing and Land, Greater London Authority.

6.3  A transcript of the discussion is attached at Appendix 1.

6.4  During the discussion, the Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property committed to:

·  Write to the Committee on the GLA‘s decisions on the procurement process decision regarding the former St Clement’s hospital site in Tower Hamlets, in respect of Community Land Trusts;

·  Write to the Committee with details of the GLA’s landholdings and estimates of the potential value of that land;

·  Write to the Committee with additional details on local authorities that have set up their own letting agencies;

·  Send the Committee a copy of the letter that the Mayor of London sent to Shelter, a housing and homelessness charity, during his election campaign;

·  Send a copy of the response made on behalf of the Mayor on the Government’s consultation on REITs (real estates investment trusts) regarding proposed changes that have been set out in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Paul Watling, paul.watling@london.gov.uk, 020 7983 4393

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)   Note the report that sets out a list of potential projects that will be developed for the Committee’s work programme for the Assembly Year 2012/13; and

(b)   Note that the main item for its next meeting on 18 July 2012, and the primary focus for its work in the autumn will be London’s private rented housing.

7.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of the Secretariat.

7.2  Resolved

(a)  That the report that sets out a list of potential projects to be developed for the Committee’s work programme for the Assembly Year 2012/13 be noted; and

(b)  That the main item for its next meeting on 18 July 2012, and the primary focus for its work in the autumn will be London’s private rented housing be noted.

The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled for 18 July 2012 at 10 am in the Chamber, City Hall.

8.1  Resolved

That the next meeting of the Housing and Regeneration Committee would be held on 18 July 2012 at 10 am in the Chamber, City Hall.

9.1  There was no urgent business.