The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Barnet Council met on Thursday 16 July 2026. The meeting discussed the Safer Communities Partnership Board Annual Report 2025-26, the Council's Delivery and Outcomes Framework, and the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme for 2026-27. Key decisions included agreeing to report the Hendon Parklet Petition to Cabinet and noting the progress of Task and Finish Groups.

Hendon Parklet Petition

Councillor Alex Prager presented a petition signed by 522 Barnet residents expressing their opposition to the Hendon parklet on Brent Street. The petition cited concerns about the parklet becoming a magnet for anti-social behaviour. Councillor Prager highlighted that over 88% of signatories were Hendon ward residents living within a mile of the location. He also noted the increased demand for parking bays in the area, exacerbated by new housing developments and the restaurant's pavement dining license. The committee agreed to ask for a report on this issue to be presented to Cabinet at their first meeting in September.

Our Plan for Barnet – Delivery and Outcomes Framework, Annual Report

Councillor Barry Rawlings, Leader of the Council, introduced the end-of-year report for 2025-26, highlighting the Benefits Calculator app, designed by Barnet's team, which has brought over £19 million into the borough for residents. The report indicated that 79 out of 87 performance indicators with a baseline had improved or stayed the same (71%), while 23 had worsened (29%). Areas performing well included Family friendly and Journey to net zero, while Reducing poverty was noted as performing less well, with six out of eight metrics worsening. Questions were raised about the measurement of smoking cessation, the definition of a visit to a leisure centre, and the source of data for adult activity levels. Concerns were also raised about the lack of a specific measure for affordable homes granted planning permission and the benchmarking of council tax recovery rates. Councillor Rawlings acknowledged that council tax collection rates were lower than the London average and that this had been written into the new contract with Capita, which was due to start in September/October. He also addressed missed EV charging installation targets, attributing this to planning considerations and the administration of Trojan, a company that had gone into administration.

Safer Communities Partnership Board Annual Report 2025-26

Councillor Sara Conway, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, presented the annual report, highlighting a challenging year for the borough in terms of safety due to global events. She paid tribute to the work of the police, fire service, community safety team, and family services. The report detailed progress on tackling hate crime, serious violence, domestic abuse, and improving CCTV coverage. A public question from Ben Samuel raised concerns about the council's response to an event in Edgware and the policing of that event. Acting Chief Inspector Tom Hinson stated that 14 arrests were made during the event and encouraged anyone who suffered as a victim of crime to report it directly to the police. Councillor Conway explained that the council's cohesion programme was largely in response to targeting from outside the borough. The report also covered the Prevent data categories, which only included Islam-inspired and far-right ideologies, and the Combating Drugs Partnership Board's commitment to a public health approach to substance misuse. Lucy Kennedy, Public Health Commissioner for Substance Misuse, confirmed that Change Grow Live delivered harm reduction services, including medically assisted recovery treatment and a needle and syringe programme. The police confirmed that they made 14 arrests at the event in question and that their job was to enforce laws, not make them.

Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2026-27

Fiona Rae, Overview and Scrutiny Manager, presented the draft work programmes for the committee and sub-committees for 2026-27. A key discussion point was the lack of a specific item on the budget for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, despite it being the parent committee. Councillor Weisel argued for the committee's involvement in budget scrutiny, not just through the Finance and Growth Committee. The Chair acknowledged this point and stated that a way forward would be found to ensure the committee's involvement. The committee also agreed that the Youth Justice Plan 2025-26 Annual Report would be reported to the Children and Education Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee.

Task and Finish Group Updates

Fiona Rae provided an update on Task and Finish Groups, noting that all groups from 2025-26 had completed their work. Proposed Task and Finish Groups for the upcoming year included those on council housing performance and libraries.

Cabinet Forward Plan

The Cabinet Forward Plan for 2026-27 was presented, noting that it was not yet fully populated due to recent local elections. The committee proposed considering the Daws Lane and Mill Hill Library Options Appraisal at their September meeting.

The meeting concluded with the committee agreeing to note the Cabinet Forward Plan and the Task and Finish Group updates.