Agenda and minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 18^th September 2023.

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 18^th September 2023 be approved and signed as a correct record.

In relation to Item 10(c), Councillor Madlani declared in the interests of transparency that he was a member of the council of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, an organisation that was mentioned in the report.

In relation to Item 10(c), Councillor Beales declared in the interests of transparency that he was on the management board of the Maiden Lane Community Centre, an organisation that was mentioned in the report.

Broadcasting of the meeting

The Mayor announced that the meeting was being broadcast live to the Internet and would remain available for viewing for twelve months, after which it could be made available upon request. Anyone addressing the meeting was deemed to be consenting to having their contributions recorded and broadcast, and to the use of those sound recordings and images for webcasting and/or training purposes.

2023 Toy Appeal

The Mayor announced that 2023’s Toy Appeal had launched and encourage those present to donate toys, toiletries, gift vouchers or clothing, which would be distributed by social workers and early help teams to families in need.

Trans Awareness Week

Councillor Cooper remarked that Trans Awareness Week had just ended and there had been celebrations across the borough and opportunities to learn about Trans trailblazers.  Trans Day of Remembrance had remembered those who had lost their lives due to violence over the last year.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Ali, Apak, Frondigoun, Gould, Mulholland and Revah.  Apologies for lateness were received from Councillor Parkinson.

Requests to address the Council or to present a petition on a matter in which the authority has functions or which affects the area of the authority must be made in writing to the clerk named on the front of this agenda by 12 noon three working days before the meeting.

A deputation was heard from Sam Ebner-Landy regarding providing plant-based catering at Council events, as per the deputation statement contained in the supplementary papers.  Members then asked questions of the deputees and the Cabinet Member for a Sustainable Camden responded to the deputation.

A deputation was then heard from Sandra dos Santos and Jenny White about the Health School Streets Scheme, as per the deputation statements contained in the supplementary papers.  Members then asked questions of the deputees and the Cabinet Member for a Sustainable Camden responded to the deputation.

The Mayor thanked the deputees for attending and addressing the meeting.

The Cabinet Member for New Homes, Jobs and Community Investment will introduce the topic.

There will then be contributions from experts and community representatives, followed by questions and discussion.

Finally, the Cabinet Member will sum up.

Councillor Beales introduced the report and the Council then heard from the following speakers:-

Amy Lamé, the Mayor of London’s Night Czar, spoke about the progress Camden was making towards a night time strategy and congratulated it on listening to the voices of people who lived and worked in the borough.  She and the London Mayor were committed to working in partnership with boroughs to make high streets safer and more welcoming at night.  Camden’s was the first night time Citizen’s Assembly in London, the UK and possibly the world, and many were looking to emulate it.  It had highlighted the importance of retaining Camden’s late night heritage while making the borough safer, more diverse and inclusive at night.  She and the Mayor looked forward to working with Camden on it.

Henry Conlon of the Dublin Castle public house, a member of the Citizen’s Assembly, welcomed the strategy which he believed was pioneering.  It was often difficult to strike the balance between residents and the business community but Camden had taken a very open approach and had listened. The night time economy brought lots of benefits, and City Hall had recognised this, as had organisations like the Music Venue Trust.  The Strategy had the support of the Camden Inner London Licensees’ Association.

Kate Gemmell from the Tenants and Residents Associations of Camden Town (TRACT) remarked that in her view residents struggled to be heard at some licensing panel meetings and the outcomes of licence applications depended on which panel was hearing them.  The situation in Camden Town was dreadful, with rubbish and detritus littering the streets every morning, and a clear connection between the number of late licences and the negative impact on residents.  A premises in Delancey Street that was generating a large number of complaints had nonetheless been granted an extension to its hours of operation.  The Citizens Assembly report was naïve, lacking in facts and seemed to assume that more of the same was the way to proceed.  The Council did not have enough resource to deal with noise and license complaints and it was hard to believe that more funding would become available.  Residents should be equal stakeholders and deserved better.

Tina Ramdeen, Associate Director of Young People at the Roundhouse, remarked that the Roundhouse worked with around 8000 young people at two dedicated facilities on site and this work fed into the professional development programme.  The Roundhouse also produced artistic festivals involving underrepresented people, and young people from Camden were prioritised and given the opportunity to perform on the Roundhouse’s stages.  This work provided direct professional pathways for young people from diverse backgrounds to access careers in the creative industries.  The Roundhouse also produced a number of artistic festivals serving diverse and underrepresented artists, and young people featured heavily in these.

Sophie Asquith of the Music Venues Trust remarked that the Trust was a charity focussed on protecting, securing and improving grass roots music venues and advised the government, the cultural sector and the music  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The Acting Leader of the Council will make a statement, followed by responses from the Leaders of the Liberal Democrat and Conservative Groups and then the Acting Leader to sum up.  There will then be questions from Members to the Acting Leader and Cabinet Members.

(There are no pages for this part of the agenda.)

Councillor Pat Callaghan, Acting Leader of the Council, made a statement to those present.  Councillor Tom Simon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, and Councillor Gio Spinella, Leader of the Conservative Group, made statements in response and then Councillor Callaghan made some final remarks.

The Acting Leader and Cabinet Members then took questions from Members as follows:-

·         Councillor Headlam-Wells asked the Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families about the progress of safety checks on school buildings.  Councillor Boyland responded that no school in Camden had been instructed to close as a result of structural concerns, and all schools had been surveyed and the results reported back to the Department for Education.  There was no reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in Camden school buildings.  Support was also being offered to faith schools, free schools and academies but the Council was not aware of any structural issues in those schools either.  In response to a supplementary question, Councillor Boyland remarked that in some areas schools that had been scheduled to be rebuilt under the abandoned Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme were now having to close.  Camden had attempted to address the gap left when the BSF programme was cancelled via the Community Investment Programme, under which it had rebuilt several Camden schools.

·         Councillor Stark asked the Cabinet Member for a Sustainable Camden why the Council found it more difficult to keep pavement free of rubbish than seemed to be the case in other boroughs.  Councillor Harrison responded that the Council operated a number of different types of rubbish collection across the borough and had been experimenting with different methods.  There as a debate to be had about how much was placed on the kerbside and the timings of this as it created new obstacles and additional street clutter and there were varying opinions about this.  In response to a supplementary question, Councillor Harrison remarked that the Council did keep under review how much resource was being allocated to rubbish collection and changes had been made in recent years.  However, the Council had been forced to take £5m out of the contract due to a reduction in government funding.

·         Council Johnson asked the Cabinet Member for New Homes, Jobs and Community Investment about the continuing blight being suffered by residents of Regents Park ward as a result of HS2 works and the lack of any clarity over the future of the project and whether there would be any benefit to the residents of Camden.  Councillor Beales responded that the HS2 project had been mishandled throughout and a deliverable and fully costed plan was now urgently needed to deliver on homes, jobs and green spaces for residents.  Discussions with HS2 were ongoing and it was important that Camden retained its planning powers and was in a leadership role within the governance structure.  In response to a supplementary question, Councillor Beales remarked that there was significant unused space as a result of demolition and land clearance now that the scheme  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Report of the Borough Solicitor

This report sets out responses to unconsidered motions and written council questions from the Council meeting held on 18^th September 2023.

Consideration was given to a report of the Borough Solicitor.

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted.

Report of the Borough Solicitor

No nominations were made.

Reference from the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee

Consideration was given to a report and reference from the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee, which were introduced by the Chair of that Committee.

RESOLVED –

(i)            THAT the changes to the Council’s Contract Standing Orders, as shown as tracked changes in Appendix 1 to the report, be agreed; and

(ii)          THAT authority be delegated to the Borough Solicitor to make the requisite changes to the Council’s Constitution.

Reference from the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee

Consideration was given to a report and reference from the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee, which were introduced by the Chair of that Committee.

Following brief comments from Members and a summing up by Councillor Abdi-Wali, it was

RESOLVED –

(i)            THAT the proposedchanges tothe Termsof Referenceof PensionCommittee, asset outin paragraphs2.1.5 and2.1.6 of thereport, be approved; and

(ii)          THAT the Borough Solicitorbe authorisedto amend the Constitution to give effectto theproposed changes.

Reference from the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee

Consideration was given to a report and reference from the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee, which were introduced by the Chair of that Committee.

Following comments from Members and a summing up by Councillor Abdi-Wali, it was

RESOLVED –

(i)            THAT the comments received as part of the consultation and the recommendations from the Returning Officer included at Appendix A of the report be noted;

(ii)          THAT the arrangements for polling districts and places as detailed in the report and Appendix B be adopted;

(iii)         THAT the Electoral Registration Officer be authorised to take the necessary measures as soon as possible to give effect to parliamentary constituency changes, ensuring that the register reflects  be confirmed that the polling districts for each ward should be defined as the polling place for the purpose of the location of polling stations in the Borough for the next five years;

(iv)         THAT it be noted that any further changes in venue within a polling district will be agreed by the Chief Executive in consultation with ward members for that district.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care

Consideration was given to a report of the Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care.

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted.

At this point in the meeting, Councillor Simon moved a motion to suspend Council Procedure Rule 9 in order for the meeting be extended beyond 10pm so that it could consider Motion 1 of Item 12.  Councillor Kirk seconded the motion.

The motion to suspend Council Procedure Rule 9 was put to the vote and LOST.

This item was not considered due to lack of time.

During this part of the meeting any Member may make a contribution of up to two minutes primarily on any matter which affects their ward.

(There are no pages for this part of the agenda.)

This item was not considered due to lack of time.

There was no urgent business.