Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies Received from Cllr Weekes.

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.

None.

The Chair, Cllr Clarke, updated the meeting on the work the council had accomplished over the last year, she explained this was the 4th Annual special meeting since a climate emergency was declared in 2019. Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee had worked hard over the last year to scrutinise the council’s Net Zero Carbon Strategy and all workstreams surrounding this. The committee had also considered period waste, last mile deliveries and residual waste and recycling. The committee had also received presentations from external organisations and speakers such as the North London Waste Authority, as well as presentations on urban food growing and affordable and sustainable energy community groups. As well as this the committee had hosted various working groups to hear from community groups on the likes of retrofitting and community energy.

Cllr Clarke invited the Executive Member for Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee, Cllr Champion to address the meeting and give a presentation, a copy of which can be found on the Democracy Website. The following main points were made:

• A Climate emergency was declared in 2019 which had a huge impact on Islington residents and people’s lives; Islington was a particularly vulnerable borough and was 1 of 6 boroughs most susceptible to climate change due to very little green space and the heat island effect where heat is radiated off surfaces and little absorption of rainfall.
• The Council’s main priorities fell under these categories: Housing, buildings, and infrastructure; Transport; Sustainable and affordable energy; Green economy; Natural environment and waste; Planning; Engagement, empowering and partnering; Finance. Each of which workstream was headed by Senior Officers. There was an aim to reduce the Council’s environmental impact to help the Borough overall.
•  The Executive member made it clear that a top priority for the Council was to engage with residents in all avenues and workstreams to reach the Net Zero Carbon 2030 target. The council welcomed any feedback from residents and would be happy to hear from those with ideas and concerns.
• Housing, buildings, and infrastructure: the corporate energy savings programme is forecast to save more than £5 million on energy bills over three years; the council secured £3.5m in grant funding to bring energy efficiency measures to 403 homes; the Energising Small Business Grant scheme has awarded a total of £160k to 128 businesses, saving 161 tonnes of CO2.
• Transport: Air Quality had improved from 2019 to 2022; School Streets are set to be introduced at secondary schools from 2023/24; Liveable neighbourhoods will see new green spaces, community enhancements, and public realm improvements to make Islington more resilient to climate change.
• Sustainable and affordable energy: solar panels were being installed on five council buildings, including the Ecology Centre, and Laycock Building; Seasonal Health Intervention Network (SHINE) supported 3,014 residents in 2022/23, saving 651 tonnes in carbon.
• Green Economy: £60k Defra funding being used to deliver Smarter Greener Logistics programme, including potential shared e-cargo bikes programme.
• Natural environment and waste: working to create a zero emissions waste-collection fleet by 2030.
• Planning: Developing a new net-zero Supplementary Planning Document. Directly engaging with residents and businesses on this.
• Engaging, empowering, and partnering: Supported the Islington Environmental Alliance, Islington Climate Centre, and Union Chapel in delivering the borough’s first Circular Economy event in September 2022; Launching Go Zero
• Finance: Raised more than £9m through external grants in 2022/23, and the council is working with partners including the Green Finance Institute to realise its net-zero carbon ambitions. 

Cllr Tricia Clarke invited the Corporate Director for Environment and Regeneration, Keith Townsend to address the meeting and give a presentation, a copy of which can be found on the Democracy Website. The following main points were made:

• The council had continued to be committed to engaging with residents and external stakeholders on creating a road map to 2030
• The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.