Agenda and minutes

Councillor Blacker sent apologies for lateness and was not present for items 1 – 7 of the agenda. Councillor Blacker did not participate in votes on these items. He arrived during item 8, council plan performance report Q1 2023 to 2024 and participated in the vote on this item and the remaining items on the agenda.

In accordance with paragraph 2.6(a) of the Council’s Constitution, the following speakers addressed the Cabinet with regard to the following items:

Council plan performance report Q1 2023 – 24:

·       Councillor Malcolm

·       Councillor Gallant

Ealing Air Quality Strategy and Action Plan:

·       Councillor Gallant

The meeting was held in a hybrid format with members and officers able to join the meeting remotely. However, regulations did not allow for members attending virtually to be counted as present in the attendance section of the minutes, and their attendance would not count as attendance in relation to section 85(1) of the Local Government Act 1972. Members attending virtually would be able to speak but would not be able to vote. Councillor Costigan attended the meeting virtually.

Also present virtually was Councillor Malcolm.

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To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 13 September 2023.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, 13 September 2023 were agreed and signed as a true and correct record.

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RESOLVED:

      I.          That cabinet granted approval to extend the current contract between the council and Adecco UK Limited dated 11 March 2022 for agency services for a period of one year from 9th January 2024 to 8th January 2025 at an approximate cost of £25m.

REASONS FOR DECISION AND OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

1.              On 10th November 2021, cabinet resolved:

“That Cabinet:

(i)              Agreed to award a direct call off contract to Adecco UK Limited from the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO) Framework Agreement for Managed Services for Temporary Agency Resources (MSTAR3) under Lot 1 (b) (Master Vendor), the ‘Framework Agreement’, for the provision of agency workers. The start date of the contract is 9 January 2022, and the contract would be for two years with the option to extend for a further 2 periods of 12 months each (2 + 1 + 1) with a value of £25,136,198 per annum (£100,544,702 for a four-year cost of the contract).”

2.              The report before cabinet sought approval to extend the current contract with Adecco UK Limited from 9 January 2024 to 8 January 2025 as provided for in the contract and as per paragraph 2.1. above.

3.              Cabinet considered options including:

                          i.          Entering new contractual arrangements effective from 9 January 2024.

                         ii.          Extending the current contractual for one year from 9 January 2024 to 8^thJanuary 2025 will allow time for the new leadership team to explore different delivery models for the council and determine the workforce needs for the future. The extension will be the most effective and financially advantageous decision to be made on behalf of council to ensure this happens.

The second option (ii) above was the preferred option which was being recommended to Cabinet for approval.

4.              Current performance of the contract and value for money considerations had been taken into account when making the recommendation.

RESOLVED:

      I.          That cabinet noted progress against the Corporate Health Check key performance indicators at quarter 1, 2023/24.

REASONS FOR DECISION AND OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

1.     Performance management was an essential part of a high performing organisation and therefore not providing a performance report had been discounted as an option. The report presented progress on the delivery of the Council Plan 2022-26, with specific reference to performance on the Corporate Health Check key performance indicators as at the end of quarter 1 2023/24.

*Councillor Blacker arrived at the meeting during this item. He was present and voted on this and remaining items.

RESOLVED:

      I.          That cabinet approved the air quality strategy and air quality action plan which were presented at appendices 1 and 2 of the report.

REASONS FOR DECISION AND OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

1.     The need for the Council to adopt an Air Quality Strategy (AQS) was borne out of feedback from residents that air quality information was not easy to understand or interpret and that formal legal documents, such as the Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP), were not accessible and had not improved awareness of the impacts of air quality nor the actions taken by the Council to improve air quality in the borough.

2.     Having declared the whole of the borough an “Air Quality Management Area”, the Council was obliged, under the Environment Act 1995 (the Act), to publish a written action plan describing how it was going to use its powers to achieve air quality standards. The Council should renew such a plan every five years. The last Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) was published in 2017. Failure to produce an action plan would be a failure to comply with the Act.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 8 November 2023.

The next meeting was on Wednesday, 8 November 2023.