Agenda item

Motions

Motion 1 in the name of Councillor Achilleas Georgiou

“This Council believes:

Children in Enfield receive a good education in good schools.
Schools, and the education of children, are best served when they are part of the local authority working collectively and collaboratively.
Support should be given to schools to remain with the local authority, as opposed to seeking academy status.
The government should reinstate the education services grant to local authorities to ensure children get the education they deserve.”

Motion 2 in the name of Councillor Vicki Pite

More than 92 councils, including the London Assembly, have now made Climate Emergency Declarations since the IPCC “Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5^O C”, published in October 2018, described the enormous harm that a 2°C rise in world temperature is likely to cause, urging that governments and authorities world-wide seek to limit global warming to 1.5^O C. Two thirds have set a target date for net zero carbon of 2030. Others have set no target date or have aimed for 2050.

On May 1^st Parliament approved an opposition motion to declare an environment and climate emergency; a citizens’ assembly on climate change is to meet this autumn and the Prime Minister used one of her last major acts to set 2050 as the date for Britain to end greenhouse gas emissions, making it the first major economy in the world to do so.

Research from Greener UK and the Climate Coalition revealed that two thirds of Britons want faster action to tackle climate change.

Extinction Rebellion Enfield Enfield has petitioned the Council to declare a climate emergency immediately and come up with concrete plans to get Enfield to net zero carbon emissions by 2025.

The London Assembly, in a unanimous vote, called on the Mayor of London to put an emergency plan in place and declare a Climate Emergency in London.

Reflecting our ambitions for Enfield, our children’s future and the demand for action not words, Enfield council notes:

the IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C and endorses the proposal that limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities and others
the Mayor of London’s climate change mitigation and adaptation responsibilities and recognises his aims to make London a zero-carbon city by 2050 but welcomes, and supports, further ambitious steps.
the declarations by other councils in the UK and around the world that commit resources to tackling the ‘Climate Emergency’
that strong policies to cut emissions have associated health, wellbeing and economic benefits

And therefore Enfield Council agrees:

to declare a climate emergency that requires urgent action
that all strategic and policy decisions, budgets, and approaches to planning decisions are in line with a shift to carbon neutrality by 2030
that cabinet and officers determine what more can be done locally to cut emissions, and publish a plan setting out these actions for debate and approval by 2020
that the Pensions Policy & Investment Committee should continue to play its part in reducing carbon and mitigating its effects by looking, in consultation with pension beneficiaries, to invest in assets which contribute to a decarbonised economy; including divesting from assets, in a managed way, which do not contribute to meeting the objectives
that our partners, especially young people, are involved in these plans so that our communities have a voice in shaping their future.

Enfield Council further asks, in line with the unanimous vote of the London Assembly, that the leaders of both parties write to

the Mayor of London to support the Mayor’s declaration of a Climate Emergency, underpinned by specific emergency plans with the actions necessary to make London carbon neutral by 2030, and, as vice chair of the C40 Cities network, to be a leader on this agenda.
the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs urging him to give the Mayor of London the powers and funding to make this possible.

Motion 3 in the name of Councillor Nesil Caliskan

This Council notes:

That analysis of the 2018 Local Election results by the Fawcett Society found that only 34% of councillors in England are women, up 1% since 2017. Of the seats that were up for election in 2018, 38% went to women, up just 3 percentage points on 2014 when these seats were last contested;
That across England, Labour has improved its representation since seats were last up for grabs, with 45% women compared with 40% in 2014, Liberal Democrat representation up from 34% to 36% whilst the Conservative Party saw a fall from 31% to 29% in the share of its councillors who are female;
That as of the 2018 local elections, only 26 out of 119 Labour councils and only 33 out of 130 opposition Labour Groups are led by women;
As of summer, 2017, only 4% of councils in England and Wales have parental leave policies, according to research by the Fawcett Society;
That the role of a councillor should be open to all, regardless of their background, and that introducing a parental leave policy is a step towards encouraging a wider range of people to become councillors, and is also a step to encourage existing councillors who may want to start a family to remain as councillors;
That parental leave must apply to parents regardless of their gender, and that it should also cover adoption leave to support those parents who choose to adopt.

This Council resolves:

To instruct the Director of Law & Governance to take the necessary steps to ensure that this Council adopts a parental leave policy to give all Councillors an entitlement to parental leave after giving birth or adopting.
To ensure that councillors with children and other caring commitments are supported as appropriate.

Motion 4 in the name of Councillor Brett

Uncertainty in the Conservative Government approach to Brexit has seen the pound drop to its lowest level against the dollar in August and the Bank of England to state economic activity will be hampered. Savills Director of Residential research stated when you've got people borrowing bigger multiples of income, they are much more exposed to a change in sentiment of any degree of uncertainty about the impact of Brexit.

Crucially any form of Brexit is likely to weaken public finances which hits women the elderly and the young the hardest. It is also affecting social cohesion with an increase in hate crimes reported.

The Centre for London research already states there are fewer EU nationals seeking work in London. Skill shortages in construction, health and social care, important for Enfield which is home to both the North Mid and Chase Farm, the Meridian Water Regeneration project and numerous care homes could be affected. The Arts are also very seriously impacted.

This Council maintains that EU nationals living here should have a right to remain in the UK.

That the Council should identify all EU nationals in its workforce and those in its supply chains.

That the Council does all it can to protect the local economy by promoting public sector careers as an option through its schools.

That the Council continue to lobby with other London councils for motivation measures to be identified by Central government early.

Motion 5 in the name of Councillor Doug Taylor

“The last Labour government introduced a free TV licence to all over-75s regardless of income. Support for the welfare state is dependent upon targeted benefits and universal benefits that cover everyone. The free TV licence Labour introduced in 1999 is a benefit available to all more elderly pensioners in Enfield regardless of wealth and is particularly important in combating loneliness and isolation. Television is a window onto the world and a steady companion.

The free licence appears to be under threat and Enfield Council calls upon the Government to ensure that it remains.”

Motion 6 in the name of Councillor Ian Barnes

Air pollution is a cause of major health inequality in Enfield and across London: Some areas of our borough suffer nitrogen dioxide levels higher than the World Health Organisation limit.

Obesity is also a huge issue and Enfield is in the grip of an inactivity crisis. The number of adults in the borough who are obese stands at 57% and even though this number is slowly decreasing there are twenty boroughs across London which are doing better than Enfield.

More than 40% of Londoners do not achieve the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity a week, hardly surprising when around 40% of car journeys are under two miles.

In a bid to make people think twice about using their car many London boroughs have now committed to Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs): A whole residential neighbourhood in which streets are ‘access only’ by car, diverting ‘rat-run’ traffic (some measured at 80mph in 30mph zones in Enfield) back onto surrounding main roads whilst encouraging drivers to use more sustainable modes of transport, such as walking, cycling and public transport.

This council wholeheartedly supports the implementation of LTNs in wards across our borough so residents can benefit from the positive effects that will be created in tackling pollution, obesity and concerns relating to traffic safety.

Motion 7 in the name of Councillor Christine Hamilton

The public health grant fund provides vital services that prevent ill health. Now through this current government. Local authorities are responsible for delivering most of these services, however our ability to do so is compromised by public health grant reductions. In 2018/19 and 2019/20 Enfield like every local authority will have less to spend on public health than the year before.

Taking funds away from prevention is a false economy. Unless public health funding has been restored our health and care system will remain locked in a ‘treatment’ approach, which is neither economically viable nor protects the health of residents.

This Government is looking to phase out the Public Health Grant by 2020/21, It is vital that all local authorities have enough funding to deliver the services we need to provide for deprived areas who often suffer the worst health outcomes.

Four in ten cancers are preventable, largely through stopping smoking, keeping a healthy weight and cutting back on alcohol. Smoking accounts for 80,000 early deaths every year and remains the largest preventable cause of cancer in the world. Additionally, obesity and alcohol account for 30,000 and 7,000 early deaths each year respectively. All three increase the risk of: cancer, diabetes, lung and heart conditions, poor mental health and create a subsequent burden on health and social care.

This Council believes that the impact of cuts to public health by the current government has become impossible to ignore. We support Cancer Research UK’s call for increased and sustainable public health funding and we call on the Government as a matter of urgency, to deliver increased investment in public health and to support a sustainable health and social care system by taking a ‘prevention first’ approach.

Motion 8 in the name of Councillor Christine Hamilton

We must oppose the criminalization of Windrush families

To continue actively campaigning for an end to all 'hostile environment' policy measures and to continue to call on the Government to enable the Windrush generation to acquire British citizenship at no cost and with proactive assistance throughout the process.

Due to the successful campaigning we now have an annual Windrush Day on the 22 June each year as a celebration to recognise and honour the enormous contribution of those who arrived between 1948 and 1971. The Windrush generation and their families have made a huge contribution to the NHS. On the 22nd June we celebrate them with gratitude. Windrush Day is a reminder that the NHS relies on dedicated and talented people from across the globe.

We must press the Prime Minister (whoever it is) to call for an independent public enquiry into the Windrush scandal and Demand the Government fully supports advice agencies in their work to achieve justice for all Enfield residents of the Windrush.

We urge this government to 'do the right thing', undo the 'appalling' hostile environment policies, and update the Councils on what actions the Home Office is taking to resolve the issues surrounding the status of the Windrush generation.

We must review the Council's own policies and procedures to ensure we support those affected. Support the call for fees for naturalisation to be waived for all those who have been affected.

We oppose the criminalisation of Windrush. This current Government must deliver the promises that they would 'do the right thing’ yet so far have done nothing. They must undo the 'appalling' hostile environment immigration policies and update the Councils on what actions the Home Office is taking to resolve the issues surrounding the status of the Windrush generation.

Motion 9 in the name of Councillor Joanne Laban

This council has no confidence in Councillor Nesil Caliskan as Leader of the Council.

Motion 10 in the name of Councillor Joanne Laban

Bullying is the use of coercion, force, or threat to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. In light of the recent articles in the press, Enfield Council agrees to confirm its opposition to the use of bullying and will deliver an anti-bullying campaign across the authority.

Motion 11 in the name of Councillor Maria Alexandrou

Cervical screening is a way for women to protect themselves from cancer. The sad reality is that fewer women are now having cervical screening. Last year 1.3m women didn’t attend NHS screenings. There are 3,200 new cases of cervical cancer every year and of those 870 women die from it.

According to CANCER RESEARCH UK 99.8% of cases are preventable. When Jane Goody fought her cancer battle, nearly 80% of women went for smear tests.10 years later, only 72% of women go. If this rate falls any lower, the rise in deaths will shoot up. In the case of Jane Goody, she ignored letters about her abnormal cells. She needed to go to hospital for surgery to remove those abnormal cells, surgery which most probably would have saved her life.

Many young women in their 20s and 30s are dying from cervical cancer and the tragedy is they are leaving behind their partners and young children. We need to encourage everyone to look after their health and have regular check-ups.

Enfield Council therefore agrees to work together with other agencies for a local campaign on cervical cancer awareness and encourage women to attend that important screening test. It only takes 5 minutes at the doctor’s surgery and this test can save your life.

Motion 12 in the name of Councillor Joanne Laban

The administration failed to listen to resident’s views on changes to wheeled bin collections. It was clear from the consultation that the majority of people did not support alterations to the current wheeled bin collection service. The recent refusal to accept a petition supported by 6,000 people further underlines that this new administration is simply not listening to the residents of Enfield.

Motion 13 in the name of Councillor Edward Smith

This Council agrees to resist residential developments on Underground Station car parks in Enfield that are not in conformity with the existing local plan on the grounds that these car parks encourage commuters to use public transport.

Motion 14 in the name of Councillor Mahtab Uddin

To adopt the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) definition of Islamophobia.

Enfield Council notes that the APPG is investigating prejudice and discrimination against British Muslims and the aim of their definition is to build a common understanding of the causes and consequences of Islamophobia and show a united determination to end it.

Enfield Council adopts the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) definition of Islamophobia. The definition is “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness”.

Enfield’s Council condemns, in the strongest possible terms, Islamophobia and believes that it has no place in our society. We must do all we can to stand together against those who seek to divide our communities.

Motion 15 in the name of Councillor Rick Jewell

Enfield Council believes that the continuing ideological drive towards academisation is flawed and does nothing to improve educational outcomes. Indeed, evidence exists to suggest that attainment gets worse.

This Council will do everything in its power to encourage schools to stay within the LA family of schools rather than turn to academisation.
This council notes that even with evidence of failing trusts and declining educational standards, academies cannot revert to local authority control. This will have a detrimental effect on our children’s learning. Enfield Council will lobby the government to allow schools to return to a local authority governed school.
This council is very proud of our schools and our staff and we want them to stay within the control of the local authority.
Academising schools only makes the school less accountable and disenfranchises the parents giving them less input into the schools their children attend.
This council will encourage schools to run separate meaningful consultation ballots for both parents and staff prior to any academisation process and to take notice of the mandate from that consultation.
This council will stand in full support of any school where the staff takes action to stop a forced academisation.
Parent and teacher power across the country is winning in their fight to stop these academies and we should fight harder for ours.
We will work harder towards keeping the dialogue and relationship between the council and those schools that have already academised.

This administration will do its utmost to protect the schools in our borough, the education of our children, the wishes of the parents and the terms and conditions of employment of our staff within those schools.

Minutes:

Motion 15.2

Councillor Levy moved, on behalf of Councillor Vicki Pite who had originally put the motion forward, and Councillor Barry seconded the following motion:

“More than 92 councils, including the London Assembly, have now made Climate Emergency Declarations since the IPCC “Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5^O C”, published in October 2018, described the enormous harm that a 2°C rise in world temperature is likely to cause, urging that governments and authorities world-wide seek to limit global warming to 1.5^O C. Two thirds have set a target date for net zero carbon of 2030. Others have set no target date or have aimed for 2050.

Research from Greener UK and the Climate Coalition revealed that two thirds of Britons want faster action to tackle climate change.

Extinction Rebellion Enfield Enfield has petitioned the Council to declare a climate emergency immediately and come up with concrete plans to get Enfield to net zero carbon emissions by 2025.

The London Assembly, in a unanimous vote, called on the Mayor of London to put an emergency plan in place and declare a Climate Emergency in London.

Reflecting our ambitions for Enfield, our children’s future and the demand for action not words, Enfield council notes:

the IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C and endorses the proposal that limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities and others
the Mayor of London’s climate change mitigation and adaptation responsibilities and recognises his aims to make London a zero-carbon city by 2050 but welcomes, and supports, further ambitious steps.
the declarations by other councils in the UK and around the world that commit resources to tackling the ‘Climate Emergency’
that strong policies to cut emissions have associated health, wellbeing and economic benefits

And therefore Enfield Council agrees:

to declare a climate emergency that requires urgent action
that all strategic and policy decisions, budgets, and approaches to planning decisions are in line with a shift to carbon neutrality by 2030
that cabinet and officers determine what more can be done locally to cut emissions, and publish a plan setting out these actions for debate and approval by 2020
that the Pensions Policy & Investment Committee should continue to play its part in reducing carbon and mitigating its effects by looking, in consultation with pension beneficiaries, to invest in assets which contribute to a decarbonised economy; including divesting from assets, in a managed way, which do not contribute to meeting the objectives
that our partners, especially young people, are involved in these plans so that our communities have a voice in shaping their future.

Enfield Council further asks, in line with the unanimous vote of the London Assembly, that the leaders of both parties write to

the Mayor of London to support the Mayor’s declaration of a Climate Emergency, underpinned by specific emergency plans with the actions necessary to make London carbon neutral by 2030, and, as vice chair of the C40 Cities network, to be a leader on this agenda.
The Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs urging him to give the Mayor of London the powers and funding to make this possible.”

Following the debate the motion was put to the vote and agreed with the following result:

For: 35

Against: 0

Abstentions: 11

Motion 15.14

Councillor Uddin moved and Councillor Cazimoglu seconded the following motion

“To adopt the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) definition of Islamophobia.

This was altered by Councillor Uddin to include the following additional sentence:

“We must review the Council’s own policies and procedures to ensure we support those affected.”

Following the debate, the motion was put to the vote and agreed with the following result:

For: 35

Against: 10

Abstentions: 0

The following motions lapsed under the guillotine arrangements: 15.1, 15.3, 15.4, 15.5, 15.6, 15.7, 15.8, 15.9, 15.10, 15.11, 15.12, 15.13, 15.15

Supporting documents:

Amendments to Motions 5 and 7, item 10. PDF 187 KB