Agenda and minutes

All Members were present.

No interests were declared by Members at this meeting.

The decisions and minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 17 December 2015 were agreed as a correct record.

This was confirmed, with the change that the School Capital Programme Update report would be considered before the Monthly Council Budget Monitoring Report, where there was the addition of a private matter to be discussed as part of that item.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.      Welcomes the report from the External Services Scrutiny Committee on the review into alcohol related A&E admissions amongst under 18s.

2.      Endorses the recommendations of the External Services Scrutiny Committee:

a)      That Cabinet asks the Public Health team to work with The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and ARCH to gather more detailed information about those young people who attend the hospital as a result of substance misuse so that gaps in service provision can be identified and resources can be targeted to those most in need.

b)     That Cabinet asks the Regulatory Services team to encourage the adoption of a Challenge 25 policy by all licensed premises in the Borough.

c)      That Cabinet asks officers working on the Hillingdon Healthy Schools Programme to work with Safer Schools Officers to deliver alcohol risk messages to young people across the Borough.

d)     That Cabinet asks the Hillingdon Local Safeguarding Children's Board to monitor the number of under 18s being admitted to hospital as part of its monthly performance regime and include the results in its Annual Report.

Reasons for decision

The Cabinet Member for Social Services, Health and Housing read out the Chairman of the External Services Committee's comments following a report from the Working Group on alcohol related Accident and Emergency Ward admissions amongst under 18s, chaired by Councillor Dominic Gilham.

Cabinet praised the review's recommendations, which would support the Council and health agencies to improve existing monitoring, education and awareness amongst partner organisations in an effort to reduce incidents of such admissions.

Alternative options considered and rejected

The Cabinet could have decided to reject or amend some or all of the Working Group's recommendations.

Officer to action:

Nikki O'Halloran, Administration Directorate

Classification: Public

The report and any background papers relating to this decision by the Cabinet are available to view on the Council's website or by visiting the Civic Centre, Uxbridge.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.      Note the progress made with primary and secondary school expansions, the school condition programme and other school capital projects.

2.      Approve the 2015/16 School Condition Programme of works as outlined in this report.

3.      Delegate authority to the Deputy Chief Executive and Corporate Director of Residents Services in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Business Services to make any required changes to the school condition programme of works such as the addition or removal of individual projects.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet received its regular update on London’s largest school building programme which would invest over £300m in new local education facilities by 2020. This would ensure that every child in the London Borough of Hillingdon would have a quality place at a local school.

In addition to this, Cabinet approved the forthcoming School Condition Programme, improving the existing fabric of a number of schools in the Borough.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have determined proposals for alternative school condition works.

Officer to action:

Bobby Finch, Residents Services

Classification: Public

The report and any background papers relating to this decision by the Cabinet are available to view on the Council's website or by visiting the Civic Centre, Uxbridge.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.      Note the forecast budget position as at November 2015 (Month 8).

2.      Continue the delegated authority up until the 18 February 2016 Cabinet meeting to the Chief Executive to approve any consultancy and agency assignments over £50k, with final sign-off of any assignments made by the Leader of the Council. Cabinet are also asked to note those consultancy and agency assignments over £50k approved under delegated authority between the 17 December 2015 and 21 January 2016 Cabinet meetings, detailed at Appendix F.

3.      Approve the addition of £111,051 Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) New Burdens Funding to Adult Social Care budgets for 2015/16.

4.      Approve acceptance of Planning Performance Agreement income in respect of the following applications:

·         Old Vinyl Factory, Blyth Road, Hayes (£69k-£92k)

·         15-17 Uxbridge Road, Hayes (£23.5k)

5.      Endorse a decision taken on 19 November 2015 by the Deputy Chief Executive and Corporate Director of Residents Services, in conjunction with the Leader of the Council, to secure a 5 year lease of a new development at 9a Great Central Avenue, South Ruislip, HA4 6TT for temporary accommodation purposes at a cost of £223k per annum.

6.      Note the rate of Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel fuel price fixed by the Corporate Director of Finance, in conjunction with the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Property & Business Services as set out in the report.

7.      Agree that the Council donates £34,200 to the Mayor of Hillingdon's Charitable Trust to support local good causes, funded from the proceeds of the Textile Waste Charitable Fund and the Priority Growth Fund.

8.      Agree all revenue expenditure on ICT Equipment, Equipment and Furniture in the General Fund, HRA and PRA, together with expenditure on Planned Maintenance and contributions to Works to Stock in the HRA is subjected to the same democratic approval procedure as Capital Expenditure (approved by the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Business Services).

Following approval of matters 1-8 on this item in public, Cabinet resolved to go into the private part of the meeting for the remainder of the meeting, in order to consider and make decisions on a matter in relation to Housing Zones in the Borough.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet was informed of the latest forecast revenue, capital and treasury position for the current year 2015/16 to ensure the Council achieved its budgetary and service objectives.

Cabinet made a range of further decisions in relation to the addition of monies for social care burdens, the acceptance of monies to assist in advising on upcoming major development sites and the ratification of previous decisions taken by officers on the provision of affordable housing and the fuel rate set for use in Council vehicles.

Cabinet received supplementary information at the meeting in relation to the Textile Collection Fund, where it decided to donate the monies received to the Mayor's Charitable Trust. Furthermore, Cabinet agreed to institute additional financial controls on expenditure at the democratic level, ensuring the Council remained on a firm financial footing, noting that Members would refine the definitions of expenditure and where appropriate develop any other robust expenditure sign-off arrangements required, including that for urgent expenditure.

Cabinet, in moving to the private part of the meeting, considered a matter in relation to Housing Zones in the Borough and made associated decisions on this, noting that a full public report would come back to Cabinet in due course.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None.

Officer to action:

Paul Whaymand, Finance Directorate

Classification: Public

The report and any background papers relating to this decision by the Cabinet are available to view on the Council's website or by visiting the Civic Centre, Uxbridge.

In considering this public item, Cabinet resolved to move into the private part of the meeting solely to discuss the Home Zones matter tabled by officers. This is because it contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information) and the public interest in withholding the information outweighed the public interest in disclosing it (exempt information under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 as amended.

This is an abridged public record of the Cabinet's decisions on this matter due to the confidential nature of the discussions that took place at the meeting.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet award a contract extension for a further 2 years to the current agreement with Cloudreach for the provision of Google Apps, including Google Vault and Cloudlock add-ons.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet noted that since the Council’s trailblazing move to Google in 2011 for its primary business applications, the London Borough of Hillingdon had benefited from a modern digital desktop and mobile toolkit, productivity improvements along with important financial savings. 

Following a review of the cloud marketplace, Cabinet agreed an extension of the current contract, along with procurement of the required security and audit add-ons, which would enable the Council to continue the deployment of Google collaborative applications across the organisation to provide further innovations and efficiencies in the way staff and the Council operate.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have considered alternative applications by way of a competitive tender exercise, however, in considering the current market place, Cabinet deemed that this would not provide the necessary financial savings at this time.

Officers to action:

Nick McCarthy, Residents Services

Jo Allen, Residents Services

Classification: Private

Whilst the Cabinet's decisions above are always made public, the officer report relating to this matter is not because it was considered in the private part of the meeting and contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information) and the public interest in withholding the information outweighed the public interest in disclosing it (exempt information under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 as amended.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet award the contract for the provision of Ground Maintenance Services for Control of Vegetation to Hard Surfaces (Borough-wide) to Complete Weed Control Trading Ltd. for 3 years with the option to extend for 2x1 year periods.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet agreed to the award of the most economically advantageous tender to provide a high quality weed control programme across the Borough that would assist in the maintenance of the highways and housing estates to be weed free and increase resident satisfaction. Cabinet noted that the weed control contract included the addition of a vegetable dye in their application, which would allow for visual monitoring of the works by officers but also so that residents could see when they had been carried out.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have decided to cancel the weed spraying programme, but rejected this due to the negative visual impact in the Borough that would result.

Officer to action:

Adrian Batten, Residents Services

Classification: Private

Whilst the Cabinet's decisions above are always made public, the officer report relating to this matter is not because it was considered in the private part of the meeting and contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information) and the public interest in withholding the information outweighed the public interest in disclosing it (exempt information under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 as amended.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.      Authorise the deed of variation to allow the developer to implement the revised planning permission.

2.      Delegate authority to the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Business Services, in conjunction with the Deputy Chief Executive and Corporate Director for Residents Services, to make all subsequent decisions about the future of the site.

Reasons for recommendation

Cabinet agree to a Deed of Variation to implement the revised planning permission received by the developer for homes on Brackenbridge Drive, which would also contribute to increasing the supply of housing in the Borough.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have decided not to enable the building of additional homes on this site.

Officer to action:

J McKenna, Residents Services

Classification: Private

Whilst the Cabinet's decisions above are always made public, the officer report relating to this matter is not because it was considered in the private part of the meeting and contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information) and the public interest in withholding the information outweighed the public interest in disclosing it (exempt information under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 as amended.

No additional items were considered by the Cabinet.

The meeting closed at 7.28pm.

* IMPLEMENTATION OF CABINET'S DECISIONS

For Members and Officers only

Meeting after Cabinet, the Executive Scrutiny Committee did not call-in any of the Cabinet's decisions. These can therefore be implemented from 5pm, Friday 29^th January 2016 upon the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period, unless notified otherwise by Democratic Services.

The officers to implement the decisions are indicated in the minutes.