Agenda and minutes

Residents, Education and Environmental Services Policy Overview Committee - Wednesday, 27th June, 2018 7.00 pm

Venue: Committee Room 6 - Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge UB8 1UW. View directions

Contact: Neil Fraser  01895 250692

Items
No. Item

3.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Anthony Little, Education Representative.

4.

Declaration of Interest in matters coming before this meeting

Minutes:

None.

5.

To confirm that all items marked Part 1 will be considered in Public and that any items marked Part 2 will be considered in Private

Minutes:

It was confirmed that all items were marked as Part I, and would therefore be considered in public.

6.

To agree the Minutes of the previous meetings pdf icon PDF 115 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meetings held on 27 March and 10 May 2018 be agreed as a correct record.

7.

Introduction to Overview and Scrutiny pdf icon PDF 178 KB

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report which provided Members with an overview of the general purpose and role of the Council’s policy overview and scrutiny arrangements, the Committee’s update remit and Terms of Reference, and how reviews were undertaken.

 

Members discussed potential review topics, and suggestions included:

 

·         School places and the Local Plan Part II

·         Youth Services

·         Impact of HS2 and Crossrail

·         Fly tipping

 

Members agreed that the Committee first undertake a review into ‘Payment modernisation across key resident services, including new car parking technologies to improve user experience.’ It was requested that a scoping report on this topic be brought to the July meeting.

 

It was agreed that an informational item on fly tipping was to be added to the work programme.

 

RESOLVED: 

 

1.    That the report be noted;

2.    That the Committee commission a review into ‘Payment modernisation across key resident services, including new car parking technologies to improve user experience.’; and

3.    That an informational item on fly tipping be added to the Committee’s work programme.

 

 

 

 

8.

Update on School Admissions pdf icon PDF 77 KB

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report detailing the allocation of primary and secondary school places offered in the Borough for September 2018. An amendment to the financial implications set out in the report was tabled, and set out below:

 

Corporate Finance has reviewed this report and confirms that there are no direct financial implications arising from the recommendations set out above. The Council continues to invest in its flagship School Expansion Programme, which remains at the centre of the approved Capital Programme, providing additional school places for both the Secondary and Primary sectors within the approved Capital Budgets of £28.9m in 2018/19.’

 

Key points of the report were highlighted, and included:

 

·         100% of children were offered a school place on National Offer Day.

·         95.11% of Hillingdon pupils were offered one of their preferred schools. This was above the London average of 93.02%.

·         To meet the growing demand for school places in the Borough, Hillingdon had invested £12.3m to rebuild and expand Oak Wood School in Hillingdon, and had approved plans to offer an additional 300 secondary school places at Vyners School in Ickenham. Expansion at Ruislip High School would also create a further 174 places for future admissions.

 

Members asked a number of questions, including:

 

The number of children being offered their preferred secondary school was declining. What was Hillingdon doing to address this?

 

Hillingdon officers regularly attended parent evenings, at which parents were given advice on admissions. Often, parents’ preferred schools were unrealistic, and so it was important to manage expectations and ensure that parents understood that they would be more successful if they were to apply for their local schools. The expansion of the secondary schools, as detailed in the report, would help address demand for places.

 

Hillingdon’s admissions team conducted an annual school refresh, which included a review of admissions trends and their possible causes. In this instance, no specific reasons for the trend in secondary school applications had been identified.

 

How much spare capacity remained for admissions into Year 7 in September 2018?

 

The team was continuing to process admissions for September, and certain areas of the Borough had vacancies remaining. A snapshot figure could be provided to the Committee following the meeting.

 

Demand for school places was often subject to varying peaks and troughs, though without any identified reason. Forecasts showed a level of capacity that was required to meet demand. Though it was often necessary to maintain a moderate amount of surplus places, further dialogue with schools regarding places and funding was required to ensure that this surplus capacity was not disproportionate across the Borough.

 

The new Local Plan Part 2 had highlighted a need for extra school places, this showing that 7 more forms of entry of primary places were required in the south of the borough and 2 in the north, and that extra secondary school places were required in both the north and south of the Borough.  Had new factors been identified that would result in future increased demand?  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.

Cabinet Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 51 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered the Cabinet forward Plan.

 

It was suggested that a report on the School Capital Programme be brought to a meeting of the Committee, to allow the Committee to provide comments prior to the matter being considered by Cabinet in September. It was agreed that the clerk would review whether this was possible.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.    That the Cabinet Forward Plan be noted; and

2.    That the clerk review the potential for the Committee to consider a report on the School Capital Programme prior to its determination at the Cabinet meeting in September.

 

10.

Multi-Year Work Programme: 2018-2020 pdf icon PDF 56 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the new two-year Work Programme.

 

Members suggested a number of amendments and additional items, which included:

 

·         A quarterly report into school places;

·         An annual report into school improvements;

·         The removal of the informational item on allotments and its replacement by an informational item on Building Control;

·         Fly tipping.

 

It was agreed that the suggested amendments be reviewed, and an updated programme be brought to the next meeting of the Committee.

 

RESOLVED: 

 

1.    That the work programme be noted;

2.    That the suggested amendments be reviewed, and an updated programme be brought to the next meeting of the Committee.