Agenda and minutes

Moved from 17 April 2008, Cabinet - Thursday 10 April 2008 7.30 pm

Venue: Committee Rooms 1 & 2 Harrow Civic Centre

Contact: Alison Atherton, Senior Professional Democratic Services (Corporate)  Tel: 020 8424 1266 Email: alison.atherton@harrow.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

PART I - RECOMMENDATIONS - NIL

PART II - MINUTES

392.

Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests arising from business to be transacted at this meeting from:

 

(a)               all Members of the Cabinet; and

(b)               all other Members present.

Minutes:

 

RESOLVED:  To note that the following interest was declared:

 

Agenda Item

 

Member

Nature of Interest

8a.     Scrutiny Review of Obesity in Harrow

Councillor Silver

The Member declared a personal interest in that he was a pharmacist within the Borough.  He remained in the room whilst the matter was considered and voted upon.

 

393.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 47 KB

Of the Cabinet meeting held on 13 March 2008 and the special Cabinet meeting held on 17 March 2008 be taken as read and signed as correct records.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2008 and of the special meeting on 17 March 2008, be taken as read and signed as correct records.

394.

Arrangement of Agenda

To consider whether any of the items on the agenda should be considered with the press and public excluded.

Minutes:

 

RESOLVED:  That all business be considered with the press and public present with the exception of the following item for the reason set out below:-

 

Item

 

Reason

12.     Framework Agreement for the disposal of co?mingled recyclables - Appendix

The appendix contained exempt information under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, in that it contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of a particular person (including the authority holding the information).

 

395.

Petitions

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

Minutes:

Councillor Silver presented a petition containing 750 signatures.  He read the terms of the petition to the meeting, which were as follows:-

 

 

“We the undersigned hereby oppose the closure of Headstone Gardens Post Office as part of the Area Plan for London.

 

Its closure will affect:

 

 

1.                   Old aged pensioners who are unable to travel far to send post/parcels etc, and buy stamps

2.                   Disabled people (who have protection under the Disability Discrimination Act)

3.                   Young mothers and families

4.                   Local Traders who need their facilities for banking, posting and sending parcels.”

 

RESOLVED:  That the petition be received and referred to the Corporate Director of Community and Environment for consideration.

396.

Public Questions

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

 

Questions will be asked in the order notice of them was received and there be a time limit of 15 minutes.

Minutes:

 

RESOLVED:  To note that the following public question had been received:

 

1.

 

Questioner:

 

Brian Stoker

 

Asked of:

 

Councillor Chris Mote, Leader and Portfolio Holder for Strategic Overview, HSP, External Affairs and Property

 

Question:

The Council now states that the officers’ report on the future options for Cedars Hall will be published on the evening of the proposed public meeting, just one week before the next Cabinet meeting, with a summary the of points raised at the meeting being circulated to the Cabinet.

There is no opportunity for the public to present considered written inputs, over a period of weeks, as they would in the case of a planning application.

We know, and we would expect, that the Cabinet would not take a view on papers presented to them only at the start of a meeting, but the public only afforded a one hour opportunity to comment on a the officers’ paper, verbally, and then only if they are able to be physically present at a meeting and can understand the implications in that time?

Therefore the public needs a mechanism to put considered written views to the Cabinet.  A verbal Question Time will obviously be inadequate, so can a suitable mechanism please be created? 

Thank you.

 

Councillor Mote:

Consultation with local residents regarding the development of the Cedars Hall site has been ongoing for some considerable time.

Residents’ views were clearly heard by Cabinet when we made our decision in December 2007.

The various options, which Council Officers are currently considering for the development of this important site, were advised to residents at the meeting chaired by Andrew Trehern, and attended by Councillors Tony Ferrari and Paul Scott, at the Cedars Youth Centre on 20 February 2008.  As agreed with residents, the notes of this meeting have been published on the Council website.  Additionally, those local residents who left their email addresses were provided with a copy of the notes directly.  The notes of the meeting clearly set out the options that will be considered at Cabinet.

The Deputy Chair of the Harrow Weald Tenants and Residents’ Association has engaged with Andrew Trehern in respect of the community hall option.  A number of residents have, in fact, submitted written comments and I am sure that officers will reflect these views in an appropriate way within their report to Cabinet.

The next meeting with residents is scheduled to take place on the 7 May 2008, and due to the large amount of business that Cabinet needs to transact in May, we are calling a second meeting which will be held on Wednesday 21 May and we are intending that the Cedars Hall item will now be considered on this date.  This therefore provides nearly two weeks for residents to submit their views for Members’ consideration.  I do not therefore accept your assertion that there has been insufficient time for residents to put considered written views to Cabinet.

Mr Stoker, your views, the views of local residents and the Tenants and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 396.

397.

Councillor Questions

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

 

Questions will be asked in the order notice of them was received and there be a time limit of 15 minutes.

Minutes:

 

RESOLVED:  To note that no Councillor Questions had been received.

398.

Forward Plan 1 April 2008 - 31 July 2008 pdf icon PDF 38 KB

Minutes:

 

RESOLVED:  That the contents of the Forward Plan for the period 1 April – 31 July 2008 be noted.

399.

Reports from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee or Sub-Committees - Scrutiny Review of Obesity in Harrow pdf icon PDF 76 KB

Report of the Corporate Director of Strategy and Business Support

Additional documents:

Minutes:

CouncillorRekha Shah, the Chairman of the Review Group, and Councillor Margaret Davine, a member of the Review Group, introduced the report, which set out the findings and recommendations of the scrutiny review of obesity in Harrow.  The importance of multi agency and partnership working was highlighted as were a number of the recommendations.

 

Cabinet welcomed the report, made a number of comments on the Review and noted that the Primary Care Trust Board had agreed all the recommendations.

 

RESOLVED:  That (1) the findings of the review be noted;

 

(2)  the recommendations for Harrow Council be endorsed and their implementation monitored by Scrutiny.

 

Reason for Decision:  To contribute towards the strengthening and development of multi?agency work on tackling obesity in Harrow.  Overview and Scrutiny Committee, at its meeting on 28 January 2008, had requested that Cabinet consider this report.

400.

Senior Management Structure pdf icon PDF 50 KB

Report of the Chief Executive

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Executive introduced the report, which proposed a revised senior management structure for the Council to better enable it to achieve its strategic objective to be recognised as one of the best London Councils by 2012. 

 

The Chief Executive stated that good progress was being made and that the revised senior management structure was a necessary step to improve the Council.  He added that he reserved the right to further review the structure.

 

Cabinet supported the proposals contained within the report of the Chief Executive and it was

 

RESOLVED:  That the proposed senior management structure attached at Appendix 2 to the report of the Chief Executive be approved.

 

Reason for Decision:  To enable the implementation of a more effective senior management structure.

401.

Framework Agreement for the Disposal of co-mingled recyclables

Report of the Corporate Director of Community and Environment

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Corporate Director of Community and Environment introduced the report, which explained the requirement for a new 4?year framework agreement for the allocation and transport of co?mingled waste from the Civic Amenity Site to a bona fidé Material Recycling Facility (MRF) for sorting and resale.  He stated that the framework agreement would give resilience to this business critical service.

 

Members noted that a confidential appendix to the report appeared elsewhere on the agenda for their information.

 

RESOLVED:  That the letting of a framework agreement to Grosvenor Waste Management, Green Star and Greencycle be approved.

 

Reason for Decision:  The London Borough of Harrow needs to replace the existing interim agreement with a formal contract in line with EU requirements.

402.

Councillor Chris Mote

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council stated that, as this was his last meeting as Chairman of Cabinet, he would like to thank Portfolio Holders and officers for their work.  He also thanked members of the public for their participation in the meetings of Cabinet and the press for their attendance.

 

The Deputy Leader of the Council, on behalf of Cabinet, thanked Councillor Mote for his work over the previous two years.