Agenda and minutes

Councillor Conneely (as Chair) welcomed members of the Scrutiny Committee to the meeting. The opportunity was taken to express gratitude to Alice Lester (Corporate Director for Neighbourhoods and Regeneration) for her dedicated service and valuable contributions to numerous Scrutiny Committee meetings during her time at Brent. Her successor, Jehan Weerasinghe (New Corporate Director for Neighbourhoods and Regeneration) was also formally introduced.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Kennelly and Maurice.

No other apologies were received.

It was noted that Councillors Lorber and Long would need to leave the meeting early in order to attend an additional committee meeting.

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 declarations of interest raised during the meeting.

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

No deputations were raised at the meeting.

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

The Committee received a report from the Deputy Director, Democratic and Corporate Governance, which presented the 2025-26 work programme for the Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee.

In considering the report, it was noted that the Kerbside Management Scrutiny Task Group was expected to present its findings at the 4 November 2025 meeting, a change to the programme that was welcomed by the Committee.

Having reviewed the work programme report, it was RESOLVED to note the Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee work programme for the 2025/26 Municipal Year.

The purpose of this report is for the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee to establish a task group to consider the Cabinet’s budget proposals for 2026/27.

The Committee received a report from the Deputy Director, Democratic and Corporate Governance seeking approval to establish a Task Group to consider the Cabinet’s Draft Budget 2026-27.

In considering the report, the Committee noted the proposed remit and role of the Task Group in reviewing the forthcoming priorities and proposals to be identified as part of the 2026/27 budget-setting process. Comments and any draft recommendations from the Task Group were expected to be considered and agreed by the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday 21 January 2026. A report from the Committee would then be presented to Cabinet for consideration on Monday 9 February 2026, alongside the report from the Corporate Director for Finance and Resources on final budget proposals.

A member raised concerns regarding the current approach to budget scrutiny. It was observed that the Committee appeared to be reviewing Cabinet proposals rather than scrutinising the budget in its entirety. The member expressed the view that the information provided to Councillors was insufficient for effective scrutiny, particularly in relation to departmental spending. The need for greater transparency and detail in the financial data presented was emphasised, noting that the current format focused primarily on budget additions, deductions, and new allocations. In light of the current financial pressures, the member advocated for a revised approach that would enable scrutiny of actual expenditure within service units. It was suggested that the Finance Department be requested to provide more meaningful data to support this enhanced scrutiny. In response, the Chair thanked the member for their contribution and acknowledged the importance of the concerns raised. It was noted that the quarterly finance reports, which were also considered by the Budget Scrutiny Task Group, contained relevant financial information. The Chair confirmed that these reports formed an integral part of the Task Group’s work. In addressing the concerns regarding the presentation of the financial data, the Chair invited the member to provide specific feedback on perceived gaps in the information. It was further noted that the Chair would be meeting with the Corporate Director for Finance and Resources later in the month to discuss improvements to the quarterly finance reports, with the aim of strengthening financial scrutiny throughout the year. The Chair welcomed input from all members and confirmed that feedback from other Councillors and the Audit and Standards Committee had already been received regarding areas requiring greater clarity. The Chair expressed a commitment to ensuring that the scrutiny process remained robust and responsive to the Committee’s needs.

As a result, it was RESOLVED:

(1)  Noting the Terms of Reference as set out in section 2.2 of the report, that a Budget Scrutiny Task Group be established, with its membership subsequently confirmed in the minutes of this meeting as detailed below, for agreement at the meeting scheduled for 4 November 2025:

-         Cllr Rita Conneely (Chair)

-         Cllr Ketan Sheth (Vice-Chair)

-         Cllr Anthony Molloy

-         Cllr Ihtesham Afzal

-         Cllr Sandra Kabir (Co-opted member)

This paper addresses points that the Scrutiny Committee has indicated that it wishes to focus on in respect of the Brent Local Plan review. These are an overview of the Local Plan’s performance to date, along with the key priorities, proposed scope, approach, and governance arrangements for the upcoming review.

Councillor Benea (Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Property) was invited to introduce the report relating to the Brent Local Plan Review, which addressed points that the Scrutiny Committee had indicated that it wished to focus on in respect of the Brent Local Plan review. These were an overview of the Local Plan’s performance to date, along with the key priorities, proposed scope, approach, and governance arrangements for the upcoming review. The Local Plan had a key role in balancing social, economic and environmental challenges and opportunities. It was noted that London was distinctive in having a mayor responsible for a regional plan, enabling a more strategic approach across issues such as infrastructure, housing and employment, and ensured consistent policy application, such as minimum affordable housing requirements. It was further stated that London's economic strength also made it an attractive area for investment, leading to some of the highest standards of development, quality and environmental performance in the UK.

In continuing the response, Alice Lester (Corporate Director for Neighbourhoods and Regeneration) provided further context regarding the strategic challenges currently facing the delivery of development projects. It was acknowledged that, while economic cycles were often described as cyclical, a number of industry professionals had expressed the view that the present difficulties were more structural in nature. A range of approaches were being explored to address the prevailing challenges, with particular focus on establishing a framework to facilitate the effective delivery of projects on site.

Having thanked Councillor Benea and Alice Lester for introducing the report, the Chair then moved on to invite questions and comments from the Committee in relation to the Brent Local Plan Review report, with the following comments and issues discussed:

• As an initial query, views were sought around the principal objective or focus that Brent’s Local Plan should aim to deliver for residents. In response, Councillor Benea (Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Property) emphasised the importance of delivering affordable housing that met the needs of Brent’s diverse communities. It was noted that a mixed tenure approach, with particular attention to family homes, was essential. Reference was made to previous work undertaken to assess the concentration of student accommodation in Wembley Park and it was confirmed that future planning would prioritise family housing. It was further stated that housing targets must be realistic and achievable within Brent’s context, while also aligning with the requirements of the London Plan. It was acknowledged that the current paper represented an early stage in the review process and that securing funding for the review remained a critical consideration. The Chair further clarified that the Local Plan document under consideration did not constitute a draft plan, but rather an early opportunity for scrutiny. The purpose of the discussion was to explore emerging ideas and provide constructive feedback to inform future iterations of the Brent Local Plan.

• The Chair then invited officers to reflect on the performance of the existing Local Plan, identifying both areas of success and underperformance, and to outline  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

This report presents the scrutiny recommendations tracker for review by the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee.

(Agenda republished to include this item on 29 August 2025)

In relation to the Scrutiny Progress Update - Recommendations Tracker report, the Chair acknowledged and expressed thanks for the contributions of both the Recycling Team and the Procurement Team for the quality and depth of the information submitted and remarked that the Committee would be reviewing the updates in due course.

The Committee RESOLVED to note the updates provided within the Scrutiny Recommendations Tracker.

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

No items of urgent business were identified.