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Agenda, decisions and minutes

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

Contact: Mary Green  Tel: 0207 527 3005

Media

Items
No. Item

112.

Apologies for absence

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.

113.

Declarations of Interest

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.

114.

Minutes of previous meeting pdf icon PDF 250 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Confirmed as an accurate record.

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 20 April 2023 be confirmed as an accurate record of proceedings and the Chair be authorised to sign them

115.

Appointments to be be made by the Executive 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 200 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

AGREED recommendations.

 

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

Minutes:

 

RESOLVED:

(a) To appoint Councillor Kaya Comer-Schwartz (Chair), Councillor Una O’Halloran, Councillor Roulin Khondoker and Councillor Santiago Bell-Bradford as members of the Voluntary and Community Sector Committee and Councillors Rowena Champion, Diarmaid Ward, John Woolf, Michelline Ngongo and Nurullah Turan as substitutes, for the municipal year 2023/2024, or until successors are appointed.

(b) To appoint Councillor Troy Gallagher, Councillor Jason Jackson and Councillor Asima Shaikh as observers of the Voluntary and Community Sector Committee, for the municipal year 2023/2024, or until successors are appointed.

(c) To appoint Councillor Kaya Comer-Schwartz to the Associated Joint Committee – London Councils’ Grants Committee and Councillors Khondoker, Ngongo, O’Halloran and Woolf as deputies, for the municipal year 2023/24, or until successors are appointed.

(d) To appoint Councillor Paul Convery as the Council’s representative at shareholder meetings of the London Collective Investment Vehicle (London LGPS CIV Limited), for the municipal year 2023/24, or until a successor is appointed.

 

 

Reasons for the decision to appoint members to various committees and organisations to ensure Council representation.

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

116.

Proposal on the future of Copenhagen and Vittoria Primary Schools pdf icon PDF 179 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

AGREED recommendations.

 

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

(a) That the responses to the formal representation period of the statutory notice on a proposal to amalgamate Copenhagen and Vittoria Primary Schools, as detailed in the report of the Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families, be noted.

(b) That, based on the feedback received during the statutory notice period and the earlier information consultation, the Council proceed with the proposal to amalgamate Copenhagen and Vittoria Primary Schools and implement the statutory proposals to discontinue Copenhagen Primary School and move Vittoria Primary School to the Copenhagen Primary School site, with effect from 31 August 2023 and to increase the capacity of Vittoria Primary School from 210 to 315, with effect from

1 September 2023.

 

Reasons for the decision – To progress the next stage in the School Organisation Plan to confidently manage surplus capacity in Islington schools to ensure the best outcomes for children and young people and sustainability of schools.

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

 

117.

Under 5s childcare fee increase consultation pdf icon PDF 395 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

AGREED recommendations.

 

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

(a)  To approve under 5s childcare fee increases with the following adjustments: 

 

·       Reduce the increase to fees for higher earning households from 8% down to 6% in year 1

·       Raise the household income threshold for a 6% increase in year 1 from £90K (band 9) to £100K and above (bands 10, 11 and non-subsidised/marketed)  

·       Review increases in year 2 and 3 for household incomes above £100K depending on inflation, occupancy at council subsidised nurseries, and the financial implications of the new free childcare entitlements outlined in the spring budget 2023

(b) To approve the consultation report to allow for implementation of the childcare fee increases in September 2023.

 

Reasons for the decision – To accord with the Council’s standard policy to increase childcare fees by 2% each September, delivering a saving of £100k against the childcare subsidy budget.

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

 

118.

Executive response to the Children's Services Scrutiny Committee - Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Transitions pdf icon PDF 816 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

AGREED recommendations.

 

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

(a) To approve the responses to the recommendations of the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee on “Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Transitions”, as detailed in the report of the Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families.

(b) To note the further work proposed to consolidate and build on the improvements to date, also as detailed in the report.

 

Reasons for the decision – to respond to the recommendations in the report of the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee.

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

 

119.

Sobell Leisure Centre Facilities changes pdf icon PDF 411 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

AGREED recommendations.

 

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

 

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Health and Social Care outlined the Council’s rationale for proposing not to reinstate the ice rink at the Sobell Leisure Centre.

 

A number of members of the public and councillors asked questions about the proposals in the report which were responded to by the Executive Member for Health and Social Care and Council officers.

 

RESOLVED:

(a) That the Council is minded not to reinstate an ice rink at the Sobell Leisure Centre for the reasons set out in the report of the Executive Member for Health and Social Care.

(b) To consult and engage with users and the wider community on the proposal not to reinstate the ice rink and to replace the lost facilities with a new offer to appeal to a wider user base to increase physical activity, particularly by young people.

(c) To delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Resources, following consultation with the Executive Member for Health and Social Care, to make a decision as to the future uses of Sobell, following the consultation.

 

Reasons for the decision The financial costs of operating the ice rink at a significant deficit were not considered to be sustainable, particularly in the context of high utility prices and high levels of inflation along with the changing ice offer with the opening of the Lee Valley Ice Centre. Not re-instating the ice rink would save a significant level of carbon and enable renewable options to cover more of the utility load for the Centre, enabling the Centre to move closer towards a net zero carbon position.  In addition, usage levels of the ice rink were relatively low in comparison with the potential increases in usage levels of alternative facilities that were appealing to a broader range of users and had increased capacity. This would support the Council’s strategic objective to get more inactive residents active, in particular, but not exclusively, children and teenagers.

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none