Agenda and minutes

Received from Councillor Glen Hearnden, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Employment.

RESOLVED:  To note that the following interests were declared:

Agenda Item 4 – Public Question

Councillor Simon Brown declared a non-pecuniary interest in that a family member until recently had been employed by CNWL in Harrow Community Adult Mental Health Service.  He would remain in the room to answer the question.

Agenda Item 5 – Councillor Questions

Councillor Sue Anderson declared a non-pecuniary interest in that she was on the Board of Directors of Cultura London.  She would remain in the room to answer the questions and listen to answers given.

Agenda Item 13 – Response to Scrutiny’s Review of the Impacts of Welfare Reform in Harrow

During consideration of this item, Councillor Barry Macleod-Cullinane declared a non-pecuniary interest in that he was employed by the Citizens’ Advice National Office.  Councillor Ms Pamela Fitzpatrick also declared a non?pecuniary interest in that she worked for Harrow Law Centre who gave evidence to the Review.  They would remain in the room and jointly present the findings of the Scrutiny Review Group.

RESOLVED:  To note that the following petitions had been received:

1.            Petition from 23 shop owners based in Station Parade, next to Canons Park Station – Fly tipping and lack of street lighting

Councillor Susan Hall presented a petition signed by 23 shop owners together with a detailed letter setting out issues that were causing concern, including not enough bins, poor street lighting and a proposal for a one-way system on the service road.

RESOLVED:  That the petition be referred to the Portfolio Holder for Environment, Crime and Community Safety and the Corporate Director of Community for consideration.

2.            Petition - Objection: Jubilee House, Merrion Avenue, Stanmore: Demolition of existing office block and four semi-detached houses and comprehensive redevelopment of the site to provide mixed use C2 and C3 residential units within a building of five to eight P/1320/16

Councillor Susan Hall presented a petition signed by 77 residents which included a detailed letter setting out the grounds of their objection, including that it was not in keeping with other properties in the road and Stanmore, insufficient parking and traffic concerns, massing and density, loss of light to neighbouring properties, loss of privacy from new development, demolition of 4 semi-detached houses and inadequate refuse collection.

RESOLVED:  That the petition be referred to the Portfolio Holder for Business, Planning and Regeneration and Corporate Director of Community and the Planning Committee for consideration.

3.            Petition – Neighbourhood Resource Centre

A representative of Harrow Unison presented a petition signed by 100 Council staff and users with the following terms of reference:

“Harrow Council’s People Directorate continue to employ highly paid interim staff at the expense of Frontline staff, the latest debacle is the proposed re-allocation of an NRC (Neighbourhood Resource Centre) to the voluntary sector without due care or lawful consideration of the Law. Harrow Council as a public employer should have a more ethical approach to employment relations.  We the undersigned staff and service users request that the incumbent political party, a party who by historical classification should support the working class and vulnerable of Harrow, enact an independent investigation into both the Corporate Director and DASS officer regarding the £363k capital expenditure on interim salaries and the promotion of two senior employees into Directors positions even though they have dismissed a Director in the same area by means of redundancy, which identifies a misuse of public monies.  We request that the incumbent Labour Group also complies with their manifesto in the protection of frontline services and investigates the allocation of service users via the re-ablement team to ascertain the vast and costly promotion of companies voluntary and private at the detriment of in-house services.

RESOLVED:  That the petition be referred to the appropriate Corporate Director for consideration.

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.

[The deadline for receipt of public questions is 3.00 pm, 11 July 2016. 

Questions should be sent to publicquestions@harrow.gov.uk  

No person may submit more than one question].

Public and Councillor questions accepted were responded to and any recording placed on the Council’s website.  Councillor questions 12 to 16 were not reached at Cabinet and the Councillor(s)would be provided with written responses which would be placed on the Council’s website.

RESOLVED:  That the Key Decision Schedule be noted.

For consideration.

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted.

Recommendation from the Corporate Parenting Panel.

Resolved to RECOMMEND:  (to Council)

That the revised Terms of Reference be included in the Council’s Constitution and that Council also be requested to agree any changes in Panel membership arising.

RESOLVED:  That the revised Terms of Reference be approved subject to paragraph 4 being amended to read: ‘To consider and regularly review on an annual basis a Corporate Parenting Strategy setting out key priorities and areas of action. The Corporate Parenting Strategy will be submitted to Cabinet and full Council for consideration and decision on approval’.

Reason for Decision:  To ensure the Terms of Reference were reviewed and updated in line with good practice and guidelines.To ensure that the Corporate Parenting Strategy was submitted to Cabinet.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  None.

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

[Call-in does not apply to the Recommendation as the decision is reserved to Council.]

Report of the Divisional Director of Children and Young Peoples Services.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the progress and development of the expanded Together with Families Programme in Harrow be agreed and endorsed;

(2)          the implementation framework for the delivery of the expanded Together with Families Programme in Harrow be agreed;

(3)          it be noted that the Programme would be known as Together with Families in Harrow.

Reason for Decision:  The Programme had the potential to bring in additional funds of up to £3.2m in the next 5 years (2015 – 2020) to support vulnerable families within Harrow.

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.

Report of the Corporate Director of People.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the proposed new structure for the Early Intervention Service and the proposal for the Service to be known as Early Support be agreed;

(2)          the realignment of Children Missing Education (CME) and Attendance Improvement Model (AIM) as statutory functions of the Education Service be agreed;

(3)          the Corporate Director of People, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Children, Schools and Young People, be authorised to implement the proposed new structure, including undertaking consultation with staff in accordance with the Council’s Protocol for Managed Change.

Reason for Decision:  To contribute to the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2016-2019 and to enable the Council to develop a sustainable service which, in accordance with the Corporate Plan, identified and supported the needs of children, young people and their families before they became acute and required more intensive specialist interventions.

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.

Report of the Corporate Director of People.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the update on the implementation of the School Expansion Programme and the School Roll Projections 2017-2025 report be noted;

(2)          the revised Strategic Priorities for the Special Educational Need and Disability (SEND) Strategy, set out in paragraph 35 of the report, be agreed.

Reason for Decision:  To enable the Local Authority to fulfil its statutory duties to provide sufficient school places in its area.

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.

Report of the Chief Executive.

Having received representations from Members of the Scrutiny Review Group in line with the Cabinet/Scrutiny Protocol, it was

RESOLVED:  That the responses to the recommendations of the Scrutiny Review Group’s report be noted.

Reason for Decision:  To note the responses, including the next steps.

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

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

[Call-in does not apply to the decisions that have been noted.]

Joint report of the Corporate Directors of Resources and Commercial and Community.

Having received representations from Members of the Scrutiny Review Group in line with the Cabinet/Scrutiny Protocol, it was

RESOLVED:  That the recommendations of the Scrutiny Review report be noted and the response and proposed actions to the recommendations, as set out in the report, be agreed.

Reason for Decision:  To note the response and actions.

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.

Report of the Corporate Director of Resources and Commercial.

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted and that Portfolio Holders continue working with officers to achieve improvements against identified key challenges.

Reason for Decision:  To be informed of performance against key measures and to identify and assign corrective action where necessary.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  None.

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

Report of the Divisional Director of Commercial, Contracts and Procurement.

Having considered the confidential appendix, it was

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the Business Case set out at Appendix 1 to the report be noted;

(2)          the creation of a Procurement Shared Service with Harrow Council as the Lead Authority be agreed;

(3)          the cost sharing arrangement set out in the financial section of the report be agreed;

(4)          a delegation from Brent Council of their procurement function under Section 101 of the Local Government Act 1972 be accepted;

(5)          subject to such delegations (resolution 4 above refers), the Corporate Director of Resources and Commercial, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder Finance and Commercialisation, be authorised to:

·           agree the terms of and execute an Inter Authority Agreement which reflected the principles outlined in the report;

·           implement a Shared Procurement Service in accordance with the Agreement.

Reason for Decision:  The creation of a Procurement Shared Service would enable the Council to meet its MTFS savings targets of £290k in 2016/17 and 2017/18 and put in place a mechanism to achieve further savings of £180k in 2018/19.  To allow the development of a resilient and cost effective procurement and commercialisation service which could provide improved support to the Council at a reduced cost.

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.

Report of the Director of Finance.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the progress on achieving the 2016/17 savings as at period 2, end of May 2016, be noted;

(2)          the addition to the Environmental Services Capital Programme of £148k of externally funded spend in paragraph 3.1 of the report, in respect of an addition to the TfL (Transport for London) funded Local Implementation Plan, be agreed;

(3)          the 2016/17 virement in the HRA (Housing Revenue Account) Capital Programme of £1.626m, as set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report, be agreed;

(4)          the debt write off in the Housing Revenue Account of £51k, as set out in paragraph 4.0 of the report, be agreed.

Reason for Decision:  To be availed of the progress in achieving the 2016/17 MTFS savings agreed by Cabinet in February 2016 and agree amendments to the Capital Programme and a debt write off.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  None.

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

Report of the Director of Legal and Governance Services.

RESOLVED:  That, subject to the addition and appointment of Councillor Josephine Dooley (Roxbourne Ward) as Portfolio Holder Assistant to Councillor Christine Robson, Portfolio Holder for Children, Schools and Young People, with the remit of ‘Virtual Schools’,

(1)          the appointment of the identified Portfolio Holder Assistants and responsibilities, as set out in the report, be agreed and it be noted that these supersede previous appointments;

(2)          the payment of Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) to the Portfolio Holder Assistants with the implementation date of 14 July 2016 be agreed.

Reason for Decision:  To enable the support to Cabinet Members in terms of information provision and management.  To contribute to and ensure an effective decision-making framework as part of the democratic process.

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.

Reference from Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meeting held on 12 July 2016.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the reference from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be received and noted;

(2)          a response report to the recommendations of the Scrutiny Review be submitted to the next Cabinet meeting by the relevant Directorate(s);

(3)          the Chair of the Review Group and an opposition Member of the Review Group be invited to present the findings to the next Cabinet meeting in accordance with the Cabinet/Scrutiny Protocol.

Reason for Decision:  To receive and request a response for Cabinet’s consideration in line with the Constitution.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  None.

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

[Call-in does not apply].