The Cabinet of Hillingdon Council met on Thursday, 15 December 2016, to discuss the council's budget monitoring, medium-term financial forecast, and grants to voluntary organisations. Key decisions included approving the release of funds for managing traveller incursions and appointing a monitoring officer, as well as maintaining the council tax freeze for the upcoming financial year.

Council Budget Monitoring

The Cabinet reviewed the council's revenue and capital budget monitoring for the period up to October 2016. Councillor Jonathan Bianco, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Corporate Services & Property, reported that the council was underspent by approximately £1.25 million, an improvement on the previous month. Several recommendations were approved, including noting the budget position, approving the standard Treasury management update, and delegating authority for agency assignments over £50,000.

Significant decisions made included:

• Release of £103,000 for Traveller Incursions: Funds were approved from the Priority Growth to Resident Service Budget to manage the costs associated with traveller incursions in the borough. This amount will be supplemented by £67,000 from underspent funds for Metropolitan Police Assistance, bringing the total cost for traveller incursions to £170,000 to date.
• Appointment of a Member's Inquiry Monitoring Officer: £40,000 was approved from the Priority Growth to Resident Service Budgets to appoint an officer responsible for monitoring the progress of members' inquiries.
• Grant for Uxbridge Forward: A grant of £10,000 was approved for Uxbridge Forward to promote and coordinate activity within Uxbridge Town Centre.
• Environment Agency Grant for Flood Investigation: £110,000 was accepted from the Environment Agency, Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, to support investigatory work into options for reducing flooding at three locations: Common West Straton, Charville Lane, Hayes, and Cranford Park in Cranford.
• Re-phasing of Capital Expenditure: Approval was given to re-phase £20,975,000 of general fund capital expenditure and associated financing budgets into later years, and £9,500,000 of HRA new-build supporting housing budgets into later years of the capital programme.
• Funding for CCTV Programme: £35,000 was allocated from the Environmental Assets Capital Budget to the CCTV programme to contribute to the £105,000 cost of 25 additional mobile CCTV cameras aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour and environmental crime, such as fly-tipping.
• Urgency Decisions: Two decisions made under urgency provisions were confirmed: the appointment of kitchen and bathroom replacement contractors, and the purchase of Barclay apartments for approximately £10 million to provide accommodation. Amendments to the Liddle planning application in Hayes regarding car park entrance improvements, to be funded by Liddle's, and access across Minette Country Park for the Southall Gasworks construction were also confirmed.

Councillor Corthorne noted a minor typo in the addendum sheet, which referred to month six instead of month seven.

Council's Medium-Term Financial Forecast

The Cabinet considered the council's medium-term financial forecast for 2017-18 to 2021-22. Councillor Bianco highlighted that for the ninth successive year, and the eleventh for residents over 65, there would be no increase in the council tax. He noted that while the council's portion of the council tax would remain at zero, the final amount residents pay would depend on any changes made by the London Mayor through his precept. The report, which ran to over 80 pages, outlined proposals requiring significant savings and other opportunities.

Councillor Douglas Mills commented on the inflation provision in Table 5 on page 11, noting it related to 2017-18 rather than as printed. He also spoke about the capital budget, emphasizing the advantage of rolling forward schemes that take longer than a financial year to complete, a flexibility he believes the council should continue.

Councillor David Simmonds CBE raised concerns regarding the Education Services Grant. He explained that the government had initially proposed removing the council's responsibilities in school improvement but later withdrew that proposal while maintaining the removal of funding for such activities. He highlighted that residual funding for services like education and welfare would transfer into the Dedicated Schools Grant, requiring schools to collectively decide on the continuation of these services. He also noted that changes to the New Homes Bonus and the creation of the Adult Social Support Fund would result in a net loss of nearly £1 million for the council, though this could be absorbed by existing balances.

The Cabinet agreed to the recommendations, acknowledging the council's strong financial position and its ability to protect services and maintain reserves above the minimum required level.

Grants to Voluntary Organisations

Councillor Douglas Mills presented the report on grants to voluntary organisations for the 2017-18 financial year, highlighting the council's commitment to the voluntary sector. A total of just under £1.7 million in core grant funding was allocated to a wide range of organisations, supplemented by £50,000 for transport to enable residents to participate in activities. The Cabinet also confirmed the council's contribution to the London Councils' grant schemes, noting a significant reduction in the contribution compared to previous years. While acknowledging some ongoing questions about the return on investment from these schemes, Councillor Mills pointed to the valuable services provided by organisations, particularly those supporting women experiencing domestic violence, which have found their way to Hillingdon.

Supporting Educational Aspiration for Disadvantaged Children

The Children, Young People and Learning Policy Overview Committee presented its report on supporting educational aspiration for disadvantaged children. Councillor Jane Palmer, on behalf of the committee, explained that despite the gap narrowing, disadvantaged pupils continued to achieve significantly lower academic results than their peers. The committee recommended further detailed analysis of the performance of disadvantaged pupils, including specific cohorts. They also identified opportunities to enhance school-to-school support, boost pupil attendance, monitor the performance of pupils in receipt of the pupil premium, and strengthen links between schools and children's centres. Concerns were also raised about difficulties in making referrals to CAMHS¹, with a recommendation for a review of the service.

Councillor David Simmonds CBE thanked the committee for their work and assured them that the Cabinet was happy to accept the recommendations. He specifically addressed the challenge of identifying pupils eligible for the pupil premium, noting that the introduction of free school meals for younger children had reduced the requirement for parents to declare their low income. He also mentioned ongoing discussions with the deputy chief executive regarding the frequency of placement moves for children, assuring that these moves are closely monitored and generally deemed to be in the child's best interest.

Ickenham Neighbourhood Area and Neighbourhood Forum Application

Councillor Keith Burrows, Chair of the Registration & Appeals Committee, presented Hillingdon's first application for the establishment of a neighbourhood forum and a neighbourhood area, submitted by residents in Ickenham. He noted the detailed and well-thought-out nature of the application, which had undergone public consultation. Two issues raised by Chris Mountain, chairman of the Ickenham Neighbourhood Forum, were addressed: the statutory certainty that a neighbourhood plan will form part of the council's development plan, and the need for further guidance on how residents within the neighbourhood area will benefit from the Community Infrastructure Levy² once a plan is in place. Councillor Burrows confirmed that further guidance would be provided in subsequent reports and that these issues did not affect the recommendations before the Cabinet.

Review of the Social Housing Allocation Policy

Councillor Philip Corthorne MCIPD, Mayor of Hillingdon, moved the recommendations for a review of the Social Housing Allocation Policy. He explained that proposed changes were necessary due to legal challenges concerning applicants who did not meet the 10-year residency criteria. A key change is the introduction of a new Band D category for individuals with less than 10 years' residency or those assessed as falling into reasonable preference groups. The consultation on these changes received broad support, and the amendments are expected to strengthen the council's position in defending legal challenges. Councillor Corthorne emphasised that the council's commitment to prioritising longer-term residents for housing allocations remained undiminished.

Planning Obligations, Quarterly Financial Monitoring Report

Councillor Boroughs presented the quarterly monitoring report on planning obligations, specifically Section 106³ and Section 278⁴ agreements, up to the end of September. The report detailed the final costs of these agreements and provided breakdowns by service area and ward, outlining where the money could be and had been spent. The Cabinet was asked to note the report and encouraged to inquire about any funds that could be moved forward more quickly.

School Capital Programme

Councillor David Simmonds CBE introduced the report on the School Capital Programme, noting that a significant portion of the budget was allocated to school places. He mentioned ongoing discussions with Councillor Keith Burrows and officers regarding a substantial part of this funding, particularly concerning secondary school places, and the continued pressure being applied to the Education Funding Agency to identify suitable sites.