Agenda item

To receive reports from the Leader or members of the Executive in accordance with Standing Order 42.

(a)       Items reported by the Executive

Civil disturbances - Council and partner response

The Leader referred to the earlier debate on crime and community safety and the motions to be discussed later in the meeting regarding the civil disturbances.

Schools contracts - joint procurement of school services

Councillor Arnold (Lead Member for Children and Families) reported that the Executive had approved a framework agreement for providing cleaning services to schools which would offer schools greater choice and increase efficiency.

Consultation on schools for the future and schools places strategy

Councillor Arnold (Lead Member for Children and Families) reported that demand for school places was forecast to exceed supply over the next four years.  Schools and governing bodies had been consulted on the types of schools that should be developed and their views had been fed in to the strategy to provide primary school places up to 2014/15 considered by the Executive at its last meeting.

Town centre improvement - Willesden Green

Councillor Crane (Lead Member for Regeneration and Major Projects) reported that the Council had successfully bid to the Mayor of London's 'out of London fund' and had received £1/2M.  A number of projects focussed on current strategic areas had been considered for spending the money on and it had been decided to put it towards the Willesden Green project which aimed to bring back into use 20 shops and redevelop the library building to include the provision of commercial studios.  It was hoped this would kick start regeneration of the area and create additional local jobs.

Park Royal business improvement district status

Councillor Crane (Lead Member for Regeneration and Major Projects) reported on the support given by the Council to the Park Royal partnership to achieve Business Improvement District (BID) status.  This would result in inward investment of around £1M per annum for 5 years.  The BID company was in the process of being established.

Village school temporary building

Councillor Crane (Lead Member for Regeneration and Major Projects) reported that the temporary school building had been completed on time and within budget and so was now being occupied for the start of the new school year.  Rebuilding of the main school building had begun in July and was on programme.

School crossing patrols

Councillor J Moher (Lead Member for Highways and Transportation) reported that following consultation, a proposal would be put to the Executive not to withdraw any patrols at the present time.  Instead, a voluntary approach would be adopted whereby discussions would be held with schools to encourage them to meet the costs in locations where it was considered a patrol was still necessary.  In other areas natural wastage would be allowed to reduce the number of patrols where these were no longer needed because of improvements in road safety.  He confirmed that the Council would continue to use the risk evaluation model in order to take decisions on where patrols were needed.

b.         Decisions taken by the Executive under the Council's urgency provisions

RESOLVED:-

that the decisions taken by the Executive under the Council's urgency provisions relating to the following be noted:

Consideration of representations to proposals to introduce pay and display parking controls in Preston Road and Bridge Road

Removal and replacement of contaminated soil from St Raphael's and Brentfield estates