Agenda item

The Leader of the council, Councillor John (OBE) will attend the meeting to discuss the main issues facing the council and the administrations priorities.

Councillor John (Leader of the Council) provided an update on the key issues facing the Council and the priorities that it would seek to address.  Councillor John began by describing the Council’s financial circumstances which required it to identify savings of £94 million, up from the £50 million initially needed.  There were a number of streams of funding that were either being reduced or stopped altogether, including area based, performance award and housing grants.  Members noted that because of the acute financial constraints, some services would need to be changed in the way they were delivered, whilst for others there needed to be consideration as to whether they were of sufficient priority to continue.  Councillor John emphasised that the Council needed to be smarter and better in service delivery and that it faced many difficult challenges ahead.  It was important that a coherent and disciplined approach was taken by the Executive.

Councillor John then set out what the Council had undertaken so far and what its future objectives would be.  Members noted that £6.6 million savings would be achieved this year and the £25 charge to remove bulky waste would be abolished.  A pilot initiative to boost local shopping facilities for the local community would be launched, whilst there was an aspiration to ultimately reach a recycling waste target of 60 per cent as against the present rate of approximately 28 per cent.  This would require introducing a number of measures and changing the behaviour of residents.  Councillor John commented that there had already been a number of regeneration schemes in Brent in the last decade and stressed the need that regeneration continues, particularly in Alperton, South Kilburn, the North Circular Road area, Church End, Burnt Oak and the Colindale Corridor.  The regeneration of Wembley continued to be the most pivotal, with the intention to provide more entertainment and homes and make the area a destination venue and the developers, Quintain PLC, were ready for the next phase of the scheme.

Councillor John advised that improving the Council’s green credentials was another important priority, including reducing CO2 emissions, signing up to the Green Charter and a commitment to Fair Trade products.  It was the Council’s intention to improve the Public Realm, including improving parks, sports and leisure and also swimming pool facilities where there was a particular shortfall in provision.  Extending the provision of mobile swimming pools could be considered as such pools had been well used in instances where they had been provided.  The Committee heard that pressure on school places continued to be a problem and there was a need to improve youth facilities, however there would be difficulties in obtaining additional funding required to achieve this.  There were also a number of significant changes that were taking place in some service areas, including Adult Social Care with a move towards fulfilling the Personalisation agenda, of which there was a need for more comprehensive consultation with adults with special needs and learning disabilities, their carers and relatives.  This would also entail consideration of the future of the Day Centres in the Borough.  The Council would continue to work with the police and partners to reduce crime and the fear of crime.  Councillor John emphasised that the opening of the Civic Centre in 2013 would make a significant contribution to achieving the Council’s savings targets, as well as providing improved working conditions and being amongst the most greenest buildings in the Country.  Members noted that the Corporate Strategy was presently being drafted.  Councillor John concluded by stating that the overall objectives were to make the Council more efficient whilst also providing higher quality services.

During Members’ discussion, Councillor Colwill (Vice Chair in the Chair) enquired what risks were posed in delivering the Corporate Strategy.  He commented that issues such as parks, Adult Social Care and swimming pool provision were all areas that the Committee could consider.  Councillor Kabir felt that the provision of GP services needed to be looked at, especially in light of the changes that were being made in the Health Sector.  Councillor Long felt that there needed to be a more co-ordinated approach in promoting Brent as a Fairtrade Borough, stating that there were currently few outlets in Brent that supported Fairtrade.  She suggested that cafes on Council premises could lead by example by stocking Fairtrade products.  Councillor Mistry enquired whether any improvements could be made to the Town Hall Annexe in the interim before the Council moved to the Civic Centre.

Councillor Clues felt that there was a need for the Council to be more open and accessible to the public and build a rapport with residents in view of the challenging circumstances that were faced.  This could include increasing consultation and considering other ways in which the Council could consult with residents.  Councillor Lorber enquired whether the Executive was fully supportive of the move to the Civic Centre and sought confirmation as to whether the regeneration of the North Circular Road area was still proposed.  Clarification was sought with regard to the Council’s present recycling rate.  Councillor Lorber commented that the Council had made preparations some 24 months in advance the savings that it had identified and there had already been a number of initiatives, such as the deletion of a number of management posts that had delivered significant savings.  He enquired whether there other staff reductions planned which would go substantially beyond that which had already been carried out.  With regard to withdrawing the fee to collect bulky waste items, Councillor Lorber stated that this issue had been considered by the previous administration and this service had never been free to landlords, however with the growth in rented properties there had been reason to consider introducing the charge.  Councillor Mashari spoke of the need to review youth services and improve facilities for this age group, stating that such a measure would also provide many other wider benefits to the community, such as helping to reduce crime.  She felt that every effort should be made to ensure that savings initiatives had minimal impact on young and vulnerable people.  Councillor Mashari also suggested that there needed to be better information sharing between schools, the police and the Council.

In reply to the issues raised, Councillor John advised that the proposals to remove funding and powers from local authorities by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government posed considerable challenges in delivering the Corporate Strategy.  The Corporate Strategy would include objectives with regard to encouraging Fairtrade within the Borough and would begin through changing Council internal supplies to Fairtrade products before steps were taken to boost use of Fairtrade goods in the wider Borough.  With regard to Council buildings, Councillor John commented that there were other buildings as well as the Town Hall Annexe whose working conditions could be better, although all buildings met Health and Safety standards.  She stressed the importance in ensuring staff moves to the Civic Centre were undertaken swiftly in order to minimise disruption.  The Committee heard that there had been some questions amongst some Executive Members with regard to the consultation process for the Civic Centre, however all supported the move to the new building.  Newly elected councillors had been provided with a lot of information concerning the Civic Centre proposals and the benefits of the move. Councillor John acknowledged that because of the challenging circumstances for local authorities it would be difficult to maintain a positive image with residents and some difficult decisions needed to be made.  She welcomed any suggestions with regard to consultation and making the Council more accessible, adding that Council meetings were generally not particularly popular with residents. 

Councillor John confirmed that it remained the intention of the Council to pursue a regeneration scheme for the North Circular Road area.  She stated that the bulky waste charge had been dropped as it was a burden to those on small incomes and added that the Council would be obliged to collect bulky waste in any case in the event of it being dumped.  Councillor John added that the bulky waste charge had proven to be unpopular and had not been effective.   The amount of savings required could not be underestimated and in terms of staff costs, a number of issues needed to be revisited, such as the fact that some officers’ salaries had an Inner London Weighting attached, others an Outer London Weighting and other additional payments and overtime arrangements also needed to be reviewed.  Members were informed that withdrawal of Government funding in a particular area could mean in some instances the end of a particular function and therefore also certain jobs.  Councillor John stressed the role of scrutiny in providing input into this issue.  Councillor John welcomed there being a number of younger councillors being elected and felt they could play a significant role in giving a voice to young people.  However, she warned that lack of funding limited opportunities to increase youth facilities.  In spite of this, many schools had undertaken good initiatives and every effort would be made to encourage young people to use Council facilities, whilst there would also be a focus on using school facilities more often.  Councillor John advised Members that some organisations in the Voluntary Sector would have funding withdrawn or reduced and that provision of GP services would come under the remit of the Health Select Committee. 

Phil Newby (Director of Policy and Regeneration) confirmed that provision of GP services was part of the Health Select Committee work programme and that the Government were making a number of announcements in respect of health provision and were considering what statutory responsibilities local authorities should have.  He advised Members that it had been suggested that Councils create a Health and Well-Being Board as part of its’ Executive function and developments on this would be reported to the Health Select Committee.

Cathy Tyson (Assistant Director – Policy, Policy and Regeneration) confirmed that the present recycling rate was around 28 per cent, however it had reached a peak of 32 per cent.