Agenda and minutes

All Cabinet Members were present.

No interests were declared by Members present at the meeting.

The decisions and minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 21 April 2022 were agreed as a correct record.

This was confirmed.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet:

1                        Approves the Hillingdon Building Safety Strategy 2022/23 to 2025/26 in Appendix A and delegates authority to the Cabinet Member for Property, Highways and Transport, in consultation with the Corporate Director of Place, to update the Strategy if changes in future legislation, regulations and guidance require this.

2                        Agrees that the Corporate Director of Place will approve and update as required operational Action Plans to deliver the Strategy’s aims, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Property, Highways & Transport.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet agreed a new Building Safety Strategy which set out Hillingdon Council's approach to preparing for and implementing the new nationwide building safety regime

The Cabinet Member for Property, Highways & Transport noted that following the Grenfell Tower fire disaster in 2017, the new Building Safety Act had come into force along with widescale reform to improve building and fire safety. It was welcomed that Hillingdon Council had made significant progress since the tragedy on new fire safety precautions, doors and sprinkler systems to ensure that residents felt safe in their homes.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None, as the Council was required to set out its plans for implementing the new building safety regime.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet:

1.     Note the budget position and treasury management update as at March 2022 (Month 12) as outlined in Part A of this report.

2.     Approve the financial recommendations set out in Part B of this report set out below:

a)    Approve acceptance of gift funding in relation to a Planning Performance Agreement in accordance with the provisions of Section 93 of the Local Government Act 2003 for;

                           I.          Prologis DC7.5 - £17,500

                         II.          1 The Square - £20,000

                       III.          Compass Centre - £67,000

                      IV.          Squirrels Trading Estate - £40,000

                        V.          COMAG - £32,000

b)    Approve the proposed fees and charges for the Council’s 2022 FIESTA Summer Holiday provision for young people outlined below.

c)    Accept HS2 Amenity Fund £313k grant for improvements to mitigate the impacts of the HS2 project in areas affected by the construction works.

d)     Approve a contribution of £25k to the Mayor’s Charity from revenue generated from sales of resident deposits at textile banks within the authority.

e)     Approve a total £237.5k allocation facilitating future roll-out of the successful Ward Budget initiative.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet was informed of the outturn revenue, capital and treasury position from the previous financial year 2021/22. Cabinet noted the net in-year underspend of £618k on normal activities, and the legacy Covid-19 costs which were fully funded by Government.

The Cabinet Member for Finance updated Cabinet on the achievement of the savings target over the year, the good progress towards the elimination of the deficit in the Dedicated Schools Budget and the planned re-phasing of the capital programme. The Cabinet Member noted a solid financial performance in challenging conditions over the year and expressed his thanks to the Council’s Finance Team.

Cabinet made a number of  other financial related decisions including acceptance of a HS2 amenity fund grant and the allocation of funding towards the successful Ward Budget Initiative.

The Leader of the Council welcomed the underspend and savings achieved and how this should give confidence to residents in how the Council manages its finance.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet:

1.     Notes the Council’s current financial position regarding its S106 balances.

2.     Notes the Hillingdon Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) outturn for the 2021/22 Financial Year.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet considered an update on the Council’s planning obligations monies received and the consequent progress in the allocation, provision and implementation of such funds towards local projects to benefit residents.

The Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services outlined how the £6.5m received from the CIL had been spent on the Council’s Chrysalis Programme and towards the new Yiewsley Leisure Centre project. In respect of s106 planning obligation contributions from new developments, it was noted that these monies had increased over the year and would be spent on specific sites.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet agree:

1)    That the two garage blocks known as 49-60 Glenister house (12 garages) and garage block known as 61-69 Glenister House (9 garages) are no longer required for the purposes for which they were or are currently used and that they be declared surplus to requirements as per the site plan attached showing the two sites.

2)    That the garages be appropriated from the General Fund to the Housing Revenue Account with effect from 31 March 2022, in order that the garage sites can be incorporated into the proposed development of the wider estate for general needs housing as set out in the report.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet agreed to transfer the garages at 49-60 and 61-69 Glenister House, Avondale Drive, Hayes from the Council’s General Fund Budget to the Housing Revenue Account Budget. The Cabinet Member for Property, Highways and Transport explained how this would assist the Council in facilitating the redevelopment of the wider estate. The Leader of the Council welcomed the associated plans for new homes.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None, as not to proceed would have prevented the sites being incorporated into the Estate Regeneration Project.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet note the reports to be considered later in private and Part 2 of the Cabinet agenda and comment on them as appropriate for public information purposes.

Reasons for decision

The Leader of the Council introduced the report which provided a public summary of the matters to be discussed in the private part of the Cabinet meeting later.

Alternative options considered and rejected

These were set out in the public Cabinet report.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet:

1.            Accept the direct award from NEC Software Solutions UK Limited via the RM3821 DAS Framework for the provision of hosting, support and maintenance of the Council’s revenues, benefits and housing systems to the London Borough of Hillingdon for a three-year period from 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2025 and at the cost of £1,688,800.

2.            Note the provision to extend the contract for a further two-year period, with an aggregate estimated cost for the full five years of £2,803,800 (subject to RPI uplifts in years four and five, and delegate approval for any contract extension to the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, in consultation with the Corporate Director of Central Services.

3.            Notwithstanding the decisions above, agree that should opportunities arise to provide greater value-for-money in respect of the provision of the Council’s technology systems in the intermediate period of the contract, that the Corporate Director of Central Services, in consultation with the Leader and Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, be authorised to negotiate and agree with the provider alternate contractual arrangements.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet made decisions regarding the award of a contract for the provision of hosting, support and maintenance of the Council’s Revenues, Benefits and Housing systems. The Cabinet Member for Corporate Services noted that this would ensure continuity of business critical applications for key services to residents, whilst also taking into account future circumstances or opportunities for the provision of Council services.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have recommended a full tender exercise takes place, but due to the specialised nature and complexity of the current applications and their integration with other systems, this was not deemed feasible at the current time.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet agree:

1)    To vary the current contract with TSG Building Services PLC for the Reactive Boiler Replacements with the addition of the Planned Boiler Replacement of 735 domestic boilers at an estimated cost of £1,646k.

2)    The capital release request of £1,811k from the Gas Boilers workstream within the Housing Revenue Account Works to Stock Programme 2022/23 for the planned replacement of 735 domestic boilers.

Reasons for decision

Due to the need to replace older boilers in the Council’s housing stock, Cabinet agree to vary the contract with the current term contractor, in order to permit the contractor to undertake a planned replacement programme over a five-year period to replace them with new energy efficient boilers. The Cabinet Member for Property, Highways & Transport welcomed the upgrade which would support the Council’s energy efficiency drive and also more cost-efficient heating systems for residents.

Alternative options considered

None.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet accept the tender from Anglian Water Business (National) Ltd trading as Wave for the provision of Clean and Wastewater Services to the London Borough of Hillingdon for a 4 year period from 1^st May 2022 to 30th April 2026 and at the projected contract value of £1,037,512.

Reasons for decision

Following a procurement process, Cabinet agreed a new contract for clean and wastewater services to provide the Council with reduced supplier margin costs and efficiency gains through consolidated billing and improved contract and account management. The Cabinet Member for Finance noted the small saving that would be achieved over the lifetime of the contract.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet:

1.     Accept the direct award from Pertemps Recruitment Partnership Limited via the MSTAR 3 framework for a 2-year period from 1st July 2022 to 30th June 2024 at an expected cost of up to £18million.

2.     Furthermore, agrees that that this includes the provision to extend the contract for a two-year period, delegating approval of any extension to the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, in consultation with the Corporate Director of Central Services.

Reasons for decision

As the Council's arms-length contract for the provision of blue-collar agency workers was due to end, Cabinet agreed a new contract following a procurement exercise in order to continue to provide flexibility in the Council’s workforce through the use of agency staff. The Cabinet Member for Corporate Services noted how this assisted the Council in providing excellence in the delivery of front-line services to residents, such as waste collection.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have chosen an alternative provider but considered that continuing a contract with the incumbent provider would provide the necessary capability to meet the Council’s requirements for its services.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet agree to extend the current contracts with:

1.     Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust ("CNWL") for the provision of the following public health services to the London Borough of Hillingdon:

a.     0-19 Healthy Child Service (Health Visiting and School Nursing) at a value of  £7,319.6k;

b.    Children’s Integrated Therapies Service at a value of £682.7k(*The cost value represents the Council’s funding. The service is jointly commissioned with Hillingdon CCG, who are the majority funder.);

c.     Child Obesity and Weight Management programme at a value of £8.8k;

d.    Multi Agency Psychology Service (children and young people) at a value of £539.9k;

e.     Smoking Cessation Service at a value of £206,5k;

f.      Clinical and Non-clinical Community Drug and Alcohol Services at a value of £4,537.6k;

g.    And note that the total value of the integrated contract with CNWL which includes the above services, for the period of the 1st of August 2022 to the 31st of January 2024, is £13,295.k.

h.    And further note, that Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) contribute the majority of funding for the Children Integrated Therapies Service and for the period of the 1st of August 2022 to the 31^st of January 2024 at a value of £3,426.3k.

2.     London North West Healthcare (“LNWH”) for the provision of Integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health Services to the London Borough of Hillingdon for the period of 1st August 2022 to the 31st of January 2024 at a value of £5,097.3k;

3.     The Hillingdon GP Confederation on behalf of the 45 Individual GP surgeries contracts for the provision of NHS Health Checks to the London Borough of Hillingdon for the period of 1^st of August 2022 to the 31st of January 2024 at a value of £420k;

4.     The Hillingdon GP Confederation for the provision of Lifestyle Weight Management Service for Adults to the London Borough of Hillingdon for the period of 1^st of August 2022 to the 31st of January 2024 at a value of £37.5k.

Reasons for decision

Due to the pandemic response, Cabinet noted the delay in plans to undertake a full retender of these services. As a result, Cabinet agreed to extend current arrangements for key public health services locally for an 18-month period, whilst a review could be undertaken to look at new delivery models for such services and a future re-tender. The Cabinet Member for Health & Social Care informed Cabinet that the timetable was on track to review and re-tender such services.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet approve:

1)    The relocation of HOAC and other facilities to a new site at Broadwater Lake, Harefield, and the purchase of the land at Broadwater Lake (outlined in red on the site plan included in this report) to facilitate this at the cost set out in the report plus Stamp Duty.

2)    The capital release of £1,311k, inclusive of the reallocation of previously released project funding, from the Hillingdon Outdoor Activity Centre Reprovision budget for project costs including the land purchase and associated fees, the reappointment of MACE (RIBA Stages 2 & 3+) to provide Multi-Disciplinary Consultancy services at the Broadwater Lake facility, additional surveys including Specialist Ecology and Planning Consultants at Broadwater Site and for internal project management fees.

3)    The facility will be named as Hillingdon Water Sports and Activity Centre (HWSAC) as a working title. HOAC and others will be a tenant of the facility.

4)    The extension of agreement with HS2 for the continuous funding of the project.

5)    Delegation of all future decisions regarding this project to the Cabinet Member for Property, Highways and Transport and the Cabinet Member for Finance, in conjunction with the Corporate Director of Place.

Reasons for decision

In light of the new HS2 viaduct and railway being built over the existing site of the Hillingdon Outdoor Activity Centre (HOAC), Cabinet agreed to the purchase of land at Broadwater Lake, Harefield as a suitable new site for a state-of-the-art water sports and outdoor activity centre in the Borough, where the Hillingdon HOAC would continue to operate from. Cabinet also agreed to continue the Professional Services Contract to manage the project from the initial design stages through to procurement and construction and the continued funding of the project via HS2 Ltd. The Leader of the Council welcomed the decision.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet had considered alternative sites to use, but these were considered either not possible or unfeasible following discussions with relevant parties.

No additional items were considered by the Cabinet.

The meeting closed at 7.20pm