Agenda and minutes

At this inaugural meeting of your Advisory Panel, draft terms of reference were presented for consideration.  A minor amendment to the wording of paragraph (3) was proposed and agreed.

Resolved to RECOMMEND:

That Cabinet confirm the amended terms of reference under which the Housing Improvement Options Advisory Panel will operate, as now set out:-

“1.        To receive updates on the progress of the Housing Options Appraisal process and to consider proposals for the Council’s housing stock in detail, prior to consideration by Cabinet.

2.         To receive updates on progress towards the decent homes standard in respect of the Council’s housing stock and to consider proposals in detail, prior to consideration by Cabinet.

3.         To consider and make recommendations to Cabinet on the letting of property improvement, planned maintenance and responsive maintenance contracts and periodically to review performance and value for money of these contracts.”    

To note the appointment of Councillor Burchell at the Cabinet meeting on 11 November 2004 (Minute 644(4)) under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 7.2 as the Chair of the Panel for the Municipal Year 2004/05.

RESOLVED:  That the appointment of Councillor Burchell, at the Cabinet meeting on 11 November 2004 (Minute 644(4)), as Chair of the Advisory Panel for the Municipal Year 2004/05, be noted.

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)             after notifying the Chair at the start of the meeting.

RESOLVED:  That the attendance at this meeting of duly appointed Reserve Members be noted as follows:-

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from all Members present.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no declarations of interest on behalf of Members in relation to the business under consideration at this meeting.

To consider the appointment of a Vice-Chair to the Panel for the Municipal Year 2004/05.

(Note:  The Labour Group has nominated Councillor Currie  as Vice?Chair). 

Further to the nominations respectively of Councillor Currie and of Councillor Knowles to the office and upon a vote, it was

RESOLVED:  That Councillor Currie be appointed Vice-Chair of the Advisory Panel for the Municipal Year 2004/05.

The Panel was formally established at the Cabinet meeting on 11 November 2004, at which time the initial Councillor membership was agreed (and subsequently completed at the Cabinet meeting on 16 December 2004 and the Reserve membership at the Cabinet meeting on 13 January 2005) but the terms of reference were then yet to be drawn up.

It is now sought that the attached draft terms of reference be considered, for recommendation to the Cabinet for its approval.

Further to the draft terms of reference submitted to the inaugural meeting of the Panel it was agreed to recommend the same to the Cabinet for approval, as now amended.

(See Recommendation 1 above).

In the course of a discussion on the general remit of the Panel and its role in the context of the Housing Improvement Options appraisal process, some Members expressed their reservations concerning that process.

(Note:  Councillors Knowles and Vina Mithani left the meeting at 7.45 pm).

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 all the items on the agenda be considered with the press and public present.

At its meeting on 11 November 2004 the Cabinet, in establishing the Panel membership, also provided for the appointment of the following non-voting co-opted Advisers:-

(i)                 2 representatives of the Tenants’Federation

(ii)               2 representatives of the (former) ALMO Shadow Board

(iii)             1 representative of Harrow Unison.

The Panel is requested to consider the process for obtaining the Adviser representation.

Further to an oral update from the Director of Strategy (Urban Living) on the arrangements being undertaken to date to secure nominations/appointments as Advisers to this Panel, it was

RESOLVED:  That (1) the numbers and sources of Advisers proposed by the Cabinet when establishing the Panel (Minute 637(5):  11.11.04) be noted, as follows:-

(2)  it be noted that the Tenants’ Federation Advisers were intended to be the same nominees as would also serve on the Tenant Options Appraisal Working Group; notification of the UNISON nominees was awaited; and volunteers from among the former ALMO Shadow Board participants were being sought.

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

RESOLVED:  To note that no petitions had been submitted for this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 13.

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

RESOLVED:  To note that no deputations had been sought to this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 14.

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

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions had been submitted for this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 15.

To receive a report from the Director of Strategy (Urban Living).

The meeting received a tabled briefing note from the Director of Strategy (Urban Living) in this matter.

Following detailed discussion of the issues covered in the briefing paper including the Decent Homes Standard, Government objectives, resident involvement and the role of this Panel, it was,

RESOLVED:  (1)  That the tabled paper be received and noted;

(2)  that an indicative timetable of dates for future meetings of the Panel (approximately monthly) be drawn?up;

(3)  that the requirement for Members to be provided with extensive documentation on the relevant tasks assigned to the Panel, both for formal meetings and as an informative process between meetings, be noted.