The Council meeting on Monday 14 September 2026 addressed a range of significant issues, including the proposed West London Orbital Railway, the council's treasury management outturn for 2025-26, and changes to the council's constitution. The meeting also featured discussions on climate resilience, temporary accommodation, and youth services.

West London Orbital Railway

Councillors debated a motion to commit to working with neighbouring boroughs and the government to secure funding for the West London Orbital Railway. Councillor Byrne, moving the motion, highlighted the project's potential to transform journey times, connect residents to jobs and education, support new homes and jobs, and offer environmental benefits. He stated, It's not a marginal upgrade. It means better connections to jobs, to education and to opportunity. An amendment proposed by the Green Party, moved by Councillor Gallagher, sought to prevent further spending on the project, arguing that it was a billion-pound hypothetical rail scheme with no secure funding and a delivery horizon stretching into the 2030s. Councillor Gallagher argued, Local authorities simply do not have the funding to commit. This should be funded by TFL, DFT and others, rather than Brent, who continue to support the funds we have. Despite some reservations about the project's timeline and funding, the motion, as amended, was carried.

Treasury Management Outturn 2025-26

Councillor Gwen Grahl, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, presented the Treasury Management Outturn Report for 2025-26. The report indicated that the Council had complied with its Prudential Indicators, with borrowing increasing to £1,074.0m and cash investments decreasing to £43.8m. Councillor Grahl emphasised the Council's responsible approach to borrowing, stating, Our responsible approach has given us the financial capacity to continue investing in Brent. That means building homes, improving our infrastructure and investing in the community assets that residents need. The report detailed the economic background, including the impact of interest rate changes and geopolitical events, and outlined the Council's borrowing and investment activities. The recommendations in the report were noted and approved by the Council.

Changes to the Constitution

Councillor Matt Kelcher, Cabinet Member for Regeneration & Planning, introduced proposed changes to the Council's constitution, primarily driven by new national regulations regarding the delegation of planning functions. These reforms will introduce national rules on which applications must be delegated to officers and which may be referred to the Planning Committee. Councillor Kelcher explained that the changes would align Brent's arrangements with the new national scheme while ensuring significant applications could still be considered by elected members. The report also proposed updates to council standing orders regarding the election of committee chairs and vice-chairs, and an increase in the allowance for the Independent Chair of the Audit and Standards Advisory Committee. During the debate, concerns were raised by Councillor Morris and Councillor Norbert about the potential reduction in scrutiny and public involvement in planning decisions due to the new delegation arrangements. Despite these concerns, the recommendations to approve the constitutional changes were put to a vote and were lost. The Council will need to revisit these changes at an extraordinary council meeting to remain compliant by October.

Climate Resilience and Extreme Heat

Councillor Mary Mitchell, representing the Green Party, moved a motion calling for practical action to make Brent more resilient to extreme heat. She highlighted the increasing temperatures and the disproportionate impact on vulnerable residents, stating, Rising heat in Brent is fundamentally about inequality. The motion proposed improving public spaces, schools, workplaces, and housing, expanding greening and shade, and securing clearer guidance on the impacts of data centres. Amendments were proposed by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups. Councillor Chadda, moving the Conservative amendment, emphasised the need for practical, proportionate measures with real value for residents, focusing on costed action plans and community sponsorship. Councillor Chauhan, moving the Liberal Democrat amendment, proposed a Greener Gardens Campaign to encourage residents to create greener gardens and discourage hard surfacing, alongside expanding tree planting initiatives. The debate saw broad agreement on the need for action, with Councillor Jake Rubin, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Employment & Climate Action, highlighting the Council's existing work on tree planting and energy efficiency. The motion, as amended by the Liberal Democrat group's proposals, was carried.

Temporary Accommodation and Youth Services

Councillor Anup Patel, moving a motion on behalf of the Conservative Group, raised concerns about the rising costs and scale of temporary accommodation in Brent, highlighting an expected £38 million expenditure on nightly paid accommodation and a forecast overspend. He called for clear targets and transparent reporting on temporary accommodation. Councillor Jackson, speaking from personal experience of homelessness, supported the motion but highlighted the significant subsidy gap in housing benefit for temporary accommodation. Councillor Louis, also supporting the motion, emphasised the need for preventative work and criticised the number of empty council properties. Councillor Robert Johnson, Cabinet Member for Housing, Homelessness & Renters, stated that the Council was already taking action, including implementing a digital management platform and increasing longer-term leased accommodation.

In discussions regarding youth services, Councillor Trevor Blackman asked about the Council's plans to roll out the Government's Youth Guarantee and develop a Brent Youth Opportunity Guarantee. Councillor Liz Dixon, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health, and Councillor Jake Rubin, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Employment & Climate Action, responded, outlining work with partners to maximise opportunities from the Youth Jobs Guarantee and the intention to develop a Brent Youth Opportunity Offer. They acknowledged the need to prioritise young people facing the greatest barriers. Councillor Warsame raised concerns about the impact of development sites on youth facilities and access to open spaces. Councillor Dixon and Councillor Muhammed Butt (Leader of the Council) responded, acknowledging the impact of austerity on youth services but highlighting investments in youth facilities and ongoing efforts to work with partners.

Other Matters

The Council also discussed the appointment of committee chairs and vice-chairs, with some debate and recorded votes taking place. A deputation from the Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign called for the Council to divest its pension funds from companies complicit in alleged Israeli actions, and for greater transparency in procurement contracts. Councillor Gwen Grahl responded, acknowledging the suffering in Gaza and reiterating the Labour Party's commitment to transparency and working with London CIV towards divestment. A second deputation from ACE Brent called for stronger Council action on the climate emergency, including more frequent reporting and greater public involvement. Councillor Jake Rubin responded, outlining plans for a climate action forum and engagement sessions. The Council also approved a resolution to grant Councillor Arshad Mahmood dispensation from attending meetings due to significant family health and wellbeing circumstances.