Agenda and decisions
Venue: Conference Hall - Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley, HA9 0FJ. View directions
Contact: James Kinsella, Governance Manager Tel: 020 8937 2063; Email: james.kinsella@brent.gov.uk
Note: The press and public are welcome to attend this meeting or alternatively to follow proceedings via the live webcast. The link to follow the meeting is available via the Livestreaming page on the Council and Democracy section of the Council's website or link on the front page of the published meeting agenda.
Media
No. | Item |
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Apologies for Absence Additional documents: Decision: Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Muhammed Butt (Leader of Council and Cabinet Member for Housing) with Councillor Mili Patel (as Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources) chairing the meeting. |
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Declarations of Interest 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. Additional documents: Decision: No declarations of interest were made during the meeting. |
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Minutes of the Previous Meeting PDF 235 KB To approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on Monday 9 September 2024 as a correct record. Additional documents: Decision: Cabinet RESOLVED that the minutes of the previous meeting held on Monday 9 September 2024 be approved as a correct.
Kim Wright (Chief Executive) advised members that for clarity Councillor Muhammed Butt had advised of a retrospective interest to be recorded in the minutes from the 9 September 24 Cabinet meeting in relation to Minute 5: Presentation of the petition on the impact of event days hosted at Wembley Stadium. This was a personal interest as a recipient of tickets he had received for events at the stadium, which it was confirmed had also been declared on his register of gifts and hospitality. |
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Matters Arising (if any) To consider any matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting. Additional documents: Decision: None. |
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Petitions (if any) To consider any petitions for which notice has been received, in accordance with Standing Order 66. Additional documents: Decision: No petitions were submitted for consideration at the meeting. |
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Reference of item considered by Scrutiny Committees (if any) To consider any items referred by either the Community Wellbeing or Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committees. Additional documents: Decision: There were no items referred from either the Community Wellbeing or Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committees. |
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Quarter 2 Financial Forecast 2024/25 PDF 712 KB This report sets out the financial forecast for the General Fund revenue budget, the Housing Revenue Account, the Dedicated Schools Grant and the Capital Programme, as at Quarter 2 2024-25. Additional documents:
Decision: Cabinet RESOLVED:
(1) To note the new grant funding received in year, the overall financial position and the actions being taken to manage the issues arising as detailed within the Q2 Financial Forecast.
(2) To note progress on the savings delivery tracker, as detailed in Appendix A of the report.
(3) To note the prudential indicators for treasury management, as detailed in in Appendix B of the report.
(4) To approve the virements set out in section 4.7.15 of the report.
Eligible for call-in: Yes
Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Monday 21 October 2024 |
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Review of working age Council Tax Support Scheme for 2025/26 PDF 484 KB The purpose of this report is to present proposals for changes to the local Council Tax Support (CTS) Scheme, effective from 1 April 2025. The proposed changes are to mitigate the rising costs of the scheme and the associated administrative burden with approval being sought to consult on the proposed changes to the CTS Scheme with residents and key stakeholders in order to enable a final recommendation to be made on any changes as part of the 2025/26 budget setting process for adoption by Full Council. Additional documents:
Decision: Cabinet RESOLVED:
(1) To reject Option 1 (do nothing) and approve Option 2 (as detailed within the report) which would involve public consultation with residents and key stakeholders including the Greater London Authority on the following package of proposals (in addition to technical administrative proposals) in order to reduce the costs to the Council’s working aged local Council Tax Support (CTS) Scheme and to implement the scheme with effect from 1 April 2025:
(a) Introduce a standard 35% minimum payment for working age households and apply a percentage reduction to each of the income bands. This would mean all CTS claimants being expected to contribute a minimum of 35% towards their Council Tax liability. Their CTS will then be calculated based on their income and this will determine which income band they fall into. If this proposal was adopted, the cost of the scheme would reduce by £7.6m, with detailed explanations and calculations, number of residents impacted and the proposed weekly reduction in CTS shown in Appendix A of the report.
(b) Simplify the non-dependant charges and have just two flat rate non-dependant deductions for most households with other adults living in the property, £8 per week for non-dependants “out of work” and £20 per week for non-dependants “in work”. This would remove the need to verify income for non-dependants for CTS claims and reduce the administration burden. Adopting this proposal would reduce the cost of the scheme by £0.7m, with a detailed explanation and calculations of the proposed non-dependant deduction, number of households affected and proposed weekly reduction in CTS support shown in Appendix B of the report.
Proposed Changes - Technical Administrative
(2) To align the backdating rules for new CTS claim in line with the Housing Benefit and Universal Credit regulations i.e. for a maximum of one calendar month. The backdating request to be made at the time of submission of new claim. This proposal would reduce the overall cost of the scheme because it would not be required to automatically go back to the beginning of the financial year, as per the current scheme.
(3) To review the section 13A policy for hardship fund for Council tax.
(4) To enable the consideration (by Cabinet) of increasing/decreasing the income bands for customers and non-dependant charges depending on the Consumer Pricing Index (CPI) from September of the previous year and DWP uprating of welfare support received in January of the new financial year.
(5) To amend the CTS scheme to include the Universal Credit notification received from DWP for Council tax, as start date of claim for Council tax reduction if there was entitlement to it.
Eligible for call-in: Yes
Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Monday 21 October 2024 |
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Climate and Ecological Emergency Programme 2024-26 PDF 683 KB This report provides a review of the council’s current 2022-2024 Climate Programme and sets out a new Climate Programme for the period 2024-2026, which will run until the end of December 2026 including a number of key deliverables requiring specific approval. Additional documents:
Decision: Cabinet RESOLVED:
(1) To note the progress made with the current Climate Programme (2022-2024) as summarised in Section 5 of the report and in the Climate Data Dashboard (included as Appendix 2 of the report).
(2) To agree the proposed overarching priorities and key deliverables to be included in the 2024-2026 Climate Programme, as set out in Section 6 of the report.
(3) To agree the new Climate Programme 2024-2026, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report.
(4) To approve a capital budget allocation of £3m to implement the Church End and Roundwood Green CorridorsScheme, and approve £3m SCIL funding to offset these costs.
(5) To agree to an amendment to the current Brent Carbon Offset Fund Allocation Policy to remove the current weighting/proportions (60%/30%/10%) available for council housing, Brent maintained schools and ‘Other’ respectively, so that the Fund can be used to maximise both the overall funding the council can attract and the outcomes that can be delivered for residents and to meet its climate commitments; and, to delegate authority to the Corporate Director, Partnerships, Housing and Resident Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Employment, Innovation and Climate Action, to continue to have overall responsibility for the oversight and operationalisation of the Policy.
(6) To note that an updated Brent Climate Adaptation & Resilience Plan, which sits under the Brent Climate Strategy, is proposed to be published later this autumn under delegated authority to the Cabinet Member for Employment, Innovation and Climate Action.
Eligible for call-in: Yes
Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Monday 21 October 2024 |
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Families Homelessness Service Relocation PDF 712 KB This report concerns the Families Homelessness Service and proposals for its relocation to the New Millennium Centre in the context of the homelessness emergency and the approval of authority to tender for a provider to carry out works to fit out designated spaces at the new location. Additional documents:
Decision: Cabinet RESOLVED:
(1) To approve proposals for a relocation of the Families Homelessness Service from the Brent Civic Centre, Wembley to the New Millennium Centre, Roundwood.
(2) Following on from (1) above, to approve the inviting of tenders to deliver the works to fit out the designated spaces at the New Millennium Centre on the basis of the evaluation criteria set out in paragraph 3.2.19 of the report.
(3) To approve officers evaluating the tenders referred to in (2) above on the basis of the evaluation criteria set out in paragraph 3.2.19 of the report.
(4) To note that the Corporate Director, Partnerships Housing and Resident Services in consultation with the Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing will use powers delegated under the Constitution to award the contract for works to fit out designated spaces at the new Millennium Centre.
(5) To approve the use of £400k of capital budget to undertake the works.
Eligible for call-in: Yes
Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Monday 21 October 2024 |
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Corporate Performance Report - Quarter 1 2024-25 PDF 325 KB This report and the performance scorecard (Appendix A) sets out the position on the Council’s performance in Q1 2024-25. The content of the report and scorecard focus on progress in delivering the priorities and outcomes set out in the Council’s Borough Plan 2023-2027: Moving Brent Forward Together. Additional documents: Decision: Cabinet RESOLVED:
(1) To note the Borough Plan 2024-25 performance reporting for Q1 as set out in section 3 and Appendix A of the report.
(2) To note the current and future strategic risks associated with the information provided and agree the remedial actions on strategic risks identified as appropriate alongside the challenge on progress being provided with responsible officers as necessary.
Eligible for call-in: Yes
Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Monday 21 October 24 |
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South Kilburn - Authority to Tender for a Single Delivery Partner PDF 881 KB This report updates Cabinet on the progress of the South Kilburn Regeneration Programme, outlines the challenges and the key issues currently faced and as a result recommends the appointment of a Single Delivery Partner (SDP) to deliver the remainder of the Programme rather than continue delivery on a site-by-site basis. Cabinet approval is therefore being sought to authorise commencement of the procurement exercise, which will be subject to a further report being provided at the preferred bidder stage seeking final approval to award the contract. Additional documents:
Decision: Cabinet RESOLVED:
(1) To note the progress update on the South Kilburn Regeneration Programme, the community's experience of regeneration and the key priorities for the remainder of the programme to be integrated into the procurement – (not exclusive list) delivering high quality affordable housing, placemaking, community collaboration, social value.
(2) To approve the procurement of a Single Delivery Partner for the remainder of the South Kilburn Regeneration Programme through inviting tenders.
(3) To delegate authority to the Corporate Director, Neighbourhoods and Regeneration in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Regeneration Planning and Growth to approve pre-tender considerations as set out in Contract Standing Order 89 in respect of the procurement of a Single Delivery Partner, to include selection of the most appropriate procurement process to be used.
(4) To approve officers evaluating tenders on the basis of the pre-tender considerations referred to in (3) above.
(5) To note that consultants required for the procurement of the Single Delivery Partner, to include commercial advisers, lawyers, planning consultants and design consultants will be procured using powers delegated to officers under the Constitution.
(6) To delegate authority to the Corporate Director, Neighbourhoods and Regeneration in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Regeneration Planning and Growth to negotiate all the relevant aspects of all legal and commercial agreements leading to the appointment of the preferred Single Delivery Partner.
(7) To note officers will seek Cabinet approval to award the contract to the preferred bidder following the conclusion of the procurement exercise to appoint a Single Delivery Partner.
(8) To delegate authority to the Corporate Director, Neighbourhoods and Regeneration in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Regeneration Planning and Growth to seek the approval of the Secretary of State to serve the required Initial and Final Demolition Notices on the secure tenants at the sites which are to be redeveloped.
(9) To authorise the Corporate Director, Neighbourhoods and Regeneration in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Regeneration Planning and Growth to consult with secure tenants regarding the application to the Secretary of State to apply to obtain vacant possession of the properties occupied by the secure tenants at the sites to be developed pursuant to Ground 10/10A of Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1985.
(10) To authorise the Corporate Director, Neighbourhoods and Regeneration in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Cabinet member for Regeneration Planning and Growth to seek the approval of the Secretary of State for the redevelopment of the sites under Ground 10/10A of Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1985 and for the use of compulsory purchase powers pursuant to section 226 (1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and Section 17 of the Housing Act 1985 to obtain vacant possession of the Sites in order to redevelop and/or demolish them.
(11) To authorise the Corporate Director, Neighbourhoods and Regeneration in consultation with the Leader of the ... view the full decision text for item 12. |
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Local Authority Housing Fund Round 3 PDF 268 KB This report seeks approval to the implementation of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Council in order to deliver up to 42 homes for temporary accommodation and refugee resettlement and relocation schemes through Round 3 of the Local Authority Housing Fund. Additional documents: Decision: Cabinet RESOLVED:
(1) To approve the proposed acquisition of up to 42 properties using the allocated Local Authority Housing Fund.
(2) To approve the capital budget of £25,803,000 as set out in section 6.1 of the report to supplement the grant and cover the acquisition programme.
(3) To delegate to the Director of Property and Assets the authority to agree the terms of any legal documents and enter into contracts to acquire an interest in the properties so as to give effect to this decision.
Eligible for call-in: Yes
Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Monday 21 October 2024 |
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Exclusion of Press and Public No items have been identified in advance of the meeting that will require the exclusion of the press and public. Additional documents: Decision: There were no items that required the exclusion of the press or public. |
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Any other urgent business Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Deputy Director Democratic Services or their representative before the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 60. Additional documents: Decision: There were no items of urgent business.
Prior to ending proceedings, Councillor Mili Patel (as Deputy Leader) took the opportunity to advise members this would be Councillor Tatler’s final Cabinet meeting following her decision to step down as Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Growth with effect from the start of November to take up a new role with the Local Government Association. Cabinet in congratulating Councillor Tatler on her new appointment, also thanked her for the programme of regeneration delivered during her time serving Brent as a Cabinet Member. In thanking members she had served with during her time on the Cabinet, with particular reference to the professional and personal support provided by Councillor Muhammed Butt as Leader of the Council, Councillor Tatler was also keen to recognise the support received from officers (particularly acknowledging Alice Lester) for their role in assisting to transform the delivery of regeneration and planning activity across Brent and associated impact in relation to the continued provision of social and affordable housing and wider community benefit through NCIL. Councillor Tatler ended by once again thanking all members for their support and advising that she looked forward to continuing to support the work being undertaken by the Council in her new role as well as local residents in her ongoing representational role as local ward councillor for Kingsbury. |