Agenda item
Report from the Leader or members of the Cabinet
To receive reports from the Leader or members of the Cabinet in accordance with Standing Order 38.
Minutes:
The Leader reported on the consultation process starting during the following week on the production of a Borough Plan. He stated that it would be a vision of how the Council would achieve what it wanted for the people of Brent. The Council would be listening and facilitating input from residents, community groups, employers and partners across all sections of the community in an open consultation exercise. A resident’s attitude survey would be undertaken and focus groups established. He stated that the Connect forums would also be widely used and asked all councillors to encourage their residents to attend the meetings. The plan would be presented to the Council in March 2015.
The Leader referred to the decision taken in June 2013 regarding the appointment of a new Chief Executive. He stated that the external auditors were reporting back on how the Council was operating and whilst there was progress being made, stability within the Council would enable further progress to be made. The current arrangements would therefore remain in place until a recruitment process began in the new year which would tie in with the launch of the new Borough Plan.
Councillor Pavey (Deputy Leader) reported that the Council’s 2015/16 budget was being drawn together and would be presented to the next Council meeting. He reminded members that the Government’s strategy in 2010 had been to eliminate the deficit by 2015 which required the Council to reduce its spending by £100M. He stated that the strategy had not worked and the Government was still borrowing excessively. As a consequence the Council was being required to make a further £53M cuts over the next two years. However, Councillor Pavey stated that the Council’s budget would still seek to protect the most vulnerable members of the community.
Councillor Mashari (Lead Member for Employment and Skills) reported on the new and improved Adult Education Service. Brent BACES had been overhauled and rebranded as Brent Start. Its modernisation would continue over the coming year with courses being geared towards the needs of the local employment market. She also reported that the Brent foodbank had been linked to the local NHS clinical commissioning group and the schools forum in an effort to broaden the number of agencies that referred people in need. Councillor Mashari stated that during the previous year the Brent foodbank had received over 3,500 individual referrals and the Council would continue to do all it could to protect people not able to properly feed themselves or their families. Councillor Mashari ended by stating that she would be meeting with all the largest employers in the borough over the coming months to better understand local business needs and look for ways in which the Council could best support them and unlock training, employment and funding opportunities for local people and local projects.
Councillor Hirani (Lead Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing) reported on a new programme called Resilience which would deliver drug and alcohol prevention work in secondary schools in partnership with the Amy Winehouse Foundation, Addaction and involving members from B3 and B-Safe. He also referred to the opening of a new Public Health Resource Centre in partnership with Brent CSV which would provide people with accurate public health advice. Finally, he reported on a new partnership that linked dentists with local schools to deliver free fluoride and dental checks for children of nursery age up to year 2.
Councillor McLennan (Lead Member for Regeneration and Housing) reported on new licensing requirements for houses in multiple occupation and selective licensing introduced in Harlesden, Willesden and Wembley designed to tackle the poor conditions some local residents were forced to live in within the private rented sector. She referred to the housing supply crisis and reported on how the Council was tackling this by working with housing association partners to provide 675 properties in tandem with plans to build 5,000 affordable homes over the next five years and 10,000 new Council homes. A bid had been made to the GLA for a Housing Action Zone in Alperton and this would be followed by a bid for Wembley. Each zone would be worth £20M and would enable more affordable homes to be built. Councillor McLennan also reported on the continuing regeneration of South Kilburn which had now moved into phase 3 which would provide affordable homes, a health centre and remove existing housing not fit for the modern day.
Supporting documents: