Agenda and minutes

All Cabinet Members were present.

No interests were declared by Cabinet Members.

The minutes and decisions of the Cabinet meeting held on 23 June 2016 were agreed as a correct record.

This was confirmed by the Cabinet.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.      Note the forecast budget position as at May 2016 (Month 2).

2.      Continue the delegated authority up until the September 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 23 June 2016 and 21 July 2016 Cabinet meetings, detailed at Appendix F.

3.      Approve re-phasing of £23,897k capital expenditure and financing budgets to future years of the capital programme.

4.      Accept grant funding of £159k from Transport for London for the 2016/17 Bridge Assessment and Strengthening Programme.

5.      Approve the award of a £43k grant to Grangewood Special Needs School to assist in funding the installation of the children's playground under the adopted criteria for the funding of Academy Schools related projects from Chrysalis budgets.

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

·         Hyde Park, Hayes (Now known locally as Rackspace City) Plot 6 (Erection of 150 bed hotel) (£17,500)

·         Unit 3, Millingdon Road, Hayes, Erection of Selco builders yard unit and coach maintenance/servicing unit and depot (Sui Generis) (£17,500)

·         Southall Gas Works (processing of pre-commencement conditions related to Mayoral Approval relevant to the London Borough of Hillingdon) (£23,500)

Reasons for decision

Cabinet received the latest forecast revenue, capital and treasury position for the current year 2016/17 to ensure the Council achieved its budgetary and service objectives.  Cabinet rephrased capital expenditure to support the Council's priority programmes going forward; accepted grant funding for transportation works; awarded a grant to Grangewood Special Needs School for a playground and; accepted gift funding for upcoming planning developments.

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.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet note the progress made with primary and secondary school expansions, the school condition programme and other school capital projects.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet noted progress on the Council's major school building and expansion programme to ensure that every child in Hillingdon would have a quality place at a local school.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None.

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.      Notes the contents of the Homelessness Review and;

2.      Endorses the Homelessness Review as the first stage towards the development of Hillingdon Council's Homelessness Strategy 2016-2020.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet noted the statutory obligation to produce a strategy to address homelessness and agreed to undertaken a review of homelessness in the Borough, particularly to support vulnerable households and to be reported back to Members for further consideration.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None, as this is was a statutory requirement.

Officer to action:

Dan Kennedy, Resident 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.      Agrees to accept the tender received from 21st Century Lifts Limited for the replacement of the two passenger lifts installed within Harding House, Hayes, the two passenger lifts installed within Sutcliffe House, Hayes and the one passenger lift installed within Drayton Court, West Drayton and;

2.      Agrees to award a contract for these same works to KONE Plc, the parent company of 21st Century Lifts Limited, at a lump sum fixed price value of £603,273.00 based upon the Council's specification.

Reasons for decision

Following a competitive procurement exercise, Cabinet accepted the most economically advantageous tender for the replacement of the two passenger lifts installed in the Council's property at Harding House, Hayes, the two passenger lifts installed at Sutcliffe House, Hayes and a single passenger lift installed at Drayton Court, West Drayton.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have decided to take no action and continue to maintain the operation of the existing lifts, which were currently unreliable resulting in costly repairs and comment from residents.

Officer to action:

Chris Tuohy, 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.      Approve the appointment of lead consultant Philip Pank Partnership, for professional, technical and construction services at a cost of £78k in order to carry out the tasks necessary to prepare full proposals and deliver the 7 new-builds, 5 conversions and 3 extensions to completion.

2.      Authorise the allocation of £2,139k from the overall £43,830k General Needs Housing Stock approved budget to meet the estimated pre-tender project costs for the 7 new builds, 5 conversions and 3 extensions as outlined within the officer report.

3.      Authorise the allocation of £81k from the approved 2016/17 Housing Revenue Account (HRA)  contingency budget of £15,000k to meet the costs of compensating the Council General Fund by appropriating the site to the HRA for purposes of the proposed new build.

4.      Agree to delegate all future decisions regarding these projects to the Leader of Council and the Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Business Services, in conjunction with the Deputy Chief Executive and Corporate Director of Residents Services.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet approved the budgets and made the necessary enabling decisions for the first tranche of the Council's new house-building programme, namely 7 new-build houses and 5 conversions and extensions of properties.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have decided to dispose of the sites, but this was discounted because the house-building option provided the best solution for tackling the growing housing need in the Borough.

Officer to action:

Jenny Evans, Resident 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.

Special Urgency

The decision was taken under special urgency procedures to ensure the building works could be completed with tight project timescales to benefit residents.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet agrees the rents set out in Table 1 below, which are subject to negotiation with the voluntary sector organisations detailed in this report, and instructs the Deputy Chief Executive and Corporate Director of Residents Services to then commission the Borough Solicitor to complete the appropriate legal documentation.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet agreed to the grant of a new lease of a parking area to the Cowley Bowls Pavilion, Cowley Recreation Ground, High Street, Cowley. Cabinet also agreed to the variation of an existing lease to allow the Deane Park and Bessingby Park Bowls Clubs to use 12 parking spaces in the park. Cabinet's decision enabled the organisations to benefit from discounted rents as part of the Council's Voluntary Sector Leasing Policy and wider commitment to the voluntary sector.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have chosen not to apply the Voluntary Sector Leasing Policy.

Officer to action:

M Wilcox, 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.      Notes the report;

2.      Considers the proposals for changes to be made to the Social Housing Allocation Policy and authorises officers to undertake a full consultation exercise in relation to them and;

3.      Agrees to receive a further report at its November 2016 meeting for the purpose of considering the consultation responses and deciding what changes to make to the Social Housing Allocation Policy.

Reasons for decision

Whilst expressing its preference that long-standing residents of the Borough should benefit from social housing, Cabinet agreed to review and undertake a full consultation exercise on the Council's Social Housing Allocation Policy in the light of a number of developments in recent case-law. It was noted that once the consultation had expired, the Council would carry out an Equality Impact Assessment before reporting back to Cabinet for due consideration and to consider any formal changes to the Policy.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have decided not to review the Policy, but considered this to not be a viable option given the legal circumstances in this area.

Officers to action:

Raj Alagh, Administration Directorate

Dan Kennedy, 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 in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings 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.

Special Urgency

The decision was taken under special urgency procedures in order for the Council to review the Policy in light of recent legal case-law.

No additional items were considered by the Cabinet.

The meeting closed at 7.14pm.

* IMPLEMENTATION OF CABINET'S DECISIONS

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 29th July 2016 upon the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period, unless notified otherwise.

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

The public part of this Cabinet meeting was filmed live on the Council's YouTube Channel to increase transparency in decision-making. These minutes remain the official definitive record of proceedings.