Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 22 March 2022 be agreed as a correct record.

None.

Cllr Shooter declared an interest in relation to the Brinsdale petitions and CPZ issues arising out of that by virtue of being a Ward Member of the area in question.        

None.

The Committee noted that details of a written comment response were published and circulated in advance of the meeting.

Officers provided a verbal response at the meeting.

Two petitions were received as follows:

1.    Petition for 2 footpaths replacement – Orchard Drive, Edgware

Mr Uri Solnitzky presented the petition and informed the Committee of an accident that took place in the area with regards to an elderly resident sustaining serious injuries from tripping on a hazardous pavement. Ward Councillor Cllr Mearing-Smith, shared the same concerns with regards to the length of time that it would take for replacement of broken pavements.

Officers confirmed that correspondence with residents had been taking place and that ten repairs have been completed in Orchard Drive since April of this year. The request for a relay would be determined by the Network Recovery Plan (NRP). Therefore, the Officer’s recommendation was that the matter be referred to the Director of Highways to allow Orchard Drive to be added to the list of priorities next year and for consideration to be taken forward.

RESOLVED that the petition be referred to a Chief Officer to provide a written response to the Lead Petitioner within 20 working days.

2.    Brinsdale Road

Ms Deborah Daniel presented the petition on behalf of residents asking the Council for the urgent need of a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ). New developments have caused concerns among residents about the number of cars being parked on their road which was located in a small cul-de-sac.

Officers confirmed that the Council would be taking a phased approach in the Borough wide review of the CPZ hence the issue would be referred to the Head of Parking & Infrastructure to consider whether the next phase of the CPZ review could be brought forward.

Ward Councillor Cllr Shooter, was in support of improvements to be made to the CPZ and that security cameras were needed in the area.

It was noted that Officers were currently dealing with related issues including CCTV and street lighting.

RESOLVED that the petition be referred to a chief officer to provide a written response to the Lead Petitioner within 20 working days.

None.

The Lead Officer highlighted the report on CIL allocations for 2022-2023 which amounted to £1.8m. The proposed budget for the West Area Committee for this financial year was £553,662 based on population and subject to the completion of the Equalities Impact Assessment. The allocation of the Road Safety and Parking budget in the amount of £450,000 was split between the three Area Committees.

In addition, a new proposal would allow for Area Committees to approve funding for a broader range of schemes. The proposal included the opportunity for Area Committees to agree on future priorities subject to public consultation.

RESOLVED that:

-       The West Area Committee notes the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding available for allocation during 2022/23, as set out in paragraph 7.2 and in Appendix 1.

-       The Committee notes the CIL amount and re-allocated underspends & overspends in paragraph 2.1

-       The Committee notes the Road Safety & Parking Fund allocations in paragraph 7.2 and as set out in Appendix 2.

-       The Committee agrees to:

(a) instruct the Assistant Director, Capital Delivery to undertake a public consultation of the proposed revised CIL funding eligibility guidelines, CIL funding priorities and upon the provisional CIL funding allocation based on population for each Area Committee and

(b) take into consideration the outcome of the above consultation prior to adoption of the CIL eligibility guidelines and priorities as set out in paragraphs 1.10.2-4, 4.2 and in Appendices 3, 4 and 5.

-       The Committee agrees to:

(a) instruct the Assistant Director, Capital Delivery to undertake an Equality Impact Assessment (‘EQIA’) upon completion of recommendation 4(a) above and

(b) take the EQIA and the public consultation into consideration prior to adoption of the provisional CIL funding allocations based on population for 2022-23 as set out in paragraph 1.10.1.

None.

Councillor Andreas Ioannidis: Colindale Foodbank Electric Van

Cllr Ioannidis presented the application on behalf of the Colindale Food Bank which has been in operation since 2012.

Further to a discussion, the Committee voted unanimously to approve the application.

RESOLVED that the Committee award full funding of £35,994 and any conditions attached and note the implications to the Committee’s NCIL funding budget.

Councillor Gill Sargeant: Pulse Community Flat – Accessibility Ramp & Mobile Baby Changing Unit

The Chairman invited Cllr Sargeant and Ms Bina Omare to present the item. It was noted that the funding would help service users comprising of wheel chair users and young mothers.

Further to a discussion, the Committee voted unanimously to approve the application.

RESOLVED that the Committee award full funding of £700 and any conditions attached and note the implications to the Committee’s NCIL funding budget.

Councillor Alex Prager: Hasmonean School Refurbishments Works

Cllr Prager presented the item.

The Lead Officer advised that part of the criteria for NCIL applications was to demonstrate benefits to the wider community.

Schools have an annual budget, part of which could be used for refurbishment. The Lead Officer provided the opportunity for Cllr Prager to liaise with a list of contractors used by the Council who might be able to consider delivering work in line with social values.

Further to a discussion, the Committee voted as follows:

RESOLVED that the Committee reject the application for the following reasons:

-       Schools have their own building maintenance budget

-       Funds would only be needed for one classroom in the school

-       It would set a precedence for other schools in the Borough to request funding for refurbishment which could mean the use of the entire West Area Committee budget

-       Previous funding requests from schools that were approved related specifically to equipment used by both the school and community

-       Refurbishment of the classroom would not affect children’s learning and Community Schools were noted to be in a worse situation

-       Wider implications of granting the request would need to be considered

Councillor Anne Clarke: Our Yard by Clitterhouse Farm Outdoor Infrastructure Costs

Cllr Clarke presented the item highlighting the importance of the social enterprise to local residents.

Further to a discussion, the Committee voted unanimously to approve the application.

RESOLVED that the Committee award full funding of £30,636.80 and any conditions attached and note the implications to the Committee’s NCIL funding budget.

The Committee noted that the remaining balance for the rest of the fiscal year was £486,322, subject to any reconciliation processes.

None.

The meeting finished at 8.06pm