Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed the representative from the Harrow Local Involvement Network (LINk).

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 that the following interests were declared:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 September 2009 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 September 2009 be taken as read and signed as a correct record, subject to the following amendments:

·                     Councillor Janet Mote’s declaration of interest for item 8 be changed to read: “Personal – Daughter currently a paediatric nurse at Northwick Park Hospital and her husband registered at Alexandra Avenue Polyclinic.  The Member remained in the room during the discussion and decision making on this item”;

·                     Councillor Nana Asante’s declaration of interest for item 8 be changed to read: “Personal – Registered at Mollison Way Surgery.  The Member remained in the room during the discussion and decision making on this item”;

·                     a further sentence be added to end of paragraph 5, minute 614, reading: “A Member stated that it was important that the Committee had guarantees that Care UK staff received updated training on a regular basis”.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents/organisations under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 8.

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions were put.

To receive petitions (if any) submitted by members of the public/Councillors under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 9.

RESOLVED:  To note that no petitions were received.

To receive deputations (if any) under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 10.

RESOLVED:  To note that no deputations were received.

(if any).

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no references.

Report of the Harrow LINk Development Manager.

A representative of the Harrow Local Involvement Network (LINk) explained that the Communications Policy set out the basic components required to achieve effective and appropriate communication both internally (within the LINk and its host) and externally (between the LINk and the public, service providers and stakeholders).  The Communications Policy had been provided to give the Committee the opportunity to comment on its content.

Following questions from Members, the representative clarified the following points:

·                     members of the Harrow LINk consisted of local people, organisations and groups from across the borough;

·                     the Harrow LINk aimed to provide a stronger voice for local people in the planning, designing, commissioning and provisioning of health services;

·                     all local authorities with responsibility for social services were charged with the responsibility of establishing a LINk for their area and procuring a host organisation to support it.  Finance was provided through an annual grant from the Department of Health.

A Member raised concerns that few residents appeared to be aware of the Harrow LINk’s existence and whether more work was required to publicise its function.  The representative stated that financial constraints meant it was difficult to actively promote Harrow LINk, although an editorial article in Harrow People had been considered.  A Member suggested that the Harrow LINk request the support of the host organisation in order to draft the proposed editorial and, if necessary, make use of the Council’s editorial team.  Members also recommended that the Harrow LINk explore free advertising opportunities such as GP information boards, the internet and social networking websites.

RESOLVED: That (1) the Communications Policy be noted;

(2)  a letter be sent to the Portfolio Holder for Performance, Communications and Corporate Services, recommending that space be set aside in the next edition of Harrow People for an article about Harrow LINk.

Report of the Harrow LINk Development Manager.

A representative of the Harrow LINk explained that a protocol had been designed to guide the relationship between the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Harrow LINk, to aid communication, co-operation and understanding.

A Member commented that he was pleased that the Harrow LINk had the power to enter and view premises to ensure that services were working well.  The representative clarified that such powers would only be used when investigating a particular concern.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

Report of the Corporate Director of Community and Environment.

An officer reported that at the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 28 July 2009, the Corporate Director for Community and Environment had been asked to formulate an action plan with a view to improve the Council’s community lettings system.  An action plan had since been formulated and aimed to improve transparency and clarity for all parties.  The action plan had been divided into three strands and the officer outlined these, as set out in the report.

Following questions from Members, the officer clarified the following points:

·                     some schools were reluctant to support the community lettings process as they could make more money from a private letting.  As such, there was a need to remind schools that they had a social duty to engage with the community lettings process;

·                     the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had completed its review of Council support to the voluntary sector in December 2008.  As all the recommendations of the Committee had fallen within the remit of a single service area, a decision had been made to initially focus on revising the grants process.  However, the community lettings process was now being dealt with and officers were committed to the proposed action plan.  Officers were confident that they would meet the June 2010 deadline;

·                     the Council was looking to coordinate its room hire arrangements through a corporate booking system and schools were due to be considered in the second phase of this scoping exercise.

During discussion on this item, Members made the following comments:

·                     the Grants Advisory Panel had already made a distinction between religious activity and religious organisations, and had also accepted that religious groups supported community cohesion.  The action plan proposed reviewing the situation once again and this was not necessary;

·                     some schools were not fulfilling the requirements of the Extended Schools Programme and Ofsted should be able to apply pressure on those that failed to engage with the process;

·                     the action plan was reassuring and a mapping exercise was essential in order to identify key users of the service.  However, the Council should consider publicising the community lettings process so that more groups could make use of it;

·                     there appeared to be a lack of organisational memory, with a mapping exercise having previously taken place.  Such duplication of work was delaying progress.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

Report of the Corporate Director of Place Shaping.

An officer introduced the report and explained that the Core Strategy would provide the long-term spatial vision and overarching policy framework to guide development in Harrow for the next 15 years.  The Core Strategy would be the central document of the Local Development Framework (LDF) and would set the context for all future LDF documents.  The officer explained that the LDF was required to make provision for future population and housing growth in the Borough while preserving the values, character and environment that residents and businesses valued.  The Core Strategy identified the central area of the borough as an Intensification Area, where significant levels of growth and change would be focused and co?ordinated.  Remaining developed urban areas would see steady levels of growth.

The officer reported that the key strategic aim of the Core Strategy was to promote economic development and employment opportunities, support sustainable communities through the development of suitable housing, promote retail growth, improve the borough’s infrastructure, combat climate change and improve the quality of life for residents.  Full public consultation on the proposed Core Strategy was due to commence in November 2009 with the final document due to be submitted to the Secretary of State in March 2010.  The final Core Strategy was expected to be adopted in April 2011.

The Portfolio Holder for Planning, Development and Enterprise informed the Committee that the Core Strategy, unlike the Unitary Development Plan, gave the Council the ability to significantly influence the development of the borough.  The Committee could help shape the document as it moved towards implementation.

In response to questions from Members, the Portfolio Holder and officers clarified the following points:

·                     the Council was currently exceeding its annual housing target of 400.  Although the current economic climate meant that development had slowed, the ambition to build an additional 6500 homes by 2026 was considered realistic;

·                     whilst only 147 responses from the initial public consultation had been received, the Council had met and exceeded the statutory requirements when consulting upon the preferred option.  It was hoped that local residents would be more willing to engage with the process as the Core Strategy neared completion.  At present most responses were from community groups and resident associations;

·                     the Core Strategy was a central document of the LDF and it was not expected that it would change significantly during its lifetime.  Additional LDF documents such as development management policies that supported the Core Strategy would be regularly reviewed.  If necessary these would be revised to ensure the LDF remained fit for purpose.  The LDF was also subject to formal annual monitoring and reporting;

·                     the Secretary of State was able to reject the Council’s Core Strategy if it was felt that the document was not deliverable or was based on flawed evidence.  However, the Council had taken advice from the Planning Inspectorate and had been advised that, at present, the proposed approach was fundamentally sound;

·                     in accordance with Planning Policy Guidance (PPG2), there was a presumption against development in greenbelt areas.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 628.