The Hillingdon Council Cabinet met on Thursday 17 November 2016, approving updates to the Older People's Plan and the Council Budget, as well as the school capital programme. The meeting confirmed the ongoing progress and positive outcomes of these key council initiatives.

Older People's Plan Update

The Cabinet received an update on the Older People's Plan, highlighting the breadth and depth of activities aimed at supporting older residents. Councillor Cawthorne, who moved the report, emphasised the work on the dementia strategy, including the development of dementia-friendly design features for supporting housing units at Grassy Meadows and efforts to create a dementia-friendly town centre. He also noted the significant increase in the take-up of telecare services, which are a crucial part of the council's out-of-hospital strategy. Councillor David Simmonds CBE, Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education, echoed these sentiments, mentioning the rich offer for older residents, which extends beyond social care and sport to include adult education. He highlighted initiatives such as free burglar alarms, telecare services for those over 80, free swimming and swimming lessons, and support for community events. The report also detailed the £80,000 investment in Bell Farm Community Centre in West Drayton to increase its capacity for lunch services. The Cabinet agreed with the recommendations presented in the report.

Council Budget Monitoring

Councillor Jonathan Bianco, Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Corporate Services & Property, presented the Council Budget for 2016-17, covering the period up to September. The report indicated a net underspend of £1.17 million for the year to date, an improvement on the previous month. The council has made significant progress on its savings requirement of over £13 million, with more than £12 million banked or on track. The capital programme shows an underspend of approximately £27 million, attributed to favourable cost variances and slippage in programme expenditures. This underspend is part of a £96 million spend on significant investments, particularly in schools.

Key decisions made regarding the budget include:

• Noting the forecast budget provision.
• Approving the treasury management update, which showed an average rate of return on deposits of 0.61% and on debt of just over 3%. Despite a reduction in the Bank of England base rate, the council's income is not expected to be significantly impacted due to a combination of fixed-term investments.
• Noting agency staff appointments that have exceeded £50,000 since their engagement, with the majority in social care.
• Approving the transfer and release of £965,000 from the capital priority growth fund and £79,000 from the general contingency fund to the Battle of Britain heritage project. This project has commenced, with an additional cost of over £1 million due to a change in the scope of works, aiming for a better building. It is expected to be open by September of the following year.
• Approving the re-phasing of £2 million for new general needs housing stock from the next year to the current year. This allows the council to purchase properties under the 'Right to Buy' scheme sooner.
• Approving gift funding for planning performance agreements for the Royal British Legion, West Drayton, Arena Stockley Park, and Mount Vernon Hospital.
• Ratifying a special urgency decision to maintain the current payroll system due to difficulties with a potential new provider, ensuring continued payment of staff and members' allowances.
• Consolidating uncommitted non-staffing budgets and service-level contingencies for better alignment and utilisation of funds.

The council is in a strong financial position, with an additional £1.8 million in unallocated priority growth or initiative budgets. The Cabinet agreed with recommendations one to eight.

School Capital Programme

Councillor David Simmonds CBE presented the school capital programme, noting the continued increase in school balances, which allows schools to contribute to works programmes. The report indicated solid progress across all projects, with particular praise for the delivery of the new Northwood Secondary School. The building is described as fit for purpose for the long term, avoiding the need for costly improvements in the future. The successful delivery of the Northwood project on time has contributed to the school's improved reputation, resulting in an applicant for every place for the first time in a long time. The Cabinet agreed with the recommendation.