Agenda and minutes

Venue: Hendon Town Hall, The Burroughs, London NW4 4BQ

Contact: Faith Mwende; 02083594917 Email: faith.mwende@barnet.gov.uk 

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes of last meeting pdf icon PDF 91 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED- That the minutes of the meeting held on 22 March 2016 be approved as a correct record.

2.

Absence of Members

Minutes:

There were none.

3.

Declaration of Members' Disclosable Pecuniary interests and Non Pecuniary interests (If any)

Minutes:

Councillor Ross Houston declared a non-pecuniary interest in item 8, as he was a member of the Barnet Group Board. 

4.

Report of the Monitoring Officer (if any)

Minutes:

There was none.

5.

Public Questions and Comments (if any) pdf icon PDF 104 KB

Minutes:

Public questions were received from Theresa Musgrove and Amo Amatare.

 

Details of the questions asked of, and the answers given by the Chairman were circulated and published on the Council’s website prior to the meeting.  Verbal responses were given to supplementary questions asked at the meeting.

6.

Members' Items (if any)

Minutes:

The Chairman varied the order of business to consider the Member’s Item in the name of Councillor Barry Rawlings as the next item.

6a

Member's Item - Cllr Barry Rawlings pdf icon PDF 248 KB

Minutes:

Councillor Barry Rawlings introduced the Member’s Item in his name which considered the matter set out at paragraph 1.1 of the report.

 

The Commissioning Director, Jamie Blake provided the committee with background on the issues and an update on current status. It was noted that work was under way to look into the processes followed and review and update the council’s eligibility criteria.

 

Councillor Barry Rawlings recommended that the committee request that:

 

  • The recently reinstated Disabled Persons Freedom Passes should be renewed to 2020.
  • No new restrictions to the eligibility criteria for discretionary disabled persons' Freedom Passes should be proposed going forward.
  • Where the Council needs to set-out / confirm eligibility criteria for discretionary Passes these criteria should not result in any current Pass-holders losing their Pass.
  • The eligibility criteria for discretionary disabled persons' Freedom Passes must be agreed by the P&R committee and be subject to consultation, including in Easy Read. This consultation must also include Adult & Community Services.
  • The new 0-25 team should ensure service users are enabled to have choices and independence (as required by the Care Act), and that they are not disadvantaged when turning 18 by losing the ability to travel freely if it restricts their ability to study, work and socialise.
  • The eligibility criteria for discretionary Passes should comply with the Care Act, including the requirement to enable choice and independence.
  • Only 20% of Adults with long term needs have a Care Plan therefore LB Barnet should not use 'known to Adult Services' as a local criteria for discretionary granting of Freedom Passes.
  • If an assessment decides someone is no longer entitled to a discretionary pass they need to be assessed against their ability to have a driving licence before a final decision is made.
  • If a Pass is to be removed there must be a right of appeal - and the status quo must be observed until the end of the appeal process. 

 

Following consideration the committee:

 

RESOLVED – That the Committee request that officers report back to Policy and Resources Committee as early as possible on the results of the review and the proposed new eligibility criteria. It was noted this work should include benchmarking against other councils, comparison with London Councils set eligibility criteria, and address the recommendations put forward by Cllr Rawlings, including explanation for any not recommended for approval.

 

6b

Member's Item - Cllr Ross Houston pdf icon PDF 249 KB

Minutes:

Councillor Ross Houston introduced the Member’s Item in his name which considered the matter set out at paragraph 1.1 of the report.

 

The committee considered the matters raised in the report, in particular the matter of affordable housing in the context of strategy, implementation and meeting performance targets.

 

It was noted that the matters raised in the members item fell under various committees’ terms of reference. Policy and Resources Committee’s remit was to consider the matters in the context of the council’s overall strategic direction, with reference to the London Plan and the Housing Strategy. It was noted that particular consideration of statistics relating to targets and performance regarding provision of affordable housing fall under the remit of Housing Committee and Assets Regeneration and Growth Committee. Housing Committee has responsibility for ‘Housing Strategy’ and ‘work with Barnet Homes, RSLs and social housing providers to ensure the optimum provision of housing and associated facilities for those who require social housing’. Assets Regeneration and Growth Committee has responsibility to ‘Develop and oversee a Regeneration strategy’ and to ‘Oversee major regeneration schemes including those of key social housing estates’. It was noted that future reports to Housing and Assets Regeneration and Growth Committees will include information on progress and performance in these areas. 

 

It was further noted that the new incoming London Mayor may set new targets which would need to be considered by Policy and Resources Committee.

6c

Member's Item - Cllr Alon Or-bach pdf icon PDF 243 KB

Minutes:

Councillor Alon Or-bach introduced the Member’s Item in his name which considered the matter set out at paragraph 1.1 of the report.

 

The IT Account Director, Brett Holtom provided an update on the issues raised in the report. It was noted that a detailed report on the issues was due to be considered at Performance and Contract Management Committee on 31 May.

 

Officers confirmed that a report on smarter working would be considered by Assets Regeneration and Growth Committee in July 2016, and that a report on the Customer Access Strategy, including the IT strategy, is scheduled for consideration by Policy and Resources Committee meeting in October 2016.

 

The committee was also assured that work was under way to address the problems which have been reported as part of business as usual, and that this work would continue alongside the work to develop a robust strategy for approval in october.

 

RESOLVED – That the committee note that a report on the Customer Access Strategy, including the IT strategy, will be considered by Policy and Resources Committee meeting in October 2016.

 

7.

Brent Cross funding strategy pdf icon PDF 388 KB

Minutes:

The Chairman noted that if Members had any questions relating to information contained in the exempt report they would need to be heard at the end of the meeting in exempt session. There were no such questions.

 

The Committee considered the report.

 

RESOLVED – That the Committee

 

1.1               Approves the addition of the GRIP 4 detailed design costs to the capital programme as per para 1.4.8;

 

1.2               Approves the increase to the capital financing requirement and required changes to the Treasury Management Strategy to accommodate borrowing requirement in relation to Brent Cross Cricklewood programme, as set out in para 1.6.6;

 

1.3               Notes the total funding requirement as detailed in para 1.6.6 and notes that it will be requested to consider and to approve this in subsequent relevant budget setting cycles (as detailed in para 1.6.5);

 

1.4               Approves engagement with the council’s treasury advisors to find more preferential rates than Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) to secure funding;

 

1.5               Authorises officers to continue to work with DCLG and GLA to ring fence the growth in business rates from Brent Cross North in order to pay back the borrowing requirement.

8.

Barnet's Local Plan -Draft Grahame Park Estate Development Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) pdf icon PDF 264 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report with an amendment to recommendation two in the report to read ‘Recommend the Graham Park SPD attached at Appendix B for adoption by Council’. This was agreed by the Committee.

 

Councillor Gill Sargeant had requested to address the Committee on this item and made comments in relation to the item.

 

Having been put to the vote the Committee voted:

 

For: 7

Against: 5

Abstain: 0

 

 

RESOLVED – That the Committee

 

1.    Note the public responses to the consultation carried out on the Grahame Park SPD and agree the Council responses in the consultation report attached at Appendix A;

 

2.    Recommend the Graham Park SPD attached at Appendix B for adoption by Council.

 

9.

Corporate Grants Programme - Approval of Grants under Delegated Powers pdf icon PDF 265 KB

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report.

 

For the future officers were requested to align the reporting process to Policy and Resources Committee regarding the award of corporate grants by delegated powers and the award of grants by Area Committees, to enable Members to have an oversight of all successful applications.

 

RESOLVED – That the Committee note the decisions to award six grants of less than £5,000 under delegated powers from the corporate grants programme in 2015/16.

10.

Any other item(s) the Chairman decides are urgent

Minutes:

There were none.

11.

Motion to Exclude the Press and Public

Minutes:

There was no motion that the public be excluded from the meeting as the Committee had advised it had no matters for discussion in exempt session.

12.

Brent Cross Funding Strategy (exempt)

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report.

 

RESOLVED – That the Committee

 

1.1         Note the contents of the exempt report

 

1.2         In addition to the capital expenditure detailed in para 1.6.6 of the public report, approve the increase to the capital financing requirement and amend the Treasury Management Strategy to accommodate the borrowing requirement in relation to Brent Cross Cricklewood programme, as set out in para 1.6.6 of the exempt report;

 

1.3         in addition to the total funding requirement detailed in para 1.6.8 of the public report, note the additional funding requirement as detailed in para 1.6.8 of the exempt report and considers this in subsequent budget setting cycles;

 

1.4         Approves the principle of a Social Infrastructure Fund as set out in para 1.6.12 of the exempt report.

 

 

13.

Any other exempt item(s) the Chairman decides are urgent

Minutes:

There were none.