Councillor Geof Cooke

Council - Tuesday 28th January, 2025 7.00 pm

The Council of Barnet Council met on Tuesday 28 January 2025. The meeting started with tributes to Councillor Eva Greenspan, and former Councillors Usha Chopra and Joe Lee who had all sadly passed away. The council then adopted the [Joint Report of the Monitoring Officer and Chief Finance Officer (section 151 Officer)][Council cover report 28 January 2025], which detailed unlawful payments that had been made to, and from the Barnet Pension Fund. The Council delegated to the Pension Fund and Governance, Audit, Risk Management and Standards Committees the task of establishing the best way to rectify these unlawful payments, and delegated authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Monitoring Officer and Chief Finance Officer, to put those steps into effect. The council also noted the appointment of Alexa, Alina, Zahra, and Shama from Copthall Girls School to speak about the 60th anniversary of the London Borough of Barnet.

Council - Tuesday 15th October, 2024 7.00 pm

The meeting began with a series of speeches on the topic of Black History Month and then moved on to approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 9 July 2024, note the contents of a number of reports, appoint new officers, and approve a new constitution for the council. Two motions were debated and voted on: a motion to celebrate the achievements of the Labour administration, which was carried, and a motion to regret the government's decision to means-test Winter Fuel Allowance, which was lost.

East Area Committee - Monday 23rd September, 2024 7.00 pm

The East Area Committee approved funding for the Church Lane Community Garden. The Committee deferred decisions on funding applications for pavement renewal works at Hayes Crescent and the development of an inclusive playground at New Southgate Recreation Ground.

Council - Tuesday 9th July, 2024 7.00 pm

Barnet Council met to discuss a range of issues including highways licensing fees, the capital strategy for 2024-2025, and the work programme for the Overview and Scrutiny committee. The council voted to increase a range of highways licensing fees, to note the updated capital strategy, and to note the Overview and Scrutiny annual report and work programme.

East Area Committee - Wednesday 19th June, 2024 7.00 pm

The East Area Committee of Barnet Council met on 19 June 2024 to discuss various community funding initiatives, including updates on the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and Residents' Support Programme (RSP) budgets, and to review specific funding applications for local projects. Decisions were made on several funding allocations, with significant discussions around the proposed improvements to Coppetts Wood and Stephens House and Gardens.