The Corporate Resources & Infrastructure Select Committee met on Wednesday 17 June 2026 to discuss the council's overview and scrutiny processes, its forward plan, and its work programme. The meeting also included service briefings.

Introduction to Overview & Scrutiny

The committee was scheduled to receive an introduction to overview and scrutiny in Hillingdon, as outlined in a report by Mark Braddock, Statutory Scrutiny Officer. This report aimed to inform committee members about the role of select committees and overview and scrutiny within the council's governance arrangements, how these committees operate, and the scrutiny rules, support, and guidance available. The report highlighted that overview and scrutiny committees are legally required in larger councils and their role is to assist in policy development, improve services, review executive actions, and make reports and recommendations. The principles of effective overview and scrutiny were stated as providing constructive challenge, amplifying public concerns, being led by independent individuals, and driving service improvement. The report also detailed how overview and scrutiny in Hillingdon is arranged, with remits aligned to Cabinet Member portfolios and Officer Directorates. General responsibilities of select committees were outlined, including monitoring the Cabinet Forward Plan, post-decision scrutiny through the call-in procedure, external scrutiny of local public agencies, reviewing past decisions, undertaking in-depth policy reviews, monitoring the implementation of previous reviews, shaping policy framework documents, receiving information reports, and exercising the Councillor Call for Action mechanism. The report also explained the updated approach to budget and performance scrutiny, with the Audit, Finance & Performance Committee now taking the lead on routine reporting, while maintaining dialogue with other select committees. The specific terms of reference for the Corporate Resources & Infrastructure Select Committee were also detailed, covering areas such as Communications & Resident Engagement, Strategic Property, Growth Strategy, Inward Investment, Business Engagement, Heathrow Airport, High Speed 2 (HS2), Democratic Services, Human Resources, Legal Services, Business Intelligence & Digital Services, Planning Services, Regeneration, the Local Plan, Building Control & Safety, Housing Strategy, Housing Management, Homelessness Prevention, Rough Sleeper Prevention, Private Rented Sector Housing/HMOs, Property, Commercial Leases & Disposals, Capital Programme/Major Construction, Facilities Management/Security, and Planned Works and Repairs & Engineering of Housing/Corporate Estate. The report also provided information on how committees operate, including multi-year work programmes, undertaking policy reviews, the scrutiny call-in procedure, and the committee's relationship with the Cabinet.

Forward Plan

The committee was scheduled to consider the Cabinet Forward Plan, which outlines key decisions and other decisions to be taken by the Cabinet and Cabinet Members over the coming year. The report provided by Ryan Dell, Democratic Services, detailed the actions available to the committee in monitoring this plan, including providing specific comments to be included in future Cabinet or Cabinet Member reports, requesting further information on forthcoming reports, requesting Cabinet Members to consider providing draft reports, and identifying reports that may merit a post-decision review. The report also referenced the Protocol on Overview & Scrutiny and Cabinet Relations, which guides Cabinet Members to support the provision of relevant council information and provide opportunities for committees to offer input on forthcoming executive reports. The Forward Plan itself listed several items scheduled for Cabinet consideration in June and July 2026, including the repair of domestic gas boilers, the redevelopment of Nelson Lane in Uxbridge, procurement decisions for backup solutions, maintenance of domestic lifts and hoists, the Local Plan Scoping Consultation, the Joint Waste Plan, and the Corporate Disposal Programme.

Work Programme

The committee was set to review its multi-year work programme for 2026-2030, as presented in Appendix A. This document outlines the planned activity for each committee meeting, with the aim of providing flexibility in undertaking in-depth reviews and reporting findings to the Cabinet. The work programme detailed scheduled topics across various directorates and service areas, including Growth Strategy, Planning Services, Housing Strategy, Homelessness Prevention, and Digital Services. Specific items noted for discussion included updates on the Local Plan, Building Safety Strategy, Housing Strategy, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, and Cyber Security. The programme also indicated planned reviews and updates for various periods throughout the municipal year, with a focus on policy development and service monitoring. The report highlighted that select committees make recommendations on service changes and improvements to the Cabinet, who are responsible for the Council's policy and direction.

Service Briefings

The agenda indicated that verbal updates would be provided as part of service briefings.