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Agenda and minutes

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No. Item

177.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 287 KB

The minutes of the Council meeting held on 7 December 2017.

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

 

That the minutes of the Council meeting on 7 December 2017 be confirmed as a correct record and the Mayor be authorised to sign them.

178.

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.

179.

Mayoral Announcements

(i)            Apologies

(ii)           Order of business

(iii)          Declaration of discussion items

(iv)          Mayor’s Announcements

(v)           Length of speeches

 

 

Minutes:

(i)            Apologies for absence

 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Andrews, Picknell, Doolan, Khan, Shaikh and Nick Ward.

 

(ii)          Order of business

 

No changes were proposed to the order of business.

 

(iii)         Declaration of discussion items

None.

(iv)         Mayor’s Announcements

The Mayor had attended many events over the previous months that had highlighted the diversity of the borough and the strength and openness of its communities. The Mayor noted these included Chinese New Year celebrations with the Islington Chinese Association and wished everyone present a Happy New Year.

The Mayor had visited Finsbury Park Mosque and the Muslim Welfare House as part of Visit My Mosque Day and had been very warmly received. The Mayor was pleased to support the local Muslim community, especially following the Finsbury Park terror attack. The Mayor said that the Finsbury Park Mosque and Muslim Welfare House are part of a loving and strong community and it is important for us to work closely together to show everyone that Islington will not be divided by hate.  

The Mayor advised that she was honoured to attend the Dignity in Care awards and commended the dedication of those working in the care sector. The Mayor was also pleased to attend the launch of the Islington Armed Forces Breakfast Club and hoped that the initiative would be a success.

The Mayor said that she was looking forward to attending events held as part of LGBT History Month and encouraged members to attend events to celebrate the borough’s diversity and LGBT History.

The Mayor reminded members of the Civic Awards Evening on Thursday 15 March 2017.

As it was the last ordinary meeting of the Council before the local elections, the Mayor thanked all retiring members for their service, dedication and hard work. The Mayor gave special thanks to her ward colleague Councillor Rupert Perry for his many years of service to the Council. 


(v)          Length of Speeches

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

 

180.

Leader's Announcements

Minutes:

The Leader thanked Jermain Jackman, Chair of the Fair Futures Commission, for his work in developing the Fair Futures Commission recommendations. The Leader said that young people had been disproportionately affected by national austerity policies in recent years; this was an unfairness which resulted in both financial and age inequalities. Nationwide, services for young people had been cut, young people had been affected by the benefits cap, tuition fees had increased, education maintenance allowance had been scrapped, and availability of housing, jobs and opportunities had reduced. The Leader said that it was time for elected representatives to address these issues and reiterated that the Council was on the side of young people, and that it was important to ensure all young people had the same opportunities as the fortunate few. The greatest unfairness of all was that young people growing up on Islington’s estates felt that they did not have access to the same jobs and opportunities as young people from more affluent families. The Leader commended the report of the Fair Futures Commission, and said that he looked forward to working alongside the Commission in implementing its recommendations.

 

The Leader said he had attended many local events in recent months, and in particular noted the importance of Holocaust Memorial Day. The Leader had attended an event which included a testimony from Ernest Simon, a holocaust survivor, and said that it was very important for school children to learn of the horrific events of the holocaust. The Leader thanked the Holocaust Memorial Trust for their role in organising the event.

 

The Leader said that he was pleased to attend the Children’s Technology Event held at the Emirates Stadium. It was incredible to see young children learning to code computers and program apps, and it was essential for all young people to be able to access these opportunities.

 

The Leader noted that this evening was the Council meeting closest to the centenary of women’s suffrage, and said that this should be appropriately marked by the Council. The Leader noted that the recently opened Cat and Mouse Library was named in dedication of the struggle of the suffragettes in Holloway Prison, and the library included a section related to women’s suffrage. The Leader thanked all of those involved in the Cat and Mouse Library project, including the St George’s ward councillors. The Leader also noted the centenary of universal male suffrage, which gave millions of working-class men the right to vote.

 

The Leader said that there was previously opposition to new social housing at the Cat and Mouse Library site, however it was now widely recognised that the development was the right thing to do, emphasising that Islington suffered from a housing crisis, and that the Council was on the side of those who needed new council homes. The Leader said that the Holloway Prison site was the next great fight for genuinely affordable housing in London; the site was symbolic of the struggle for genuinely affordable housing for ordinary people, not  ...  view the full minutes text for item 180.

181.

Petitions

Minutes:

Sebastian Sandys presented a petition requesting that Islington Council allow public questions at the annual budget setting meeting.

 

Nick Kocharhook presented a petition requesting that Islington Council further reduce traffic on the new cycling quietway between Finsbury Park and Clerkenwell.

 

Hannah Staab presented a petition requesting Islington Council to immediately freeze any new investments in fossil fuels, and divest from direct ownership of any commingled funds that include fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds within five years.

182.

Petition debate - Sotheby Mews pdf icon PDF 240 KB

Minutes:

John Dear introduced the petition ‘Save Sotheby Mews Day Centre’ on behalf of the petitioners. The petition was submitted at the 7 December 2017 meeting of the Council and, in accordance with Procedure Rule 19.1(d), was scheduled for debate as it received over 2,000 signatures.

Councillor Diarmaid Ward moved the motion to debate the petition. Councillor Burgess seconded. Councillor Russell contributed to the debate. Councillor Ward exercised his right of reply.

 

The following main points were raised during the debate:

·         The petitioners’ concerns included transport, accessibility, the smaller size of Highbury Roundhouse, the lack of outside space, and the safety of service users walking across Highbury Fields.

·         The Executive recognised the concerns raised in the petition and had agreed to delay the transfer of services from Sotheby Mews Day Centre to Highbury Roundhouse by 12 months to allow further discussion regarding the details of the move. This was welcomed by the petitioners, however the petitioners intended to continue campaigning against the move.

·         The Council noted concerns regarding how the service relocation would impact on service users. It was suggested that Highbury Roundhouse had always been a youth centre and the site was not designed to meet the needs of older people.

·         It was emphasised that it had been the intention to transfer services from Sotheby Mews since the decision to redevelop Highbury Roundhouse was made in 2011 and that sites like Sotheby Mews were desperately needed for new affordable housing. The Executive was committed to working closely with service users to ensure that their concerns were addressed.

 

The motion was put to the vote and CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:

 

To continue to encourage residents to participate in local democracy by carefully considering the concerns raised in the petition and to undertake the debate in a spirit of openness and transparency.

183.

Islington Fair Futures Commission pdf icon PDF 203 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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

 

The Mayor called on Jermain Jackman, Chair of the Fair Futures Commission, to address the Council.

 

Councillor Russell contributed to the debate.

 

The recommendations were put to the vote and CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.            That the final report of the Fair Futures Commission be welcomed.

2.            That the Council’s Executive should respond to the recommendations of the Fair Futures Commission in due course.

184.

Chief Whip's Report pdf icon PDF 140 KB

Minutes:

Councillor Gill moved the recommendations. Councillor Burgess seconded.

 

The recommendations were put to the vote and CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.            That Councillor Champion be appointed as a member of the Audit Committee for the remainder of the municipal year or until a successor is appointed.

 

2.            That Councillor Wayne be as appointed as the Chair of the Audit Committee for the remainder of the municipal year or until a successor is appointed.

 

3.            That Councillor Ismail be appointed as Vice-Chair of the Audit Committee for the remainder of the municipal year or until a successor is appointed.

 

4.            That Councillor Burgess be appointed as a member of the Richard Cloudesley Charity with immediate effect.

 

185.

Budget Proposals 2018-19 pdf icon PDF 368 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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

Councillor Russell moved an amendment.

Councillors Rupert Perry, Richard Greening, Janet Burgess and Rakhia Ismail 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, Clarke-Perry, Comer-Schwartz, Convery, Court, Debono, Diner, Donovan-Hart, Erdogan, Fletcher, Gallagher, Gantly, Gill, Greening, Hamitouche, Heather, Hull, Ismail, Jeapes, Kaseki, Kay, Klute, Ngongo, Nicholls, O’Halloran, O’Sullivan, Parker, Perry, Poole, Poyser, Smith, Spall, Turan, Diarmaid 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, Clarke-Perry, Comer-Schwartz, Convery, Court, Debono, Diner, Donovan-Hart, Erdogan, Fletcher, Gallagher, Gantly, Gill, Greening, Hamitouche, Heather, Hull, Ismail, Jeapes, Kaseki, Kay, Klute, Ngongo, Nicholls, O’Halloran, O’Sullivan, Parker, Perry, Poole, Poyser, Smith, Spall, Turan, Diarmaid Ward, Watts, Wayne, Webbe and Williamson.

 

Against: Councillor Russell

 

The recommendations were CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:

            General Fund Budget 2018-19 and MTFS (Section 3 of the Main Report)

 

1.           That the 2018-19 net Council cash limits as set out in Table 1, paragraph 3.1.4 of the report, and the MTFS at Appendix A of the report, which include the revenue savings at Appendix B of the report, be agreed.

2.           That the growth of £0.8m on supporting over-5s childcare, after-school childcare and holiday childcare, plus tackling holiday hunger, paragraph 3.1.5 - 3.1.7 of the report, be agreed.

3.           That the fees and charges policy be noted and the 2018-19 fees and charges, paragraphs 3.2.4 - 3.2.5 and Appendices C1 - C3 of the report, be agreed.

4.           That the Council’s policy on the level of General Fund balances be agreed and that the estimated level of earmarked reserves and general balance available for use in 2018-19, paragraphs 3.2.6 - 3.2.8 and Table 2 of the report, be noted.

HRA Budget 2018-19 and MTFS (Section 4 of the Main Report)

5.            That the balanced HRA 2018-19 budget within the HRA MTFS, at Appendix D1 of the report, be agreed.

6.            That the 2018-19 HRA rents and other fees and charges, Tables 4 - 7 and Appendix D2 of the report, be noted.

Capital Programme 2018-21 (Section 5 of the Main Report)

7.            That the 2018-19 capital programme, paragraph 5.1, Table 8 and Appendix E1 of the report, be agreed and the provisional programme for 2019-21, paragraph 5.1, Table 8 and Appendix E1 of the report, be noted.

8.            That the Corporate Director Resources applies capital resources to fund the capital programme in the most cost-effective way, paragraph 5.2 of the report, be agreed.

9.            That the schedule of planned Traffic and Transportation schemes in 2018-19, paragraph 5.3 and Appendix E2 of the report, be noted and that the related decision making responsibilities for these schemes, paragraph 5.3 and Appendix E2 of the report, be agreed.

Treasury Management Strategy (Section 6 of the Main Report)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 185.