Agenda and minutes

Cllr Keith Burrows

Cllr Douglas Mills declared a personal and prejudicial interest in agenda item 6 (minute 92) on the agenda as the Chairman of Governors of the Ruislip High School and left the room for the duration of this item.

Cllr David Simmonds declared a personal interest agenda item 5 (minute 91) because his residence was in close proximity to a building on the draft local list. In addition, as Chairman of Hayes and Harlington Conservatives, the Association had an office within a building on the draft local list.

Cllr George Cooper declared a personal interest in agenda item 5 (minute 91) because his residence was in close proximity to a building on the draft local list.

Cllr Ray Puddifoot declared a personal interest in agenda item 5 (minute 91) as Chief Executive of TheMagdi Yacoub Institute and as a Foundation Governor of the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust. This was because Harefield Hospital was on the draft local list.

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed as a correct record.

The Cabinet confirmed this.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1. Approves the draft Local List of Buildings of Architectural or Historic Importance as attached in Appendix 1 of the report.
2. Agrees a period of borough wide public consultation to seek the views of residents and other interested groups on the draft document.
3. Approves a revised programme for the review as set out in Appendix 3 of the report.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet noted that between March and May 2009, a borough wide pre-consultation exercise with local groups had been undertaken to seek their views on a revised Local List of Buildings of Architectural or Historic Importance. All the suggestions, together with the buildings already included on the list were assessed by officers using the agreed eligibility criteria and scoring system. The resulting draft Local List was therefore approved for public consultation by the Cabinet. Cabinet considered the list to include those buildings that not only enhance the quality of the built environment, but also help to maintain a sense of local distinctiveness within the Borough.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have decided not to revise the existing Local List, leaving buildings worthy of local designation unrecognised and vulnerable to insensitive development and the concerns of residents and Councillors unaddressed.

Officers to action:

Nairita Chakraborty / Sarah Harper, Planning & Community Services

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.      Note the forecast budget position for revenue and capital as at Month 6.

2.      Note the treasury management update in Appendix B.

3.      Note the external funding update in Appendix C

4.      Approves the use of S106 for Ruislip High School and the virement of this budget from Education & Children’s Services to Major Construction Projects.

Reasons for decisions

Cabinet received a report setting out the council’s overall 2009/10 revenue & capital position, as forecasted at the end of Month 6 (September), noted the latest treasury management and external funding position and made a decision to use identified s106 funding to cover an overspend for the Ruislip High School project.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None.

Officer to action:

Paul Whaymand, Finance and Resources

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.                  Agree that officers conduct further negotiations with Bidders A & B to seek maximisation of their bids, and that the results of these negotiations be reported to the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Finance & Business Services for their final decision.

2.                  Agree that should neither of the bidders proceed then the matter be reported back to Cabinet to consider further options

Reasons for decision

Cabinet considered the outcome of a recent marketing exercise undertaken in respect of the Belmore Allotments site and gave approval to negotiate with the two top bidders. The marketing exercise was undertaken to provide funding for the Council’s Capital Programme.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have decided to retain the site, which would have resulted in a significant capital shortfall for the funding of the Capital Programme.

Officer to action:

M McNamara, Planning and Community Services

Exempt Information

This report was included in Part II as 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.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet authorises officers to re-market the Frank Welch Court site in the open market with full disclosure of the covenant restricting the use of the site by a method to be decided by the Head of Corporate Property Services in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Business Services.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet noted that Frank Welch Court had been vacant from August 2005 until its demolition in April 2007 and agreed to proceed with the re-market of the site to enable it to be developed for housing for older people.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have sold the site to a Registered Social Landlord or decided to leave it vacant and unused.

Officer to action:

Mayur Patel, Planning & Community Services

Exempt Information

This report was included in Part II as 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.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1. Note the award of Contract 1 to Scottish and Southern Electricity for the supply of Quarterly Non Half Hourly electricity, as per the approval of the Corporate Director with delegated authority (under £100K), and to accept the award of Contract 2 to Scottish and Southern Electricity.

2. Accept the Electricity supply offers from Scottish and Southern Electric for the supply of electricity to the properties as detailed in the attachment to the report

Reasons for decision

Cabinet agreed to accept the competitive electricity supply offer from Scottish and Southern Energy for the supply of electricity to 461 properties of the London Borough of Hillingdon - the properties being a combination of council owned properties and housing owned properties.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have decided not to have a supply contract in place or changed supplies to the Office of Government Commerce supplier.

Officers to action:

Geoff Eldridge / Bob Alabaster, Planning & Community Services and Finance and Resources

Exempt Information

This report was included in Part II as 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.

The report on Item 10 has been circulated less than 5 working days before the Cabinet meeting and will be considered only if it is agreed by the Chairman to be urgent. This is because of the need to appoint a contractor to construct the clubhouse in order to expend the grant being provided by the British Cycling Federation by the end of March 2010.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet:

1. Note the contents of this report and agree to the development of option 2 of the Minet Cycle Circuit Clubhouse;
2. Agree to increase the Councils financial contribution to £100,000 to meet 50% of the shortfall for option 2 and to develop the project subject to the agreement by the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Business Services;
3. Authorise officers to secure an equivalent amount in match funding from the British Cycling Federation to proceed with the selected option;
4. Acknowledge the contribution of £15,000 being made by the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit Users Group and Slip Streamers Cycle Club to fund the shortfall in developing option 2 should Cabinet decide to choose the larger building;
5. Instruct Officers to expend the financial contribution being made by the BCF in the first instance and by the 31/3/10 to mitigate the risk of losing the funding from the organisation;
6. Agree to the appointment of the professional consultants and/or advisers as identified in the body of the report;
7. Agree to the appointment of Wernick Buildings Limited as the councils preferred contractor to construct the clubhouse and;
8. Authorise officers, in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Finance and Business Services and Culture, Sport & Leisure, to grant the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit Users Group a full repairing lease for 25 years of the clubhouse along with land already leased to them, upon which they have placed a storage container, as shown in the attached plan numbered HAY702 and dated 01.04.2010, after negotiating suitable terms and an appropriate market rent for both. In the event that the proposed rent is to be considered for a discount under the Council's Voluntary Sector Leasing Policy or exceeds delegated authority levels, officers will then report back to Cabinet for a final decision.

Reasons for decision

The Cabinet approved a number of recommendations to progress the Council’s commitment of developing new facilities at the Minet Cycle Circuit Clubhouse. Cabinet approved to progress with its construction. The development would meet the needs of the various user groups of the cycle circuit and in particular the Slip Streamers who cater for young children, juniors and youths.

Alternative Options Considered and rejected

Cabinet could have decided not to progress the development of the cycle circuit clubhouse.

Officers to action:

Jean Palmer / Mohamed Bhimani, Planning & Community Services. Norman Benn, Deputy Chief Executive’s Office.

Exempt Information

This report was included in Part II as 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.

Following a request by the British Cycling Federation for a copy of the Part 2 report on this item, Cabinet’s consent was given at its subsequent meeting on 17 December to withdraw the exempt nature of the report solely for the use of the British Cycling Federation, subject to a confidentiality agreement.

Urgency Provisions

This report had been circulated less than 5 working days before the Cabinet meeting and was agreed by the Chairman to be considered as urgent.

None.

The meeting closed at 7.25pm

THE ABOVE DECISIONS MADE BY THE CABINET DO NOT COME INTO EFFECT UNTIL FRIDAY 27^th NOVEMBER 2009, UNLESS CALLED-IN BY THE EXECUTIVE SCRUTINY COMMITTEE. MEMBERS AND OFFICERS WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE NOTIFIED OF ANY CALL-IN.