Decisions

RESOLVED: That

(1)            the membership and terms of reference of Cabinet Panels and Consultative Forums, the Chairs and Nominated Members of the Panels and Consultative Forums as set out in Appendix A to the officer report be agreed;

(2)            the membership and terms of reference of the Planning Policy Advisory Panel as set out in Appendix B to the report be agreed and the Monitoring Officer be authorised to amend the Constitution under delegated authority; and

(3)            the Major Development Panel would not be established and the Monitoring Officer be authorised to delete it from the Constitution under delegated authority.

Reason for Decision:  To confirm appointments and to allow the Panels to be constituted.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member/Dispensation Granted:  None.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)            the appointment of the identified Portfolio Holder Assistants and responsibilities be approved, noting that these superseded previous appointments;

(2)            the payment of Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) to the Portfolio Holder Assistants from 23 June 2022, be approved.

Reason for Decision:  To enable the support to Cabinet Members in terms of information provision and management, to contribute to and ensure an effective decision-making framework as part of the democratic process.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member/Dispensation Granted:  None.

To delegate authority to the Director of Environment Services to implement 1 hour free parking in all on-street parking bays by 1August 2022, to consider the consultation responses, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder and if appropriate implement the order.

RESOLVED:  That the Director of Environment Services, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Community Safety, be authorised to take all necessary steps to make a traffic management order to implement 1-hour free parking in all on-street parking bays by 1 August 2022, to consider the consultation responses, and if appropriate implement the order.

Reason for Decision:  One-hour free parking was recommended to assist the recovery of local businesses in the borough following the pandemic.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member/Dispensation Granted:  None.

To approve the policy on the Household Support Fund extension and the Delivery Plan options for allocating the funding made available through the Household Support Fund extension.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)            the allocation of the extension of the Household Support Fund as set out in the officer report, be approved;

(2)            the purchase of vouchers for the elements identified in the officer report through the Post Office Voucher Scheme, be approved;

(3)            the award of contract to the Post Office for a value of £511,250 using Regulation 32 (2) (C) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 which permitted contracting authorities to award public contracts by negotiated procedure without prior publication, be approved;

(4)            the Corporate Director of Resources following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Performance, Communications and Customer Experience be authorised to make technical scheme amendments to ensure the scheme met the criteria set by the Government and the Council and remained within the indicative grant level; and

(5)            the Corporate Director of Resources, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Performance, Communications and Customer Experience, be authorised to make technical changes to the proposed scheme should the grant level or the delivery plan submitted change.

Reason for Decision:  The recommendations in the report met the essential criteria for the grant as set out by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).  The Council had considered where best to focus the funding and the proposals provided a balance of support together with focus so that the funding was not spread too thinly. 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member/Dispensation Granted:  None.

To seek authority to implement and administer the Covid-19 Additional Relief Scheme which will provide additional business rates support to potentially up to 400 traders in Harrow who fit into the eligible valuation office categories and have not previously received business rates grant support.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)            the discretionary “Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF) Scheme” for business rate payers who met the proposed eligibility criteria attached at Appendix 1 to the officer report, be agreed for the year 2021/22; and

(2)            the Director of Finance, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Human Resources, may exercise discretion under Section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, (as amended) (hereinafter “LGFA”), in order to operate the approved scheme and determine the percentage level of support once modelling was carried out.

Reason for Decision:  To ensure Harrow Council’s eligible business ratepayers received the maximum amount of centrally funded relief that could be claimed and to ensure the Council supported the local economy.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member/Dispensation Granted:  None.

To finalise a new 12-month Inter Authority Agreement for the provision of Harrow and Brent Councils’ Special Needs Transport and thereafter to finalise a longer-term IAA, dependent on the outcome of a joint review between the Councils.

To note the operational responsibility of the delivery of this process is to the Interim Divisional Director of Environmental Services.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)            Harrow Council enter a new 12-month maximum Inter Authority Agreement (IAA)arrangement for the provision of special needs transport to the London Borough of Brent from August 2022;

(2)            the terms be agreed and a new longer-term IAA be finalised, dependent on the outcome and be informed by a joint review of services, between both Harrow and Brent Councils;

(3)            the Corporate Director of Placefollowing consultation with the Director of Finance and the respective Portfolio Holders for Environment & Community Safety and Finance & Human Resources, be authorised to finalise and execute the above two recommendations; and

(4)            Harrow Council led  on any necessary procurement exercises for associated third party contracts over the term of the IAA’s directly related to the provision of Harrow and Brent Council Special Needs Transport (HBSNT) such as fleet, taxi, labour supply and IT.

Reason for Decision:  To ensure the respective Councils could discharge their statutory functions in the provision of this critical service transporting Children, Young People and Adults with special needs.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member/Dispensation Granted:  None.

To delegate authority to the Corporate Director of People Services to determine notices for additional Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)            progress on additional Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) provision planned in Harrow, be noted;

(2)            Corporate Director of People, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Children Services, and consideration of consultation responses, be authorised to publish the statutory notices that would enable the increase of SEND provision in Harrow in accordance with the SEND Strategy;

(3)            the Corporate Director of People, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Children Services, be authorised to determine the notices that would enable the increase of SEND provision in Harrow in accordance with the SEND Strategy;

(4)            the commencement of all procurements that were required to deliver the programme, be agreed; and

(5)            the Corporate Director of People, following consultation with the Director of Finance, Portfolio Holders for Finance & Human Resources and Children Services, be authorised to award contracts following each procurement.

Reason for Decision:  To enable the Local Authority to fulfil its statutory duties to provide sufficient school places in its area.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member/Dispensation Granted:  None.

To approve entering into an agreement with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) for capital funding to renovate courts in Harrow’s parks from the LTA’s Renovation Fund, and to delegate to the Corporate Director of Place the authority to finalise the details of the funding agreement and to take any further actions necessary to complete the funding agreement. 

To delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Place and the Director of Finance to enter a works contract with the successful contractor for the renovation of the courts

To approve the commencement of a procurement to identify and contract with a supplier for the provision of a tennis court operator and delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Place and the Director of Finance to enter a contract with the successful contractor.

To delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Place to agree a consultation strategy in relation to the renovation of the courts.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)            an agreement with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) for capital funding to renovate courts in Harrow’s parks from the LTA’s Renovation Fund be entered into, and the Corporate Director of Place be authorised to finalise the details of the funding agreement and take any further actions necessary to complete it;

(2)            the Corporate Director of Place and the Director of Finance, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Community and Culture and the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Human Resources, be authorised to enter into a works contract between Harrow Council and the successful contractor for the renovation of the courts;

(3)            the commencement of a procurement to identify and contract with a supplier for the provision of a tennis court operator be agreed and the Corporate Director of Place and the Director of Finance, following consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Community and Culture and Finance and Human Resources, be authorised to enter into a contract between Harrow Council and the successful contractor, noting that the responsible Officer leading on the procurement would be the Head of Service – Culture and Leisure and that approval included authority to explore and decide the best contract model between the council and the operator, which model might include a straight/conventional contract, a works concession contract or any other model that would be most effective and also yield value for money to the Council); and

(4)            the Corporate Director of Place following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Community and Culture, be authorised to agree a consultation strategy in relation to the renovation of the courts.

Reason for Decision:  To enable the tennis courts in Harrow’s parks to be renovated to a playable standard, increasing participation in tennis in Harrow, and ensuring thatthe courts were maintained in the long term by being financially sustainable.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:  As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member/Dispensation Granted:  None.