Agenda and minutes

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

Contact: Alison Atherton, Senior Professional - Democratic Services  Tel: 07825 726493 E-mail:  alison.atherton@harrow.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

236.

Minute Silence

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members of Council stood and observed a minute silence for the late Councillor Vina Mithani.

 

Members paid tribute to the late Councillor Vina Mithani.

237.

Council Minutes pdf icon PDF 35 KB

That the minutes of the meeting held on 30 September 2021 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 30 September 2021 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

238.

Declarations of Interest pdf icon PDF 135 KB

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.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That

 

(1)          the Declarations of Interest published in advance of the meeting on the Council’s website be taken as read and noted;

 

(2)          it be noted that the following interests were also declared:

 

Item 6 – Public Questions

 

Councillor Nitesh Hirani declared a non-pecuniary interest in that he was member of the temple that the public questioner was asking a question about.

 

Item 12 – Motions

 

During the meeting, Councillor Graham Henson declared a non-pecuniary interest in Motion 1, Motion to tackle fly tipping in Harrow, as he was the Chair of the West London Waste Authority.

 

During the meeting and in the course of the debate on Motion 2, Motion to protect Harrow’s Suburban Character, Councillor Paul Osborn declared an interest in that the Vaughan Road development had been mentioned, however, as the planning permission was already in place it was non-pecuniary.  He would leave the meeting should his interest become pecuniary.

239.

Procedural Motions

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 indicated that given the earlier start time of the Council meeting he proposed that the closure time of the meeting be 9.30 pm.  Upon being put to the vote this was agreed.

 

The Mayor indicated that he would take the urgent item notified on the second supplemental summons after item 7, Leader and Portfolio Holder Announcements.

240.

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.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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

 

(i)            Petition submitted by Luke Williams on behalf of residents containing over 2,000 signatures in relation to stopping the Pinner Road development.

 

(ii)          Petition submitted by Georgia Weston on behalf of residents containing 279 signatures in relation to making North Harrow crossroads safe.

 

(iii)         Petition submitted by Councillor Angella Murphy-Strachan on behalf of the residents of Camrose Avenue containing 88 signatures in relation to congestion, speeding and parking.

 

(iv)         Petition submitted by Councillor Richard Almond on behalf of the residents of Cannonbury Avenue containing 174 signatures in relation to resurfacing of the road.

 

[The petitions stood referred to the Corporate Director of Community.  In accordance with the Petition Scheme, the petition in relation to the Pinner Road Development would be debated at the next meeting of Council as it contained over 2,000 signatures].

241.

Public Questions pdf icon PDF 399 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 six questions from members of the public had been received and five were responded to, and the recording of these question and the answers given had been placed on the Council’s website.

242.

Leader and Portfolio Holder 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.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(i)              The Leader of the Council, Councillor Graham Henson, introduced the item highlighting the achievements, challenges and proposals since the last ordinary meeting.

 

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

243.

Urgent Item - Memberships

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Mayor advised that notification had been received from the Leader of the Labour Group that he wished to make changes to the membership of the Planning Committee and an outside body appointment.

 

Councillor Dean Gilligan, Chief Whip of the Labour Group, announced that the Labour Group now comprised 34 members and that Councillor Pamela Fitzpatrick was an Independent Member.  Under proportionality rules, the Labour Group were entitled to 4 seats on the Planning Committee and given that Councillor Fitzpatrick was now an Independent Member, she was no longer entitled to a seat on the Planning Committee.  The Labour Group wished to appoint Councillor Rekha Shah as a main member of the Planning Committee in place of Councillor Fitzpatrick.

 

Having received two nominations for the Chair of Planning Committee, which were duly seconded and put to the vote, it was

 

RESOLVED:  That

 

(1)            Councillor Nitin Parekh be appointed as Chair of the Planning Committee for the remainder of the municipal year;

 

(2)            it be noted that Councillor Rekha Shah was a main member of the Planning Committee in place of Councillor Pamela Fitzpatrick;

 

(3)            Councillor Nitin Parekh be appointed as the London Councils’ Planning/ Infrastructure / Development Lead Member.

 

[The Conservative Group wished to be recorded as having voted against Resolution 1 as follows:-   Councillors Almond, Ashton, Baxter, Benjamin, Chauhan, Greek, Halai, Hinkley, Hirani, Karia, Lammiman, Dr Lewinson, Janet Mote, Osborn, Anjana Patel, Pritesh Patel, Rabadia, Seymour, Stevenson and Wright].

244.

Revised Statement of Principles - Gambling Act 2005 pdf icon PDF 85 KB

Recommendation I: Cabinet

                                    (18 November 2021)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That

 

(1)       the Revised Statement of Principles, as set out in Appendix A to the officer report, be approved, noting the following:

 

a)    each application would be considered on its own individual merits without regard to demand and regulate gambling in the interests of public interest;and

 

b)   each application should uphold the three gamblingobjectives:

 

Preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime and disorder or being used to support crime

Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way Protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling

 

(2)       That a “no casino” resolution be continued as previously agreed by the Authority as there was no evidence base to show the need for a casino or the benefits of such an establishment (the policy continues to support well-run, compliant gambling premises).

 

 

 

 

245.

Constitution Update pdf icon PDF 39 KB

Report of the Director of Legal and Governance Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That

 

(1)          the amendments to the Constitution, as set out in Appendix1 to the report, be agreed;

 

(2)          it be noted that the Monitoring Officer had a delegation to make minor housekeeping amendments prior to the new document being published.

246.

Information Report - Decisions taken under the Urgency Procedure - Executive pdf icon PDF 44 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted.

247.

Questions with Notice pdf icon PDF 186 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 from Councillors to the Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holders had been received and that the recording was on the Council’s website.

248.

Motions pdf icon PDF 122 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)          Motion to Tackle Fly Tipping in Harrow

 

 

To be moved by Councillor Paul Osborn and seconded by Councillor Anjana Patel:

 

 

This Council notes:

  • The number of articles in the local press about incidences of fly-tipping in Harrow has seen an increase in the last year.
  • That Harrow Council’s street cleaning teams do their very best, under difficult circumstances, to clear fly-tips and keep our borough clean.
  • Government data shows that there were 11,151 fly-tipping incidents for 2019/2020, which was slightly lower than 2018/19, but is still significantly higher than 2016/17.
  • At the 2021 Budget Full Council meeting the Conservative Group proposed pilot schemes:
    • Investing £474,000 in a specialised street cleaning taskforce to tackle fly-tipping head on and keep our neighbourhoods clean.
    • Providing £200,000 of funding to set up a free bulk waste collection service for large items, such as sofas and mattresses.
  • These measures were proposed to encourage local people to dispose of items through the proper channels, rather than dumping them in the streets.
  • These costed pilot schemes were voted down by Harrow’s Labour Councillors.

 

This Council resolves:

  • To call on the Executive to implement the fully costed pilot schemes put forward by Harrow Conservatives at the February Full Council meeting and introduce:
    • A specialised street cleaning taskforce to tackle the blight of fly-tipping.
    • A free bulk waste collection service for Harrow residents.”

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15.6, this Motion is moved by the Leader of the Opposition, as it relates to a matter within the powers of the Executive, to not stand automatically referred to the next meeting of the Executive but shall be dealt with as if Council Procedure Rule 15.7.1 applied.

 

(2)          Motion to protect Harrow’s Suburban Character

 

To be moved by Councillor Marilyn Ashton and seconded by Councillor Paul Osborn:

 

         “This Council notes:

  • The current Labour administration, at best, has done little to protect Harrow’s suburban character, and at worst, has wilfully encouraged tall and densely packed developments in our leafy borough.
  • That current planning policies used by the Council are not creating a family friendly environment or delivering desirable homes for families to inhabit.
  • The report by the GLA Planning & Regeneration Committee, Housing typologies investigation findings, which states the following.
    • That tall buildings are less sustainable.
    • That tall buildings are often inappropriate for families.
    • That tall buildings have become even less desirable in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

           This Council believes:

§  It should do everything possible to resist the ravages of inappropriate development in our borough.

§  It should control the density of developments and ensure people are not forced to live in cramped conditions.

 

           This Council resolves:

  • To expedite and resource the work on adopting a Core Strategy that will protect Harrow’s suburbs from high-rise development before it’s too late.”

 

(3)          Stop Abuse of Women in Public Office Motion

 

To be  ...  view the full agenda text for item 248.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(i)                 “Motion to tackle fly-tipping in Harrow

 

 

Motion in the names of Councillor Paul Osborn and Councillor Anjana Patel

 

 

This Council notes:

 

·       The number of articles in the local press about incidences of fly-tipping in Harrow has seen an increase in the last year.

 

·       That Harrow Council’s street cleaning teams do their very best, under difficult circumstances, to clear fly-tips and keep our borough clean.

 

·       Government data shows that there were 11,151 fly-tipping incidents for 2019/2020, which was slightly lower than 2018/19, but is still significantly higher than 2016/17.

 

·       At the 2021 Budget Full Council meeting the Conservative Group proposed pilot schemes:

o   Investing £474,000 in a specialised street cleaning taskforce to tackle fly-tipping head on and keep our neighbourhoods clean.

o   Providing £200,000 of funding to set up a free bulk waste collection service for large items, such as sofas and mattresses.

 

·       These measures were proposed to encourage local people to dispose of items through the proper channels, rather than dumping them in the streets.

 

·       These costed pilot schemes were voted down by Harrow’s Labour Councillors.

 

This Council resolves:

 

·       To call on the Executive to implement the fully costed pilot schemes put forward by Harrow Conservatives at the February Full Council meeting and introduce:

o   A specialised street cleaning taskforce to tackle the blight of fly-tipping.

o   A free bulk waste collection service for Harrow residents.”

 

Upon the meeting moving to the vote, the Conservative Group requested that their vote be recorded.  The Motion was lost.

 

[For the Motion:  Councillors Almond, Ashton, Baxter, Benjamin, Chauhan, Greek, Halai, Hinkley, Hirani, Karia, Lammiman, Dr Lewinson, Janet Mote, Osborn, Anjana Patel, Pritesh Patel, Rabadia, Seymour, Stevenson and Wright].

 

Against the Motion:  The Worshipful the Mayor Councillor Ghazanfar Ali, Councillors Dan Anderson, Assad, Brown, Butterworth, Gilligan, Graham Henson, Maxine Henson, Lee, Marikar, Maru, Murphy-Strachan, O’Dell, Parekh, Varsha Parmar, Perry, Proctor, Ramchandani, Rekha Shah, Sachin Shah, Krishna Suresh, Sasikala Suresh, Swersky and Weiss.

 

Abstain:  Councillor Pamela Fitzpatrick.]

 

(ii)            “Motion to protect Harrow’s Suburban Character

 

 

Motion in the names of Councillor Marilyn Ashton and Councillor Paul Osborn

 

 

This Council notes:

 

·       The current Labour administration, at best, has done little to protect Harrow’s suburban character, and at worst, has wilfully encouraged tall and densely packed developments in our leafy borough.

·       That current planning policies used by the Council are not creating a family friendly environment or delivering desirable homes for families to inhabit.

·       The report by the GLA Planning & Regeneration Committee, Housing typologies investigation findings, which states the following.

o   That tall buildings are less sustainable.

o   That tall buildings are often inappropriate for families.

o   That tall buildings have become even less desirable in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

This Council believes:

·       It should do everything possible to resist the ravages of inappropriate development in our borough.

·       It should control the density of developments and ensure people are not forced to live in cramped conditions.

 

This Council resolves:

To expedite and resource the work on adopting a Core Strategy that will  ...  view the full minutes text for item 248.

249.

Procedure for the Termination of Meeting

Additional documents:

Minutes:

At 9.22 pm, during the debate on item 12 (3) Stop Abuse of Women in Public Office Motion, it was proposed that the guillotine be extended to 9.40 pm.  Upon being put to the vote this was agreed.

 

RESOLVED:  That the provisions of Rules 9.2 and 9.3 be applied as set out above.