Agenda and minutes

(Council Tax), Council - Thursday 28 February 2019 7.30 pm

Venue: Council Chamber, Harrow Civic Centre, Station Road, Harrow, HA1 2XY. View directions

Contact: Alison Atherton, Senior Professional - Democratic Services  Tel: 020 8424 1266 E-mail:  alison.atherton@harrow.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

55.

MINUTE SILENCE

Minutes:

Members of Council stood and observed a minute silence for those who had lost their lives on both sides of the current conflict between India and Pakistan.

56.

WELCOME

Minutes:

Council welcomed Sean Harriss, Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service) to his first meeting.

57.

COUNCIL MINUTES pdf icon PDF 18 KB

That the minutes of the meeting held on 29 November 2018 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 29 November 2018 betaken as read and signed as a correct record.

58.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary or non pecuniary interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from all Members of the Council.

Minutes:

Councillor Richard Almond declared a non pecuniary interest as Chairman of the Parish Church which would be affected as part of the regeneration schemes and regeneration may be mentioned during the course of the meeting.

 

Item 8 – Final Revenue Budget 2019/20 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2019/20 to 2021/22

 

Councillor Susan Hall declared a non-pecuniary interest in that she was a member of the Greater London Authority.

 

Councillor Graham Henson declared a non-pecuniary interest in that he was Chair of the West London Waste Authority, a levying authority.

 

Councillor Ameet Jogia declared a non-pecuniary interest in that his father had been in receipt of Harrow adult social care late last year.

 

Councillor Paul Osborn declared a non-pecuniary interest in that he was Chair of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, a levying authority.

 

Councillor Krishna Suresh declared a non-pecuniary interest in that his mother was in receipt of social care benefits.

 

Item 18 (3) – Stem Donor Motion for Kaiya Patel

 

Councillor Kiran Ramchandani declared a pecuniary interest in that she was  employed by one of the organisations referred to in the Motion.  She would leave the Chamber for the discussion and voting on this item.

59.

PROCEDURAL MOTIONS pdf icon PDF 18 KB

To receive and consider any procedural motions by Members of the Council in relation to the conduct of this Meeting.  Notice of such procedural motions, received after the issuing of this Summons, will be tabled.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Mayor drew Council’s attention to the Procedural Motion and tabled amendment to Motion 2.

 

The procedural motion under Rule 26.1 was agreed so that, in line with previous years and for the purposes of the debate on the Final Revenue Budget 2019/20 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2019/20 to 2021/22, the rules of debate be varied, as set out on the tabled Summons, and that the procedure therein also be applied to the reports on the Corporate Plan (Harrow Ambition Plan), the Treasury Management Strategy Statement including Prudential Indicators, Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy for 2019/20 and Capital Strategy, the Final Capital Programme 2019/20 to 2021/22, the Housing Revenue Account Budget 2019/20 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2020-21 to 2021-22, in so far as the recommendations be debated jointly.

 

RESOLVED:  That the partial suspension under Rule 26.1, regarding the moving of recommendations from Cabinet and the rules of debate (including extended time for opening speeches by the political groups), as set out in the Summons be approved for the purposes of the debate upon

 

Item 7

-        Corporate Plan (Harrow Ambition Plan)

 

Item 8

-        Final Revenue Budget 2019/20 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2019/20 to 20201/22

 

Item 9

-        Treasury Management Strategy Statement including Prudential Indicators, Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy for 2019/20 and Capital Strategy

 

Item 10

-        Final Capital Programme 2019/20 to 2021/22

 

Item 11

-        Housing Revenue Account Budget 2019/20 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2020?21 to 2021-22

 

60.

PETITIONS

To receive any petitions to be presented:

 

(i)                 by a representative of the petitioners;

(ii)               by a Councillor, on behalf of petitioners;

(iii)             by the Mayor, on behalf of petitioners.

Minutes:

In accordance with Rule 10, the following petitions were presented:

 

(i)            Petition submitted by Mr Keith Wischhusen containing 83 signatures concerning anti-social behaviour and the unlicensed scrap metal business at 54 Rowlands Avenue, Hatch End.

 

[The Petition stood referred to the Portfolio Holder for Environment].

 

(ii)          Petition submitted by Kuha Kumaran containing 35 signatures concerning the former Kodak site, Headstone Drive.

 

[The Petition stood referred to the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Employment].

 

(iii)         Petition submitted by Councillor Ajay Maru on behalf of residents of Elmore Close and Elmore Drive containing 19 signatures requesting double yellow lines at the junction of Kenton Lane and Elmore Drive, Harrow.

 

[The Petition stood referred to the Portfolio Holder for  Environment].    

 

(iv)         Petition submitted by Councillor Marilyn Ashton on behalf of residents in Green Lane, Culverlands Close, Woodside Close and Ben Hale Close containing 75 signatures concerning parking in Green Lane.                                                                                                                                                                                    

 

[The Petition stood referred to the Portfolio Holder for Environment].       

61.

PUBLIC QUESTIONS pdf icon PDF 92 KB

A period of up to 15 minutes is allowed for members of the public to ask questions of members of the Executive, Portfolio Holders and Chairs of Committees, of which notice has been received no later than 3.00 pm two clear working days prior to the day of this Meeting.  Any such questions received will be tabled.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

To note that one question from a member of the public had been received and responded to and the recording of this question and the answer given had been placed on the Council’s website.

62.

LEADER AND PORTFOLIO HOLDERS' ANNOUNCEMENTS

To receive a presentation from the Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holders on business since the last ordinary meeting, followed by a question and answer session.  The item is allotted 20 minutes.

Minutes:

(i)            The Leader of the Council, Councillor Graham Henson, introduced the item highlighting the achievements, challenges and proposals since the last ordinary meeting.  He advised Council that Motion 1, Harrow Council recognises working definition of Islamophobia Motion, was to be deferred until there had been consultation with the community.

 

(ii)          Other Members of Council spoke and/or asked questions of the Leader of the Council which were duly responded to.

63.

CORPORATE PLAN (HARROW AMBITION PLAN)

Recommendation I:

Cabinet

 

(21 February 2019)

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the Corporate Plan 2019 (Harrow Ambition Plan) be approved.

64.

FINAL REVENUE BUDGET 2019/20 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY 2019/20 TO 2021/22

Recommendation I:

Cabinet

 

(21 February 2019)

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(i)            Further to item 8 on the Summons, the Council received Recommendation I of the Cabinet meeting held on 21 February 2019.

 

(ii)          The Mayor requested that Members, in making the decision on this item, had regard to the Cabinet report of 21 February 2019, the sections on equalities, the equality impact assessments and the results of the budget consultation.

 

(iii)         Upon the meeting moving to the vote upon the substantive Recommendation it was carried.  The voting was as follows:

 

In Favour of the Motion:  Her Worshipful the Mayor Councillor Kareema Marikar, Councillors Ali, Dan Anderson, Assad, Borio, Butterworth, Brown, Dattani, Ferry, Fitzpatrick, Gilligan, Graham Henson, Maxine Henson, Jamie, Lee, Maru, Miles, Murphy-Strachan, O’Dell, Parekh, Varsha Parmar, Primesh Patel, Proctor, Ramchandani, Robson, Rekha Shah, Sachin Shah, Smith, Krishna Suresh, Sasikala Suresh and Swersky.

 

Against the Motion:  Councillors Almond, Ashton, Mrs Bath, Baxter, Benjamin, Chana, Chauhan, Greek, Halai, Hall, Hinkley, Hirani, Jogia, Lammiman, Dr Lewinson,  Mrs Mithani, Moshenson, Osborn, Mina Parmar, Anjana Patel, Pritesh Patel, Rabadia, Seymour, Stevenson, Thakker, and Wright.

 

RESOLVED:  That

 

(1)          the 2019/20 budget be approved, being mindful of the results of the various consultations and equality impact assessments, to enable the Council Tax for 2019/20 to be set (Appendix 2 to the Cabinet report refers);

 

(2)          the Model Council Tax Resolution 2019/20 be approved as set out at Appendix 11 to the Cabinet report;

 

(3)          in accordance with Section 38(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, the Chief Executive be instructed to place a notice in the local press of the amounts set under Resolution 2 above within a period of 21 days following the Council’s decision;

 

(4)          the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) be approved as set out in Appendix 2 to the Cabinet report;

 

(5)          the addition of £2.627m to the Social Care Reserve be noted as set out in paragraph 1.8 of the Cabinet report;

 

(6)          the balanced budget position for 2019/20 and the budget gaps of £16.795m and £9.345m for 2020/21 and 2021/22 respectively (table 4 of the Cabinet report refers) be noted;

 

(7)          the intention to increase Council Tax by 2.99% in 2019/20 be noted (paragraph 1.23 of the Cabinet report refers);

 

(8)          the proposal to increase Council Tax by a further 2.0% in 2019/20 be noted in respect of the Adult Social Care Precept (paragraph 1.23 of the Cabinet report refers);

 

(9)          the changes to schools funding for 2019/20, as set out in paragraphs 1.57 to 1.63 and Appendix 6 of the Cabinet report, be noted;

 

(10)       the assumed funding for the protection of social care in 2019/20 through the BCF, as set out in paragraphs 1.62 to 1.68 of the Cabinet report, be noted;

 

(11)       the draft Public Health budget for 2019/20, as set out in Appendix 7 to the Cabinet report, be approved;

 

(12)       all resident charges relating to child burials (paragraph 1.69, Appendix 18 of the Cabinet report refers) be removed;

 

(13)       the 2019/20 Members’ Allowance Scheme,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 64.

65.

TREASURY MANAGEMENT STRATEGY STATEMENT INCLUDING PRUDENTIAL INDICATORS, MINIMUM REVENUE PROVISION POLICY STATEMENT AND ANNUAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY FOR 2019/20 AND CAPITAL STRATEGY

Recommendation I:

Cabinet

 

(21 February 2019)

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That

 

(1)          the Treasury Management Strategy Statement for 2019/20 be approved including:

 

·                     Prudential Indicators for 2019/20

·                     Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement for 2019/20, (paragraph 42 of the Cabinet report refers) 

·                     Annual Investment Strategy for 2019/20

 

(2)          the draft Capital Strategy 2019/20, as set out in Appendix H to the Cabinet report, be approved.

66.

FINAL CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2019/20 TO 2021/22

Recommendation I:

Cabinet

 

(21 February 2019)

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the Capital Programme 2019/20 to 2021/22, as detailed in Appendix 1 of the Cabinet report, be approved.

67.

HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT (HRA) BUDGET 2019/20 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY 2020-21 TO 2021-22

Recommendation I:

Cabinet

 

(21 February 2019)

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That

 

(1)          the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget for 2019-20 be approved;

 

(2)          the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Capital Programme, as detailed in appendix 7 to the Cabinet report, be approved.

68.

NON-EXECUTIVE FEES AND CHARGES FOR 2019-20 pdf icon PDF 19 KB

Report of the Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That

 

(1)          the fees and charges listed in Appendix 1 of the report for the financial year 2019-20 be approved and set;

 

(2)          the Corporate Director Community, following consultation with the Director of Finance and nominated members of the Licensing and General Purposes Committee, be authorised to amend fees and charges inyear.

69.

CHANGES TO COUNCIL TAX LONG TERM EMPTY PROPERTY PREMIUMS pdf icon PDF 48 KB

Recommendation I:

Cabinet

 

(17 January 2019)

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  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);

 

Long term empty property criteria giving rise to additional Council Tax premiums;

 

From 1/4/2019 Financial Year

From 1/4/2020 Financial Year

From 1/4/2021 Financial Year

For Properties which have remained empty for at least 2 Years

100%

100%

100%

For Properties which have remained empty  for less than 5 Years

N/A

100%

100%

For Properties which have remained empty  for at least 5 & but less than 10 Years

N/A

200%

200%

For Properties which have remained empty for at least 10 Years

N/A

N/A

300%

 

70.

AUDIT COMMITTEE REVIEW pdf icon PDF 48 KB

Recommendation I:

Governance, Audit, Risk Management and Standards Committee

 

(5 December 2018)

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the revised terms of reference of the Governance, Audit, Risk Management and Standards Committee, as set out in the Committee report, be approved.

71.

FINANCIAL REGULATIONS - APPROVAL OF UPDATED SET

Recommendation I:

Cabinet

 

(21 February 2019)

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the revised Financial Regulations, as detailed at Appendix 2 to the Cabinet report, be approved.

72.

INFORMATION ITEM - REMUNERATION PACKAGES OF £100,000 OR GREATER pdf icon PDF 21 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted.

73.

QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE pdf icon PDF 61 KB

A period of up to 15 minutes is allowed for asking written questions by Members of Council of a member of the Executive or the Chair of any Committee:-

 

(i)                 of which notice has been received at least two clear working days prior to the day of this Meeting; or

 

(ii)               which relate to urgent matters, and the consent of the Executive Member or Committee Chair to whom the question is to be put has been obtained and the content has been advised to the Director of Legal and Governance Services by 12 noon on the day of the Council Meeting.

 

Any such questions received will be tabled.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

To note that two questions were received and the recording of the questions and the answers given had been placed on the Council’s website.

74.

MOTIONS pdf icon PDF 102 KB

The following Motions have been notified in accordance with the requirements of Council Procedure Rule 15, to be moved and seconded by the Members indicated:

 

1.            Harrow Council recognises working definition of Islamophobia Motion

 

 

To be moved by Councillor Ghazanfar Ali and seconded by Councillor Sue Anderson:

 

 

“While the drive to tackle hate and discrimination in all its forms continues, there has been a disappointing normalisation in the media and in politics of some forms of hate in recent times, Islamophobia being one of them.  As a diverse and vibrant borough where Muslims make up over 12% of the population, it is important that the Council signals its seriousness in tackling all forms of hate and discrimination against residents, and members of wider society.  Following an extensive consultation, the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Muslims has formulated a working definition of Islamophobia as:

 

·         Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness

 

Contemporary examples of Islamophobia in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in encounters between religions and non-religions in the public sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include, but are not limited to:

 

·         Calling for, aiding, instigating or justifying the killing or harming of Muslims in the name of a racist fascist ideology, or an extremist view of religion.

 

·         Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Muslims as such, or of Muslims as a collective group, such as, especially but not exclusively, conspiracies about Muslim entryism in politics, government or other societal institutions; the myth of Muslim identity having a unique propensity for terrorism, and claims of a demographic ‘threat’ posed by Muslims or of a ‘Muslim takeover’.

 

·         Accusing Muslims as a group of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Muslim person or group of Muslim individuals, or even for acts committed by non-Muslims.

 

·         Accusing Muslims as a group, or Muslim majority states, of inventing or exaggerating Islamophobia, ethnic cleansing or genocide perpetrated against Muslims.

 

·         Accusing Muslim citizens of being more loyal to the ‘Ummah’ (transnational Muslim community) or to their countries of origin, or to the alleged priorities of Muslims worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.

 

·         Denying Muslim populations the right to self-determination e.g., by claiming that the existence of an independent Palestine or Kashmir is a terrorist endeavour.

 

·         Applying double standards by requiring of Muslims behaviours that are not expected or demanded of any other groups in society, e.g. loyalty tests.

 

·         Using the symbols and images associated with classic Islamophobia (e.g. Muhammed being a paedophile, claims of Muslims spreading Islam by the sword or subjugating minority groups under their rule) to characterize Muslims as being ‘sex groomers’, inherently violent or incapable of living harmoniously in plural societies.

 

·         Holding Muslims collectively responsible for the actions of any Muslim majority state, whether secular or constitutionally Islamic.

 

This list is not exhaustive but forms guidelines to recognise markers of Islamophobia in today’s context.  ...  view the full agenda text for item 74.

Minutes:

(i)            Motion in the names of Councillor Paul Osborn and Councillor Marilyn Ashton.

 

 

“Anti-Semitism in the Labour Party Motion

 

 

This Council notes:

 

-            The Council’s adoption of the “working definition of anti-Semitism” at the Full Council meeting on 23rd February 2017.

-            The Council’s reaffirmation of this definition at the Full Council Meeting on 19th July 2018.

-            The resignation of Luciana Berger MP and others from the Labour Party.

-            The Labour Party has received 673 anti-Semitism complaints in the last 10 months.

-            The comments from Margaret Hodge MP on 11th February 2019 that she is “Not convinced” the Labour leadership is “serious on rooting out anti Semitism”.

 

 

This Council believes :

 

-            All forms of racism and anti-Semitism should be condemned.

-            We should stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish Community to drive out the scourge of anti-Semitism that has beset Her Majesty’s Opposition.

 

This Council resolves :

 

-            To instruct the Leader of the Council to write to the Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, calling upon him to take action to ensure anti-Semitism is taken seriously and properly dealt with in the Labour Party.”

 

A tabled amendment was received. In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.6, the final sentence of the tabled amendment was ruled out of order.

 

Upon being put to the vote, the substantive Motion was agreed as follows:-

 

“Anti-Semitism in the Labour Party Motion

 

This Council notes :

 

-            The worrying rise of anti-Semitism on all sides of politics, across Europe and the United States

 

-            The Council’s adoption of the “working definition of anti-Semitism” at the Full Council meeting on 23rd February 2017.

-            The Council’s reaffirmation of this definition at the Full Council Meeting on 19th July 2018.

-            The resignation of Luciana Berger MP and others from the Labour Party.

-            The Labour Party has investigated 673 cases of alleged anti-Semitism  in the last 10 months.

-            The steps taken by the Labour Party to deal with these complaints including suspending/expelling over 100 members

-            That there is a perception that the Labour Party has not moved quickly enough to deal with anti-Semitism.

 

 

This Council believes :

 

-            All forms of racism and anti-Semitism should be condemned.

-            We should stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish Community to drive out the scourge of anti-Semitism from society

 

This Council resolves :

 

-            To instruct the Leader of the Council to write to the Leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, calling upon him to take additional action to ensure anti-Semitism is robustly dealt with in the Labour Party.”

 

 

RESOLVED (unanimously):  That the Motion, as amended and set out above, be adopted.

 

(ii)          Motion in the names of Councillor Ameet Jogia and Councillor Mina Parmar:

 

 

“Stem Donor Motion for Kaiya Patel

This Council agrees to encourage those who hold events with an expected attendance of 150 people or more on council property or facilitated with any Council funding to offer free  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74.