The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Harrow Council met on Tuesday 13 February 2024 to review the first year of the Corporate Plan 2023-26 and discuss the Final Revenue Budget 2024/25 and Medium Term Financial Strategy to 2026/27. The committee recommended that their comments on these financial and strategic documents be referred to the Cabinet for consideration.

Corporate Plan, Budget and Financial Strategy

The committee reviewed the first year of the Corporate Plan 2023-26 and the Final Revenue Budget 2024/25 and Medium Term Financial Strategy to 2026/27. Councillor Paul Osborn, Leader of the Council, presented the reports, highlighting Harrow's comparatively strong financial position while acknowledging a low level of reserves that makes the borough vulnerable to shocks. The council plans to replenish these reserves to build resilience, particularly for adult and children's social care.

Key initiatives discussed include:

• Customer Service Kiosks: A pilot scheme for customer service kiosks in libraries is being launched to improve residents' access to council services.
• Regeneration Plans: The council will proceed with regeneration plans, including submitting planning applications for the Byron Quarter site and the Poets Corner at the Civic Centre. A new draft local plan, which updates the current out-of-date plan, will go out for consultation.
• Cycling Infrastructure: A dedicated cycle lane is planned for Harrow, with consultation recently closed. This will be the first new cycle lane in the borough since some were introduced and removed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Road Maintenance: A pothole squad will be launched with £240,000 annual government funding, supplemented by insurance money. Despite this, there is a significant backlog of £100 million in road maintenance across the borough.
• Homelessness: Plans are in place to purchase up to 25 further homes to increase provision for homeless families. The council has applied for approximately £4 million in funding from the Greater London Authority for this purpose.
• Social Care Inspections: The borough's adult social services will be inspected by the Care Quality Commission in April, and Ofsted will conduct an inspection of children's services in the coming months.

During the discussion, members raised concerns about the council's reserves, noting a reduction from £71 million to £58 million between March 2023 and March 2024, partly due to a nearly £7 million reduction in the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). The committee was advised that reserves had been split into revenue reserves and earmarked reserves, with efforts made to increase them to just under £20 million.

Concerns were also raised about the rising costs of adult social care due to increased longevity and whether sufficient funds were available. It was noted that £10 million had been earmarked for adult social services, with hopes for further central government funding. Two-thirds of the council's budget is already allocated to children's and adult services, highlighting the challenge of balancing these demands with other essential services.

The committee also discussed the council's contribution to the West London Waste Alliance (WLWA), which amounts to nearly £700,000, and questioned whether cost reductions were being explored given improvements in recycling.

Regarding digital services, the committee was informed that a new housing system would go live by the end of March 2024, aiming to allow residents to manage more services online. However, members queried the delay in its implementation, as it was initially planned for three years prior.

The council's target of building 50 affordable homes on council sites is progressing, with the majority expected from the Milton Road development, which will be 100% affordable housing.

Members also expressed concern about fly-tipping, particularly in South Harrow. CCTV cameras have been installed in affected areas, and the council's licensing and enforcement teams are working to address unlicensed houses in multiple occupancy (HMOs), which are often linked to fly-tipping.

The committee resolved to recommend that their comments be referred to the Cabinet for consideration. They also resolved to receive updates on the strategy for purchasing up to 25 properties for homeless families.