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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Town Hall, Upper Street, N1 2UD. View directions

Contact: Philippa Green  020 7527 3184

Items
No. Item

106.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 341 KB

The Minutes of the Council meeting held on 30 June 2016.

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting on 30 June 2016 be confirmed as a correct record and the Mayor be authorised to sign them.

107.

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
            carried on for profit or gain.

(b)       Sponsorship - Any payment or other financial benefit in respect of your
expenses in carrying out duties as a member, or of your election; including
from a trade union.

(c)       Contracts - Any current contract for goods, services or works, between you or
     your partner (or a body in which one of you has a beneficial interest) and the
     council.

(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
longer.

(f)        Corporate tenancies - Any tenancy between the council and a body in which
     you or your partner have a beneficial interest.

(g)       Securities - Any beneficial interest in securities of a body which has a place of
     business or land in the council’s area, if the total nominal value of the
     securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital
     of that body or of any one class of its issued share capital. 

 

This applies to all members present at the meeting.

 

Minutes:

None.

108.

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 were received from Councillors Court, Doolan, Khan, Parker and Wayne. Apologies for lateness were received from Councillors Erdogan, and Poyser.

 

(ii)          Order of business

 

No changes were proposed to the order of business.

 

(iii)         Declaration of discussion items

 

No items were declared.

 

(iv)         Mayor’s Announcements

 

The Mayor paid tribute to former Labour Councillor John Worker who passed away in July. The Mayor spoke about John’s passion for the borough and its people. The Mayor is enjoying attending many community events including performances by Step Live Dance Celebrations, a dance showcase by Artistry for Youth Dance, the Imagine Islington Family Exhibition, school sports awards, street festivals, fun days, fetes and graduation ceremonies. The Mayor has also attended recent charitable events, such as the Summer Charity Party which provided funds for the Prisoners’ Advice BADGE Service and the Islington Law Centre. The events celebrate the cultural life and diversity of the borough, as well as individual achievements.

 

The Mayor pledged her support to the Mayor of London’s #LondonIsOpen campaign.

 

Finally, the Mayor advised of her visit to the Ben Kinsella Exhibition at Finsbury Town Hall. All of those present were encouraged to attend the exhibit, which is a powerful legacy to Ben’s life.

 

(v)          Length of speeches

 

The Mayor asked colleagues to do their upmost to keep speeches within the permitted length.

109.

Leader's Announcements

Minutes:

Councillor Watts thanked the Mayor and welcomed back Councillor Rupert Perry, who had recently been absent from council business due to ill health. Councillor Watts also passed on his best wishes to Councillor Doolan, who was absent due to ill health, on behalf of the council.

 

Councillor Watts congratulated local young people, their families and teachers on their recent GCSE results. Councillor Watts said that he was extremely proud of the quality of education in the borough. Councillor Watts also said that London schools were among the best in the developed world and it was no coincidence that London had few selective schools, as selective schooling fails pupils of all abilities, as the eleven-plus exam was only a test of if parents could afford private tutoring. Councillor Watts advised that the Council was opposed to the government’s proposals to re-introduce grammar schools, would exercise a veto for the borough if possible and would support a national campaign against grammar schools.

 

Councillor Watts was very pleased to attend the opening of new homes with Councillor Diarmaid Ward and was very proud of the council’s fantastic contribution to combating the housing crisis.

 

Councillor Watts advised that Arsene Wenger and other representatives of the Premier League attended a recent event in the borough and the Arsenal Ladies team also attended an event in the Town Hall. The Premier League’s contribution to local sports facilities was very welcome. Councillor Watts wishes both teams success in their football seasons.

 

Councillor Watts expressed his disappointment at the announcement of the Boundary Commission proposal to abolish the Islington North parliamentary constituency. Islington was currently served by two hardworking MPs and Councillor Watts said he will work with colleagues across parties to ensure that Islington keeps two MPs.

 

 

 

110.

Petitions

Minutes:

Ms Barbara Sheridan presented a petition regarding funding for the dementia daycare service at St Luke’s.

111.

Questions from Members of the Public pdf icon PDF 72 KB

Minutes:

Question a) from Michael Ryan, Chief Executive of the St Luke’s Community Centre, to Councillor Burgess, Executive Member for Health and Social Care:

 

Why has the Council decided to cut funding of £26,000 pa for the unique dementia daycare service for such vulnerable members of our community when concern about dementia and isolation of older people is so high?

 

Reply:

Thank you for your question.  Following savage cuts to our budget by the government, which has cut our core budget by 50% since 2010, we have to examine every grant we give and ensure that public money is spent in the most effective way.  11 people are registered to attend the St Luke’s sessions and according to St Luke’s own recent figures an average of only 5 people attend daily.  The service costs £2,363 per service user per year and no assessment is made or referral required, so it’s possible that some of the service users don’t meet the thresholds.  We delayed making this cut until we could ensure that users can access other services and they can now do so by using the council’s Accessible Community Transport.

 

Supplementary question:

That’s the first explanation we have received from anyone, but we can’t understand how the £26,000 is going to save money if it is withdrawn.

Reply:

 

I wish that treating dementia was as simple as continuing the funding, but dementia carries on regardless. Islington Council supports the users of the daycare service and will continue to support people to access services here at St Luke’s – there are a lot of excellent services there and we will be providing transport to enable them to access them. The St Luke’s Community Centre has its own funding reserves, whilst we are struggling badly.  We want to help people with dementia; we spend £12million a year on services for people with dementia, but we have to send it where it has most impact.

The meeting was opened to questions from the floor.

 

Question from James Thurlow regarding the Council’s approach to the Tenant Tax. I am 34 years old and single and have stage 4 bowel cancer. I am on the housing waiting list and earn around £20,000 a year, however I am still nowhere near having enough points for my own home. Why is the Council challenging ‘pay to stay’ when it will support people who earn double my salary to stay in council homes?

 

Reply from Councillor Diarmaid Ward, Executive Member for Housing and Development:

 

Thank you for your question. The Tenant Tax punishes hardworking residents and families when both parents are working. The Tenant Tax takes no account of residents’ outgoings; many families have children and it will be very difficult for them to find money for the resulting rent increases. The Tenant Tax is unfair, it taxes people just because they are council tenants.

 

Question from Margaret Rudge regarding cuts to services for vulnerable people. You talk about cuts, but you are hitting what I call “below the belt”  ...  view the full minutes text for item 111.

112.

Questions from Members of the Council pdf icon PDF 131 KB

Minutes:

Question a) Councillor Poyser to Councillor Hull, Executive Member for Finance, Performance and Community Safety

 

The recent murder in Hillrise Ward came as a huge shock to the community and the local councillors. The thoughts and feelings of all councillors go out to the family of the victim. It is now naturally a matter for the police to investigate swiftly and fairly, and speculation as to the perpetrator or perpetrators of the crime are a matter for the courts and not a public discussion which could prejudice the legal process. In the light of his previous answer at a council meeting earlier this year on the victim of a shotgun, also in Hillrise Ward, could Councillor Hull give us reassurance that the Council is taking appropriate steps to work with the police to reassure local people that we will do our utmost to try to ensure this does not happen again?

 

Reply:

 

Thank you for your question, David. For now, the murderer of David Robinson remains uncaught. The Murder Investigation Team within Islington Police are actively pursuing various lines of enquiry. Three arrests have been made to date, but these people have been bailed and no charges related to the murder have yet been brought. There have been no subsequent criminal incidents connected to the murder since. Further public appeals for information are going to be made shortly.

 

Every murder is one too many and our sincere condolences go to the families and friends affected by this tragic shooting and the loss of another young man from our borough. While we await, as we must, the due process of the law to run its course, the Council and the police continue to work together to tackle crime in every ward across the borough, including in Hillrise.

 

The Integrated Gangs Team co-located at Toldpuddle Police Station is an excellent example of the police and Council working together and with partners in Probation, Victim Support, St Giles Trust and others. The team is now settled and intervening in the lives of young men and women involved in serious youth violence and gangs. While they are not able to prevent every tragic incident, the team is providing a rapid response to identified young people, from custody through to the community, supporting them to escape the clutches of gangs.

 

In terms of community reassurance, the Council discuss with the police a plan of action after each incident of death or serious violence. Such plans can include jointly agreed public statements, community engagement and increased patrolling, including involving Council staff who go into affected areas to engage and reassure residents, especially young people who are often most affected by this type of violence. The Council's Targeted Youth Support team work with St Giles Trust workers – some themselves former gang members – and the Neighbourhood Policing Teams to engage residents as well as gather information to improve overall safety.

 

Finally, developments continue apace across the Council to streamline our engagement with the police, both  ...  view the full minutes text for item 112.

113.

Islington Armed Forces Community Covenant Annual Update pdf icon PDF 309 KB

Minutes:

Councillor Poole moved the recommendations in the report. Councillor Alice Perry seconded.

 

The recommendations were put to the vote and CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:

 

-       That the progress and events over the past year be noted.

-       It be noted that frontline staff have been trained to recognise and refer residents with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and on the wider package of support for veterans.

 

 

114.

Resolution to extend 6 month rule – Section 85 Local Government Act 1972 pdf icon PDF 159 KB

Minutes:

Councillor Alice Perry moved the recommendations in relation to Councillor Doolan. Councillor Gill seconded.

 

The recommendation was put to the vote and CARRIED.

 

-       That in accordance with Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972, Council approves Councillor Gary Doolan’s non-attendance at meetings until the end of the municipal year on the grounds of continued ill health and that the Council’s best wishes be conveyed to him.

115.

Constitution Changes and Monitoring Officer Post pdf icon PDF 172 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Alice Perry moved the recommendations in the report. Councillor Gill seconded.

 

The recommendations were put to the vote and CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:

 

-       That the post of Director of Law and Governance be designated as the Council’s Monitoring Officer post in accordance with section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 be agreed with effect from 1 October 2016.

-       That the Pay Policy Statement be amended to remove reference to the Monitoring Officer Allowance be agreed with effect from 1 October 2016.

-       That the changes to the Constitution described in paragraph 3.2 and contained in Appendix 1 be agreed with effect from 1 October 2016.

-       That the changes to the Constitution described in paragraph 3.4 and contained in Appendix 1 be agreed with immediate effect.

116.

Chief Whip's Report (appointment of independent members) pdf icon PDF 91 KB

Minutes:

Councillor Alice Perry moved the recommendations in the report. Councillor Gill seconded.

 

The recommendations were put to the vote and CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.    APPOINTMENT TO LICENSING COMMITTEE


That Councillor Champion replaces Councillor Rupert Perry as a member of Licensing Committee for the remainder of the municipal year 2016/17 or until a successor is appointed be agreed.

 

2.    APPOINTMENT TO POLICY AND PERFORMANCE SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

 

That membership of the Policy and Performance Scrutiny Committee be increased by one and that Councillor Champion be appointed with immediate effect for the remainder of the municipal year 2016/17 or until a successor is appointed be agreed.

 

3.    APPOINTMENT TO ENVIRONMENT AND REGENERATION SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

 

That Councillor Rupert Perry is standing down as a member of Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee with immediate effect and that Council will appoint a replacement.

 

4.    APPOINTMENT TO HOUSING SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

 

That Jim Rooke and Rose-Marie Mcdonald be appointed as observers to the Housing Scrutiny Committee when their terms of office as resident representatives end on 30th September 2016 for the remainder of the municipal year 2016/17 or until a successor is appointed be agreed.

 

5.    APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT MEMBERS TO AUDIT COMMITTEE (ADVISORY)

 

That Alan Begg and Nick Whitaker be appointed as Independent Members of the Audit Committee (Advisory) to take effect from 1 October 2016 for a period of four years until 1 October 2020 be agreed.

 

6.    APPOINTMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT PERSON TO STANDARDS COMMITTEE

 

That Rosalind Stevens be appointed as Independent Person on the Standards Committee with immediate effect for a period of four years until 15 September 2020 be agreed.

 

117.

Notices of Motion pdf icon PDF 167 KB

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:  Anonymous Shortlisting

Motion 2:  Islington is Open

Minutes:

MOTION 1: ANONYMOUS SHORTLISTING

 

Councillor Russell moved the motion.

 

Councillor Hull moved the amendment set out in the second despatch of papers. Councillor Russell seconded the amendment.

 

The amendment was put to the vote and CARRIED.

 

The motion as amended was put to the vote and CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:

 

-       That we will promote the use of anonymous shortlisting by Islington employers, sharing the knowledge and best practice of how such a system is run in our council.

-       That we will encourage council contractors to adopt anonymous shortlisting.

-       That we will monitor the success of this work and report back to Full Council in one year on its progress.

 

 

MOTION 2: ISLINGTON IS OPEN

 

Councillor Watts, seconded by Councillor Burgess, moved the motion. Councillors Heather and Webbe contributed to the debate.

 

Councillor Russell moved the amendment, as set out in the second despatch of papers.

 

The amendment was put to the vote and was LOST. 

 

The motion as originally written was put to the vote and was CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:

 

-       To continue to make representations to the Government for the need to protect former EU funding to the Council.

-       To work with the Mayor of London in support of his #LondonIsOpen campaign.

-       To work closely with the police and others to tackle hate crime and to pursue perpetrators.

118.

Printed minutes pdf icon PDF 229 KB