Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the Annual Council meeting held on 11 May 2023

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 2 March 2023 be agreed as a correct record and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

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.

No Declarations were received.

(i)           Apologies

(ii)          Order of business

(iii)         Declaration of discussion items

(iv)        Mayor’s announcements

(v)          Length of speeches

(i) Apologies

Apologies were received from Councillors North, Poyser, McHugh, Weekes, Nathan, Gallagher, and Nargund

(ii) Order of Business

The order of business was as per the Agenda.

(iii) Declaration of Discussion Items

No items were declared.

(iv) Mayor’s Announcements

The Mayor extended a warm welcome to the delegates from Angola attending the full council meeting. The Mayor reflected on their nine weeks in office, during which they attended numerous events. The Mayor expressed their gratitude to the staff in the Mayor's office for their support and teamwork. He also acknowledged the Representative Deputy Lieutenant for their valuable work.

The Mayor spoke of their collaboration with Voluntary Action Islington to improve volunteering opportunities in the borough. The Mayor reiterated their pledge to be a "Representative of the People" and highlighted their approach of addressing issues raised by residents by involving council officers.

The Mayor recounted their participation in various events, including those related to the Armed Forces Week, Refugee Week, and special moments like welcoming the 34th Islington Scouts and attending a charity football game.

The Mayor also recognised the significance of the 75th anniversaries of the NHS and the arrival of the Windrush generation, with flag-raising ceremonies and events to honour these milestones. Lastly, the Mayor mentioned attending an event hosted by the borough's previous Deputy Lieutenant and unveiled a memorial in memory of George Durack, a respected community activist.

The Leader will address the Council;

The Leader of the Opposition will then be invited to respond.

The Leader began by expressing condolences for the tragic murders of Leonardo Reid and Klevi Shekaj in Archway, emphasising that violence has no place in the borough. They highlighted the council's ongoing efforts to support young people and steer them away from danger, acknowledging the reduction in serious violent incidents in recent years while recognising the need for further progress.

The murders occurred 15 years after the tragic murder of Ben Kinsella, prompting continued community efforts to combat violent crime. The council's investment in youth services and community safety initiatives, such as safe havens and knife bins, was praised. Charities and community groups were recognised for their vital work with at-risk individuals.

The Leader stressed that keeping people safe was a top priority but acknowledged that it required collective action, not just from Islington but also at the national level. The Leader mentioned the need for trust-building between the community and the police, highlighting concerns and the importance of diversity in the community. The government's failures, including austerity and the cost-of-living crisis, called for real action to end youth violence. The council committed its efforts to protect the community while calling on others to step up and help.

The Leader of the Opposition responded, expressing their gratitude to the previous Leader of the Opposition. They highlighted their eight-years as the opposition and the work they had done over that time. The Leader of the Opposition hoped to be just half as insightful, thoughtful and good natured at the job.

The Leader of the Opposition addressed the issue of underrepresentation in local government for various groups, including women, ethnic minorities, disabled individuals, LGBTQ+ individuals, and younger people, especially in senior positions. The Leader of the Opposition stressed the importance of diverse representation.

The Leader of the Opposition noted their disappointment regarding the council not flying the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller (GRT) flag during Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller History Month. They mentioned their earlier request to commemorate the month and the positive community response. The Leader of the Opposition highlighted efforts to find GRT sites and the challenges of racism faced by the community, including offensive emails and graffiti.

The Leader of the Opposition expressed sympathy for the council's financial challenges and the cost of energy, however argued that the recent decision not to reinstate the Sobell ice rink did not make sense. They commented that the ice rink had a positive impact on youth engagement and physical activity. The Leader of the Opposition considered the consultation process to be one-sided and said it appeared that the council was not interested in listening to alternative ideas. The Leader of the Opposition called on the council to reconsider the decision, suggesting that alternative options like greening the rink and third-party providers had not been adequately explored.

The Council debated the petition submitted to the previous meeting. It was noted this petition had received over 2000 signatures
.

The Lead Petitioner introduced the petition and spoke for two minutes:

·       The deaf provision at Laycock School was at risk of severe budget cuts at the end of last year, which would have significantly affected the students relying on these services. The Lead Petitioner said that there was no effort to involve parents in the decision-making process, however a dedicated group of parents had intervened and helped to prevent significant cuts in services.

·       However, there was ongoing concern that the cuts may persist and worsen in the future. Additionally, there are worries about a proposed plan to group year 6 students into three classes, which would neglect the needs of deaf children and place them back in mainstream classrooms.

Councillor Ngongo moved the motion to debate the petition. Councillor Chapman seconded. Councillor Jegerovas-Armstrong contributed to the debate. Councillor Ngongo exercised their right to reply.

The following main points were made in the debate:

·       Education is highly valued in this borough. In January 2023, a meeting was held with parents to understand their needs and concerns, with a strong focus on listening to the parents' perspectives.

·       A short-term and long-term approach was developed in collaboration with parents. In the short term, engagement with deaf experts led to the suspension of a plan. In the long term, a working group was proposed to work with parents and investigate effective strategies.

·       The outcomes included: 1. Establishing clear communication, 2. Ensuring parental involvement in the focus group process, and 3. Maintaining specialist provisions.

·       The Council recognised the vital role of Laycock School for deaf children and parents and expressed the importance of collaboration between parents and the council going forward, apologising for any previous lack of collaboration. The Council wanted to support the school's leadership to ensure these children don’t lose those vital services.

·       Due to government underfunding, 283 teachers had resigned in Islington, emphasising the need to retain experienced teachers.

·       The council was actively working with teachers and advocating for increased funding from the central government to protect essential services and ensure the borough's education system flourished.

The motion to consider the petition was put to the vote and carried. 

RESOLVED:

That the petition be noted

The Council debated the petition submitted to the previous meeting. It was noted this petition had received over 2000 signatures.

The Lead Petitioner introduced the petition and spoke for two minutes:

·       Residents want to live in warmer homes that are more energy efficient. For this, these homes require solar panels, heat pumps and double glazing.

·       The current planning system is often seen as unpredictable, restrictive, and slow. However, there is optimism regarding the upcoming release of the first draft of the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), with hopes that it will broaden the scope of permissible changes and make these clearer.

·       Residents have voiced three key requests:

1.     The new planning system should prioritise sustainability and conservation, recognising that, for instance, some listed homes lack the flexibility to implement double glazing, despite the presence of suitable infrastructure.

2.     Residents require clear and comprehensive guidance on the actions they can take to improve their homes.

3.     A shift in planning practices could invigorate the local economy by creating job opportunities in the area.

Councillor Ward moved the motion to debate the petition. Councillor Clarke seconded. Councillor Russell contributed to the debate. Councillor Ngongo exercised their right to reply.

The following main points were made in the debate:

·       Councillor Ward welcomed the petition and affirmed the council's commitment to achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and addressing the challenges of the cost of living and fuel poverty.

·       Islington is home to numerous listed buildings and street properties, which pose challenges not only to private owners but also to the council.

·       Earlier this year, planning permission was granted for retrofitting Bevan Court, a grade 2* listed building.

·       Recognising the need to balance energy efficiency with preserving Islington's historic buildings, the council is developing its own Net Zero Carbon Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). This document will provide evidence-based guidance on retrofit measures, including those in conservation areas and listed buildings, and will clarify cases where planning permission is not required for certain retrofitting projects.

·       The SPD will undergo two rounds of consultations, and additional workshops will follow.

·       Given the escalating bills and the climate crisis, enhancing the energy efficiency of homes is a pressing concern. Clear and consistent guidance for residents regarding potential actions is imperative.

·       Islington aims to contribute to achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2030, and the planning processes should support rather than hinder this goal.

·       Changes in planning rules would stimulate the local economy and create much-needed job opportunities in the area.

·       Although there is much work ahead in finalising the SPD, the council is committed to collaborating with residents to develop a robust document.

The motion to consider the petition was put to the vote and carried. 

RESOLVED:

That the petition be noted.

To receive any other petitions submitted to the meeting.

The Council received 4 petitions, as follows:

·        A petition from a young person titled ‘Save Sobell Ice Rink’;

·        A petition from Linda Scully titled ‘Save the Isledon Village Estate’, expressing concern about anti-social behaviour connected to the homeless hostel on Stacey Street.

·        A petition from Philip Tsaras titled ‘Get Clerkenwell Design Week off our grass!’ about the impact of the Clerkenwell Design Week event at Spa Fields and St James' Church Gardens.

·        A petition from Rachel Laverty about the construction impacts and other issues associated with the Holloway prison development.

Question (a) from Rebekah Kelly to Cllr Champion, Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality and Transport:

The DfT has recently announced that they would no longer fund Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, and the Mayor of London has admitted that some of the schemes are not perfect and should be tweaked or removed. Will Islington Council scale back their plans to create traffic filtering schemes on 70% of Islington’s roads? And how will it be funded going forward?

Response:

Thank you for your question, Rebekah.

Our Council is determined to create a cleaner, greener, healthier borough, where we help tackle the climate emergency and support local people to take up active methods of travel.

Since the people-friendly streets programme started in June 2020 it has contributed to the council’s plans to transform the borough and our ambitions in multiple areas, including road danger reduction, cleaner air, and climate change; all objectives set out in our policies in the Islington Transport Strategy and Islington’s Vision 2030 (Net Zero Carbon) Strategy.

The Council has listened to local people’s concerns throughout, making changes where necessary, such as a new ‘Home LTN’ Blue Badge exemption policy trial in its low traffic neighbourhoods.

As this is an important priority for the Council, most of these schemes, and any future schemes, will be funded from council and external grant funding where available. Thank you again for your question.

Supplementary Question:

Which ones need removing or tweaking, what is the success criteria, has every trial become permanent? There needs to be a call for data to be audited.

Response:

There had been one issue with the interim report for Highbury and we apologise for that. Any areas that needed tweaking have been tweaked.

Question (b) from Richard Rieser to Cllr Khondoker, Executive Member for Equalities, Culture and Inclusion:

In light of the recent survey of accessibility of pavements I carried out in Mildmay, can the Council inform us what they are doing to ensure the multiple barriers identified, especially for disabled people, are being addressed across the borough?

Response:

Thank you for your question, Richard. We want to make Islington a more equal place and that includes ensuring that all local people can walk around the borough safely. Improving our streets for all residents, particularly those who experience restrictions on their mobility, is a key objective for the council as part of our people-friendly pavements programme. This programme will include dropped kerbs, tactile paving and decluttering, to make the borough’s pavements more accessible and inclusive for all.

We acknowledge the issues raised in your survey of pavement accessibility in Mildmay. Following our engagement on draft proposals for Mildmay Liveable Neighbourhood earlier this year, we are currently in the process of finalising designs for consultation on the scheme later this year. We are taking the recommendations into account as part of that process, so that we can identify locations to make accessibility improvements in Mildmay as part of the scheme.

Thank you once again for your important question Richard.

Supplementary  ...  view the full minutes text for item 240.

Question (a) from Cllr Convery to Cllr Champion, Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality and Transport:

Islington has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with "dockless" electric bike operators including Lime (Uber) and Human Forest. What elements of the Memoranda provide the Council with control against irresponsible parking; is the Council prepared to enforce against irresponsible parking using such control; and is the Council prepared to enforce the provisions contained in the September 2018 TfL guide, "Dockless bike share code of practice For Operators in London"?

Response:

In the past year there have been 1.5m trips made by dockless hire bikes in Islington, and I believe this plays an important role in making Islington cleaner, greener and healthier working towards our Net Zero Carbon target. With the marked increase in trips last year, we have also seen an uplift in the number of poorly parked bikes causing very significant and understandable concerns amongst residents.

In the medium term, the council is looking at ways of managing this, making it fairer for those using the bikes and those using our pavements. This may include a system of designated parking spaces for dockless hire bikes to help maintain good pavement access.

On your question regarding what elements of the Memoranda provide the Council with control against irresponsible parking, the council has several mechanisms agreed within the memoranda with the three providers, Lime, Tier and Human Forest, to help address this issue.

When notified by the council or individuals, operators are required to remove bikes if badly parked within 1.5 hours between 7.00am and 10.00pm. Operators have a system to fine or ban users, which includes fines for inconsiderate parking, and parking in no parking zones. Operators have a geo-fence system to communicate where rentals can be ended and to prevent a build-up of bikes in an untidy and unsafe manner in popular areas. The council also reserves the right to remove any bikes that cause an obstruction and/or that pose a health and safety risk.

On the second part of your question, yes, the council is using these controls to enforce against irresponsible parking. We work cooperatively with operators to address issues and they have been very responsive to the issues we’ve raised with them, for example creating geo-fenced no parking zones around the RNIB building on Pentonville Road, and most recently around Moorfields Eye Hospital.

The council meets with operators each month to discuss and address issues and concerns. We are now asking operators to proactively identify no parking zones at sensitive locations.

To the final part of your question, the TfL Code of Practice (2018) does not contain any enforcement provisions that are not set out in our Memoranda with the operators. No operators have formally signed up to the Code, it is rather a set of expectations, whereas the operators have signed up to the memoranda with the council.

The TfL Code represents a reasonable set of base level expectations for dockless services but remains advisory as the bike  ...  view the full minutes text for item 241.

Councillor Comer-Schwartz moved the recommendations in the report. Councillor Spall Seconded. The recommendations were put to the vote and CARRIED.

RESOLVED:

To note activity over the past year to celebrate and support Armed Forces personnel, veterans, and their families.

Councillor Hyde moved the recommendations in the report. The recommendations were put to the vote and CARRIED.

RESOLVED:

i.        It be noted that the Code of Conduct for Members has been reviewed for compliance with the Local Government Association Model Councillor Code of Conduct 2020 and best practice;

ii.        That personal interests (in paragraph 12 “Declarations of Interests”) be amended as detailed in tracked changes in Appendix A of the report, be agreed;

iii.        That the dispensations detailed in paragraphs 3.12 and 3.13 of the report, be granted to all members in respect of participation in discussion and voting at meetings, with immediate effect until the Annual Meeting following the next local elections in 2026, be agreed;

iv.        That future requests for individual dispensations in respect of statutory and non-statutory disclosable interests be submitted to the Standards Committee for determination.

Councillor Hyde moved the recommendations in the report. The recommendations were put to the vote and CARRIED.

RESOLVED:

     i.        That the work of the Audit Committee and Standards Committee in reviewing the Constitution and Code of Conduct for Members and proposing revisions to ensure legal compliance and high ethical standards are maintained, be noted.

    ii.        That the proposed revisions to Part 1 of the Constitution, detailed in Appendix 1 of the report, be adopted.

   iii.        That the proposed revisions to the Articles in Part 2 of the Constitution detailed in Appendix 2 of the report, be adopted.

   iv.        That the proposed revisions to Part 3 of the Constitution as detailed in Appendix 3 of the report, be adopted.

    v.        That the revised Officer Employment Procedure Rules, which now incorporate the previously separate protocol document and the change to Dispensation arrangements in the Access to Information Rules, be adopted as detailed in Appendix 4 of the report.

   vi.        That the revised Terms of Reference for the Audit Committee to establish it as the Audit and Risk Committee, including authority to revise and keep up to date the Council’s Financial Regulations and Procurement Rules, be adopted as detailed in Appendix 5 of the report.

  vii.        That revised Terms of Reference for the Standards Committee be adopted, as detailed in Appendix 5 of the report.

viii.        That new Terms of Reference for the Pension Sub-Committee to establish it as a Pensions Committee appointed by the Council be adopted, as detailed in Appendix 5 of the report.

   ix.        That new Terms of Reference for the Pensions Board be adopted, and to their addition to the Constitution be approved, as detailed in Appendix 5 of the report.

    x.        That new Terms of Reference for the Personnel Sub-Committee be adopted, and to establish it as an Employment and Appointments Committee appointed by the Council, as detailed in Appendix 5 of the report.

   xi.        That revised Terms of Reference for the Statutory Officer Grievance Committee and Appeals Committee be adopted, so that it only applies to the Chief Executive, as detailed in Appendix 5 of the report.

  xii.        That the addition of the Code of Conduct for Employees, and the amendments to the Code of Conduct for Members, be agreed as detailed in Appendix 6 of the report.

xiii.        That the new organisation chart in Appendix 7 of the report be agreed.

xiv.        That the amendments to delegations and officer designations in the Appendices to the Constitution be agreed as detailed in Appendix 8 of the report.

 xv.        It be noted that the re-appointment of the existing sub-committee members to the new committees will be confirmed in the Council Appointments Report, also on the agenda for this meeting.

xvi.        That a review of the Overview and Scrutiny function should be undertaken and will include revised Terms of Reference for the Scrutiny Committees and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, be agreed.

Councillor Hyde moved the recommendations in the report. The recommendations were put to the vote and CARRIED.

RESOLVED:

       i.          That Councillors Khurana, Burgess, Comer-Schwartz, Gill and Ward be appointed as members of the Employment and Appointments Committee, with immediate effect, until Annual Council on 16 May 2024 or until a successor is appointed, be agreed.

      ii.          That Councillor Khurana be appointed as Chair of the Employment and Appointments Committee, with immediate effect, until Annual Council on 16 May 2024 or until a successor is appointed, be agreed.

    iii.          That Councillors Kay, Poyser, Chowdhury, Jackson, Bell-Bradford, Champion, Khondoker, Ngongo, O’Halloran, Turan and Woolf be appointed as Substitute members of the Employment and Appointments Committee, with immediate effect, until Annual Council on 16 May 2024 or until a successor is appointed, be agreed.

    iv.          That Councillors Convery, Ward, Gill and O’Sullivan be appointed as members of the Pensions Committee, with immediate effect, until Annual Council on 16 May 2024 or until a successor is appointed, be agreed. 

     v.          That Councillor Convery be appointed as Chair and Councillor Ward be appointed as Vice Chair of the Pensions Committee, with immediate effect, until Annual Council on 16 May 2024 or until a successor is appointed, be agreed. 

    vi.          That Councillors Kay and Mackmurdie be appointed as Substitute members of the Pensions Committee, with immediate effect, until Annual Council on 16 May 2024 or until a successor is appointed, be agreed.

  vii.          That that Linzi Roberts-Egan, Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service, is officially leaving the council on 30 July 2023, and is taking leave from 15 July onwards be noted.

 viii.          That Stephen Biggs, Corporate Director – Community Wealth Building, will be deputising for the Chief Executive from 15 – 30 July be noted.

    ix.          That Stephen Biggs be appointed as Acting Head of Paid Service with effect from 31 July 2023, until further notice, be agreed.

     x.          That the acting up arrangements to cover the role of Corporate Director – Community Wealth Building from 4 July until further notice, be noted.  

    xi.          To appoint Alison Stuart as the Council’s Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer, with effect from her contractual start date, be agreed.

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: Divest from the arms trade

·        Motion 2: Anti-Strike Legislation

·        Motion 3: Diverse Councils Declaration

·        Motion 4: Upholding the right to protest

Motion 1: Divest from the Arms Trade

An alteration to the proposed amendment was formally noted.

Councillor Hamdache moved the motion. Councillor Russell seconded.

Councillor Convery moved an amendment to the motion. Councillor Hamdache exercised his right of reply.

The amendment was put to a vote and CARRIED. The amended motion was put to the vote and CARRIED.

RESOLVED:

This Council resolves to continue our pension fund’s development and adoption of responsible investment policies and recommends that the Pensions Committee proceeds with an upcoming three yearly review of the Fund’s ethical investment framework. This already includes:

·       Actively seeking to invest in companies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimise climate risk.

·       Continue the adopted strategy to reduce the fund’s carbon footprint to achieve the Paris Agreement target holding global warming to within 1.5 degrees Celsius.

·       Allocate 15% of the fund (and extend to 20%) invested into renewable infrastructure, resulting already in an estimated 94,000 tonnes of CO2e reduction.

·       Strongly urge the next Labour government to adopt a foreign and defence policy to restrict export licenses to prevent the sale of weaponry to autocratic and repressive regimes.

Motion 2: Anti-Strike Legislation

Councillor Graham moved the motion. Councillor Cinko-Oner seconded. Councillor Jegorovas-Armstrong contributed to the debate.

The motion was put to the vote and CARRIED.

RESOLVED:

(i)    To defend the right of workers to strike

(ii)   Islington Council as an employer will do everything possible within in its powers to protect employees right to strike.

(iii)To write to the Government to oppose the changes that will restrict workers’ right to strike.

(iv)To show our full solidarity with striking workers, standing on the picket lines.

(v)   To continue to support the TUC’s campaign to protect the right to strike.

(vi)To continue to work collaboratively with our trade unions who represent our Council workers and encourage union membership to Islington residents.

Motion 3: Diverse Councils Declaration

An alteration to the motion was formally noted.

Councillor Bossman-Quarshie moved the motion. Councillor Chapman seconded. Councillor Hamdache contributed to the debate.

The motion was put to the vote and CARRIED.

RESOLVED:

(i)    Adopt The Co-Operative Party’s Diverse Councils Declaration to increase diversity in our local government.

(ii)   Provide a clear public commitment to improving diversity in democracy.

(iii)Set out a local Diverse Action Plan ahead of the next local elections, including:

o   Appoint Diversity Ambassadors for each political group on the council to work with each other and local party associations to encourage recruitment of candidates from under-represented groups.

o   Encourage and enable people from under-represented groups to stand for office through the provision of activities such as mentoring and shadowing programmes and information and learning events for people interested in standing as official candidates.

o   Proactive engagement and involvement with local community groups and partner organisations supporting and representing underrepresented groups.

o   Encourage all members and candidates to complete a candidates’ and councillors’ survey distributed at election time.

(iv)Provide flexibility in council business by:

o   Regularly reviewing and staggering meeting  ...  view the full minutes text for item 246.