Agenda and minutes

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.

To hear any deputations received from members of the public in accordance with Standing Order 67.

The Chair agreed to vary the order of business on the agenda to allow the Scrutiny Progress Update – Recommendations Tracker to be considered first. The minutes therefore reflect the order in which the items were dealt with at the meeting.

To approve the minutes of the previous meetings as a correct record –

·         Call In – Barham Park Trust Accounts - 26 October 2023.

·         Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee – 7 November 2023.

·         Call In – STRA Neighbourhood Forum Status – 18 December 2023.

It was RESOLVED that the minutes of the previous meetings held on 26 October 2023, Tuesday 7 November 2023 and 18 December 2023 be approved as a correct record.

In referencing the minutes of the meeting held on 26 October 2023, Councillor Georgiou sought an update regarding the review of the Barham Park Trust Accounts conducted by the Chief Executive. In response, the Committee was advised that the views of the Chief Executive and the outcome of the review was detailed at the Barham Park Trust Committee meeting held on 24 January 2024, with both the meeting and documents accessible to the public.

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

As this was their last meeting in supporting the Committee, the Chair thanked Natalie Connor for their hard work and the support provided to the Committee, with all members joining the Chair in wishing Natalie the best in their future endeavours. 

The purpose of this report is to present the Scrutiny Recommendations Tracker to the Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee.

The Chair advised that all responses on the recommendations tracker were up to date, with the Committee expecting further updates from Planning in February and April 2024. Following their introduction, the Chair invited questions and comments from the Committee regarding the recommendations and any responses received, with the subsequent discussion summarised below:

•         The Committee highlighted the recently published census data on empty properties in the borough, which recognised a much larger number than the Council’s previous estimations, and queried how the Council was intending to use this data to maximise income generation given the financial pressures faced by all local authorities. In response, members noted that a written response would be provided by the Corporate Director of Resident Services prior to the Committee’s next meeting, however, the Committee was advised that the Council was contacting landlords regarding the issue.

•         In response to a question concerning the support that ward councillors could provide in identifying empty properties, the Committee was informed that ward councillors could contact either the Cabinet Member for Housing, Homelessness and Renters Security or the Corporate Director of Resident Services to report any concerns. Nevertheless, it was emphasised that identifying empty properties was also vital for the purpose of housing residents in addition to maximising the Council’s income. Additionally, the Committee heard that the Office for National Statistics (ONS) acknowledged the possibility that data from the most recent census was likely atypical due to being conducted during the coronavirus pandemic, as many residents were absent from the borough.

•         Although appreciating the finite resources available within the Council which meant that the recommendation to undertake a cumulative equality impact assessment of the budget decisions since 2018 was not feasible, the Committee expressed disappointment in the manner in which this decision was communicated and welcomed a more collaborative process in the future. Furthermore, as evaluating the impact of budget cuts would inform future work of the Committee, the Chair explained that the recommendation would remain on the tracker and invited alternative proposals for reviewing the impact of budget decisions. In recognising the importance of implementing the Committee’s recommendations where possible, Councillor Tatler welcomed proposals for a more collaborative feedback mechanism between Cabinet and the Committee.

To receive the Safer Brent Partnership (SBP) Annual Report and review delivery of the SBP priorities and objectives for 2022-23.

Will Lexton-Jones (Detective Superintendent, Northwest Borough Command Unit, Metropolitan Police and Chair of the Safer Brent Partnership) introduced the report, which detailed the activities undertaken by the Safer Brent Partnership to support the agreed priorities during 2022-2023. In providing members with further context regarding their role within the Metropolitan Police and as Chair of the Safer Brent Partnership (SBP), Will Lexton-Jones explained that they were the senior officer in charge of Brent following the new structure within the Metropolitan Police introduced to ensure that each borough had a designated responsible officer and had assumed Chairing responsibilities for the SBP in late 2023 on a rolling basis. In focussing on their role as SBP Chair, Will Lexton-Jones outlined that the Chair’s duty was to ensure that the Partnership was held accountable and that the Partnership priorities were delivered. To conclude, the Committee was advised that the new Safer Brent Community Safety Strategy was formed by a public health approach which relied upon early intervention and prevention, and given that they had only assumed the role of SBP Chair relatively recently, praise was given to the work of officers, Councillor Farah (Cabinet Member for Safer Communities and Public Protection) and Carolyn Downs (former Chief Executive, Brent Council) for their efforts in leading the SBP and developing the new Community Safety Strategy.

In adding to the comments of Will Lexton-Jones, Councillor Farah emphasised the importance of collaborative working with statutory partners, the voluntary and community sector and neighbouring boroughs as it was stated that no single agency could deliver the priorities of the SBP. Furthermore, Councillor Farah commended the work of the SBP over the previous year and reiterated the ambitious goals of the new Community Safety Strategy which was scheduled to be considered at Cabinet in February 2024. In finalising the introduction of the report, Kibibi Octave (Director of Communities, Brent Council) explained that due to the timescales between now and when the previous Annual Report had been considered by the Committee, the 2022-23 Report did not cover a full calendar year. However, the Committee noted that future reporting periods would aim to cover a full calendar year to enable members to review the progress of the Safer Brent Partnership and Community Safety Team more effectively.

During the consideration of the agenda item, the following key points were discussed:

•         In response to a query regarding the community engagement undertaken for the new Community Safety Strategy, particularly with impacted communities, the Committee was informed that information was shared via the Police’s public platform which allowed residents to view borough and ward crime rates. Moreover, members noted that Safer Neighbourhood Board’s held public meetings, in which the Police attended, which enabled public scrutiny regarding the delivery of local priorities. Lastly, it was explained that the Police held encounter panels which reviewed the use of force and stop and search.

•         Regarding the issue of increased visibility of Police in hot spot areas, the Committee was advised that resources were limited and therefore if  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To present the findings and recommendations of the Budget Scrutiny Task Group, following its review of the Council’s draft budget proposals for 2024/25.

As Councillor Conneely was Chair of the Budget Scrutiny Task Group and would present the report, chairing responsibilities for the item were delegated to Councillor Long, Vice Chair of the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee. Following the transfer of chairing responsibilities, Councillor Conneely was then invited to present the report to the Committee.

To begin, Councillor Conneely thanked Councillors Ketan Sheth, Molloy, Smith and Jayanti Patel for their work as part of the Budget Scrutiny Task Group, before detailing that the upcoming financial year would be the most challenging year in terms of financial stability for local authorities across the country as a result of cumulative funding cuts from central government. Consequently, Councillor Conneely outlined that it was difficult for the Task Group to suggest alternative proposals due to the limited resources available to the Council. In emphasising the need for wholesale reforms to the manner in which local authorities were funded, Councillor Conneely reiterated the importance of partnership working and collaboration to achieve shared goals and deliver priorities. To conclude, the Committee was advised that due to the recommendations made by the Task Group, Cabinet had revised their decision to close the New Millenium Day Centre, which would now remain open through a multi-service offer.

Following Councillor Connelly’s introduction, contributions, comments and questions were sought from the Committee, with the subsequent discussion summarised below:

•         The Committee highlighted the lack of consultation regarding the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and given its importance as a revenue stream for the Council, queried whether engagement and consultation should be held on a more frequent basis, such as via resident and tenant boards. In response, members were advised that engagement and consultation was undertaken yearly with residents and stakeholders regarding the HRA. Furthermore, concerning the budget proposals for the upcoming financial year, members were reassured that partners and stakeholders had been contacted to encourage feedback, meetings had been offered to discuss the proposals and residents had been engaged where possible, with the Council commencing the consultation in November 2023 to ensure stakeholders had sufficient opportunity to provide feedback, ahead of many councils across the country.

•         In response to the recommendation to condense the budget engagement material to improve the accessibility of the documents, members were informed that this would be explored, but it was emphasised that all relevant information needed to be provided to ensure transparency and accountability. Furthermore, the Committee noted that the Council was restricted regarding when engagement could commence due to the current trend of single-year settlements. It was explained that once multi-year settlements had been established engagement could begin earlier.

•         In recognising the efforts of officers in preparing the draft budget for consultation at such an early stage in the process, members queried the role that ward councillors could have in spreading awareness of the budget proposals and seeking feedback to further support the engagement efforts of the Council.

•         In response to Recommendation 2, to develop clear and concise proposals, the Committee was informed that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To provide an update on any changes to the Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee’s work programme.

The Committee noted that the ‘Draft Property Strategy/Asset Review Findings’ item had been moved from the 24 January 2024 meeting to instead be considered at the 27 February 2024 meeting. Furthermore, the ‘Regeneration in Brent’ item was now scheduled to be considered at the 23 April 2024 meeting rather than the 27 February 2024 meeting.

Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Head of the Chief Executive and Member Services or her representative before the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 60.

None.