Agenda and minutes

PART I - RECOMMENDATIONS

The Panel received a report from the Assistant to the Chief Executive, which provided further information on 2003/04 grants that were currently reserved.

Harrow African Caribbean Association:  Members agreed that the reserved grant of £2,500 be released to HACAS to enable them to appoint a voluntary co-ordinator, pending the outcome of an application to the ALG.  Members requested that they be informed of the outcome of the application.

Harrow In Europe:  The organisation had provided a re-designed application form but was not yet in a position to give details of individuals assisted.  Members agreed to continue to defer release of the reserved grant of £2,500. 

Harrow Women’s Centre:  The organisation had recently moved into new premises and would be in a better position to estimate running costs when they had occupied the building for at least six months.  Members agreed to continue to reserve an additional sum of £5,000.

Harrow Kuwaiti Community Association:  Members agreed to continue to reserve a grant of £1,000.  The organisation was newly funded in 2002/03 and officers were monitoring their progress.

TIPTO:  The project, renamed ‘Kids can Achieve’, had been successful in attracting funding from other sources.  Members agreed that the reserved funding of £2,000 be retained in the grants budget.

Resolved to RECOMMEND:  That (1) the reserved grant of £2,500 be released to Harrow African Caribbean Association;

(2)  grants to Harrow In Europe, Harrow Women’s Centre and Harrow Kuwaiti Community Association continue to be held in reserve pending further information;

(3)  funding reserved for TIPTO be retained in the grants budget.

REASON:  To finalise the allocation of grants to voluntary organisations for 2003/04.

The Panel received a report from the Assistant to the Chief Executive, regarding a deferred accommodation application from the Harrow Youth & Community Project and a new application for accommodation from the Association of Senior Muslim Citizens.  Members considered the applications and agreed to recommend that they be approved.

Resolved to RECOMMEND:  That the applications from Harrow Youth & Community Project and the Association of Senior Muslim Citizens be approved for casual use, subject to a six-month probationary period.

REASON:  To enable the two groups to improve their infrastructure and services by making use of the facilities offered at the Community Premises.

The Panel received a report from the Assistant to the Chief Executive, which detailed activities and projects undertaken or planned by Harrow Agenda 21 (HA 21). 

A Member expressed concern that Harrow’s lack of progress in comparison with other boroughs was due to the lack of a dedicated officer to support the organisation.  Members were advised that an officer had been appointed to work with the organisation to assist with the implementation of their work programme.  Officers were unable to confirm whether HA 21 was the new officer’s sole responsibility.  HA 21 had unfortunately lost their Schools Environmental Liaison Officer.  Officers advised that the Council’s relationship with HA 21 was a matter that did not fall within the remit of the Panel.

Resolved to RECOMMEND:  That (1) the organisation’s reserved grant of £1,500 from this financial year’s grant aid budget be released to enable Harrow Agenda 21 to carry out the activities outlined in the officer report;

(2)  the outstanding grant of £1,000 from last year’s budget remain reserved until Harrow Agenda 21 produces invoices/receipts of expenditure relating to funded activities in 2002/03 and that the organisation be given until the end of October 2003 to provide this information. 

REASON: To enable Harrow Agenda 21 to carry out its planned activities for the remainder of this financial year.

The Panel received a report from the Chief Executive, detailing a proposed joint project between Harrow Council, Harrow Police and Harrow Neighbourhood Watch, using funds previously reserved for Harrow Neighbourhood Watch. 

Members were advised that it was intended to run a project to assess the contribution Neighbourhood Watch could play in helping the Council to meet the objectives of the New Harrow Project.

Resolved to RECOMMEND:  That (1) the grant reserved for Harrow Neighbourhood Watch be released for the purposes of the proposal for Harrow Neighbourhood Watch Action Teams in South and West Harrow, as set out in the officer report;

(2)  Individual Portfolio Holder Decisions be used to release small sums from the budget to meet the expenditure of Harrow Neighbourhood Watch, within existing budgets.

REASONS:  (1) to re-energise the role of the Watch, reflecting the priorities of the New    Harrow Project; (2) to facilitate community involvement in community safety and the New Harrow Project.

PART II - MINUTES

To note the appointment at the meeting of Cabinet held on 20 May 2003 of Councillor Cyril Harrison as Chair of the Panel for the Municipal Year 2003/04.

RESOLVED:  That the appointment at the meeting of Cabinet held on 20 May 2003 of Councillor Cyril Harrison as Chair of the Panel for the Municipal Year 2003/04 be noted.

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

RESOLVED:  To note the attendance of the following duly constituted Reserve Members:

To receive declarations of interest (if any) from Members of the Committee arising from business to be transacted at this meeting.

RESOLVED:  To note that the following interests were declared:

·         Councillors Arnold, Harrison and Joyce Nickolay declared a prejudicial interest in Harrow in Europe, but in accordance with Paragraph 12.2 of the Council’s Code of Conduct for Councillors they remained and took part in discussions and voting on the agenda item in question.

·         Councillor Arnold declared a personal interest in Harrow Citizens’ Advice Bureau (Management Committee).  

·         Councillor Bluston declared a personal interest in Harrow in Business.

To consider whether any of the items listed on the agenda should be considered with the press and public excluded on the grounds that it is thought likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that there would be disclosure of confidential information in breach of an obligation of confidence or of exempt information as defined in the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985.

RESOLVED:  That (1) all items be considered with the press and public present;

(2)  under the provisions of the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 the following information be admitted to the agenda as a result of the special circumstances and reasons for urgency set out below:

Agenda Item 12 – Local Agenda 21

Special Circumstances:  Officers had been unable to meet with the organisation in question until after the despatch of the original agenda.

Urgency:  To enable the Panel to decide whether the organisation’s reserved grant should be released.

To appoint a Vice-Chair of the Panel for the 2003/2004 Municipal Year.

Councillors Joyce Nickolay and Thammaiah were nominated and seconded for the position of Vice-Chair of the Panel.  Upon being put to the vote it was

RESOLVED:  That Councillor Thammaiah be appointed as Vice-Chair of the Panel for the Muncipal Year 2003-04.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 March 2003, having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 March 2003, having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents or organisations under the provisions of Advisory Panel Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no public questions to be received at this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

To receive petitions (if any) submitted by members of the public/Councillors under the provisions of Advisory Panel Procedure Rule 13 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no petitions to be received at this meeting under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 13 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

To receive deputations (if any) under the provisions of Advisory Panel Procedure Rule 14 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no deputations to be received at this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 14 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

Members were requested to consider whether the former policy of not receiving deputations on individual grant applications had merit, and whether steps should be taken to re-establish the policy.  Rule 14 of the new Constitution, which came into effect in May 2002, provided for deputations to be made to Advisory Panels. 

A Member reminded the Panel that the decision as to whether to allow a deputation at a meeting was at the discretion of the Panel, and an appeal procedure for grant submissions was available to applicants.  He advised that Panel Members were in any case prepared to hear from applicants on an individual basis should applicants wish to approach them.  

A Member proposed that rather than not receiving deputations at all on individual grant applications, the procedure be varied to reduce the length of a deputation to a Grants Advisory Panel meeting to three minutes.  The proposal was seconded, and on being put to the vote was not carried. 

[Note:  Councillors Arnold, Billson, Mrs Joyce Nickolay and Anjana Patel requested that their votes in favour of the proposal be recorded.]

A Member proposed that a consultation meeting be set up to enable local voluntary groups to meet the Panel on an informal basis, as well as a means through which information relating to alternative sources of funding could be spread.  The proposal was seconded and Members agreed that this course of action be followed.

RESOLVED:  That (1) it be agreed in principle to reinstate the previous policy for deputations not to be received by the Panel relating to individual grant applications;

(2)  a consultation meeting be arranged for Autumn 2003 and that the previous policy of holding such a consultation meeting in June/July each year be reinstated.

Report of the Assistant to the Chief Executive.

See Recommendation 1.

Report of the Assistant to the Chief Executive.

Further to Recommendation 2, a Member raised the matter of the length of time that groups were entitled to be accommodated within the community premises, given that there was demand for accommodation and a limited supply.  The Chair advised that groups were expected to find alternative premises after a period of three years.  An officer advised that the issue had been raised at a community premises user group meeting and again at a later special meeting, but that no notices had been issued.  Only three groups were currently unaffected.  A Member was of the view that each affected group would need to be considered on its own merits.

Report of the Chief Executive.

Further to Recommendation 4, the officer report provided details of a project proposal for Harrow Neighbourhood Watch Action Teams.  The project would provide a dedicated team of volunteers who would raise awareness of crime reduction and neighbourhood watch issues in the local community and would consist of a Motor Vehicle Initiative and a Burglary Initiative.  Volunteers would distribute relevant leaflets as well as reporting any suspicious activity.  The project would to promote community involvement in community safety issues.

Members welcomed the appointment of a borough-wide co-ordinator, who had been appointed by the Police, and would be in post by September.

RESOLVED:  That project proposal be noted.

Report of the Assistant to the Chief Executive

See Recommendation 3.