Agenda and decisions

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Mitchell, J.Patel, Shah and Southwood.

For the Council to elect a Mayor for the 2023-2024 Municipal Year, in accordance with Standing Order 27(a).

Councillor Orleen Hylton was elected to serve as Mayor of the London Borough of Brent for the 2023 - 24 Municipal Year.

To receive notice from the Mayor regarding the appointment of a Councillor of the Borough to be Deputy Mayor, in accordance with Standing Order 27(b).

Councillor Tariq Dar MBE was appointed to serve as Deputy Mayor of the London Borough of Brent for the 2023 - 24 Municipal Year.

To invite a vote of thanks to the outgoing Mayor, in accordance with Standing Order 27(c).

NOTED

(1)       the vote of thanks to the co-opted and independent members serving on the Council’s committees.

(2)      the vote of thanks and tributes paid to the outgoing Mayor.

Members are invited to declare at this stage of the meeting, the nature and existence of any relevant disclosable pecuniary or personal interests in the items on this agenda and to specify the item(s) to which they relate.

There were no interests declared by Members at the meeting.

To confirm as a correct record, the minutes of the previous meeting of the Council held on Thursday 23 February 2023.

AGREED the minutes from the Council meeting held on Thursday 23 February 2023 as a correct record.

To receive, in accordance with Standing Order 27(g), a report from the Corporate Director of Governance outlining proposed changes to the Constitution following its annual review.

(Agenda republished on 17 May 23 to include an update to Appendix 1 of the main report along with details of an amendment to the recommendations submitted by the Liberal Democrats Group)

Council RESOLVED:

(1)    To agree the amendments to the Constitution as set out in Appendix 1 of the report updating the current allocation of roles and Cabinet portfolios, the delegated powers for officers and allocation of functions in respect of plans and strategies in the Policy Framework; Terms of Reference for the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee and updating of the Local Code of Corporate Governance.

Having been put to the vote, a proposed amendment to the Constitution relating to the chairing arrangements, structure and procedural rules applying to scrutiny moved by Councillor Georgiou at the meeting was declared LOST.

(2)    To note that, to the extent the changes agreed under (1) above related to executive functions of the Council, they had been approved by the Leader.

(3)    To authorise the Corporate Director of Governance to amend the Constitution accordingly, including making any necessary incidental or consequential changes.

To receive a report from the Corporate Director of Governance asking Members to review and determine, under Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, the allocation of seats on Council Committees and other relevant bodies, in accordance with Standing Order 27(h).

Council RESOLVED

(1)    To agree the size of each Committee, as detailed within the report.

(2)    To approve the allocation of seats on Committees to each of the Council’s political groups (where the rules of political balance applied) as set out within the report and to make appointments to those committees (under agenda item 10 on the agenda) giving effect to the wishes of the political group allocated the seats.

(3)    To note that the political balance on Council Sub-Committees would be reviewed at the first meeting of the General Purposes Committee and Licensing Committee to be held following the Annual Council Meeting

To receive a report from the Corporate Director of Governance seeking approval to the appointment of Chairs and Vice-Chairs along with the membership and substitute membership on Council Committees and other relevant bodies, in accordance with Standing Order 27(i).

Members are asked to note that the full list of appointments have been attached.

Appointments that are not constitutionally made by Full Council (including notification of appointment(s) of the Deputy Leader and to Cabinet and any Cabinet Committee) will also be circulated prior to the meeting, for Members to note.

(Agenda republished on 17 May 23 to include appendices 1-4 of the main report detailing the full list of appointments)

Council RESOLVED:

(1)       To approve the appointments of members, co-opted members and substitutes to Council Committees and Outside Bodies for the 2023-2024 Municipal Year, as detailed within Appendix 1 of the report, subject to the following correction identified at the meeting:

·            Councillor Georgiou to be listed in place of Councillor Lorber as the Liberal Democrats member on the Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee

(2)    To approve the appointments of Chairs and Vice Chairs to Council Committees for the 2023-2024 Municipal Year, as detailed within Appendix 1 of the report.

Having been put to the vote, an amendment moved by Councillor Georgiou at the meeting seeking to split the current wards covered by the Wembley Brent Connect Forum enabling the establishment an additional Brent Connect Forum and to appoint a Liberal Democrat Group member as chair of the new Forum along with a Conservative Group member as Chair of Kingsbury & Kenton Brent Connect Forum was declared LOST.

(3)    To approve:

(a)    the reappointment (as detailed within section 3.4 of the report) of David Ewart as Independent Chair of the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee and Pension Board for a two-year term of office ending on 31^st July 2025.

(b)    the appointment of Rachael Tiffen (as detailed within section 3.5 of the report) as an Independent co-opted member of the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee for a four-year term of office, ending at the Council’s Annual Meeting in May 2027 (subject to confirmation of the ongoing appointment at the Annual Council meeting each year).

(c)    the continuing appointment (as detailed within section 3.6 of the report) of the following three Independent Persons for the remainder of their four-year terms of office (subject to confirmation at the Annual Council meeting each year):

(1)       William Goh & Keir Hopley - to the Annual Council meeting in 2025; and

(2)       Julie Byrom – to the Annual Council meeting in 2026.

(d)    in relation to the co-opted membership on the Community & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee (detailed within section 3.7 of the report):

(i)     the re-appointment of Alloysius Frederick (as a voting co-opted member representing the Roman Catholic Diocese) & Sayed Jaffar (as a non-voting co-opted member representing Muslim Faith Schools) for a further three-year term of office to expire at the Annual Council meeting 2026 (subject to confirmation of the ongoing appointments at the Annual Council meeting each year); and

(ii)    the appointment of Jane Noy (as a voting co-opted Parent Governor representative) and Rachelle Goldberg (as a non-voting co-opted member representing Jewish Faith Schools) for a three-year term of office to expire at the Annual Council meeting 2026 (subject to confirmation of the ongoing appointments at the Annual Council meeting each year).

(4)    To note the appointments:

(a)       of the Cabinet, Cabinet Committees and Joint Executive Committees and their respective Chairs and Vice Chairs for the 2023-2024 Municipal Year, as detailed in Appendix 2 of the report.

(b)       to be confirmed by the General Purposes Committee for the 2023-2024 Municipal Year, as detailed in Appendix 3 of  ...  view the full decision text for item 9.

To receive a report from the Corporate Director of Governance seeking approval to the final calendar of Council meetings to take place following the Annual Council meeting for the 2023 - 2024 Municipal Year, in accordance with Standing Order 27 (j) & (k).

Council RESOLVED

(1)       To approve the dates for Full Council and other meetings to take place during the 2023-24 Municipal Year, as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report.

(2)    That the Head of Executive & Member Services be authorised to make any alterations deemed necessary to the Municipal Calendar during the course of the year having consulted with the Leader of the Council, Leaders of the Opposition Group(s) and Chair of the affected meeting.

At the discretion of the Mayor to consider any urgent business, in accordance with Standing Order 27(m).

None.