Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillor Sue Anderson and Councillor Dr Antonio Weiss.

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED:  To note that no petitions had been received.

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, 14 January 2019.  Questions should be sent to publicquestions@harrow.gov.uk  

No person may submit more than one question].

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions had been accepted for consideration at this meeting.

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, 14 January 2019].

Councillor questions accepted were responded to and any recording placed on the Council’s website.

RESOLVED:  To note the contents of the Key Decision Schedule for the period January to March 2019.

RESOLVED:  That the Progress on Scrutiny Projects report be noted.

Report of the Director of Finance

Resolved to RECOMMEND:  (to Council)

That the Authority exercises its discretion and changes the premium charged to long term empty property from 1.5 times the standard Council Tax for the said band, to the new ratios as set out in the table below (expressed as additional percentages of annual Council Tax);

Reason for Recommendation:  Agreeing the proposed changes to the Council Tax Premium would result in the Council generating an extra £60,000 in Council Tax revenue annually. More importantly it would discourage owners from keeping much needed residential property in the borough empty.

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.

[Call-in does not apply as the substantive decision is for full Council.]

Report of the Corporate Director, Community

RESOLVED:  That 

(1)          the Climate Change Strategy incorporating the Air Quality and Climate Change Action Plans be approved;

(2)          authority be delegated to the Corporate Director, Community, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Environment, to finalise and implement the actions required to deliver the strategy and the related plans.

Reason for Decision:  To ensure the Council had a framework within which to address issues affecting climate change and air quality.

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, Community

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          authority be delegated to the Corporate Director, Community and the Director of Finance following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Employment to enter into a funding agreement with the Greater London Assembly (GLA) to deliver the 2 year Good Growth Fund (GGF) Programme Round 2 for Harrow Arts Centre (HAC), (1 April 2019 – 31 March 2021), subject to the confirmation of match funding for the GGF bid as part of the approval of 2019/20 capital programme at the February 2019 Council meeting;

(2)          authority be delegated to the Corporate Director, Community and the Director of Finance following consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Regeneration, Planning and Employment and for Finance and Resources to begin a procurement process to select and appoint the contractors to deliver the Project Objectives related to the GLA Grant Funding Agreement and, subject to the confirmation of match funding for the GGF bid, to enter into the relevant contract with the selected contractors to deliver the Project Objectives;

(3)          authority be delegated to the Corporate Director for Community and the Director of Finance following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources to commence the tender stage of the Modular Units at HAC and, subject to the approval of 2019/20 Capital Programme at the February 2019 Council Meeting, to enter into the relevant contract with the contractor(s).

Reason for Decision:  To enable Harrow Council to enter into an Agreement with the GLA to secure the GGF Grant to fund activities to improve HAC.

The Council is reducing its subsidy to Harrow Arts Centre as part of the approved Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) from £322,870 in 2018/19 to zero in 2021/22, therefore HAC needs to source additional income to sustain its activities.  Delivery of the project through both the GLA and BCIL funding streams will address the issues that HAC faces and allow for growth.   

The strategic importance of HAC is outlined in Harrow’s Ambition Plan (Corporate Plan), The Core Strategy, Regeneration Strategy and the emerging Cultural Strategy.  The HAC project would increase investment to maximise the potential of the HAC site, create new workspace and increase participation in cultural activities.  By providing the delegation to enter into contract with supplier(s) the anticipated agreed activities in the Grant Agreement and the vision of the site could 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, People Services

RESOLVED:  That 

(1)          the Draft Adult Learning Strategy be approved for public consultation;

(2)          the final Adult Learning Strategy be adopted following the results of consultation and subject to final edits after consultation between the Corporate Director for Community and the Portfolio Holder for Planning, Regeneration and Employment.

Reason for Decision:  There are national changes in the funding, delivery and external inspection of Adult and Community Learning, including moves to a devolved Adult Education Budget for London by 2019. The Adult and Community Learning Service (Learn Harrow) should have in place a strategy that sets out key adult learning priorities for the next five years.

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, Strategy and Commissioning

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted and that Portfolio Holders continue working with officers to achieve improvement against identified key challenges in Appendix 1 of the report.

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

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 Legal and Governance Services

RESOLVED:  That the Calendar of Meetings for the Municipal Year 2019/20 be approved.

Reason for Decision:  The Calendar of Meetings was approved on an annual basis at this time of the year for the succeeding Municipal Year.  Advance approval of the Calendar facilitates the planning and forward commitments of both Members and officers.  It would also allow the room booking arrangements to be put in place at the earliest opportunity.

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 Legal and Governance Services

RESOLVED:  That authority be delegated to the Director of Legal and Governance Services, following consultation with the Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Enforcement, to enter into a 3 year framework agreement (with an option to extend for a further year) with the successful bidder(s) jointly with the London Borough of Barnet for the provision of all Electoral Services printing and posting.

Reason for Decision:  Entering into a framework agreement would provide clear and robust arrangement for:

·                     the ‘best in class’ levels of value-for-money, quality assurance, resilience and supplier service for its electoral print and postage requirements;

·                     obtaining and awarding print and postage contracts for appropriate electoral services activities;

·                     a solution which efficiently supports and facilitates compliant electoral processes and the management and delivery of future elections and other electoral activities within the borough.

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 Fees & Charges be implemented from April 2019 (Appendices 2 to 4 of the officer report), except those fees and charges marked ‘Statutory prescribed’ or ‘for noting only – not for Cabinet approval’;

(2)          authority be delegated to the Director of Finance to amend fees and charges in year and agree new fees and charges, following consultation with relevant Corporate Directors and Portfolio Holders.

Reason for Decision:  To ensure the Council set a schedule of fees and charges for 2019/20.

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 approach and assumptions for the calculation of the Council’s business rates yield, as set out in this report, be noted;

(2)          it be agreed, in accordance with the Non-Domestic Rating (Rates Retention) Regulations 2013, the amount calculated by the London Borough of Harrow as its business rates yield for the year 2019-2020 shall be £24.833m as shown in the table below:-

(3)          authority be delegated to the Council's Chief Finance Officer (Section 151 officer) to submit the notification of the calculation of the estimated Non-Domestic Rates income to the Secretary of State and the Greater London Authority by 31 January 2019 or other date as may be prescribed;

(4)          the Council's Chief Finance Officer (Section 151 officer) be authorised, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources, to submit revised figures (from those above) to the Secretary of State and Greater London Authority, if further clarification was received from Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the financial impact of the proposed changes to the authority and how this is to be calculated.

Reason for Decision:  To fulfil the Council’s statutory obligation to provide estimates and calculations in relation to Non-Domestic Rates for 2019-2020.

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:  To

(1)          adopt, for the years 2019/20 and 2020/21, the discretionary “Retail Relief scheme” for business rate payers who were eligible as attached to the report (Appendix 1);

(2)          note that the Corporate Director of Resources and Commercial could exercise discretion under Section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, (as amended) in order to operate the above scheme.

Reason for Decision:  To ensure Harrow Council’s eligible business ratepayers received the maximum amount of centrally funded relief that could be claimed and to ensure the Council supported the local 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.