Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Nikoleta Nikolova, Senior Democratic & Electoral Services Officer  Tel: 07761 405898 E-mail:  nikoleta.nikolova@harrow.gov.uk

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Media

Items
No. Item

430.

Apologies for Absence

To receive apologies for absence (if any).

Minutes:

None received.

431.

Declarations of Interest pdf icon PDF 69 KB

To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary or non pecuniary interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

 

(a)          all Members of the Committee, Sub-Committee or Panel;

(b)          all other Members present in any part of the room or chamber.

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  To note that the declaration of interests had been published on the Council website and that:

 

(1)          Councillor Varsha Parmar, who had declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in Item 5 – Councillor Questions as her husband worked for London Underground Limited, would remain in the meeting by virtue of her dispensation.

432.

Petitions

To receive any petitions submitted by members of the public or Councillors.

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  To note that no petitions had been received.

433.

Public Questions pdf icon PDF 117 KB

To receive any public questions received in accordance with paragraph 16 of the Executive Procedure Rules.

 

Questions will be asked in the order in which they were received.  There will be a time limit of 15 minutes for the asking and answering of public questions.

 

[The deadline for receipt of public questions is 3.00 pm, 15 March 2021.  Questions should be sent to publicquestions@harrow.gov.uk

No person may submit more than one question].

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  To note that one public question had been received and responded to and the recording had been placed on the website.

434.

Councillor Questions pdf icon PDF 117 KB

To receive any Councillor questions received in accordance with paragraph 17 of the Executive Procedure Rules.

 

Questions will be asked in the order agreed with the relevant Group Leader by the deadline for submission and there be a time limit of 15 minutes.

 

[The deadline for receipt of Councillor questions is 3.00 pm, 15 March 2021].

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  The Councillor Questions were responded to and the recording placed on the Council’s website.

435.

Key Decision Schedule March - May 2021 pdf icon PDF 215 KB

Minutes:

Having noted that the report on “Treasury Management - Shared Service Arrangement with the Greater London Authority (GLA) had been to April, Cabinet

 

RESOLVED:  To note the contents of the updated Key Decision Schedule for the period March – May 2021.

436.

Progress on Scrutiny Projects pdf icon PDF 141 KB

For consideration

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  To receive and note the current progress of the scrutiny reports.

437.

Covid-19 Update pdf icon PDF 312 KB

Verbal update from the Chief Executive.

Minutes:

Having agreed to vary the order of business, Cabinet received a presentation from the Chief Executive, which provided a high level overview on the impact of the Covid-19 restrictions across the borough, the government’s plans for reopening the economy and the society, progress on the vaccination roll out programme as well as the Council’s recovery plans from June 2021 onwards.

 

Acknowledging the continuous work and efforts of staff from all levels throughout the pandemic, Cabinet

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)  the verbal update and accompanying presentation from the Chief Executive, be noted;

 

(2)  the Council’s ambition to carry out 70,000 asymptomatic tests between 11th January and 31st March 2021, be noted;

 

(3)  the Government’s promise to reimburse “reasonable and actual costs of test delivery”, be noted;

 

(4)  that the Corporate Directors of Resources, Community and People, following consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holders, be authorised to approve a payment of £2.693 million as the estimated cost of Harrow’s Community Testing Programme until the end of March 2021, which includes premises, staffing, contractors, consumables, waste and communications;

 

(5)  an update on staff wellbeing and resilience be provided as part of the Covid-19 presentation at the April Cabinet meeting.

 

Resolved Items

438.

Additional Restrictions Grant Policy Revision pdf icon PDF 233 KB

Report of the Corporate Directory, Community.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That

 

(1)          the Additional Restrictions Grant to fund additional activities supporting Harrow’s businesses, Metropolitan Town Centre, District Centres and Local Centres be allocated in accordance with the proposals set out in the officer report;

 

(2)           the Director of Finance and the Corporate Director of Community, following consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Finance and Resources, and Business, Property and Leisure, be authorised to allocate funds in accordance with those proposals detailed in the officer report, noting that the Corporate Director will then delegate operational authority to the Head of Revenue and Benefits and the Acting Director Economy and Culture to implement.

 

Reason for Decision:  To ensure public funding was allocated in accordance with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Guidance and the Harrow principles set out in the officer report, and to utilise the additional £2.3m increase to rebuild the Harrow economy.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

 

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member/Dispensation Granted:  None.

439.

Essential heating upgrade works for Sheltered schemes: Cornell, Meadfield and Alma Court pdf icon PDF 579 KB

Report of the Divisional Director, Housing.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That

 

(1)          the request to commence the procurement process (via accessing a legally complaint Framework Agreement) for a contractor(s) to carry out decommissioning work and proceed with the implementation of Ground Source Heat Pumps to Cornell House and Alma Court in this financial year (2021/22) and Meadfield House in 2022/23, be approved;

 

(2)          the Corporate Director of Community, following consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Housing and Finance and Resources and the Director of Finance, be authorised to award contract(s) for the implementation of Ground Source Heat Pumps to Cornell House, Alma Court and Meadfield House.

 

Reason for Decision:  Due to the estimated value of the proposed contract award Cabinet’s authorisation was required to comply with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules.

 

Approval was required so that works required to the Sheltered blocks in alignment with the Council’s  Climate Change Strategy could be carried out and to continue to provide essential service to meet the Council’s statutory duties as a landlord across Sheltered dwellings within the Borough and comply with Health and Safety Regulations.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

 

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member/Dispensation Granted:  None.

440.

Property Disposal Programme 2021- 2022 pdf icon PDF 246 KB

Report of the Corporate Director, Community.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Having noted the confidential appendix to the officer report, Cabinet

 

RESOLVED:  That

 

(1)          the properties detailed in the officer report under numbers 1 to 8 be declared surplus and their disposal be approved;

 

(2)          the financial implications and estimated sale prices as set out in confidential Appendix 1 to the officer report, be noted;

 

(3)          the Corporate Director of Community be authorised, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder (PH) for Business, Property and Leisure,  to take all appropriate action to dispose of the Council’s freehold interest, where appropriate in the properties detailed under numbers 1 – 8 in the officer report for the best consideration reasonably obtainable and to consider the reviewed options for property number 9 in respect of bringing this forward for future development and to progress the preferred option;

 

(4)          the Corporate Director of Community undertake to review the options to bringing forward Belmont Community Centre and Kingshill Car Park, property number 9 for development, retaining the community centre and that the results of the deliberation be reported to Cabinet when finalised.

 

Reason for Decision:  The nine disposals recommended would release assets which were surplus to Council requirements and that either required significant expenditure to repair, renovate, or develop and had no value or had little value or beneficial use from retention per se.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

 

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member/Dispensation Granted:  None.

441.

Department for Education (DfE) funded Holiday Activities and Food Programme pdf icon PDF 277 KB

Report of the Corporate Director, People.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That

 

(1)          the Corporate Director of People Services, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Young People and Schools and the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources, be authorised to issue a direct award (of the value of  £616,240 (£60,200 programme coordination and evaluation costs and the remaining £556,040 allocated to the sub-contracted providers delivering the activities) from the Department for Education (DfE) grant) to Young Harrow Foundation (YHF) to coordinate the delivery and evaluation of the Department for Education (DfE) funded Holiday Activities and Food Programme on behalf of the Council.

 

Reason for Decision:  To fulfil the requirements for Local Authorities to provide holiday activities and food programme in line with the aims and objectives set out the DfE Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) 2021 Guidance for Local Authorities February 2021.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.