Agenda item
Report from Chairs of Scrutiny Committees
To receive reports in accordance with Standing Order 41.
Minutes:
Council received the following reports from Chairs of Scrutiny Committees, as detailed in the Supplementary Agenda to this meeting:
(i) Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee
Councillor Kelcher, Chair to the Council’s Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee, said that the main business of the Committee of late had been consideration of the Budget report, which had been debated both by the Cabinet and his committee and was now available for public inspection. He said that an underlying theme throughout the report, which was something the Council would need to take very seriously in the future, was the idea of the Council becoming more self-sufficient when business rates were devolved and looking at ways in which the Council could grow its own local businesses and be enterprising in the way that it helped them to develop and therefore claim the tax in return.
Councillor Kelcher said that the Budget consideration was the second of three task groups which were to be held during the current municipal year and he hoped that the three task group reports, when taken together at the end, would highlight the strategic direction of the Committee. He added that the Committee had started off by looking at the national issue of the devolution of business rates and how this would affect Brent. The Budget, he said, went into more detail on specific financing and areas around that and the third task group, which Councillor Stock would chair, would look at some particular, specific ideas about how the Council could grow local businesses in Brent and discuss the best ideas that could be taken forward from other communities. Councillor Kelcher said that, since the last meeting of Full Council, the Committee had considered one call-in, which had looked at some actions around the development in South Kilburn. He said that he had visited the site in question and a record number of people had come along to the Committee to make deputations and speak. In the end, he said, the Committee decided not to refer the decision back to Cabinet but did make a series of recommendations about how the Committee thought decisions of this kind could be improved in future.
Councillor Kelcher sai that, at the last meeting of the Committee, Members looked at the Council’s Investment Strategy and asked questions about the wholly-owned company, which the Council had set up. He said that the Committee had also looked at how to improve High Streets, which also included a site visit there as part of this work.
Councillor Kelcher was pleased that one of the ideas that came out of these discussions was around setting up a Bond when there were some building developments within an area and that where those building developments damaged kerbside or the pavement, the Council could pay for the repair but not lose the money. He said that this matter had been agreed by the Cabinet and he felt that the entire process about how recommendations were presented to Cabinet had very much improved and was pleased that the work of the Committeewas making a difference.
Councillor Kelcher announced that there were only two meetings of his Committee remaining in this municipal year. He said that, at the next meeting, the Committee would be looking specifically at whether Brent was a green Council and what it could do to take its environmental issues more seriously. The final meeting of the current Municipal Year, he said, would centre around crime and antisocial behaviour and the Committee looked forward to welcoming the Borough Commander to answer questions on those themes. Councillor Kelcher said that, since his appointment as Chair in May, it had seen three Members of the Committee graduate to the Cabinet with the latest being Councillor Tatler and Councillor Patel. He said that the vacancy that had arisen on the Committee due to Councillor Tatler’s appointment to the Cabinet, would likely be filled by Councillor Duffy and the Council would need to have another by-election to replace Councillor Patel. In conclusion, Councillor Kelcher said that he would be very happy if anyone wanted to discuss any of these issues further.
(ii) Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee
Councillor Sheth, Chair to the Council’s Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee, said that people were frequently challenged about the importance of being offered choice but one choice that Brent’s residents did not have was the air which they breathed. At the moment, he said, air quality in Brent, and in many parts of London, was not good enough. He added that the consequences of being exposed to poor air quality for Brent’s residents could pose a significant risk to their health and even trigger health problems for some. Councillor Sheth said that monitoring in parts of the Borough had recorded levels of pollution which, at times, had been unacceptable and the situation needed to change.
Councillor Sheth was pleased the Cabinet was consulting on the Air Quality Action Plan 2017 – 2022, which set out a number of steps the Borough could take to improve air quality. Earlier today, he said, his Committee had met with officers and Cabinet Members for Community Wellbeing and for Environment to discuss the Plan and to give the Committee’s feedback about the proposals to help tackle poor air quality and improve public health.
Councillor Sheth said that he had begun by saying Brent residents did not have a choice about the air they breathed, however the Borough’s residents could play a crucial role in improving air quality in the Borough by supporting the Cabinet’s initiatives to reduce car and vehicle emissions and that, if everyone worked together, they could start to reach the goals that were set out in the new Air Quality Action Plan.
Councillor Sheth said that, in his last report to Full Council, he said his Committee would be receiving the annual report of the Brent Local Safeguarding Children’s Board. He said that his Committee had been impressed by the work that the Board and the Independent Chair was doing in helping to ensure effective safeguarding of the Borough’s children who may have been at risk of harm. However, he said, the Committee had learned that, in August 2016, the London CRC, which worked alongside the Probation Service, had said they would no longer attend meetings due to staff reduction, which he felt was unacceptable. Councillor Sheth said that the Board had no power to compel stakeholders who did not want to engage however, he would write to London CRC to express the Committee’s concerns about its stance and urge it to review its decision as he expected London CRC to play its part in helping to safeguard Brent’s children.
Councillor Sheth said that, next week, his Committee would be receiving the annual report of the Brent Safeguarding Adults’ Board, which would be presented by the Board’s independent Chair. The Board, he said, was also a multi-agency body, which had a strategic role in Brent bringing together the Council, NHS, the Police and others to help to ensure this effective protection of adults who may have been at risk of harm.
In conclusion, Councillor Sheth said that he had been invited to the Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS) to speak at its Annual Conference in central London. This, he said, had been a hugely proud moment for him personally and it gave considerable recognition to the good work of his and Councillor Kelcher’s committees in developing scrutiny in Brent.
Supporting documents:
- Report by Chair of Scrutiny Committee - Resources and Public Realm, item 13. PDF 131 KB
- Report by Chair of Scrutiny Committee - Community and Wellbeing, item 13. PDF 153 KB