Minutes for Council meeting, May 13 2009, 7.00PM official page

The Speaker welcomed all those present to the Annual General Meeting of the Council.

Before the formal business of the meeting commenced, he made the following announcements:

Members of the Council were aware of the sad news that a former Civic Mayor and Hackney councillor, Mr Nasrullah Mohammad Syed, had died on 29^th April. Mr Syed had been Mayor from 1987 to 1988.  The Council’s condolences had been passed to Mr Syed’s wife and family.

The Speaker also informed Council with regret that John Kemp, former Headmaster of Hackney Downs School, had died on 17^th April.

The Speaker advised that Clapton Park Rangers, a football team of young people from the Clapton Park Estate, had won the London Cup for the second year in succession, and the Speaker congratulated the team.  Mark White, manager of the team, was presented with the Cup by the Speaker.

The Speaker advised that the Town Crier of the City of London, Mr Peter Moore, was usually present for the AGM. However he was unable to be at the meeting as he was recovering from a heart attack.  Members of the Council joined the Speaker in sending their best wishes to Mr Moore. 

Finally the Speaker reported that he had visited Cllr Akehurst at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery that day. Cllr Akehurst would welcome visitors, and thanked those members who had already visited him.  This was the first Council AGM that Cllr Akehurst had missed in ten years, and the Speaker wished him well for a speedy recovery. 

Apologies for absence are listed above.

This is the time for Members to declare any personal or prejudicial interests, or dispensations they may have in any matter being considered at this meeting having regard to the guidance attached to the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest or dispensations.

The approval of the Minutes of the meeting held 29th April 2009, will be taken at the next available ordinary meeting of the Council.

The Speaker said that as he had been advised that some matters had been raised with regard to the minutes of the meeting of 29^th April 2009, he would defer consideration of this item until the next ordinary meeting of the Council in June in order to avoid any delay in the evening’s proceedings and to allow for the efficient transaction of business. 

Cllr Coggins said that he had made some suggestions regarding these draft minutes and was concerned that they were in the public domain as part of the agenda for this meeting. He stated that the Constitution provided that the annual general meeting of the Council should consider minutes of the last ordinary Council meeting, and he asked for clarification about how the minutes could procedurally be deferred.

The Corporate Director of Legal and Democratic Services responded by referring to Rules 22.1 and 28 of Part Four of the Constitution.

The Speaker ruled that the minutes would be deferred until the ordinary meeting of the Council in June 2009.

The Speaker invited nominations for the position of Speaker for the municipal year 2009/10.

Mayor Pipe nominated Cllr Unluer. He said that Cllr Unluer had been a councillor for Stoke Newington Central ward since 2002 and was a long-term Hackney resident. The Mayor referred to campaigns in which Cllr Unluer had been key; and said that as a member of the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Commission, Cllr Unluer had investigated the educational under-attainment of Caribbean and Turkish/ Kurdish pupils which continues to be a priority for the Learning Trust. The Mayor paid tribute to Cllr Unluer’s interest and involvement in the local community and the business community, and was sure that he would make an excellent Speaker.

Cllr Krishna seconded the nomination. Cllr Unluer had been one of her fellow ward councillors for the previous seven years, and Cllr Krishna remarked on his consistency in his commitment to educational achievement, his support for small businesses, and his support and dedication to his constituents.

On behalf of the Conservative Group, Cllr Coggins said that he wished Cllr Unluer well in the role of Speaker.  Cllr Coggins said that his Group would be abstaining on the vote, but that no disrespect was meant to Cllr Unluer.

There being no other nominations, Council RESOLVED that Cllr Muttalip Unluer be elected to serve as Speaker for the Municipal Year 2009/10.

Cllr Unluer read aloud and signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office and this was witnessed by the Chief Executive.

The meeting had a short adjournment and the dais party left the Chamber. The meeting then reconvened and Speaker Unluer assumed the Chair.

Cllr Muttalip Unluer [Speaker] in the Chair

Mayor Pipe congratulated Cllr Unluer on his new role as Speaker.

The Mayor then moved a vote of thanks to Cllr Rathbone for his work as Speaker, referring to him as a true son of Hackney as he had been born and raised in the borough, and had previously been a Council officer. The Mayor paid tribute to Cllr Rathbone’s work with the community that had helped ensure Hackney’s successful bid for Fair Trade status.  He also referred to a number of Speaker-led events in the last year including the Speaker having hosted the Windrush reception, presided at over forty citizenship celebrations, and welcomed a number of VIPs to the borough including the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Mayor Pipe praised Cllr Rathbone’s promotion of civic affairs within the borough. Cllrs Coggins and Sharer also offered their vote of thanks to the outgoing Speaker.

RESOLVED: That Cllr Ian Rathbonebe thanked for his contribution to the Council and to the Borough of Hackney during his term of office as Speaker.

Speaker Unluer presented the Speaker’s badge and civic album to Cllr Rathbone as outgoing Speaker, and invited him to respond to the vote of thanks.

Cllr Rathbone thanked all those present, and the residents of Hackney, on behalf of himself and his wife for their support and encouragement over the last year and over the previous year when he had been Deputy Speaker.  He spoke warmly of some of his experiences as Speaker, and informed Council that he had given the Duchess of Cornwall an I Love Hackney badge which she had worn when she had visited the borough the previous week with the Prince of Wales.  He had visited most schools in the borough and talked to young people about the importance of participation and voting; and he spoke of how he encouraged new citizens of the borough to vote.  He said he marvelled at the peace that existed between Hackney’s many and diverse communities.

Cllr Rathbone had supported three smaller charities in his role as Speaker: the Hackney Society, Laburnum Boat Club, and Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities.  

Cllr Rathbone said he had appreciated being able to see the positive work being done to improve the borough and the life of its people, and to see the commitment and dedication of members from all parties to achieve that aim. At the previous Council meeting he had left a chocolate for each member, and at this meeting he provided all members with a badge which bore the borough crest.

Cllr Rathbone thanked the Speaker’s Officer and Speaker’s Chauffeur for their support over the past year. He presented Danny Dhanasiri, the Speaker’s Chauffeur who had worked for the Council for over twenty five years, with a gift, paying tribute to his knowledge and helpfulness and describing him as a true public servant.

Finally Cllr Rathbone thanked his fellow ward councillors, and also his consort whom he had married during his term as Speaker. He wished the new Speaker  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Speaker Unluer said he was deeply honoured to be given the opportunity to be Speaker for the forthcoming municipal year, and said he would do all he could to enhance civic pride in the borough. He thanked Mayor Pipe for nominating him, thanked Cllr Rathbone for his hard work in the previous year, and thanked officers who had supported him in his role as Deputy Speaker over the previous year.  The Speaker announced that Mrs Emine Unluer would be his consort.

Speaker Unluer described his formative years in Turkey and how he had come to live in London in 1973 where he had worked in a Hackney tailoring firm before starting his own business. As a long-term resident of the borough he had seen many changes including a reduction in the number of small businesses in the last decade, and he hoped that the Olympic and Paralympic Games would provide opportunities for Hackney’s growth. As Speaker, it was his intention to encourage fair debate at Council meetings which he hoped that members would support. One of Speaker Unluer’s chosen charities was East London Parents and Community Project, and he would inform members shortly of the name of his second charity. 

Cllr Alcock, the Deputy Mayor, nominated Cllr Clayeon McKenzie to be Deputy Speaker. Cllr McKenzie had lived in Hoxton for fifteen years, and Cllr Alcock paid tribute to his strong sense of social justice and cited his work on  Wenlock Barn Estate, his promotion of the Shoreditch Festival and his work in response to the closure of Murray Grove Post Office which would be re-opened.

Cllr Glanville seconded the nomination. As a fellow ward councillor, Cllr Glanville testified to Cllr McKenzie’s tireless work on behalf of residents, and said he was sure that he would prove a great asset to the borough in this role.

There being no other nominations, Council RESOLVED that Cllr Clayeon McKenzie be appointed Deputy Speaker for the year 2009/10.

Cllr McKenzie read aloud and signed his Declaration of Acceptance of Office, which was witnessed by the Chief Executive.  He thanked councillors for his appointment and the privilege of serving the borough. His partner, Louisa Garrett, would be his consort.

The Mayor welcomed all those present. The last year had been a positive one for the Council: key achievements had included the retention of its three star rating in the Comprehensive Performance Assessment, winning the Local Government Chronicle’s Most Improved Council award, and being shortlisted for the best Local Strategic Partnership.  Although he was clear that the Council would need to continue to improve, the Mayor referred to improvements the Council had made over the last year which included three new green flags for Hackney’s parks and open spaces, Hackney Homes’ being awarded two stars which had unlocked money for the Decent Homes programme, a new school would open at Woodberry Down which would be the fifth new secondary school in the borough in six years, and continued investment in leisure centres which had had one million visitors in the last year. Resident satisfaction was at an all-time high; and Council Tax levels had remained frozen for the last four years and were now lower than the London average.

Mayor Pipe also spoke of the intensive campaigning that had taken place to ensure the Media Centre for the Olympic and Paralympic Games would be located in Hackney. This had now been achieved, and the Council was now working to ensure this would be an appropriate and lasting legacy for the benefit of local people.

In response, Cllr Coggins described the granting of Freedom of the Borough for the 3 [Volunteer] Military Intelligence Battalion as a highlight of the last year. However he said that while he was pleased Hackney Homes had been awarded two stars, he felt it was inefficient in many ways and he hoped this would be addressed in the coming year. Cllr Coggins said that Hackney had come bottom in the SATS results for primary schools, and that this had been the case the previous year. He also felt that the recent Council decision to approve the Residential Alterations and Extensions Supplementary Planning Document had not been a highlight for the Council. Cllr Coggins made reference to press coverage of the recent decision Council had made regarding members’ allowances, and said he had defended the decision although it was something about which he was personally ambivalent.

In his response to the Mayor’s statement, Cllr Sharer wished Cllr Akehurst a prompt recovery. He commended Hackney on being awarded Most Improved Council, and said how pleased he was that the Decent Homes money had been released as a result of Hackney Homes’ two star rating. However he felt that the Residential Alterations and Extensions Supplementary Planning Document impacted unfairly on some local communities, and he stated that SATS results were poor and that it was unjust that so many children in the borough were unsuccessful in their first choices of secondary school.

In response, Mayor Pipe said that he fully acknowledged that the Council needed to continue to improve, something he had drawn attention to in his statement.  With regard to members’ allowances,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

The Speaker referred members to the amended appendix which had been tabled.

Council RESOLVED:

• To re-establish the Committees set out in Appendix 1 with the terms of reference set out in the Constitution;

• To allocate the seats on these committees to the political groups in accordance with the proposal in Appendix 1;

• To appoint Members and substitute Members to these committees in Appendix 2 and appoint the Chairs and Vice-chairs of the Committees indicated in that Appendix.

Council RESOLVED:

To approve the programme of meetings for the Municipal Year 2009/10.