The Hackney Council meeting on 26 November 2025 addressed key issues including rent controls, the Shoreditch Area Action Plan, and pension fund management. The council approved a motion supporting rent controls and adopted the Future Shoreditch Area Action Plan for submission to the government. Additionally, the council noted the Annual Report of the Pensions Committee 2024/25 and the Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap 2025 report.

Rent Controls

The council approved a Labour motion to campaign for the implementation of rent controls in Hackney. The motion included the following provisions:

• To continue building new council homes and buying back properties.
• To collaborate with the Mayor of London to introduce rent-controlled housing.
• To request government support for local authorities to introduce rent controls by writing to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
• To advocate for rent controls, asserting Hackney's support for renters against an unregulated private rental market.

However, a joint amendment to the Labour motion from the Green Group and Hackney Independent Socialist Group was not carried.

Future Shoreditch Area Action Plan

The council approved the proposed submission version of the Future Shoreditch Area Action Plan (FSAAP). The FSAAP will now be submitted to the government for independent examination. The council also delegated authority to the Group Director, Housing, Climate and Economy to make administrative, graphical, and typographical amendments to the plan before consultation or submission to the government.

The appendix 1 to the plan outlines the proposed submission version of the FSAAP, while appendix 2 details the integrated impact assessment.

Annual Report of the Pensions Committee 2024/25

The council noted the Annual Report of the Pensions Committee 2024/25, which details the committee's activities and the management of the Hackney Pension Fund. Councillor Kam Adams, Chair of the Pensions Committee, highlighted the challenges of managing a £2.1 billion pension fund and expressed appreciation for the committee members' hard work.

Key points from the report include:

• Investment Strategy: The fund finalised investment strategy changes approved in 2023, investing £20 million in the National Homelessness Property Fund 2 and agreeing to invest in the London CIV UK Housing fund and the LCIV Nature Based Solution Fund.
• Responsible Investment: The fund continued its focus on responsible investment, including climate change, and conducted a survey to gather opinions from its 20,623 members on responsible investment.
• Market Performance: Despite market turbulence, the fund achieved a modest positive investment return of 3.5%, higher than the local authority average.
• Stewardship Code: The fund became a signatory of the UK Stewardship Code, joining 297 signatories representing £52.3 trillion of assets under management.
• Administration: The fund made progress in migrating its administration service from Equiniti to the Local Authority Pensions Partnership (LPPA).

Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap 2025

The council noted the contents of the Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap 2025 report. The report likely provided an analysis of the pay disparities within the council's workforce, outlining the differences in earnings between genders and ethnic groups. Such reports are essential for promoting equality and informing strategies to address pay gaps.

Section 85 Local Government Act 1972 – Resolution to Extend Six Month Rule

The council approved a dispensation for Councillor Michael Levy from the statutory requirement to attend council meetings until 10 May 2026, due to ill health, under Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972¹.

Appointments

The council made the following appointments:

• Councillor Ian David Sharer was appointed to the Planning Sub-Committee, replacing Councillor Michael Levy.
• Councillor Faruk Tinaz was appointed to the West Hackney Parochial Charity, with a term ending in 2026.