Peter Landman reports from March and April’s Newham Council Cabinet meeting on the stark challenge of pay discrimination, the future of Stratford Market Village and how mothers took the Council to task over play facilities

Council business takes time, but as a consequence sometimes issues get put to one side. At recent meetings time has run out to take individual councillors’ motions. At the March meeting there were seven motions on the agenda, but only one – on inequality in employment – was presented.

Nevertheless, one issue that did get considerable attention was raised by a deputation of mothers complaining about the state of children’s play areas in parks. The deputation said they had conducted a survey among 200 families; and the majority response was that many play areas were unsatisfactory.

They suggested the results highlight an issue of inequality: with better off families taking their children to play areas elsewhere.

The mothers targeted play areas in Priory, Plashet and Plaistow Parks as particularly unsatisfactory. By contrast, the play area in the Olympic Park is particularly good. This poses the question about how families in more difficult circumstances can access the Olympic Park?

Councillor Terry Paul suggested a snagging list be created to identify problems and what needs to be done and the Council agreed to follow this up. Meanwhile, a motion from councillor Carleene Lee-Phakoe raised the issue of ethnic minorities and inequality in employment and pay rates.

She presented the Council with a range of statistics showing average unemployment rates for different groups. For white people average joblessness is 3.2 percent; for people of Indian origin it is 4.7 percent; for people of Black African and Caribbean origin it is 8.1 percent; and for those of Bangladeshi origin it is 9.0 percent.

These stark differences are also found in average salary levels: white people in employment earn around £18.14 per hour while the average for other groups is £12.03 per hour.

Research from the Trades Union Congress indicates that ethnic minority graduates on comparable jobs receive 23 percent less than white graduates.

Councillor Lee-Phakoe called on the Council to support transparency and urged the Council to sign up to the Show the Salary Scheme and to get Council partnership organisations to do the same.

She also proposed an analysis of factors that lead to ethnic pay gaps and for the Council to adopt the GMB Union’s charter on this issue..

During the debate that followed several councillors maintained that ethnic minority people were proportionately more likely to be in low paid jobs. Councillor Anamul Islam also noted that many Pakistani graduates lack confidence to apply for more highly paid jobs.

For more information on this issue contact: Carleene.Lee-Phakoe@newham.gov.uk

Stratford Market Village rescue, but the future is unclear

The reopening of Stratford Market Village is imminent, but uncertainty remains about its future, with Newham Council anxious to avoid a future financial deficit if rents paid by traders over the next year don’t cover costs.

The Council Cabinet meeting in April agreed to take on the lease of the Market Village but, to avoid a financial risk of a deficit, the Council can trigger a break-out clause after the first year of operation.

Last month we reported how £700,000 due to be paid back to the Greater London Authority can be used instead by the Council to take over the Market Village site as a tenant of the landlord, the UNEX Property Company.

But as the tenant the Council must cover all the operation costs of the trading activities out of rents paid by the traders and there is a possibility that rents collected might not cover operational costs.

So the Cabinet agreed a break out clause after one year to ensure the Council does not incur a deficit.

The Market Village has as many as 60 units, and employs 100 people.

Health and wellbeing strategy

The Cabinet has agreed a new health and wellbeing strategy based on the 50 Steps towards a Healthy Newham plan.

The steps cover a wide range of measures including: early help and support for very young children; promoting good mental health and sickness prevention; encouraging participation in community leisure and sports; support for vulnerable people; and initiatives on climate change.

Cabinet members were told there have been particular successes on take up of polio vaccination, free delivery of vitamin D tablets, stop smoking campaigns and local organisations paying the living wage.

The Council has also set up a 50 Steps Delivery Board to monitor progress and report annually, with emphasis on outcomes. There will be continued work with the NHS, other council services, voluntary groups and individuals who are nominated 50 Steps volunteer champions.

More solar energy panels

The Cabinet has agreed proposals for the London-wide non profit organisation, Repowering London to install solar energy panels on the roofs of Godwin, St Stephens, Ellen Wilkinson and Winsor Primary Schools and East Ham Leisure Centre. Repowering London will install the panels at no cost and the Council will purchase the energy generated.

Meanwhile, Repowering Communities plans to set up a Newham-based Community Benefit Society, Community Energy Newham. It will function as a cooperative with individual members of the public invited to buy shares; and with each shareholder having a right to say how the organisation is doing.

Out of the proceeds of the sales of shares, Community Energy Newham will pay for further solar panel installations. The wider aim is to encourage community interest in involvement in the green economy.

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