Issue - meetings

a.         Report of the Monitoring Officer

b.         Report of the Strategic Director of Regeneration, Planning and Development (to follow)

c.         Appendices:

-       Copy of call-in

-       Excerpt from the draft minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 20 June 2017

-       20 June 2017 Cabinet report – Proposed relocation of Highgate Library Service

Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Deputy Monitoring Officer, introduced the Monitoring Officer’s Report, which advised that this decision fell within the policy and budget framework.

Following an outline of the process for the call-in meeting, and the possible outcomes available, the Chair invited Councillor Carter to present the arguments for why the signatories had called in the Cabinet decision and the alternative action proposed.

Setting out his reasons, Cllr Carter stated that he did not claim that the decision was outside the policy or budget framework. He sought reconsideration by Cabinet of the in-principle decision to relocate Highgate library to Jacksons Lane Arts Centre (JLAC) and dispose of the existing site, as the proposal was predicated on a feasibility study that had not yet been undertaken and was premature. The decision was therefore premature and had not followed due process. He believed that a full public consultation should be undertaken, especially given that a similar proposal around Muswell Hill Library had been subject to a full public consultation.  By failing to follow that precedent, the Council would be vulnerable to a legal challenge on the issue. Furthermore, the local community was strongly opposed to the proposal.

Cllr Carter asserted that, rather than relocating the Library, the £1m of match funding for Jackson Lane Arts Centre’s bid to the Arts Council could be found elsewhere in Council’s capital budget, such as the £8m unspent allocation for the Marsh Lane site. He asked whether Cabinet would rescind the in-principle decision to relocate Highgate library and dispose of the existing site, if the completed feasibility study considered that the proposal was not viable.

In response to the Committee’s questioning, Cllr Carter was unsure what Jackson Lane’s motivation for the proposed relocation was, but felt that the drivers were likely to be financial and also commented that the process was being driven by the Council. The Chair enquired what Cllr Carter’s comments were on the legal comments contained in the report which stated that there was no legal duty to consult on the matter. Cllr Carter reiterated that he was concerned by the risk of legal challenge and that he believed that the decision on Muswell Hill Library had set a precedent.

The Leader of the Council set out some of the background information in relation to the decision. The decision was taken within the context of continued pressure on the Council’s revenue budget and its commitment to retain all nine libraries within the borough. The Committee was advised that the visitor numbers to Highgate Library had fallen from 68k in 2012/13 to 56k in 2016/17, which were the lowest for any of Haringey’s libraries.

The Leader advised the Committee that the proposals for relocation came from Jacksons Lane. The Leader also advised that co-location was deemed beneficial because of; the prominence of the JLAC site, the fact that JLAC attracted around 200k visitors a year, the synergies that existed between the activities undertaken at JLAC and at Highgate Library, and the proximity of JLAC to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52

[Report of the Assistant Director for Economic Development and Growth  and  Chief Finance Officer. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Culture and the Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources.]

The report will  set out the proposed relocation of the existing Highgate Library Service  to Jacksons Lane Cultural Centre  and seek an in principle decision to dispose of existing  Highgate site and  fund improvements to Jackson lane including new Library space.

The Leader introduced the report which was seeking an in principle agreement from Members to the relocation of Highgate Library, to Jacksons Lane Arts Centre and was further seeking an in principle agreement to the disposal of the freehold of the existing Highgate Library site following a successful relocation of the library which would be through the Highgate Library Service Relocation Project (“the Scheme”).

In response to Councillor Carter’s questions the following information was noted:

• That an in principle decision was being sought on disposal before the feasibility study was completed, to provide comfort to the Arts Council, of the Council match funding the capital funding bid from Jackson’s Lane Arts Centre.

• Assurance that the community in Highgate will continue to have a Library service fit for purpose in the 21 century.

• That there would be a future consultation on the relocation of the Library and Highgate library offer, subject to a positive feasibility study.

• Jacksons Lane Arts Centre can acquire their building lease as any other community organisation in the borough can do. A Community Asset Transfer Policy for community buildings which sets out terms for transfer to a private or community organisation would be due for decision at July Cabinet.

RESOLVED

1. To agree in principle to the Scheme to relocate from the existing Highgate Library service (shown edged red on the plan at Appendix B) to Jacksons Lane Arts Centre (shown edged red on the plan at Appendix A) subject to a feasibility study to be approved at a later meeting of Cabinet, but in considering this recommendation, Members are referred to the legal comments of the Assistant Director of Corporate Governance at paragraph 8.2 in the attached report.

2. To agree that the Highgate Library site ( as shown edged red on the plan at Appendix B) be reviewed on the basis that it is surplus to requirements and that the freehold interest can be disposed of, subject to the existing Highgate Library service being able to relocate to the JLAC and to submit a further report to Cabinet with the proposed terms for the disposal of the site for approval;

3. To agree that costs associated with necessary condition works to JLAC and all costs associated with relocating the library service to JLAC (including fit out and fees) will be funded by the capital programme but to the maximum total amount of the capital receipt obtained from the disposal of the existing Highgate Library site (valuation letter for the disposal can be found at Appendix C, which is the Part B Exempt Report) and the new Library service will continue to be managed by the Council. The Council’s contribution will include £1m of match funding, which will be alongside Arts Council funding and JLAC other funding sources. The total funding contribution from the Council will be part of a later report presented to Cabinet;

4. To agree to the inclusion of a new scheme (Jackson Lane Arts Centre Enhancement & Highgate Library Service Relocation project) within the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12