Agenda item

To receive reports from the Chairs of the Council’s Scrutiny Committees in accordance with Standing Order 36. The reports have been attached as follows:

13.1    Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny

(Agenda republished to include the update report from the Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee on 18 September 2024)

13.2    Committee Community & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

Members are asked to note that this session will include an opportunity (within the time available) for Non-Cabinet Members to ask questions of relevant Scrutiny Chair’s in relation to the remit of their Committees.

Before being presented with the updates from each Scrutiny Committee, the Mayor reminded members the time set aside for this item was 12 minutes, with each Chair having up to three minutes in which to highlight any significant issues arising from the work of their Committees.  Once these updates had been provided, the remaining time available would then be opened up for any other non-Cabinet members to question (without the need for advance notice) the Scrutiny Committee Chairs on matters relating to the work of their Committee.

As Councillor Ketan Sheth had given his apologies for the meeting, the Mayor advised that the report on the activity of the Community & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee would be noted as submitted.

The Mayor then invited Councillor Conneely as chair of the Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee to introduce the update report on the work being undertaken by that Committee.  The following issues were highlight as part of the update:

·            The work undertaken to finalise the Committee’s work programme for 2024-25 recognising its flexible, dynamic and broad ranging nature and engagement  of relevant stakeholders and the local community in its development.

·            The wide-ranging nature of scrutiny activity undertaken by the Committee since the last update, with key issues highlighted as an outcome of this work including:

Ø   The ongoing monitoring of Brent’s overall financial position based on detailed updates regarding the financial outturn position for 2022-23, current financial forecast and the medium-term financial outlook with the Council continuing to operate in a challenging financial environment with an uncertain funding outlook and the potential for significant ongoing spending pressures in demand-led services such as social care and homelessness.  As a  result, the Committee had recommended the continuation of lobbying efforts for the urgent reform of local government finance in order to provide local authorities with greater options for how they raised and spent resources (e.g. fiscal devolution options leading to more freedoms over local revenues such as 100% business rates retention and flexible use/spend of community infrastructure levy (CIL) monies) along with calling for an end to the privatisation of Children’s social care services and greater co-ordinated between local authorities in the commissioning of services designed to curb profiteering by private companies and create new insourcing opportunities.

Ø   The review of the initial year of operation of the new Grounds Maintenance Contract which had included contributions from local stakeholder groups and the Committee keen to encourage greater communication and collaboration between the new contractor and these groups as a result.  Other issues highlighted had been the need to provide a clearer outline of expected standards, performance, key achievements, challenges  and priorities within the Grounds Maintenance contract along with improved coordination between the verge cutting and street cleaning operations across the borough.

Ø   The review of the contribution being made through i4B Holdings Ltd (i4B) and First Wave Housing Ltd towards delivery of the Council’s strategic housing objectives and in contributing towards the provision of affordable housing.  This had resulted in the Committee highlighting a need to explore further opportunities for i4B/First Wave Housing Ltd to reduce temporary accommodation costs and expand the supply of affordable housing in a non-risk adverse manner as well as the potential to revise the viability assessment criteria to account for factors like temporary accommodation cost avoidance in order to support the delivery of more affordable housing whilst also carrying out targeted work to source/purchase specific properties for households wishing to downsize and relocate.

·            The ongoing focus and work of the Committee in seeking to encourage, where identified as required, change and improvements in the way services were being delivered for local communities across the borough involving all relevant stakeholders including a focus in the new Year on the Safer Brent Partnership Annual Report.

The Mayor thanked Councillor Conneely for presenting the update and it was RESOLVED that the contents of both Scrutiny Update reports be noted.

Following the updates provided, the Mayor advised that the remainder of time available would be open for questions from non-cabinet members to the Scrutiny ChairsThe Mayor reminded members of the need to ensure that questions raised were focused on the updates provided or the work being undertaken by the relevant Committee.

As a result, Councillor Kelcher took the opportunity to highlight the suggestion made at a recent Planning Committee, following consideration of an application to extend the number of events hosted at Wembley Stadium, that scrutiny be asked to consider undertaking a wider review of the efforts being made to engage with local residents and local ward councillors in seeking to review the impact of event days on the borough.  In response, Councillor Conneely advised that she would be willing to consider the issue as part of the Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee work programme pointing out this had been a matter previously identified by the Committee.

As no further questions were raised the Mayor advised that he would move to the next item and thanked all members for their contribution.