Agenda and minutes
Venue: Committee Room 3, Brent Town Hall, Forty Lane, Wembley, HA9 9HD. View directions
Contact: Elly Marks, Democratic Services Officer 020 8937 1358, Email: elly.marks@brent.gov.uk
No. | Item |
---|---|
Declarations of personal and prejudicial interests Members are invited to declare at this stage of the meeting, any relevant financial or other interest in the items on this agenda. Minutes: None declared. |
|
Minutes of the previous meeting PDF 89 KB Minutes: RESOLVED:-
that the minutes of the previous meeting held on Tuesday 30th June 2009 be approved as an accurate record of the meeting. |
|
Matters arising (if any) Minutes: None. |
|
Deputations (if any) Minutes: None. |
|
This report concerns the creation and grading of a new post of Assistant Director – Building Schools for the Future (BSF) to lead the BSF transformation programme. Minutes: The committee agreed to take this item before the item on the polling district review.
John Christie (Director of Children and Families) introduced his report which concerned the creation and grading of a new post of ‘Assistant Director – Building Schools for the Future (BSF)’. He explained that the committee were being asked to note the creation of the new post and to approve the grading of the post at Hay Grade 3.
John Christie explained that the Executive approved the submission of the Building Schools for the Future programme for approval to the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) in November 2008. He added that the scheme approved by the Executive provided for the appointment of a Project Director. He informed the committee that the grading of this post, due to the scale and complexity of the programme and the advice given by Partnership for Schools, had been assessed as Hay 3. It was noted that the job description and person specification for the post were attached as appendix two to the report. The Director concluded by informing the committee that the council was due to meet with Partnership for Schools the following day and that they were very hopeful that they would be approved to enter the scheme. He emphasised that the post would not be filled until approval for entering the scheme had been given.
In the discussion which followed, it was asked whether the post was being advertised externally and if so whether this sent a message that Brent Council did not have the capability in the organisation to fill the post. In response, John Christie explained that given the nature of the post, the council needed the opportunity to recruit someone who had experience in Building Schools for the Future and that this would require the job to be advertised externally. Barbara Cleary (HR Consultant) explained that this would not prevent staff internally from applying for the post, but meant that external people could also apply. This, she added, was in keeping with the Council’s current Recruitment and Selection Policy and Procedure.
It was noted that the recruitment process had already begun. John Christie explained that this was because of timing as it was expected that the council would be approved to enter the scheme in January 2010. He added that the post would not be filled without this committee’s approval but that due to the timing it had been necessary to advertise the post in preparation. In response to an enquiry about the funding of the post, John Christie stated that the post would be funded by the council. He added that the funding for the post had been included in the Council’s Revenue Budget for 2009/2010.
RESOLVED:
i. that the creation of a new post of Assistant Director – Building Schools for the Future in the Children and Families Department be noted;
ii. that the grading of the post at Hay Grade 3 be approved.
|
|
Polling District Review PDF 126 KB The 1983 Representation of the People Act as amended places a duty on the Council to divide its area into polling districts for parliamentary and other elections. These districts must also be kept under review so as to ensure that electors are given reasonable facilities for voting.
This report proposes alterations to polling district boundaries bringing them into line with the new parliamentary constituency boundaries that come into effect at the next General Election. Some further alterations to boundaries are also proposed to rationalise the existing layout and also to the names of polling districts to recognise the new constituencies.
The polling district maps are attached separately. Minutes: Sean O’Sullivan (Electoral Services Manager) introduced the report, from the Democratic Services Manager, which proposed alterations to polling district boundaries to ensure that they would be brought into line with the new parliamentary constituency boundaries that would come into effect at the next General Election. He explained that further alterations to boundaries, in order to rationalise the existing layout, were also proposed in the report, as were changes to the names of polling districts to recognise the new constituencies.
The Electoral Services Manager drew attention to the Kilburn Ward recommendation that polling districts EKi4, EKi5 and EKi6 be merged into a single district and that the polling station location for the new district be the Oxford Kilburn Club and the fact that Ward Councillor, Councillor Arnold, was of the opinion that the Salvation Army Goodwill Centre should be retained because of the distance from Oxford Kilburn Centre for some electors.
In the discussion which followed, the committee noted that change to a polling station sometimes meant that electors could have further to travel to a station and could cause some confusion for electors, but that this all needed to be weighed up against the benefits of consolidation. The Electoral Services Manager assured the committees that polling stations would be clearly signposted and that every household concerned would be made aware of the change of polling stations.
A concern was raised about the possible confusion which could arise over the fact that electors from the Welsh Harp Ward would be voting in Fryent School which would mean that two parliamentary constituencies would be voting at the same place. The Kingsbury Town Football Club was put forward as a possible alternative and the Electoral Services Manager agreed to look into this.
A suggestion was made for Blenheim Gardens,in the Preston Ward, to be moved from NPR2 to NPR4 as electors pass NPR4 on their way to NPR2. The Electoral Services Manager agreed that this was a good idea and that Blenheim Gardens would be moved to NPR4. The committee noted that as it was only local elections that the council paid for, the amount of savings for the council from all the changes would be relatively small.
RESOLVED:
i) that the polling district boundaries be re-drawn as follows:
Alperton Ward
that polling districts SAL3 and SAL5 be combined into a single district and that Alperton Community School be the polling station for the new district.
Barnhill Ward
no change.
Brondesbury Park Ward
no change.
Dollis Hill Ward
no change.
Dudden Hill Ward
no change.
Fryent Ward
that polling districts NFR6 and NFR7 be combined and that Fryent School be retained as the polling station for the enlarged district.
Harlesden Ward
no change.
Kensal Green Ward
that polling districts EKG7 and EKG8 be merged with SKG5 and that the polling district for the new district be St Mark’s Church Hall.
Kenton Ward
that NKE4 and NKE5 be merged into a single polling district and that St John’s United Reformed Church be ... view the full minutes text for item 6. |
|
Appointments to Sub-Committees/Outside Bodies (if any) Minutes: RESOLVED:-
that approval be given to the following changes to committee membership:-
General Purposes Licensing Sub-Committee
Delete Councillor Joseph (VC) Insert Councillor Eniola (VC)
Staff Appeals Sub-Committee A
Delete Councillor Joseph (VC) Insert Councillor Colwill (VC)
Insert Councillor Eniola as 1st alternate to Councillor Colwill.
RESOLVED:-
that approval be given to the following changes to outside body membership:-
London Councils Economic Development Forum
Delete Councillor Steel Insert Councillor Detre
Learning Partnership Disability Forum
Delete Councillor Mistry Insert Councillor Colwill
|
|
Any Other Urgent Business Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Democratic Services Manager or his representative before the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 64. Minutes: There was none. |
|
Date of Next Meeting The next meeting of the General Purposes Committee is scheduled for the 24th November 2009. Minutes: It was noted that the next meeting of the General Purposes Committee was scheduled for the 24th November 2009 |