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Council - Wednesday 23 July 2025 7.00 pm

July 23, 2025 View on council website
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Summary

The Hackney Council meeting on 23 July 2025 addressed violence against women and girls, community consultation, youth justice, members' allowances, and various reports. Councillors approved the Youth Justice Strategic Partnership Plan 2025-28, the Members’ Allowances Scheme 2025-26, and a motion to work together against violence towards women and girls. They also noted the Strategic Plan Update Report 2024/25, the Audit Committee Annual Report 2024-25, and the Licensing Committee Annual Report 2023-2024 and 2024-2025.

Violence Against Women and Girls

The council unanimously passed a Labour motion to strengthen its commitment to tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG). The approved motion includes a review of current commissioning practices for VAWG services to ensure they align with statutory guidance, working to prevent the erosion of vital services, ensuring comprehensive education on healthy relationships in all Hackney schools, and working with survivors and local specialists to understand the impact of VAWG and domestic abuse in Hackney as the council develops its next strategy to address these issues. Joint amendments from the Green and Hackney Independent Socialist Groups were not carried.

Community Consultation and Engagement

Councillor Penny Wrout of the Hackney Independent Socialist Group, raised concerns about Hackney Council's community consultation and engagement, arguing that the council has a poor reputation for listening to residents and lacks transparency in decision-making. She proposed a motion calling for the council to face up to the deep cynicism felt by many residents about its consultation processes and to take a strategic approach to consultations across its remit. Cllr Wrout also suggested that the council should move above and beyond relevant statutory requirements for consultation, ensure maximum input from residents, staff and other stakeholders, and set minimum participation targets. The council ultimately voted to approve amendments to the Council Procedure Rules and the associated Council Petition Scheme.

Youth Justice Strategic Partnership Plan 2025-28

The council approved and adopted the Youth Justice Strategic Partnership Plan 2025-28, as required by the Youth Justice Board. The plan was developed with input from members of the Safer Young Hackney Partnership Board, including representatives from the police, probation services, education, health, children's social care, community safety, housing, the courts, and the voluntary and community sector, as well as feedback from young people and parents. Once approved, the plan will be published, and an annual review and update will be conducted every 12 months to monitor progress and update actions.

Members’ Allowances Scheme 2025-26

The council adopted the Members’ Allowances Scheme 2025/26. The scheme is based on the independent report and recommendations of Sir Rodney Brooke CBE DL, Chair of London Councils Independent Remuneration Panel, and takes into consideration London Council's report, The Remuneration of Councillors in London 2023. The Members Allowances Scheme historically takes account of the officer national pay settlement. As there is no agreed settlement in place yet for April 2025, the 2024/25 Scheme rates are being rolled forwards for 2025/26 to meet legal obligations until the national pay settlement for local government negotiations are concluded.

Appointments to Committees

The council agreed to appoint Councillor Margaret Gordon to the position of Vice Chair of the Constitution Committee for the municipal year 2025/26.

Questions from Members of the Public

Members of the public submitted questions to the Mayor and cabinet members on topics such as youth viewpoints, support for rough sleepers, housing registration, solar panels for council tenants, and participatory budgets.

Questions from Councillors

Councillors posed questions to cabinet members regarding benefits uptake, community centres, A-level courses at BSix College, rent controls, St Mary's Secret Garden, school sites, Amazon Cloud Services, transport network improvements, council tax proceedings, lifts capital modernisation programme, glyphosate use, and the Child Q police misconduct hearing.

Strategic Plan Update Report 2024/25

The council noted the third and penultimate annual update of the Strategic Plan. The report outlines the achievements made over 2024-25 and provides an overview of what the next year might look like for the borough. It also provides detailed updates on the objectives and activities related to the Mayoral priorities of Housing & Homelessness, Poverty & Inequality, and Climate Change.

Audit Committee Annual Report 2024-25

The council noted the contents of the Audit Annual Report 2024-25 and Appendices 1-9. The report provides details of the performance of Internal Audit during 2024/25 and the areas of work undertaken, together with an opinion on the soundness of the control environment in place to minimise risk to the council.

Licensing Committee Annual Report 2023-2024 and 2024-2025

The council noted the contents of the Licensing Service Annual Report 202324 and 202425 2 and Appendix 1 - Licensing Service Annual statistics for years 202324 and 202425 1 1. The report informs the Licensing Committee of the activities and performance of the Licensing Service during the years 2023/24 and 2024/25 and shows aims and targets for the forthcoming year.

Attendees

Profile image for CouncillorKam Adams
CouncillorKam Adams  Labour •  Hoxton East & Shoreditch
CouncillorGrace Adebayo  Labour •  Dalston
Profile image for CouncillorSoraya Adejare
CouncillorSoraya Adejare  Labour •  Brownswood
CouncillorFrank Baffour  Labour •  Clissold
CouncillorAlastair Binnie-Lubbock  alastair.binnie-lubbock@hackney.gov.uk •  Green Party •  Hackney Downs
Profile image for CouncillorAnntoinette Bramble
CouncillorAnntoinette Bramble  Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Young People •  Labour •  London Fields
Profile image for CouncillorRobert Chapman
CouncillorRobert Chapman  Cabinet Member for Finance, Insourcing and Customer Service •  Labour •  Homerton
Profile image for CouncillorSophie Conway
CouncillorSophie Conway  Labour •  Hackney Central
Councillor Liam Davis  Green Party •  Stoke Newington
Profile image for CouncillorMichael Desmond
CouncillorMichael Desmond  Labour •  Hackney Downs
Profile image for CouncillorSade Etti
CouncillorSade Etti  Cabinet Member for Homelessness Prevention, Rough Sleeping and Temporary Accommodation •  Labour •  Clissold
Profile image for CouncillorSusan Fajana-Thomas OBE
CouncillorSusan Fajana-Thomas OBE  Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Regulatory Services •  Labour •  Stoke Newington
Profile image for CouncillorHumaira Garasia
CouncillorHumaira Garasia  Speaker •  Labour •  Haggerston
CouncillorZoe Garbett  Green Party •  Dalston
CouncillorGeorge Gooch  Labour •  London Fields
Profile image for CouncillorMargaret Gordon
CouncillorMargaret Gordon  Labour •  Lea Bridge
Profile image for CouncillorBen Hayhurst
CouncillorBen Hayhurst  Labour •  Hackney Central
Profile image for CouncillorChristopher Kennedy
CouncillorChristopher Kennedy  Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care, Voluntary Sector and Culture •  Labour •  Hackney Wick
CouncillorShaul Krautwirt  Conservative •  Springfield
CouncillorHershy Lisser  Conservative •  Stamford Hill West
CouncillorBen Lucas  Labour •  Hoxton West
Profile image for Councillor Richard Lufkin
Councillor Richard Lufkin  Labour •  Shacklewell
Profile image for CouncillorAnna Lynch
CouncillorAnna Lynch  Labour •  Homerton
CouncillorJasmine Martins  Labour •  De Beauvoir
Profile image for CouncillorClayeon McKenzie
CouncillorClayeon McKenzie  Labour •  Hoxton West
Profile image for Councillor Sem Moema
Councillor Sem Moema  Mayoral Adviser Private Renting and Housing Affordability •  Labour •  Hackney Downs
CouncillorJon Narcross  Labour •  Haggerston
Profile image for CouncillorGuy Nicholson
CouncillorGuy Nicholson  Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing Management and Regeneration •  Labour •  Homerton
CouncillorJoseph Ogundemuren  Labour •  Hackney Wick
Profile image for CouncillorDeniz Oguzkanli
CouncillorDeniz Oguzkanli  Labour •  Lea Bridge
Profile image for CouncillorM Can Ozsen
CouncillorM Can Ozsen  Labour •  London Fields
Profile image for CouncillorSam Pallis
CouncillorSam Pallis  Labour •  Cazenove
Profile image for CouncillorBenzion Papier
CouncillorBenzion Papier  Conservative •  Stamford Hill West
Profile image for Councillor Sharon Patrick
Councillor Sharon Patrick  Labour •  Kings Park
CouncillorPatrick Pinkerton  Labour •  Cazenove
Profile image for CouncillorClare Potter
CouncillorClare Potter  Labour •  Brownswood
CouncillorFliss Premru  Independent •  Clissold
Profile image for CouncillorIan Rathbone
CouncillorIan Rathbone  Labour •  Lea Bridge
CouncillorMidnight Ross  Labour •  Haggerston
CouncillorAli Sadek  Labour •  Kings Park
CouncillorIfraax Samatar  Labour •  Shacklewell
Profile image for CouncillorCaroline Selman
CouncillorCaroline Selman  Labour •  Woodberry Down
Profile image for CouncillorIan David Sharer
CouncillorIan David Sharer  Conservative •  Cazenove
CouncillorAnya Sizer  Cabinet Member for Employment, Human Resources and Equalities •  Labour •  Hoxton East & Shoreditch
Profile image for CouncillorGilbert Smyth
CouncillorGilbert Smyth  Labour •  Stoke Newington
Profile image for CouncillorSimche Steinberger
CouncillorSimche Steinberger  Conservative •  Springfield
CouncillorSheila Suso-Runge  Labour •  Hackney Central
Councillor Faruk Tinaz  Labour •  Hoxton East & Shoreditch
Councillor Lynne Troughton  Labour •  Kings Park
CouncillorClaudia Turbet-Delof  Independent •  Victoria
Councillor Joe Walker  Labour •  De Beauvoir
Profile image for CouncillorJessica Webb
CouncillorJessica Webb  Labour •  Hackney Wick
Profile image for CouncillorCarole Williams
CouncillorCarole Williams  Cabinet Member for Employment, Human Resources and Equalities •  Labour •  Hoxton West
Profile image for CouncillorPenny Wrout
CouncillorPenny Wrout  Independent •  Victoria
CouncillorSarah Young  Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport •  Labour •  Woodberry Down

Topics

No topics have been identified for this meeting yet.