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Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 4, Town Hall, Upper Street, N1 2UD. View directions

Contact: Philippa Green  020 7527 3184

Items
No. Item

494.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

None.

495.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

None.

496.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 77 KB

Decision:

Noted.

Minutes:

That the Minutes of the meeting on 1 February 2018 be confirmed as a correct record and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

497.

Financial Position as at 31 January 2018 pdf icon PDF 115 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

AGREED RECOMMENDATIONS

Reason for decision – as specified in the report.

Other options considered - none.

Conflicts of interest/dispensations granted – none.

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

2.1     That the forecast revenue outturn for the General Fund (Table 1 of the report) of a gross overspend of £5.7m, including corporate items (paragraph 3.1 of the report), be noted. 

2.2     That any remaining overspend at year-end, after ongoing management actions, will be covered by drawing down from corporate contingency budgets in the first instance (paragraph 3.2 of the report) be noted.

2.3     That the breakdown of the forecast General Fund outturn by individual variance at Appendix 1 of the report and by service area at Appendix 2 of the report, be noted.

 

2.4     That the HRA forecast is in a break-even position (Section 5, Table 1 of the report) be noted.

2.5     That the latest capital position with forecast capital expenditure of £99.9m in 2017-18 (Section 6, Table 2, and Appendix 3 of the report ) be noted.

Reason for decision – to allow members to monitor the budget.

Other options considered – none other than as specified in the report.

Conflicts of interest/dispensations granted – none.

 

498.

Fire Safety Scrutiny - Recommendations of the Housing Scrutiny Committee pdf icon PDF 97 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

AGREED RECOMMENDATIONS

Reason for decision – as specified in the report.

Other options considered - none.

Conflicts of interest/dispensations granted – none.

 

Minutes:

Councillor O’Sullivan, Chair of the Housing Scrutiny Committee, presented the report, highlighting a number of the committee’s recommendations including the development of evacuation plans for vulnerable residents, reviewing the feasibility of retrofitting sprinkler systems and a system for residents to report fire safety concerns in an open and transparent way. 

Councillor Ward thanked Councillor O’Sullivan and all the members of the committee for their work and advised that the Council will look very closely at all the recommendations.  Councillor Ward noted that the fourth recommendation, to provide a dedicated email address for residents to report fire safety concerns was now in place and working very effectively.  Councillor Ward called on the Secretary of State to assist all local authorities with the costs of all new fire safety requirements, including retrofitting sprinkler systems.

Councillor Russell requested that the Executive consider an additional recommendation to regularly update fire risk assessments.  Councillor Ward agreed this would be considered alongside the committee’s recommendations.

Councillor Watts noted the Executive’s thanks to the Housing Scrutiny Committee for all their work on the review.

RESOLVED:

 

2.1       That the report of the Housing Scrutiny Committee be received.

 

2.2       That the Executive Member’s response be reported to a future meeting of the Executive, including having due regard to any relevant implications of the Housing Scrutiny Committee’s recommendations.

2.3       That the Executive Member’s response will also include a response to the
            additional request that fire risk assessments be regularly updated.

 

Reason for decision – to allow receive the scrutiny committee’s recommendations.

Other options considered – none other than as specified in the report.

Conflicts of interest/dispensations granted – none.

 

499.

Post-16 Education, Employment and Training - Executive Members response to the recommendations from the Children's Services Scrutiny Committee pdf icon PDF 135 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

AGREED RECOMMENDATIONS

Reason for decision – as specified in the report.

Other options considered - none.

Conflicts of interest/dispensations granted – none.

 

Minutes:

Councillor Shaikh advised that the integration of the Progress and iWork teams, proposed in the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee’s first recommendation was already underway and thanked the committee for a valuable and helpful review.

Councillor Watts noted the Executive’s thanks to the scrutiny committee for all their work.

RESOLVED:

2.1       That the findings of the Post-16 Education, Employment and Training
            Scrutiny Review be welcomed.


2.2       That the responses to the recommendations of the Children’s Services
            Scrutiny Committee as set out in section 4 of the report, be agreed.

2.3       That officers will report back on progress to the Children’s Services Scrutiny
            Committee in July 2018, be noted.


Reason for decision – to allow the Executive to respond to the scrutiny committee’s recommendations.

Other options considered – none other than as specified in the report.

Conflicts of interest/dispensations granted – none.

 

500.

Highbury Corner Roundabout pdf icon PDF 215 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

AGREED RECOMMENDATIONS

Reason for decision – as specified in the report.

Other options considered - none.

Conflicts of interest/dispensations granted – none.

 

Minutes:

Councillor Webbe advised that the Council has worked with Transport for London and the Mayor of London to develop the best possible scheme for Highbury Corner, based on the results of the public consultation.  The proposed scheme includes removal of the gyratory, improved cycling and pedestrian facilities and a newly accessible greenspace by connecting to the arboretum on the roundabout.  The access to the arboretum is also designed to protect the more delicate trees.  The work will follow on from the completion of the ongoing bridge works to reduce disruption.  Councillor Webbe answered a number of questions from members of the public and Councillor Russell and confirmed that the Council will monitor the work to minimise the disruption to residents and businesses and will keep in regular contact with local residents. The Council will also monitor traffic on the surrounding roads once the scheme is in operation and will review if any mitigating measures are required.

Councillor Watts added that the Council would also like to see the station front significantly improved and has raised this with Transport for London.

RESOLVED:

2.1     That the outcome of the joint public consultation carried out by the Council and TfL in 2016 and the current proposals for Highbury Corner Roundabout, including changes as a result of feedback from that consultation, be noted.

2.2     That the road layout changes including local motor vehicular traffic road closures and banned turns be noted.

2.3     That an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening opinion request will be forthcoming from TfL for consideration by the Council in its capacity as local planning authority (LPA) as part of adopting an EIA screening opinion be noted.

2.4     That the Executive agree, in principle, to formally support the Highbury Corner Roundabout transformation, as described in this report and shown in Appendices 1-3 of the report.

2.5     That the Corporate Director of Environment and Regeneration, in consultation with the Executive Member for Environment and Transport, be authorised to make a decision on the Council’s final position on the Highbury Corner Roundabout transformation once an EIA screening opinion has been adopted, be agreed.

2.6     That, subject to recommendation 2.5 above, the Corporate Director of Environment and Regeneration, in consultation with the Executive Member for Environment and Transport, be authorised to agree the details of the design with TfL, in particular related to the new public space area, be agreed.


Reason for decision – to remove the gyratory and create a new public space at Highbury Corner and increase the safety of cyclists and pedestrians.

Other options considered – none other than as specified in the report.

Conflicts of interest/dispensations granted – none.

 

501.

Contract award for framework agreement for fire safety work to housing street properties pdf icon PDF 114 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

AGREED RECOMMENDATIONS

Reason for decision – as specified in the report.

Other options considered - none.

Conflicts of interest/dispensations granted – none.

 

Minutes:

Councillor Ward advised that the work is required to achieve 30 minute’s fire protection in the Council’s street properties (and some older-style mansion blocks).


RESOLVED:

2.1       That the award of contracts for the framework agreement for fire safety work to housing street properties to: ENGIE Regeneration Ltd (LOT 1 – north of the borough) and The Breyer Group (LOT 2 – south of the borough) be agreed.


Reason for decision – to improve the safety of residents.

Other options considered – none other than as specified in the report.

Conflicts of interest/dispensations granted – none.

 

502.

Contract award for framework agreement for fire safety work to housing street properties - exempt appendices

Decision:

Noted.

Minutes:

That the information in the exempt appendix to agenda item E8 be noted (see Minute 501 for details).