Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director, Community and Children’s Services.

The Committee received a report from the Executive Director, Community and Children’s Services in respect of the Barbican Estate Office in respect of a temporary workers contract with Hays (“the Hays Agreement”) over a five-year period starting in 2017 without consulting affected long leaseholders under Section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. A briefing note was circulated to all Members ahead of this meeting which summarised the history, from the Barbican leaseholders’ perspective, of the failure by the City Corporation to undertake consultation in relation to temporary workers.

Having undergone the Tribunal Property Chamber process, the City Corporation had conceded on a dispensation having not consulted with Barbican leaseholders. However, the City Corporation defended recoverability in terms of the lease agreement.

A Member was keen to know what the next step in the tribunal process was and if a decision was. The Assistant Director advised the Committee that the City Corporation had intended to submit a dispensation application to the tribunal. The result of this dispensation application, if agreed upon by the Tribunal, will be the removal of the £100 cap.

The Assistant Director informed the Committee of the commitments made by the BEO when entering into the next temporary workers contract. The usage of temporary labour was expected to be minimised and the BEO shall maintain a responsibility, locally, to ensure that resources were being managed effectively and not at the financial detriment of leaseholders.

RESOLVED, that – the report and its contents be noted.