Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillor Varsha Parmar, Portfolio Holder for Health, Equality and Wellbeing.

Petition - To extend the double yellow lines by 3-4 metres outside No. 44 Waxwell Lane

Councillor Norman Stevenson presented a petition signed by 61 residents of Waxwell Lane with the following terms of reference:  “We, the undersigned residents of Waxwell Lane wish Harrow Council to extend the existing double yellow lines outside Waxwell Lane”.

The petition referred to the traffic congestion at southern end of Waxwell Lane as a long-standing problem and that some months ago, the Council had introduced double yellow lines along the east side of the Lane, but that this had not solved the problem.  The petition included photographic evidence and a proposal which would prevent the problem.

RESOLVED:  That the petition be received and submitted to the Corporate Director of Community and the Portfolio Holder for Environment, Crime and Community Safety 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, Monday 14 November 2016. 

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

No person may submit more than one question].

RESOLVED:  To note that the public questioners were not present at the meeting and written responses would be provided and published on the Council’s website.  To note that Councillor questions 1 – 15 were responded to and any recording placed on the Council’s website. Councillor questions 16-25 were not reached at Cabinet and the Councillors would be provided with written responses which would be placed on the Council’s website.

RESOLVED:  That the Key Decision Schedule be noted.

RESOLVED: That the progress on Scrutiny Projects be noted.

Reference from Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the recommendation from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 20 September 2016 that a follow up Local Assurance Test (LAT) of the People Directorate be undertaken in 2018 be received;

(2)          a further review of performance would be undertaken as part of the next phase of the bedding in of the new People Directorate in 2018;

(3)          for consistency of challenge and support, the same sector led officers carry out any such future review.

Reason for Decision:  To respond to the recommendation from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

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].

Reference from Overview and Scrutiny Committee

RESOLVED:  That

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

(2)          it be noted that a response report to the recommendations of the Scrutiny Review would be considered at the December 2016 Cabinet meeting where the Chair of the Review Group and an opposition Member of the Review Group would present the findings in accordance with the Cabinet/Scrutiny Protocol.

Reason for Decision:  To receive and request a response for Cabinet’s consideration in accordance with the Council’s 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].

Report of the Corporate Director of Community

Having considered the confidential appendix, it was

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the properties detailed in the report be declared surplus;

(2)           the financial implications and estimated sale prices detailed at Appendix 1 to the report be noted;

(3)          the Corporate Director of Community, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Business, Planning and Regeneration, be authorised to take all appropriate action to dispose of the Council’s interests in the land and properties detailed in the report for the best consideration reasonably obtainable and to continue the review of assets and take actions necessary to maximise the return from these assets;

(4)          the Corporate Director of Community be authorised to appropriate the properties listed in the report for any purpose pursuant to the Local Government Act 1972 and to take any steps necessary to implement the disposal programme.

Reason for Decision:  To generate a significant capital receipt for the Council to support service improvements.

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 Divisional Director of Housing

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the Planned Investment Project Manager, following consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Housing and Employment and Finance and Commercialisation, be authorised to undertake a procurement process for a contractor to deliver the Burnt Oak Broadway enveloping project on the 2017/18 Housing Capital Programme;

(2)          Corporate Director of Community, following consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Housing and Employment and Finance and Commercialisation, be authorised to award and arrange the execution of a contract with the successful tenderer.

Reason for Decision:  To comply with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules and to allow the procurement process to get underway.

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 Divisional Director of Housing

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the Planned Investment Project Manager be authorised to undertake a procurement process for 3 contractors to deliver kitchen and bathroom refurbishments on the 2017/18 Housing Capital Programme;

(2)          the Corporate Director of Community, following consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Housing and Employment and Finance and Commercialisation, be authorised to award and arrange the execution of contracts with the successful tenderer.

Reason for Decision:  To comply with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules and to allow the procurement process to get underway.

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 Public Health

Following an amendment to recommendation 1 in that the current contract be extended to 31 December rather than 30 December 2017, it was

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the extension of the current contract until 31 December 2017 for Health Visiting Services with London North West Healthcare NHS Trust be approved;

(2)          the Director of Public Health be authorised to procure a new Health Visiting Service to be implemented by 1 January 2018, with the option to extend the scope of the service to include 5 – 19 year olds, delivered by the current school nursing service, and/or to collaborate with other local authorities;

(3)          the Director of Public Health, following consultation with Portfolio Holders for Health, Equality and Wellbeing, Children, Schools and Young People and Finance and Commercialisation, together with the Corporate Director for People and Director of Finance, be authorised to award the new contract to the successful bidder;

(4)          the extension of the Genito-Urinary Medicine (GUM) and Contraception and Sexual Health (CASH) Services contracts until 30 September 2017 be approved;

(5)          the progress on the procurement of an integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health Service for the Outer North West London sub?region, including Harrow Council, be noted.

Reason for Decision:  To comply with the statutory responsibility to deliver a Health Visiting Service, as set out in the Statutory Instrument 2015 No. 921 dated 23 March 2015.  To adhere to the duty under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to provide Sexual Health Services (including GUM and CaSH Services) and to the rules to extend existing contracts or re?procure services.

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 Divisional Director of Commercial, Contracts and Procurement.

Having considered the confidential appendix, it was

RESOLVED:  That the contract for the Collection and Delivery of Mail be awarded to Royal Mail Group Limited and commence on 1 December 2016 until 30 November 2019, with an option to extend for 9 months and 15 days, to 15 September 2020.

.

Reason for Decision:  To put a new contract in place.  The Council has a need for mail services, whereby outgoing post was collected from Council buildings and delivered to individual addresses.  Whilst an increasing amount of communication from the Council was in digital only format, there were still large volumes of hard copy correspondence that needed to be delivered.

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

(1)          the Corporate Director of Resources and Commercial, following consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Performance, Corporate Resources and Customer Services and Finance and Commercialisation, be authorised to award a contract for the provision of contingent labour to Pertemps Recruitment Partnership on a Master Vendor basis for three years with an option to extend by one year to commence on 1 January 2017 through the Yorkshire Procurement Organisation (YPO) framework, Lot 1 – Managed Services for Contingent Labour - Master Vendor Model;

(2)          it be noted that the permanent recruitment contract would continue until the end of September 2017, original contract end date, to give the Council an opportunity to re-procure the service.

Reason for Decision: To ensure that the Council was able to continue to resource its workforce beyond the end of September 2017 through a sustainable, efficient and costeffective model that operated in the best interests of the Council.

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

(1)          the procurement of contracts with up to two suppliers with a value range between £3m to £4m over 5 years (£0.6m to £0.8m annually), for the collection of unpaid monies, service of legal notices and processing of warrants of arrest, subject to demonstration of Best Value, be authorised;

(2)          the procurement be in accordance with EU public procurement rules and the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules;

(3)          the Corporate Director of Resources and Commercial, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Commercialisation, be authorised to award a contract for enforcement and collection services.

Reason for Decision:  Contracts for bailiff services expired on 30 September 2017.  Two formal contracts existed for this service and this encompassed the collection of all Council income where the Council could not collect it directly from the debtors.  To ensure that the Council had means of collecting around £25m (£5m annually) of income over the 5 year contract period from unpaid local taxation, unpaid PCN’s (Penalty Charge Notices) as well as other unpaid Council charges, which would impact adversely on the Council’s budget.

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.