The Environment, Climate and Transport Scrutiny Committee met to discuss its work programme for the coming year. The committee noted its membership, terms of reference, and meeting dates for the municipal year 2026-27.

Scrutiny Topic and Draft Work Programme 2026-27

The committee discussed potential scrutiny topics for the upcoming year, with a primary suggestion to examine how we can work with local communities to transform our public spaces to bring them to increase access to nature, health well-being and climate adaptation. This overarching theme was met with broad agreement.

Within this topic, several sub-themes were proposed and discussed:

• Working-class access to nature: Councillor Kane Emerson highlighted the importance of focusing on how working-class residents access green spaces, noting that for many, these are their only available natural environments. This was suggested as a key area to explore.
• Young people and children: Councillor Michelline Safi-Ngongo suggested including a focus on young people and children, proposing a sub-topic to ensure their inclusion in the work programme. This was noted for consideration.
• Kerbside utilisation: Councillor Alex Nettle proposed a significant focus on the kerbside, defined as the space next to pavements and on the carriageway of roads. This area was seen as having considerable potential for various interventions, including:
  • Flood risk management: Implementing sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) to mitigate flooding.
  • Increasing access to green space: Creating parklets, particularly in working-class areas.
  • Shifting public space balance: Moving away from car-dominated spaces towards community-owned areas.
  • Cycle parking: Providing new bays for both dockless and private bicycles, addressing waiting lists for cycle hangars.
  • Transforming underutilised spaces: Identifying areas with low parking stress or redundant features that could be repurposed.

Officers from Islington Council indicated their willingness to support the committee's work on the kerbside, noting that the council holds significant data and experience in this area. Wayne Stapleton, Corporate Director of Environment and Climate Change, stated that a report on the kerbside could be brought to the committee as part of its normal work plan.

There was a discussion about the scope of the kerbside topic, with Councillor Clare Jeapes seeking clarification on what was included. It was confirmed that parklets, SuDS, tree pits, and trees would all fall under this definition. Councillor Patrick Brighty advocated for an explicit focus on the kerbside, citing its potential to green the borough, increase biodiversity, and enhance community space, drawing parallels with strategies developed in other boroughs like Lambeth.

The committee discussed the kerbside as a valid and important area to investigate, potentially as an explicit theme or a standalone report. The final decision on its placement within the work plan will be made once a draft work plan and scrutiny initiation document are in place.

Membership, Terms of Reference and Dates of Meetings

The committee noted its membership, terms of reference, and the scheduled dates for meetings for the municipal year 2026-27. The terms of reference outline the committee's role in reviewing the performance of local services, scrutinising decisions, and contributing to policy development, with a specific focus on areas including Net Zero Carbon, climate emergency response, sustainable energy, waste management, cleaner neighbourhoods, people-friendly streets, transport, and leisure. The agreed meeting dates are: 16 June 2026, 21 September 2026, 20 October 2026, 30 November 2026, 7 January 2027, 9 February 2027, 22 March 2027, and 22 April 2027.