Agenda, decisions and minutes

None.

None.

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.

Councillor Theresa Debono declared an interest in agenda item B1 – Local Initiatives Fund awards – as a trustee of Foodbank.

Councillor Jean-Roger Kaseki declared an interest in the same item as a trustee of The Laundry.

CONFIRMED as a correct record

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 15 December 2015 be confirmed as a correct record and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

A revised Appendix A was laid round.

AGREED 1.recommendations in the report of the Executive Member for Economic and Community Development, including the funding proposals detailed in revised Appendix A.

2. That Councillors be reminded that there is one more meeting of the Committee scheduled for March this year which will consider final projects for spend in this financial year.

Reasons for decision – as specified in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest/Any dispensations granted - none

A revised Appendix A was laid round.

RESOLVED:

(a) That the proposals submitted by Ward councilors and detailed in revised Appendix A (attached to these minutes) of the report of the Executive Member for Economic and Community Development, be approved in principle, subject to the Assistant Chief Executive (Governance and Human Resources) being satisfied that the necessary checks have been made and any other issues resolved.

(b) That the amendments to Ward budgets resulting from project funding being returned, detailed in Appendix A of the report, be also noted.

(c)  That Councillors be reminded that there is one more meeting of the Committee scheduled for March this year which will consider final projects for spend in this financial year.

Reasons for decision

To assist in developing and sustaining a healthy voluntary and community sector in Islington.

Other options considered

None

Conflicts of interest/Any dispensations granted

None

The report was amended on submission as follows:

Recommendation 2.1 – delete the words “Community Matters’ ”

AGREED recommendations, as amended

Reasons for decision – as specified in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest/Any dispensations granted – none

The report was amended on submission as follows:

Recommendation 2.1 – delete the words “Community Matters’ ”

RESOLVED:

(a) That discretionary rate relief in the sum of £538.32 be awarded to the Union Chapel Project to 31 March 2020

(b) That a decision on the application received from Fourth Monkey Theatre Company be deferred to the meeting of the Committee in June 2016, pending clarification of issues related to their application.

(c) That the applications from Miirkey Mall, Adaptive Business Solutions and Community Matters be rejected on the basis that they do not meet the Council’s criteria for discretionary rate relief

Reasons for decision – Awarding discretionary rate relief to charitable and non-profit making bodies was a cost effective way of supporting local organisations and helped to sustain a healthy voluntary sector.  A few of the organisations who had applied for discretionary rate relief were not eligible under the Council’s criteria.

Other options considered

None

Conflicts of interest/Any dispensations granted

None

AGREED 1. Recommendations

2.    That this Council’s wish to protect the London Boroughs’ Grants Committee after this financial year be confirmed, noting that it provided good value for money and was beneficial to a range of organisations in Islington.

Reasons for decision – as specified in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest/Any dispensations granted - none

The report was introduced by Councillor Hull, Executive Member for Finance and Performance.

RESOLVED:

(a) That the London Boroughs’ Grants Committee proposed annual budget of £10.486m in 2016-17 be noted.

(b) That Islington’s estimated contribution of £220k in 2016-17, a decrease of just over £10k on last year’s contribution, be approved.

(c) That this Council’s wish to protect the London Boroughs’ Grants Committee after this financial year be confirmed, noting that it provided good value for money and was beneficial to a range of organisations in Islington.

Reason for decision

The Council’s subscription contributed towards the funding of many London-wide organisations, providing a range of services, which benefited Islington residents.

Other options considered

None.

Conflicts of interest/note of dispensations granted

None.

AGREED 1.Recommendations

2. That thanks be expressed to Councillor Shaikh and officers in the Partnerships, Place and Culture Team for their work on this report and its appendices

3. That the Head of Partnerships, Place and Culture send a link to all Councillors to the Council’s web page which details information on the deadlines and process for the next grants programme, in order that they may alert organisations with whom they have contact.

4. That it be noted that the Committee was committed to maintaining a budget of £1,163,000 for VCS organisations going forward.

Reasons for decision – as specified in the report

Other options considered – none

Conflicts of interest/Any dispensations granted – none

RESOLVED: 

(a) That the recommendations in the report of the Executive Member for Economic and Community Development, approved by the Executive at their meeting on

14 January 2016, be noted and endorsed.

(b) That thanks be expressed to Councillor Shaikh and officers in the Partnerships, Place and Culture Team for their work on the report and its appendices.

(c) That the Head of Partnerships, Place and Culture send a link to all Councillors to the Council web page which details information on the deadlines and process for the next grants programme, in order that they may alert organisations with whom they have contact.

(d) That it be noted that the Committee was committed to maintaining a budget of £1,163,000 for voluntary and community sector organisations going forward.

Reason for decision

The closure of the VCS Grants Fund and Advice Fund in June 2016 had provided an opportunity for the Council to review its support to the voluntary sector to help deliver the priorities of the Council.

Other options considered

None.

Conflicts of interest/Any dispensations granted

None.