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Agenda and minutes

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Items
No. Item

130.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 199 KB

The Minutes of the Council meeting held on 15 December 2016.

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

 

That the minutes of the meeting on 15 December 2016 be confirmed as a correct record and the Mayor be authorised to sign them.

 

131.

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.

132.

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 Andrews, Donovan, Doolan, Ismail, Ngongo, Parker, Alice Perry, Rupert Perry, and Picknell.

(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 advised that since the last Council meeting, she had been very pleased to attend a lot of events that demonstrated the great diversity and strength of community cohesion in the borough, including events for LGBT History Month, Holocaust Memorial Day, Chinese New Year and the ‘Visit My Mosque Day’ at Finsbury Park Mosque.

 

The Mayor reminded members of the Civic Awards evening to be held on 16th March 2017.

 

(v)  Length of Speeches

 

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

 

133.

Leader's Announcements

Minutes:

Councillor Watts was delighted with the launch of the Fair Futures Commission which had taken place the previous day. Councillor Watts thanked Councillor Caluori and officers from Children’s Services for supporting the Commission, and Jermain Jackman for agreeing to be Chair. Councillor Watts commented that Islington was one of the best places in the country for children to grow up in, with world-class schools and cultural facilities and high-quality jobs and businesses; but expressed concern at the fundamental unfairness and inequalities faced by families in Islington, which were a barrier to young people accessing the opportunities available to them. Councillor Watts hoped that the Fair Futures Commission would build on the work of the Fairness Commission and the Employment Commission to help build a fairer borough.

 

Councillor Watts welcomed the recent GCSE results, which confirmed that Islington had progressed from the bottom 20 boroughs nationwide for GCSE results in 2008, to the top 20 in 2017. Councillor Watts thanked the staff, pupils, parents and council officers who had worked to bring about this significant improvement in performance. Councillor Watts emphasised the importance of a local authority based family of schools, commenting that many academy providers were not able to attain the same performance improvements as Islington schools.

 

Councillor Watts expressed his disappointment with the recent Ofsted inspection of Highbury Grove School and regretted that it would be forced to turn into an academy, noting that there was no evidence that academies performed better than local authority schools, and highlighting that Islington Council had a better track record for improving schools than almost every academy provider in the country. Councillor Watts advised that the council would work hard to ensure that Highbury Grove School remained a full member of Islington’s family of schools and that the school’s pupils received the high quality education that they deserved.     

 

Councillor Watts thanked Councillor Shaikh for her work in campaigning against the government’s proposed business rates revaluation, commenting that some small businesses were facing an unacceptable 50% increase, whilst some of the largest businesses in the country would benefit from a business rates cut. Councillor Watts advised that the council was working in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, the Angel BID and others on this issue.

 

Councillor Watts was delighted that there was growing cross-party support for the Lords amendments to the government’s Brexit Bill to protect the rights of EU citizens residing in Britain. Councillor Watts emphasised that EU citizens were active members of our communities and that Islington was opposed to the government’s ‘Hard Brexit’.

 

Finally, Councillor Watts thanked council staff for working under difficult conditions during Storm Doris.

 

134.

Petitions

Minutes:

No petitions were received.

135.

Islington Fair Futures Commission pdf icon PDF 197 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Caluori moved the recommendations in the report. Councillor Watts seconded.

 

The recommendations were put to the vote and CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:

 

-       That the establishment of the Fair Futures Commission be welcomed;

-       That the council should work with its partners, and the Commission itself, to support the Fair Futures Commission’s work.

 

136.

Decision to opt in to the National Scheme for Auditor Appointments pdf icon PDF 183 KB

Minutes:

Councillor Hull moved the recommendations in the report. Councillor Gill seconded.

 

The recommendations were put to the vote and CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Public Sector Audit Appointments’ (PSAA) invitation to ‘opt in’ to the sector led option for the appointment of external auditors for financial years commencing 1 April 2018 be accepted.

 

137.

Constitution Update pdf icon PDF 227 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Gill moved the recommendations in the report. Councillor Burgess seconded.

 

The recommendations were put to the vote and CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:

 

-       That the Haringey and Islington Joint Health and Wellbeing Board (i.e. a Joint Committee) be established to discharge on behalf of both boroughs the function of encouraging integrated workings between commissioners and providers of health and care in the two boroughs in so far as it relates to areas of common interest and for the purpose of advancing the health and wellbeing of their populations;

-       That the Terms of Reference of the Haringey and Islington Joint Health and Wellbeing Board be approved as set out at Appendix 1 to the report submitted;

-       That the membership of the Haringey and Islington Joint Health and Wellbeing Board be confirmed as set out at Appendix 1 to the report submitted;

-       That the Terms of Reference of the Health and Wellbeing Board be amended to permit when appropriate delegation of more functions to the Haringey and Islington Joint Health and Wellbeing Board, as described at paragraph 3.6 to the report submitted.

138.

Chief Whip's report pdf icon PDF 87 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Gill moved the recommendations. Councillor Burgess seconded.

 

The recommendations were put to the vote and CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.    APPOINTMENT TO THE LICENSING COMMITTEE

 

That Cllr Gallagher be appointed to the Licensing Committee for the remainder of the municipal year 2016/17 or until a successor is appointed be agreed.

 

2.    APPOINTMENT TO THE POLICY AND PERFORMANCE SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

 

That Cllr Gallagher be appointed to the Policy and Performance Scrutiny Committee for the remainder of the municipal year 2016/17 or until a successor is appointed be agreed.

 

3.    APPOINTMENT TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE

 

That Cllr Kay be appointed as a substitute member of the Planning Committee for the remainder of the municipal year 2016/17 or until a successor is appointed be agreed.

 

 

 

139.

Budget Proposals 2017-18 pdf icon PDF 366 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Hull moved the recommendations in the report. Councillor Watts seconded.

 

Councillor Russell moved an amendment.

 

Councillors Shaikh, Williamson, Diarmaid Ward, Burgess, Turan and Heather contributed to the debate.

 

Councillors Russell and Hull exercised their right to reply.

 

The amendment was put to the vote. Voting was recorded as follows:

 

For: Councillor Russell.

 

Against: Councillors Burgess, Caluori, Champion, Chowdhury, Comer-Schwartz, Convery, Court, Debono, Diner, Erdogan, Fletcher, Gallagher, Gantly, Gill, Greening, Heather, Hull, Jeapes, Kaseki, Kay, Khan, Klute, Nicholls, O’Halloran, O’Sullivan, Poole, Poyser, Shaikh, Smith, Spall, Turan, Diarmaid Ward, Nick Ward, Watts, Wayne, Webbe and Williamson.

 

The amendment was LOST.

 

The recommendations in the report were put to the vote. Voting was recorded as follows:

 

FOR: Councillors Burgess, Caluori, Champion, Chowdhury, Comer-Schwartz, Convery, Court, Debono, Diner, Erdogan, Fletcher, Gallagher, Gantly, Gill, Greening, Heather, Hull, Jeapes, Kaseki, Kay, Khan, Klute, Nicholls, O’Halloran, O’Sullivan, Poole, Poyser, Shaikh, Smith, Spall, Turan, Diarmaid Ward, Nick Ward, Watts, Wayne, Webbe and Williamson.

 

AGAINST: Councillor Russell.

 

The recommendations were CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:

The General Fund Budget 2017-18 and MTFS (Section 3 of the Main
Report)

1.           That the 2017-18 net Council cash limits as set out in Table 1 (paragraph 3.1.3 of the report) and the MTFS at Appendix A of the report, which include the revenue savings in Appendix B of the report, be agreed.

2.           That, in the unlikely event that the final local government settlement differs from the provisional settlement already notified by the government, authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Resources to make any adjustments necessary to balance the Council’s Budget for 2017/18, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance, Performance and Community Safety, be agreed.

3.           That the requirement to report on the number of maintained schools that have completed the Schools Value Financial Standard (SVFS) by 31st March to the Department for Education by 31st May each year (paragraph 3.2.17 of the report) be noted.

4.           That the fees and charges policy and the schedule of 2017-18 fees and charges be agreed and that authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Children's Services, in consultation with the Executive Member for Children and Families, to agree new childcare charges following consultation in the summer term (paragraphs 3.2.18-21 and Appendices C1 and C2 of the report) be agreed.

5.           That the Council’s policy on the level of General Fund balances and the estimated use of the Council’s earmarked reserves be agreed.  That the redundancy reserve is estimated to be fully spent by the end of 2016-17 be noted and that from 2017-18 redundancy costs are funded within departmental budgets (paragraphs 3.2.23 to 3.2.26 and Table 3 of the report) be agreed.

The HRA Budget and MTFS (Section 4 of the Main Report)

6.           That the balanced HRA 2017-18 budget within the HRA MTFS at Appendix D1 of the report and the 2017-18 HRA savings at Appendix D2 of the report be agreed.

7.           That the 2017-18 HRA rents and other fees and charges (Tables 5 to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 139.