Agenda and minutes

Your Panel received a report of the Director of Financial and Business Strategy, including an appendix written by the Chair of the Community Premises Review Group, which set out the findings of the Review.

The Chair of the Community Premises Review Group gave a presentation in which he stated that the Review had taken evidence from a range of community premises within Harrow and elsewhere and had found that a number of improvements could be made to improve the service offered to voluntary organisations.

Members stated that the Review was intended to ensure that the Community Premises were able to meet the diverse needs of those groups using them in the future and hoped that it would be able to make further progress including the creation of a clear business plan.

Resolved to RECOMMEND:  (to Cabinet)

That (1) the submission and report made by the Chair of the Review of Community Premises and the officer report be noted;

(2) due consideration be given to taking the Review forward.

[REASON:  To enable the Cabinet to consider the detailed findings of the Review of Community Premises.]

(See also Minute 248).

Your Panel received a report of the Director of Financial and Business Strategy, which set out the second round of applications for funding.

A number of amendments were proposed in respect of the grants to individual organisations and it was

Resolved to RECOMMEND:  (to Cabinet)

That the ‘in principle’ decisions on grant funding and grants-based service level agreements, as set out in Appendix 1 to the minutes, be agreed, subject to the Council approving its overall Revenue Budget for 2006/07.

[REASON:  To enable the allocation of funding to voluntary organisations in 2006/07.]

Your Panel received a report of the Director of Financial and Business Strategy, which presented applications for funding from the Edward Harvist Trust for 2006/07.

A number of amendments were proposed in respect of the grants to individual organisations and it was

Resolved to RECOMMEND:  (to the Portfolio Holder)

That the ‘in principle’ decisions on grant funding, as set out in Appendix 2 to the minutes, be agreed, subject to the Council approving its overall Revenue Budget for 2006/07.

[REASON:  To enable the allocation of funding to voluntary organisations in 2006/07].

(See also Minute 246).

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

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             the meeting notes at the start of the meeting at the item ‘Reserves’ that the Reserve Member is or will be attending as a reserve;

(iv)              if a Reserve Member whose intention to attend has been noted arrives after the commencement of the meeting, then that Reserve Member can only act as a Member from the start of the next item of business on the agenda after his/her arrival.

RESOLVED:  To note the attendance at this meeting of the following duly appointed Reserve Members:

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

(a)               all Members of the Committee, Sub Committee, Panel or Forum;

(b)               all other Members present in any part of the room or chamber.

RESOLVED:  To note the declarations of interest made by Members in relation to the business to be transacted at this meeting, as set out in Appendix 3 to these Minutes.

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.

The Chair indicated that an item of urgent business regarding Harrow Weald Common Conservators would be discussed in private session.

RESOLVED:  That (1) in accordance with the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the following agenda item be admitted late to the agenda by virtue of the special circumstances and grounds for urgency detailed below:-

(2) all items be considered with the press and public present with the exception of the following item for the reasons set out below:

(See also Minutes 248 and 249)

That the minutes of the meeting held on 23 January 2006, having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 23 January 2006, having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record, subject to the following amendments:

(i)         Minute 232 – Grants Appeals 2006/07

            In the third paragraph, replace “deferring all appeals, including those from the Russian Immigrants Association and the Harrow Refugee Forum, who had not originally submitted late applications, until the next meeting of the Grants Advisory Panel” with “refusing all appeals, except those from the Russian Immigrants Association and the Harrow Refugee Forum, which would be deferred”.

After “The Voluntary Sector Advisor stated that a full review of the application process could be considered to avoid the problems that had been experienced recurring in future.” add “He asked the Panel to consider reverting to past practice rather than addressing some, but not all, of his concerns and sought clarification on the status of the new round.”

(ii)         Minute 236 - Evaluation of Grants Application Process

            Replace “Members stated that this should be considered at the meeting due to be held in June 2006” with “Members agreed that this should be considered at the meeting due to be held in June 2006”.

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

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions were received at this meeting under the provisions of the 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 and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 13 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no petitions were received at this meeting under the provisions of the Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 13 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

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

[Note:  The Panel’s policy (Minute 60:  28.07.03) in principle is not to receive deputations relating to individual grant applications].

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

Report of the Director of Financial and Business Strategy

Members received a report of the Director of Financial and Business Strategy on the above matter.  An officer stated that only those appeals submitted by the Russian Immigrants Association and the Harrow Refugee Forum required a decision by the Panel as all the other organisations which had appealed against the decision would have their new applications considered separately (Minute 245 refers).

Members discussed the merits or otherwise of the motion submitted to the Council meeting held on 23 February 2006 and it was noted that the motion had been withdrawn.

Members discussed the appeals submitted by the Russian Immigrants Association and the Harrow Refugee Forum and stated that both organisations could seek funding from alternative sources.

RESOLVED:  That the appeals by the Russian Immigrants Association and the Harrow Refugee Forum be dismissed.

Report of the Director of Financial and Business Strategy

(See Recommendation 2 above).

Report of the Director of Financial and Business Strategy

Further to Recommendation 3 above, the Voluntary Sector Adviser sought clarification on why the Panel had been asked to ignore reserves of under £10,000 when determining applications for funding from the Edward Harvist Trust, when all levels of reserves had been taken into account when determining other similar applications.  An officer stated that he would provide information on this matter to the next meeting of the Panel.

RESOLVED:  To note that further information on reserves would be provided to the next meeting of the Panel.

Report of the Director of Financial and Business Strategy

Members received a report of the Director of Financial and Business Strategy.  An officer stated that it was intended to change the procedure by which voluntary organisations were able to hire accommodation in schools.  Each school would establish a price policy and in the event that costs to a voluntary organisation rose, that organisation could apply for a grant to cover the increase.  The officer stated that many schools had not yet established a price policy and that it was not possible to submit grant applications to the Panel at this stage.  He asked that the Panel defer this item to the meeting due to be held on 12 June 2006.

A Member expressed the view that the changes to this procedure had led to an increase in costs and was inferior to the previous system.  The Director of Financial and Business Strategy stated that there had been a number of problems with the previous system and that the new procedure was more transparent and made it possible to maintain an overview of the Council’s expenditure on grants.  She stated that it would be possible for herself and grants officers to work with schools to ensure they set reasonable rates for the use of rooms.  In response, a Member stated that it was important that the system was seen to be working effectively.

RESOLVED:  To defer consideration of the item to the next meeting of the Panel.

Report of the Director of Financial and Business Strategy

Prior to consideration of this item, Members noted that a report on the Review of Community Premises, circulated on a supplemental agenda, had not been received by a number of Members.  A Member stated that she did not wish to consider a report that she had not had the opportunity to read.  Another Member suggested that the Panel could view a presentation from the report author and take a decision on the matter after that.

Members discussed whether or not to defer this item as the majority of the Members had not received all the relevant documents.  It was moved and seconded that the report be considered and, following a vote, it was

RESOLVED:  That the report be considered.

[Note: Councillors Arnold, Marilyn Ashton, Billson and Mrs Joyce Nickolay wished to be recorded as having voted against the above Resolution].

(See also Recommendation 1 above).

Provision of a Loan to Harrow Weald Common Conservators

Members received a confidential report of the Director of Financial and Business Strategy.  Members noted that the Leader of the Council would be taking a decision on whether to grant a loan to Harrow Weald Common Conservators.  Members discussed the matter and it was

RESOLVED:  That Members submit their views on the matter in writing to the Leader of the Council by Friday 10 March 2006.