Agenda and minutes
Venue: Council Chamber, Town Hall, Upper Street, N1 2UD. View directions
Contact: Philippa Murphy Tel: 020 7527 3184 email: Philippa.murphy@islington.gov.uk
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The Minutes of the Council meeting held on 25 June 2015. Minutes:
RESOLVED:
That with a correction to include that Councillor Una O’Halloran completed the borough boundary walk, the Minutes of the meeting on 25 June 2016 be confirmed as a correct record and the Mayor be authorised to sign them. |
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Declarations of Interest If you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest* in an item of business: § if it is not yet on the council’s register, you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent; § you may choose to declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest that is already in the register in the interests of openness and transparency. In both the above cases, you must leave the room without participating in discussion of the item.
If you have a personal interest in an item of business and you intend to speak or vote on the item you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent but you may participate in the discussion and vote on the item.
*(a)
Employment, etc - Any employment,
office, trade, profession or vocation
(b) Sponsorship
- Any payment or other financial benefit
in respect of your
(c) Contracts -
Any current contract for goods, services or works,
between you or (d) Land - Any beneficial interest in land which is within the council’s area.
(e) Licences-
Any licence to occupy land in the council’s
area for a month or
(f) Corporate tenancies
- Any tenancy between the council and a
body in which (g) Securities -
Any beneficial interest in securities of a body
which has a place of
This applies to all members present at the meeting.
Minutes:
Councillor Poole declared an interest in his
question regarding Pentonville as an
employee of HM Prison Service. Councillors Heather, Alice Perry and Andrews
declared an interest in the Motion regarding Trade Union Members
Check-off, as union members. |
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Mayoral Announcements (i) Apologies (ii) Order of business (iii) Declaration of discussion items by the Majority and Opposition parties
Minutes: (i) Apologies for absence
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Caluori, Court, Doolan, Erdogan, Gallagher and Spall. Apologies for lateness were received from Councillor Poyser.
The Mayor amended the order of
business to allow an urgent motion on the Right to Buy extension to Housing Associations, under rule
10.2(n). The item is urgent because the
Prime Minister’s announcement took place after the deadline
to submit motions had passed and the policy will be so detrimental
in Islington that the Council does not wish to wait until the next
meeting.
The urgent motion on the Right to Buy extension to Housing Associations is to be debated at the start of the Motions agenda item.
(iv) Mayor’s Announcements
The Mayor offered his
congratulations to Jeremy Corbyn MP,
who has been MP for Islington North since 1983, on becoming Leader
of the Opposition with over 59% of the vote.
The Mayor thanked all the councillors who attended the charity dinner in Fish Central, which raised £2,000 for Music First and invited all councillors to a charity dinner on 11 February 2016. The event will be at Round Square in Finsbury Park and will also celebrate the Chinese New Year.
On a more sombre note the Mayor led the Council in a minute’s silence in memory of ex-councillor Pat Brown, the former Chair of Social Services Committee, and offered the Council’s condolences to family and friends.
The Mayor reminded all councillors of the events to mark Remembrance Sunday on 8 November at war memorials across the borough and hoped to see colleagues attend at least one of these.
Finally, the Mayor advised that he has entered the Milton Keynes marathon and will be pestering colleagues for sponsorship as all funds raised will go to charity. |
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Leader's Announcements Minutes:
Councillor Watts thanked the Mayor and added his congratulations to Jeremy Corbyn MP; his election was good news for the borough; we will all be working foursquare to get elected in 2020 and when the public get to know Jeremy as we do, they will like what they see and he will be a great Prime Minister.
Councillor Watts advised that councillors had
been contacted by a number of residents regarding the consultation
on changes to the Controlled Parking Zones and he was therefore
reporting back in advance of the Executive papers being
published. It was high time we asked
residents about the zones; they hadn’t been consulted for
eight years and a number of problems had been raised by residents
themselves. The consultation was always
going to be a genuine one and it is clear by the responses that
residents support two of the five changes proposed, but not all of
them. The Executive paper will follow
the lead set by residents, as is only right and proper. I noted that we have been criticised for
undertaking the consultation by the party which spent £850K
on parking consultation, ten times more than we have
spent. I am sure that we were all shocked by the images of Aylan Kurdi, the three year old Syrian refugee whose body was washed up on a beach in Turkey. We have worked really hard since then, as have many other councillors. The Prime Minister has now bowed to public pressure, but it is important that we do what we can in Islington. We have been involved in a range of meetings, with the Mayor of London, Councils and the Home Office and are working with the National Refugees Welcome Board, trying to get agreement on a scheme which works. We are also working with Citizens UK and the Islington Refugee Forum to try to offer practical support. My colleague Councillor Ngongo has led on collecting donations from around the borough; we have opened the Town Hall as a donation centre for tents and clothing and have been overwhelmed by the response from residents. I’d like to thank the people of Islington for their generosity.
I know we are having a motion on this subject
later on, but the government’s proposals in the Housing Bill
are appalling and will change the nature of the
borough. I am disappointed and angry
that the national and local housing associations did a deal for
themselves and that it is the residents of Islington that will
suffer. They have seen themselves
alright at the expense of the council. Finally, I wanted to mention the changes to business rates; the most important change in the financing of local government for 30 years. It is very difficult to know what this means for Islington; we have already lost half our funding. The devil will be in the detail, but we are not anticipating that it will make a positive difference in the short or medium term; it is ridiculous ... view the full minutes text for item 65. |
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Petitions Minutes:
Victor Kaufman presented a petition on behalf
of the Islington Liberal Democrats regarding the consultation on
proposed changes to the Controlled Parking Zones. |
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Questions from Members of the Public PDF 78 KB Minutes:
Question (a) from Anita
Frizzarin to Councillor Webbe,
Executive Member for the Environment and Transport: The Supreme Court has ordered the UK Government to present a plan to reduce air pollution by the end of 2015 because it is too high, and Islington has to do its bit to bring about that reduction. Most air pollution comes from transport, and only one third of people in Islington drive. Is Islington council going to be intimidated by a minority who want to carry on driving and parking anywhere they like and not go ahead with the proposed Controlled Parking Zones, although extended CPZs would help achieve a reduction in the illegally high air pollution that we are all forced to breathe in against our will, and which is particularly harmful to young children?
Reply:
Thank you for your question and
welcome back again. This Council is
committed to tackling air quality. As
evidenced by our own Air Quality Strategy, the Diesel Surcharge,
campaign for Transport for London to change its vehicles and the 20
MPH speed limit. We go forward with
what residents tell us. It is hardly
the record of a Council that is intimidated, more the record of a
Council that is taking a national lead on these matters.
Question (b) from David
Wilson to Councillor Watts, Leader of the Council:
Reply: Supplementary
Question: That’s great to hear, I wondered what ... view the full minutes text for item 67. |
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Questions from Members of the Council PDF 76 KB Additional documents: Minutes: Cllr Andrews to Councillor Hull, Executive Member for Finance and Performance
I understand that the council
has recently won the case against the current owner of Myddleton Square Gardens, the MCG, I would like to
know why the council still do not have a new lease for Myddleton Square Gardens, what action is being
taken and why it is taking so long?
Councillor Andrews to
Councillor Shaikh, Executive Member for Economic and Community
Development
Reply: This question reflects the council’s concerns about local businesses facing a hard time. There are 10,000 small businesses in the borough whose situation is exasperated by rising property prices. We are seeking to protect them through a variety of planning tools.
Supplementary question:
Would the Executive Member for
Community Safety consider following Lambeth in banning the use and
supply of new psychoactive substances (including nitrous oxide) in
public places? |
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Constitution Report PDF 225 KB Minutes:
Councillor Alice Perry, seconded by Councillor
Poyser, moved the recommendations in the report.
1.
That the amendments to the Constitution set out in
the attached Appendix to the report be approved. 2.
That the Assistant Chief Executive (Governance and
HR) be authorised to make any consequential amendments to the
Constitution she considers necessary.
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Revised Chief Whips report PDF 164 KB Minutes: Councillor Alice Perry, seconded by Councillor
Poyser, moved the recommendations in the report. COMMITTEE
APPOINTMENTS:
1.
APPOINTMENT TO POLICY AND PERFORMANCE
SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
2.
APPOINTMENT TO HEALTH AND CARE SCRUTINY
COMMITTEE
That the following representatives be appointed as
named substitutes to
4.
PLANNING COMMITTEE
APPOINTMENTS TO OTHER POSITIONS
OUTSIDE
BODY APPOINTMENTS
7.
CITY OF LONDON ACADEMY ISLINGTON |
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Urgent Motion - Right to Buy extension to Housing Associations PDF 107 KB Minutes:
Urgent Motion – Right to Buy
extension to Housing Associations Councillor O’Sullivan moved the motion. Councillor O’Halloran seconded.
Councillors Heather, Murray, Andrews, Russell contributed to the debate.
The recommendations in the
motion were put to the vote and carried unanimously. RESOLVED: To support the Executive Member for Housing and Development in urging major housing associations operating in the borough to ring-fence any receipts from Right to Buy sales in Islington and invest them in like-for-like replacement homes for social rent within the borough. |
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Where a motion concerns an executive function, nothing passed can be actioned until approved by the Executive or an officer with the relevant delegated power.
Motion 1: Trade Union Members Check-Off Motion 2: Black History All
Year Round
Additional documents:
Minutes: Motion: Black History Month All Year
Round Councillor Comer-Schwartz moved the motion. Councillor Webbe seconded.
Councillors Kaseki and Russell contributed to
the debate. The recommendations were put to the vote and
CARRIED. To consult schools about their curriculum support needs; to offer schools resources and partnership that can support and enrich their history curriculum; and to offer specialist training through Black History Month, because this council believes that a comprehensive, inclusive and all year round approach such as this will help Islington move towards our shared goal that all pupils should be able to see themselves in the history they study, not just for one month a year, but all the time.
MOTION: TRADE UNION MEMBERS CHECK-OFF
Councillor Heather moved the motion. Councillor Alice Perry seconded.
Councillors Andrews and Russell contributed to
the debate. RESOLVED:
To ask the Leader of the Council to write to the Government Minister making it clear that local government will not be dictated to by removing check-off on the basis that it is an individual agreement between employer and employee, and part of employees’ national terms and conditions of service.
This council also resolves to encourage other local authorities and organisations, such as the Local Government Association and London Councils, to make representations to defend check-off.
MOTION: ISLINGTON COMMITTS TO THE
NATIONAL CITY PARK INITIATIVE
The motions as amended was put to the vote and
CARRIED.
To call on Cllr Claudia Webbe, Executive Member for Environment and Transport, and Cllr James Murray, Executive Member for Housing and Development to investigate the proposals further, paying specific attention to how the proposals would impact on the council’s development plans and to ensure that there would be no financial burden placed on the council by this proposal.
To show support for the organisation as it develops its vision, in particular by setting out how Islington Council and Islington residents can contribute towards its aims.
MOTION: PREVENT STRATEGY
Councillor Russell moved the
motion. Councillor Watts,
seconded by Councillor Alice Perry, moved an amendment to the
motion.
The motions as amended was put to the vote and
CARRIED. To work with local schools, school governors and local faith groups to ensure that the implementation of Prevent is effective, sensitive and constructive. To work with local groups to ensure extremism is challenged collaboratively rather than driven underground or over exaggerated. To praise the many local community and faith groups who work across our borough to improve community cohesion and prevent violent extremism. To work with local Trade Unions, universities and faith groups to make representations to government and local MPs to request the Government ... view the full minutes text for item 72. |