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Executive - Thursday, 27th March, 2025 7.00 pm
March 27, 2025 View on council website Watch video of meeting Read transcript (Professional subscription required)Summary
The Islington Council Executive met on 27 March 2025 and approved a number of measures, including a plan to purchase around 193 properties to house homeless families, acceptance of a grant to help residents find work, and a strategy for building new council homes. They also agreed to enter into agreements to continue funding for a trauma service and social care support at Pentonville Prison.
Here's a breakdown of the key topics discussed:
Budget Monitoring
Councillor Diarmaid Ward, Executive Member for Finance & Performance, introduced a report on the council's quarterly budget monitoring for Quarter 3. The report highlighted a few areas of concern:
- Temporary Accommodation: There was a
worrying overspend
on temporary accommodation, due to landlords leaving the market and rising costs. The overspend was reported as £5.356m. - Parking Income: Parking income was volatile, with a £2.480m underachievement.
- Street Services: Street services were forecasting an overspend due to delays in delivering savings.
- Commercial Property Income: There was a shortfall in commercial property income.
Despite these issues, Councillor Ward noted that the council was still managing to maintain a balanced budget.
The Executive agreed to recommendations 1.1 to 1.13 on page 9 of the agenda pack.
Connect to Work Programme
Councillor Santiago Bell-Bradford, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Inclusive Economy, Culture & Jobs, presented the Connect to Work Programme, a £3.5 million initiative aimed at helping 950 local residents, particularly those with learning disabilities or health problems, get into work.
Councillor Bell-Bradford highlighted that Islington would deliver the programme in-house, which they said demonstrated the effectiveness of local government and the benefits of a Labour government and council working together.
The Executive agreed to recommendations 1.1 to 1.3 on page 75 of the agenda pack.
Purchase of Ex-Right to Buy Properties
The Executive approved the purchase of approximately 193 ex-Right to Buy properties to accommodate homeless households in Islington. Councillor John Woolf, Executive Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods, thanked the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government and the GLA for providing the funding.
Councillor Woolf also expressed gratitude to Councillor Una O'Halloran, Leader of the Council, for driving the project forward when she was Executive Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods, as well as to Ian Swift and other council officers.
The Executive agreed to recommendations 1.1 to 1.5 on page 108 of the Agenda Pack.
New Homes Programme Delivery Strategy
The Executive approved the delivery strategy for the New Homes Programme. The strategy aims to maximise the delivery of affordable housing in Islington.
The Executive agreed to recommendations 1.1 to 1.6 on pages 139 to 140 of the Agenda Pack.
Review of the Local Development Scheme
Councillor Bell-Bradford presented a review of the Local Development Scheme (LDS). The LDS highlights current planning policies and outlines future reviews.
The Executive agreed to recommendations 1.1 to 1.2 on page 165 of the Agenda Pack.
Procurement Pipeline Notices
Councillor Bell-Bradford explained that councils are required to produce a pipeline notice of contracts over £2 million for 18 months, in accordance with the new Procurement Act.
The Executive agreed to recommendations 1.1 to 1.3 on page 185 of the Agenda Pack.
S75 Agreement for Islington Survivors Trauma Services
The Executive agreed to enter into a Section 75 agreement with NCLICB to maintain funding for the Islington Survivors Trauma Services.
The Executive agreed to recommendation 1.1 on page 193 of the Agenda Pack.
Procurement Strategy for North Central London Integrated Sexual Health Services
Councillor Flora Williamson, Executive Member for Health & Social Care, introduced a report on the procurement strategy and contract award for North Central London Integrated Sexual Health Services. The contract was awarded to Central and Northwest London NHS Trust, the current provider, who deliver a high-quality service.
The Executive agreed to recommendation 1.1 on page 193 of the Agenda Pack, and noted the exempted appendix.
S75 for Social Care Support at Pentonville Prison
Councillor Williamson proposed a minor amendment to the report, clarifying that Pentonville Prison is in the Lay Court ward, not Bunhill.
Councillor Williamson explained that the item concerned a Section 75 agreement between Islington Council and NHS England to provide personal care to men in Pentonville Prison who need it, as part of the council's Care Act duties1.
The Executive agreed to recommendations 1.1 and 1.2 on page 225 of the Agenda Pack.
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The Care Act 2014 sets out how people should be assessed for social care, and what kind of support they are entitled to. ↩
Decisions to be made in this meeting
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Recommendations Approved
Pipeline Notice: contracts over £2m due for procurement: April 2025 - October 2026
...to meet its statutory obligations under the Procurement Act 2023, the Executive approved the publication of the council's first Pipeline Notice, forecasting high-value procurement activity for contracts over £2 million between April 2025 and October 2026 on the Find a Tender Service.
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Recommendations Approved
Delivery strategy for the New Homes Programme, including the procurement strategy for new build and major construction contracts - I029366
...to approve a delivery strategy for the New Homes Programme, including a procurement strategy for new build and major construction contracts, to maximize the delivery of affordable homes and address the local housing crisis.
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Recommendations Approved
Purchase of circa 193 Ex Right to Buy properties with MHCLG, GLA and Right to Buy Receipts Funding
...to purchase approximately 193 former Right to Buy properties using a combination of Housing Revenue Account borrowing, funding from the GLA and MHCLG, and Right to Buy receipts, in order to provide temporary accommodation for homeless households with a local connection to Islington.
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Recommendations Approved
Procurement strategy and contract award for North Central London sexual health services
...to endorse the procurement strategy and authorise awarding the North Central London Integrated Sexual Health services contract to Central North West London NHS Trust for up to 60 months, with an initial term of 36 months plus two optional 12-month extensions, with an estimated budget for Islington of £12,968,680.
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Recommendations Approved
Local Development Scheme 2025
...to approve and bring into immediate effect the Local Development Scheme 2025, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report, and to cancel the list of planning documents attached as Appendix 2.
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Recommendations Approved
S75 Agreement with NCL ICB for the Islington Survivors Trauma Service - I029909
...to enter into a Section 75 agreement with the North Central London Integrated Care Board to maintain funding for the Islington Survivors Trauma Service at a maximum of £636,000 from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2026.
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Recommendations Approved
Minutes of previous meeting
...to agree the co-ordinated schemes and timetables for admission to Islington primary, secondary schools, and academies in 2026-27, and in-year admission protocols for 2026-27, the policy and oversubscription criteria for admission to community primary and secondary schools and Highbury Fields Sixth Form for 2026-27, the admission numbers for Islington community primary and secondary schools and for external applicants to Highbury Fields Sixth Form for 2026-27, to approve the issue of a statutory notice to close St Jude and St Paul's Church of England Primary School on 31 August 2025, to approve the issue of a statutory notice to close Highbury Quadrant Primary School on 31 August 2025, to approve the extension of the contract to the existing parking enforcement services contract, NSL Ltd, from 1 April 2025 until 30 September 2025, to approve the procurement strategy for the buying process of a call-off contract for cashless parking from the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation Framework 509- 23 Agreement Lot 3 Cashless Parking (mobile) Solutions, to RingGo Limited, for the period 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2026, and to agree in principle to appropriate the land comprising the Finsbury Leisure Centre, its football pitches and the pathways between to planning purposes.
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Recommendations Approved
S75 for social care support at Pentonville Prison
...to enter into a Section 75 agreement with NHS England to provide adult social care and support to eligible adult male prisoners at Pentonville Prison for five years, with a possible two-year extension, from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2030, at an estimated value of £875,000.
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Recommendations Approved
Quarterly Budget Monitor, including budget allocations, adjustments to the capital programme and capital asset decisions
...the Executive of Islington approved the recommendations within the Quarterly Budget Monitor, addressing the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account outturns, budget adjustments, capital program revisions, and debt write-offs.
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Recommendations Approved
DWP/Central London Forward Connect to Work employment programme - I029935
...to directly deliver the Connect to Work programme, accept £3,661,468 in grant funding from the Department for Work and Pensions via Central London Forward, and delegate contract execution to the Corporate Director of Community Wealth Building in consultation with the Executive Member for Inclusive Economy, Culture & Jobs.
Attendees
Topics
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Meeting Documents
Reports Pack
Additional Documents