Agenda and decisions

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Knight (Cabinet Member for Customer Experience, Resident Support & Culture) and Councillor Krupa Sheth (Cabinet Member for Public Realm and Enforcement).

The Leader also took the opportunity to welcome Councillor Moeen to Cabinet in her newly appointed role as Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Cohesion.

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.

No declarations of interest were made during the meeting.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on Monday 8 December 2025 as a correct record.

Cabinet RESOLVED that the minutes of the previous meeting held on Monday 8 December 2025 be approved as a correct record of the meeting.

To consider any matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.

None identified.

To receive and consider any petitions for which notice has been provided under Standing Order 66.

Members are asked to note that there are currently no petition(s) due to be presented at the meeting.

There were no petitions presented at the meeting.

To consider any reports referred by either the Community Wellbeing or Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committees.

There were no items referred from either the Community Wellbeing or Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committees.

This report updates members on the LGA Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC) and outcome of progress review visit undertaken by the peer review team in November 2025 providing an opportunity to feedback on progress made against the initial review recommendations. This report shares the process and outcome of the Progress Review.

Cabinet RESOLVED:

(1)       To note the feedback and next steps emerging from the Corporate Peer Challenge Progress Review.

(2)       To note Appendix B of the report setting out the updated Brent Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan.

Eligible for call-in: Yes

Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Monday 26 January 2026

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 3 2025-26.

Cabinet RESOLVED:

(1)       To note the overall financial position and the actions being taken to manage the issues arising, as detailed within the report.

(2)    To note the savings delivery tracker, as detailed within Appendix A of the report.

(3)    To note the prudential indicators for treasury management as detailed within Appendix B of the report.

(4)    To approve the virements, as detailed in section 9.19 of the report.

(5)    To approve the amendments to the capital budget as set out in paragraphs 12.2 -12.4 of the report.

(6)    To delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Neighbourhoods and Regeneration to allocate the Pride in Place Impact Fund budget to specific projects in line with the thematic areas linked to the Borough Plan, as set out in paragraph 12.3 of the report.

Eligible for call-in: Yes

Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Monday 26 January 2026

This report updates Members on Treasury activity for the first half of the financial year 2025-26. The Local Government Act 2003 and the Local Authorities (Capital Financing and Accounting) Regulations 2003 require that regular reports be submitted to the relevant Council Committee detailing the Council’s Treasury Management activities.

Members are asked to note that the report has also been subject to consideration and review by the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee on Wednesday 3 December 2025.

Cabinet RESOLVED:

(1)    To note the overall financial performance as detailed within the 2025-26 Mid-Year Treasury report and approve its referral on to Full Council in accordance with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy's Treasury Management in the Public Services: Code of Practice.

(2)    To note that the Council had been fully compliant with the prudential indicators as set by Council in February 2025.

Eligible for call-in: No (report and recommendations referred to Council)

The purpose of this paper is to seek approval from the London Borough of Brent as a shareholder of London CIV to the admission of a new Partner Fund (Buckinghamshire) as a member of the London LGPS CIV Limited.

Cabinet RESOLVED:

(1)       To approve the admission of the Buckinghamshire Pension Fund to join the London CIV.

(2)    To approve the amendments outlined to the Shareholder Agreement and Articles of Association as detailed within Appendix 1 of the report (classified as containing exempt information).

(3)    To delegate authority to the Corporate Director, Finance and Resources (s151 officer) or their nominee on the operational elements to enable the admission.

Eligible for call-in: Yes

Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Monday 26 January 2026

Brent Council’s current four-year digital strategy ends in April 2026. In the context of pressing financial challenges and the rapid pace of technological change this report outlines a two-year digital roadmap developed to set out the Council’s ambitions for using digital to enable transformation and support delivery of savings from 2026-28.

The 2026-28 Brent Council Digital Roadmap also sets out the required investment to ensure the Council can continue to enable its Embrace Change Portfolio vision and deliver 2026-27 cross-cutting digital and resident experience savings (along with previously agreed business case savings) as well as to develop a pipeline of further digitally enabled savings for 2027-28 and beyond.

Cabinet RESOLVED:

(1)       To approve the Brent Council Digital Roadmap 2026-28, as detailed within the report.

(2)       To approve a capital budget of £4,435,455 in 2026/27 (in addition to the budget of £817,554 for 2026/27 approved by Cabinet in 2021) and of £4,313,408 in 2027/28. This budget to be funded by prudential borrowing.

Eligible for call-in: Yes

Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Monday 26 January 2026

This report details proposals to deliver additional SEND places within the borough designed to reduce the financial cost of SEND provision as well as provide more local specialist provision for Brent based young people with SEND and support the management of expenditure on the Council’s Special Needs Transport budget, in accordance with strategic priorities set out in the School Place Planning Strategy 2024-28 (second refresh).

Cabinet RESOLVED to approve the proposed SEND Phase II Capital Programme using £10.6m from the High Needs Capital Grant Allocation provided by the Department for Education as detailed in paragraph 3.2.2 (Option 2) of the report in order to complete the identified works within the programme.

Eligible for call-in: Yes

Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Monday 26 January 2026

This report seeks agreement to the proposed admission arrangements for Brent community schools and schemes of co-ordination for 2027-28 in accordance with statutory requirements with Admission authorities required to determine their admission arrangements by 28 February in the determination year.

Cabinet RESOLVED:

(1)       To agree (“determine”) the proposed admission arrangements for Brent community schools and schemes of co-ordination for all maintained schools and academies in Brent for the 2027/2028 academic year as detailed within Appendices 1 and 2 of the report.

(2)       To note the scheme of co-ordination in place for the 2027-2028 offer year for co-ordinated applications to start school in years Reception, 3, 7 and 10.

(3)       To note that the determined admission arrangements for 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28 will be updated in April 2026 to change the name of Malorees Infant School to Malorees Primary School following the amalgamation of the Malorees Infant and Junior schools.

Eligible for call-in: Yes

Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Monday 26 January 2026

This report seeks approval to enter preferred bidder stage for the design, build, operate and maintain (DBOM) contract for the South Kilburn District Heat Network (“the SKDHN”) Main Contractor preferred bidder. The report summarises the procurement process undertaken along with the required financial modelling.

Cabinet RESOLVED:

(1)       To approve the selection of Vital Energi Utilities Limited as the South Kilburn District Heat Network (SKDHN) Main Contractor preferred bidder for the contract value of £37,768,947 following the completion of the Design, Build, Operate and Maintain (DBOM) contractor procurement process set out in the report.

(2)       To approve an increase in the total capital budget for the SKDHN of £36,000,000. The funding for the budget is set out in paragraph 5.3 of the report and includes £12,000,000 of external borrowing.

(3)       To note that there will be a preferred bidder stage as set out in paragraph 3.2.31 of the report following satisfactory completion of the standstill period.

(4)       To delegate authority to the Corporate Director Neighbourhoods and Regeneration in consultation with the Lead Member for Climate Action and Community Power to finalise the contract and toaward the contract to the SKDHN Main Contractor preferred bidder as required by Contract Standing Order 88 following satisfactory completion of the preferred bidder stage.

(5)       To delegate authority to the Corporate Director Neighbourhoods and Regeneration, in consultation with the Lead Member for Climate Action and Community Power, forapproval of agreements with off-takers for bulk (building-level) and retail (consumer-level) heat supplied by the SKDHN in perpetuity.

(6)       To delegate authority to the Corporate Director Neighbourhoods and Regeneration, in consultation with the Lead Member for Climate Action and Community Power, to change the allocation of Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy and Carbon Offset Fund according to available balances.

Eligible for call-in: Yes

Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Monday 26 January 2026

The following items are not for publication as they relate to the category of exempt information set out below as specified under Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972:

Agenda Item 10:      Proposal for Buckinghamshire Pension Fund to join London CIV – Appendices 1 – 5 (Detailed Proposal, Business Case, LCIV Shareholder Agreement, Shareholder Resolution & LCIV Articles of Association)

These appendices have been classified as exempt under Paragraph 3 of Part 1 Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, namely: “Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)”

Agenda Item 14:     South Kilburn District Heat Network – Tender Outcome & Financial Model Report – Appendix 1 (Name of contractors)

This appendix has been classified as exempt under Paragraph 3 of Part 1 Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, namely: “Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)”

There were no items that required the exclusion of the press or public.

Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Deputy Director Democratic & Corporate Governance or their representative in accordance with Standing Order 60.

There were no items of urgent business.

Following on from the update provided within the Q3 Financial Forecast, Councillor Mili Patel (as Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources) took the opportunity to remind residents that consultation on the Council’s budget proposals for 2026-27 remained open until 30 January 2026.

It was hoped as many residents, business and local partners as possible would be able to participate in the consultation to ensure their views were shared on the local priorities identified in relation to investment, savings and future operation of the Council in advance of the final budget proposals being presented to Cabinet in February 2026 and then referred on to Council for formal approval.