Agenda and minutes

Councillor Barry Rawlings, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources and Effective Council welcomed all attendees to the meeting.

It was RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 12 December 2023 be approved as a correct record.

None.

None.

Councillor Dan Thomas, Councillor Peter Zinkin and Councillor David Longstaff asked questions referring to items 12 and 13 and the relevant Cabinet Members responded.

None.

None.

None.

None.

None.

Councillor Ross Houston, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes and Regeneration introduced the report.

DECISION:

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

1.    That Cabinet approve a rent increase of 7.7% for all social rented homes. (Para 1.7)

2.    That Cabinet also approve a rent increase of 7.7% for all Affordable rented homes. (Para 1.9)

3.    That Cabinet approve an increase to all service charges, except heating and hot water, by 7.7%. (Para1.11)

4.    That Cabinet approve an average increase of £8.22 for heating and hot water charges. (Para 1.12)

5.    That Cabinet approve an increase in temporary accommodation rents to LHA limits (Para 1.16)

Councillor Ross Houston, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes and Regeneration introduced the report.

DECISION:

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

1.    Note the report and The Barnet Group Covering Note at Appendix A.

2.    Delegate authority for approval of the amendments to The Barnet Group Articles as set out in Appendix B to the Deputy Chief Executive.

3.    Delegate broader authority to the Deputy Chief Executive to act as the shareholder representative for The Barnet Group to consider and agree reserved matters (set out in Schedule 2 of the Shareholder’s Agreement dated 2^nd February 2016) on behalf of the Council.

Councillor Sara Conway Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Participation introduced the report. Members thanked Officers for their work on this strategy.

DECISION:

RESOLVED that Cabinet note the progress described in this report in delivering the Community Participation Strategy.

Councillor Sara Conway - Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Participation and Councillor Pauline Coakley Webb – Cabinet Member for Family Friendly Barnet, introduced the report.

DECISION:

RESOLVED that Cabinet note and agree:

1.    The Serious Violence Strategy 2023-27 at Appendix 1.

2.    The Serious Violence Strategic Needs Assessment 2023 at Appendix 2

3.    Outline Violence & Vulnerability Action Plan 2023 at Appendix 3

Councillor Pauline Coakley Webb - Cabinet Member for Family Friendly Barnet introduced the report.

DECISION:

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

1.    Note the annual report on school funding in Barnet.

2.    Approve the formula funding to be used in the Authority Proforma Tool (which specifies the authority’s funding formula for schools) on the basis of paragraphs 1.18 to 1.24, which includes a Minimum Funding Guarantee of +0.5% and means that every primary and secondary school will receive an increase in funding per pupil of at least this percentage in 2024/25, (through the pupil-led element of the schools funding formula), while any schools gaining from the introduction of the National Funding Formula will not have their gains capped.

3.    Authorises the Executive Director for Children’s Services, in consultation with the Lead Member and Executive Director for Strategy and Resources, to approve the final Authority Proforma Tool for submission to the DfE.

Councillor Barry Rawlings Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources & Effective Council introduced the report.

Cath Shaw, Deputy Chief Executive, agreed to circulate a briefing on the Procurement Act 2023 via email to all Cabinet Members.

DECISION:

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

1.    Approve the update to the Annual Procurement Forward Plan (APFP) to enable commencement of procurement activity for 2024/25 – 2026/27 (as identified in Appendix 1 updated line entries identified at 12 December 2023 Cabinet meeting.

2.    Note the requirements for procurement activity to be subject to service confirmation of continued requirement, any additional approvals required under the Council’s Constitution, including the Contract Procedure Rules, and authorisation of a Procurement Launch Document including identification of approved budget source as set out in Appendix 1.

Councillor Alan Schneiderman, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change introduced the report.

DECISION:

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

1.    Notes the pending enactment of Schedule 3 to The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 with the additional responsibilities placed upon the Authority to administer.

2.    Approve, subject to recommendation 4, the proposed Barnet Sustainable Drainage (SuDS) Strategy (Appendix A) and its associated vision to encourage the implementation of SuDS throughout the borough.

3.    Subject to recommendation 4, adopts the long-term highway SuDS programme developed across seven priority bands over more than ten years to progress into feasibility studies.

4.    Authorises the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, in consultation with the Director of Highways and Transportation, to progress a public consultation with regards the proposed Barnet Sustainable Drainage (SuDS) Strategy and consider the consultation responses before finalising and implementing the Barnet Sustainable Drainage (SuDS) Strategy with any material changes reported back to Cabinet.

Councillor Alan Schneiderman, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change introduced the report.

Cabinet noted and agreed an amendment to recommendation 3 in that the name of the government department listed in Recommendation 3 should be the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

DECISION:

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

1.    Note the proposal to make land drainage byelaws.

2.    Approve the commencing of the stakeholder consultation and process as set out in the report.

3.    Approve the delegation of authority to the Director of Highways and Transportation, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, to progress the stakeholder consultation process including liaising with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and other regulatory/statutory bodies and consider making any amendments to the proposed byelaws.

4.    Delegate authority to the Leader to consider the stakeholder consultation and any amendments to the draft byelaws and to make recommendations to Council whether to adopt the byelaws.

Councillor Barry Rawlings Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources & Effective Council introduced the report.

Cabinet agreed to amend the wording in Recommendation 2 from ‘That Cabinet approves granting of the aforementioned lease as being the intention of the Environment and Climate Change Committee when it met in January 2017’ to ‘That Cabinet approves granting of the aforementioned lease further to the decision of the Environment Committee when it met in January 2017.’

DECISION:

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

1.    Note the exempt report.

2.    Approve the grant of a lease to the Oak Hill Bowls Club for a term of 25 years at a peppercorn rent, subject to the Club taking full responsibility for all maintenance and repair of the club house, pavilion, and bowls greens, together with all and any ancillary land and buildings on the site.

3.    Approve the granting of the aforementioned lease further to the decision of the Environment Committee when it met in January 2017.

4.    Delegate authority to the Head of Property and Portfolio Management, to (1) advertise the proposed lease if required under section 123 Local Government Act 1972 and take into account any responses received and (2) finalise the lease terms and instruct the Council’s legal advisors, having taken advice, to prepare the necessary documentation to put the proposed lease into effect.

Cabinet noted the Forward Plan – Key Decision Schedule.

None.