Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies received.

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 Quarter 2 2023/24

·       Cllr Malcolm

·       Cllr Gallant

5 Year Housing Capital program Procurement

·       Cllr Gallant

Housing Delivery Update

·       Cllr 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. Cllr K K Nagpal attended virtually.

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To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 6 December 2023.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday 6 December 2023 be agreed and signed as a true and correct record.

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RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

      I.          Noted the key performance highlights against the 2023/24 Council Plan Delivery Plan.

     II.          Noted the progress on the Council Plan numeric targets.

   III.          Noted the progress against the Corporate Health Check indicators at Q2 2023/24.

REASON FOR DECISION AND OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

Performance management is an essential part of a high performing organisation and therefore not providing a performance report was discounted as an option. This report presents progress on the delivery of the Council Plan 2022-26, with specific reference to Q2 performance against the 2023/24 Delivery Plan.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

I.                Authorised procurement of multiple contractors to deliver the planned program for 2024-2029 and the variation to the Housing Procurement Strategy previously agreed by Cabinet in Jan 2023, which approved the use of short-term interim procurement arrangements.

II.              Authorised the Strategic Director of Housing & Environment following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Genuinely Affordable Homes, Strategic Director of Corporate Resources and the Director of Legal and Democratic Services, to invite and evaluate the contracts with values set out in Confidential Appendix A of up 5 years each with an option to extend for up to another five years.

III.            Delegated authority to the Strategic Director of Housing & Environment following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Genuinely Affordable Homes, Strategic Director of Corporate Resources and the Director of Legal and Democratic Services to award contracts following the procurement procedure referred to in Recommendation 1.2.

REASON FOR DECISION AND OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

1. The Housing Procurement Strategy was approved by Cabinet on 25 January 2023 and recommended that contracts will be of a duration of a minimum of 4 years but ideally longer term, with contractual break clauses (e.g., 5 years plus 5 years) moving away from a spot purchase-based approach, to foster better working relationships with contractors and make the contracts attractive to the market, encourage investment by contractors and encourage a partnership-based approach.

2. The Housing Procurement Strategy initially identified 23 contracts relating to the delivery of repairs, maintenance, compliance, and planned works. Further stock evaluation and changes to legislation suggest that additional works required may lead to additional contracts being required in addition to those already identified.

3. The Housing Procurement Strategy identified 8 contractor lots to be awarded in a geographical split across the borough. Market engagement has identified that this would offer us the most efficient route to achieve value for money. The budgets will be in line with the HRA Business plan which will be approved in February 2024, and these remain in development.

4. The Housing Procurement Strategy recommended market engagement prior to procurement. This work has been completed and forms the basis for the changes this report seeks to have approved.

5. Cabinet approved the HRA 5-year Capital Programme on 25 January 2023. As noted above this will be refreshed and will be considered and approved at February 2024 cabinet.

6. It is anticipated that from approval of the recommendations it will take 6 months to complete procurement and have contractors ready to deliver any capital works.

7. Currently limited capital contracts are in place to enable delivery of capital works from quarter 1 2024. Limited capital works can be undertaken with current procured contractor resources. If recommendations 1.1 and 1.2 are approved, the delivery of capital programme would be phased from quarter 2 and fully commence in quarter 3 of 2024. Although only limited works would be completed in quarter 1, the broader strategic approach would significantly improve the procurement benefits and future delivery opportunities.

8. Work is currently in progress  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

     I.        Noted the status of the council’s Housing Development Programme and progress toward its 4,000 Genuinely Affordable Homes (GAHs) objective.

Committed projects

    II.        Noted the increased level of risk on Southall Market car park (section 2.18) and High Lane (section 2.30) and that a fuller update and mitigations for approval would be presented to cabinet in early 2024.

  III.        Noted the current position of Dean Gardens car park, Chesterton and Evesham Close, Shackleton Road, Norwood Road, Woodend Library (the “Package 1 Sites”) (section 2.19), following the administration of Henry Construction Projects Ltd and that a fuller update and recommendation on how to progress these sites would be presented to Cabinet for approval in early 2024.

Allocated projects

  IV.        Noted that four projects within the GLA Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) 2021-26 and with grant allocations:

• Stanhope School

• Neville Close

• Shillaker Court

• Golf Links phase 4

(the “Unviable Projects”)

were currently unviable and that further feasibility and appraisal work was required to demonstrate if they can meet required financial hurdles prior to approval of further progress.

   V.        Noted proposals for delivery of the following projects within the Housing Delivery Programme and with existing AHP 2021-26 grant allocations:

• George Street car park (section 2.45)

• Mandeville Parkway (section 2.46)

(the “Existing Projects”).

  VI.        Approved a new general fund capital budget for George Street car park of £1.050m and Mandeville Parkway of £0.200m to be funded from general fund borrowing until the full scheme costs and financing are known and approved.

VII.        Authorised the Strategic Director of Economy and Sustainability to procure and appoint consultants to undertake RIBA stages 1-3 and to prepare and submit a planning application in relation to George Street car park (at an estimated total cost of £1.050m should the scheme proceed through all preconstruction approval gateways and to planning decision).

VIII.        Authorised further design work (RIBA stage 3) and changes to the planning permission on Mandeville Parkway (up to a total value of £0.200m) to meet new Building Safety Act regulations and to ensure a viable scheme, and to submit a revised application.

  IX.        Noted proposals for the delivery, and inclusion in the AHP 2021-26, of:

• Perceval House car park (section 2.47)

• 57 Greenford Road (section 2.48)

(the “New Projects”).

   X.        Approved a new general fund capital budget for Perceval House car park of £1.713m to be funded from the general fund borrowing until the delivery model is confirmed and/or full scheme costs and financing are known and approved.

  XI.        Authorised the Strategic Director of Economy and Sustainability to procure and appoint consultants to undertake RIBA stages 1-3 and to prepare and submit a planning application for Perceval House car park (at an estimated total value of £1.713m should the scheme proceed through all preconstruction approval gateways and to planning decision).

XII.        Approved a total scheme expenditure budget of up to £33.219m for 57 Greenford Road to be funded from GLA grant, right to buy receipts and temporary borrowing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

     I.        Agreed that there should be public consultation on the draft Housing Strategy 2024-2029 (Appendix A).

    II.        Delegated authority to the Strategic Director of Economy & Sustainability to consider the outcome of the consultation and the Equalities Analysis Assessment, make amendments and approve the final version of the Housing Strategy 2024-2029.

  III.        Delegated authority to the Strategic Director of Economy & Sustainability to approve the Housing Strategy Delivery Plan.

REASON FOR DECISION AND OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

1. The Council is proposing a new Housing Strategy to provide safe, healthy, and secure homes for all its residents. The proposed strategy aims to deliver a step change to secure more good homes for Ealing and improve the borough's existing stock, while also addressing urgent areas of improvement.

2.The Council's immediate focus is on working for those most impacted by the housing crisis. The strategy includes four strategic priority themes to provide the foundations for long-term change in the borough.

I. Increasing the supply of genuinely affordable homes.

II. Quality housing: homes that are healthy, safe, and sustainable.

III. Supporting people to live well in the community.

IV. Promoting resilience, inclusion, and fighting inequality.

These are underpinned by four commitments about the way we will work:

• Empowering communities

• Being bold and innovative

• Delivering through partnership

• A polycentric approach –Ealing’s seven towns

3. Each in turn and together support the Council’s three primary strategic goals:

• Creating Good Jobs

• Tackling the Climate Crisis

• Fighting Inequality

4. The strategy is driven by the fact that Ealing is changing, and the Council is transforming its relationship with residents to modernise local government in a way that empowers communities and liberates the workforce. Housing is one of the most fundamental determinants of quality of life and is key to the borough's journey. The proposed strategy is built around the principle that every resident should have the best possible experience of living in Ealing, with their home being the basis for a prosperous and enjoyable life in the borough.

5. The Council recognises that the housing system needs to be underpinned by fundamentally different ways of working to tackle the climate emergency and drive an improved quality of life for residents. The proposed strategy and subsequent delivery plan include immediate actions along the above four interconnected strategic priorities, which will provide the foundations for long term change in the borough. It has been produced at a challenging time of a troubled economy, highest levels of inflation in a generation, and increasing demand for the Council's statutory services, where local authority budgets are being squeezed to their limits.

6. The proposed strategy is based on evidence showing the scale of the challengefaced by Ealing. The Council aims to make a measurable difference to the lives of residents in Ealing by providing the foundation for a thriving, healthy, prosperous, and green borough.

7. The strategy is informed by conversations with residents and tenants, reflecting the findings of the broader borough engagement undertaken in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

      I.          Noted the current use of RIPA in relation to surveillance and acquisition and disclosure of communications data as set out in this report.

     II.          Approved the RIPA policy at Appendix 1.

   III.          Approved the continuing appointment of:

i)                Helen Harris (Director of Legal and Democratic Services) as senior responsible officer (SRO) for directed surveillance, use of covert human intelligence sources, and obtaining communications data.

ii)               The following as authorising officers for directed surveillance and the use of covert intelligence under s.28 and S.29 of RIPA 2000 (prior to judicial approval):

•        Mike Pinder (Assistant Director, Audit and Investigations)

•        Justin Morley (Head of Legal Services - Litigation)

•        Jess Murray (Assistant Director, Safer Communities and Resident Services)

  IV.          Authorised the Director of Legal and Democratic Services to:

i)                make any further amendments to the RIPA Policy which are necessary to maintain consistency with legislation, Codes of Practice, good practice.

ii)               make any necessary changes in authorising officers, and;

iii)             review the authority’s procedures, policies and training on a quarterly basis.

REASON FOR DECISION AND OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

There is a requirement in the 2018 Code of Practice for Covert Surveillance and Property Interference, that elected members are to be kept informed about the Council’s use of powers under RIPA and that Cabinet approves a policy annually to ensure the policy remains fit for purpose.

The date of the next meeting is 7 February 2024.

The next meeting was scheduled for Wednesday 7 February 2024.