The Annual Council meeting of the London Borough of Barnet on 20 May 2025 addressed several administrative and policy matters, including amendments to cabinet member responsibilities, a constitution review, and the approval of a Cumulative Impact Zone in Burnt Oak. The council also noted the results of recent by-elections and made appointments to various committees and outside bodies.

Amendments to Cabinet Member Responsibilities

The council approved amendments to the responsibilities of cabinet members, as proposed by Councillor Barry Rawlings, Leader of the Council. These changes are reflected in Part 2E of the Council Constitution, which details cabinet members' appointments and terms of office. The amendments include changes to the Leader's responsibilities regarding decisions as the council’s Shareholder Representative on BCX Limited Partnerships, and changes to the Members Allowances Scheme to reflect the changes. The council also noted the members of the Executive, as detailed in Appendix C.

Constitution Review

The council approved several amendments to its constitution, following the removal of special responsibility allowances for area committees and proposed changes to cabinet member responsibilities. These amendments include:

• Deleting references to area committees throughout Part 2B of the constitution, which covers the terms of reference and delegation of duties to committees and sub-committees.
• Correcting the titles of some members of the Health & Wellbeing Board.
• Amending the Members Allowances Scheme to reflect changes to cabinet member responsibilities.

Burnt Oak Cumulative Impact Zone

The council approved the addition of Appendix 4 (Burnt Oak Cumulative Impact Zone) to the Licensing Policy 2025 – 2030. This decision had been deferred from the previous council meeting due to the pre-election period for the Burnt Oak by-election. The report presented to the council included data on substance misuse, alcohol-related hospital admissions, and crime statistics for the Burnt Oak area. The Licensing Policy outlines the impact of such a policy, and the Licensing Act 2003 requires that the licensing authority determine its licensing policy and publish it every five years.

Finchley Church End By-Election Result

The council noted the results of the Finchley Church End ward by-election held on Thursday 6 March 2025. Josh Mastin-Lee, of the Conservative Party, was duly elected as a councillor for the ward.

Whetstone Ward By-Election Result

The council noted the results of the Whetstone ward by-election held on Thursday 15 May 2025.

Political Proportionality

The council noted the political balance of the council following the by-election in Finchley Church End ward. The political balance of the Council is:

• 40 Members of the Labour Group
• 19 Members of the Conservative Group
• 3 Independent Members
• 1 Vacancy

The council agreed to the allocation of seats as set out in the tables in Appendix A in order to comply with the political balance regulations requiring seats to be allocated proportionately to the political groups on Council.

Appointments to Committees and Outside Bodies

The council approved changes to the meeting dates outlined in Appendix A.

The council also made appointments to various committees, and outside bodies.