Agenda, decisions and minutes

Received from Councillor Nurullah Turan.

None.

CONFIRMED as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 2023 be confirmed as an accurate record of proceedings and the Chair be authorised to sign them

AGREED recommendations and that officers be thanked for their work on this.

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

RESOLVED:

(a) To approve the borrowing of £26,359,000 within the Housing Revenue Account to supplement the funding provided by the GLA/Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUH&C) to enable the council to purchase 40 x 1 bedroom xx Right to Buy properties, for care experienced young adults and people sleeping rough in Islington, or the prevention of people sleeping rough, 20 x 2 bedroom ex Right to Buy properties, 20 x 3 bedroom ex Right to Buy properties and 20 x 4 bedroom ex Right to Buy properties, for people who are homeless from Afghanistan and the Ukraine, as part of the Council’s humanitarian housing work.

(b) To note the capital funding totalling £20,591,000 allocated to Islington Council by the DLUH&C/GLA and to commence the purchase of 40 x one bedroom former ex Right to Buy properties in Islington to accommodate homeless households with a local connection to Islington. In addition to this, to note the capital funding allocated to Islington Council by the DLUH&C/GLA and to commence the purchase of 20 x 2 bedroom, 20 x 3 bedroom and 20 x 4 bedroom former ex Right to Buy properties in Islington to accommodate people through the homeless and Ukraine/Afghanistan humanitarian housing work.

(c) To note the funding and to commence the purchase of these properties immediately.

(d) To approve the budget increases as outlined in 4.1.3 of the report of the Executive Member for Homes and Communities.

(e) That officers be thanked for their work on this initiative.

Reasons for the decision – To assist the Council’s commitment of ending homelessness in Islington and to provide adequately for care-experienced young adults.

Other options considered – a range of options was considered

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

AGREED recommendations.

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

RESOLVED:

(a) That the contents of the report of the Executive Member for Homes and Communities be noted.

(b) To note the statutory and online consultation responses received and detailed in the report.

(c) To approve the changes to the Housing Allocation Scheme (the Scheme) recommended within the report.

(d) That the Acting Corporate Director of Homes and Neighbourhoods be authorised to approve the final version of the Scheme, following consultation with the Executive Member for Homes and Communities.

(e) To note that the Equalities Impact Assessment showed no unintended or disproportionate effects were likely to arise for applicants with protected characteristics.

(f) That the Acting Corporate Director of Homes and Neighbourhoods be authorised to approve the draft of the final and lawful version of the Allocations Scheme, based on the recommended changes within the report, following consultation with the Executive Member of Homes and Communities.

Reasons for the decision – The implementation of the new housing allocations scheme would make Islington a more equal place to live and also promote the council’s CARE values.

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

AGREED recommendations.

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

RESOLVED:

(a) To note the Temporary Accommodation Policy and Action Plan, as detailed in the report of the Executive Member for Homes and Communities, and that the “Islington Good Homes Standard (for homeless households)”, Appendix 5 to the report, be published and implemented.

(b) To agree that an annual temporary accommodation scrutiny report be produced.

(c) To note that homeless households in temporary accommodation placed outside of the Borough would retain their rights to bid for Islington’s permanent social housing.

(d) To agree the revised Temporary Accommodation Procurement Policy for Homeless Households, set out in Appendix 1 to the report, including a revised Temporary Accommodation Supply Action Plan.

(e) To approve the revised Private Rented Sector Offers Policy for Homeless Households, detailed in Appendix 2 to the report .

(f) To approve the revised Temporary Accommodation lettings framework detailed in Appendix 3 to the report.

Reasons for the decision – The new temporary accommodation framework promoted the Council’s CARE values and made Islington a more equal place to live.

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

AGREED recommendations.

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

RESOLVED:

(a) To note the evidence relating to problems being caused by poorly managed privately rented accommodation in Finsbury Park, Tollington and Hillrise, as described in the consultation document in appendix A and FAQs in appendix B of the report of the Executive Member for Homes and Communities.

(b) To note the outcome of the consultation process and the consideration of the responses to representations in appendix C of the report.

(c)  To revoke the existing Finsbury Park selective licensing scheme.

(d) To designate the Wards of Finsbury Park, Tollington and Hillrise as areas subject to selective licensing and detailed in the map in Appendix D of the report.

(e) To approve the fee structure for the new scheme set out in Appendix F of the report.

Reasons for the decision – Designating areas of the Borough for property licensing was consistent with the Council’s Housing Strategy and mission to ensure that everyone had a safe place to call home.

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

AGREED recommendation.

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

RESOLVED:

To approve the award of a contract for lift renewals at Harvist Estate and St Luke’s Estate to Amalgamated Lifts Limited, for the sum of £5,169,906.

Reasons for the decision – To ensure the compliance of the lifts on both estates, increase their availability and reduce maintenance shutdowns.  Amalgamated Lifts Limited offered best value to the Council.

Other options considered – Three tenders in total were considered.

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

AGREED recommendations.

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

RESOLVED:

(a) To authorise the confirmation of Article 4 Directions, which withdrew the permitted development right to allow a change of use from Class E to Dwellinghouses, with the Directions coming into force on or after 31 August 2023 and covering the areas indicated on the plan at Appendix 1 of the report of the Executive Member for Finance, Planning and Performance.

(b) To note that the Council was currently working on the introduction of a second phase of Article 4 Directions and that these would particularly focus on Islington’s town centres and other local retail and employment areas.

Reasons for the decision – The confirmation of the Directions was supportive of the Council’s ambition to create a more equal Borough, enable an inclusive economy, provide good quality genuinely affordable homes and reduce carbon emissions.

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

AGREED recommendations.

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

RESOLVED:

(a) To approve the procurement strategy to use The National Framework for Energy Performance Contracting to appoint a contractor, via a mini competition, to carry out high-level appraisals, investment-grade proposals and capital works to decarbonise Council buildings for an initial period of 36 months, with the option to extend the contract for up to a further 36 months. The estimated value of the contract over the 72 months (6 years) was up to £30.0m, subject to funding.

(b) To delegate the decision to award a contract for an initial three-year period, with an optional extension of three years, to the Director of Planning and Development (Joint Acting Corporate Director Community Wealth Building), following consultation with the Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality and Transport.

Reasons for the decision – The use of the framework would enable the Council to appoint a contractor that possessed the relevant skills and expertise required to successfully deliver the decarbonisation projects needed to meet the Council’s 2030 net zero carbon target, subject to funding.

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

AGREED recommendations.

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

RESOLVED:

(a) That officers be authorised to design and run a set of further competitions for vehicle purchases, as detailed in Appendix A of the report of the Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality and Transport.

(b) That the Joint Acting Corporate Director of Community Wealth Building be authorised to award a series of contracts on the outcome of the further competitions.

(c) To note the use of a vehicle hierarchy in determining preference of vehicle purchases including human-powered, retrofitted and battery electric vehicles.

(d) To note the ongoing commitment to reduce the overall size of the fleet and the development of Fleet Reduction Strategy setting out the path to achieve it.

Reasons for the decision – The procurement strategy for the ongoing Council vehicle fleet replacement programme for the period 2023-2026 would help the Council to move toward achieving its net zero carbon target.

Other options considered – a range of options were considered.

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

AGREED recommendation.

Reasons for the decision – as detailed in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

RESOLVED:

To agree the allocation of £1,014,000 of the Council’s Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant to Camden and Islington NHS Trust, via a Grant Agreement, for the provision of drug and alcohol treatment systems.

Reasons for the decision – Issuing the funding to the Trust in the form of a grant would ensure the timely and effective delivery of the required outcomes of the Government’s national drug strategy.

Other options considered – a number of options were considered.

Conflicts of interest / dispensations granted – none

Noted.

Noted (see minute 137 for decision).