This meeting includes a wide range of updates and decisions that relate to many of the services the council provides to the public, including an update on progress against the council's plan for the borough; a proposal for a new food waste collection service; a review of the Additional Licensing Scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation, which looks at the condition of houses that are shared by a number of people who are not a family; and a new five-year plan for sport and physical activity in Barnet.

Brent Cross Cricklewood Regeneration Programme

The Brent Cross Cricklewood Regeneration Programme has seen a lot of development in the last few years, with the opening of Brent Cross West Station, and the continuing development of Brent Cross Town. The report pack says that the next 18 months will see work to relocate the residents of the Whitefield Estate to new homes in the area; the demolition of the old Hendon Waste Transfer Station; the start of construction of a new Waste Transfer Station on Geron Way; the introduction of two Controlled Parking Zones¹ (CPZs) in the area of the development; and highway improvement works at the junction of Tilling Road and Claremont Road.

The report pack also sets out plans to award a contract to FM Conway to deliver the Tilling Road/Claremont Road junction improvement works and asks the Cabinet to give the Interim Chief Executive permission to start the process of appointing an operator for a community space in a building known as Plot 13. The report pack also says that a Community Impact Framework will be used by the council to make sure that the development brings a range of social, economic and cultural benefits to the people who live in the area of the development.

Fit & Active Barnet Strategy (2025-2030)

The council's Cabinet is being asked to agree a new five year Fit and Active Barnet strategy for 2025-2030. The aim of the strategy is to help more people in Barnet be more physically active and to improve the health of residents. The report pack says that the new strategy builds on what the council has been doing with its partners to encourage people to be active. That work has already brought a range of benefits to people in Barnet, including:

71% of the borough’s adult population (16+) are active for at least 150 minutes per week (Sport England Active Lives Survey 2022/23). This figure places Barnet at the sixth most active London borough.

The report pack says that the council is aware that some groups of people in Barnet, including women, girls, older people, disabled people and people from ethnic minorities are often less physically active than others, and sets out how the new strategy will address the challenges that prevent those people from being active. The report pack explains that the new strategy has been designed in partnership with a range of organisations and people across the borough, including residents. The strategy has three main aims, People, Place and Partnerships. People relates to ensuring people have the motivation and ability to participate in physical activity. Place concerns creating places and environments that make it easier for people to be active. And Partnerships is about working with partners to achieve these goals.

Food Waste Recycling Service

The report pack asks the council's Cabinet to approve a plan to introduce a food waste recycling service. The report pack says that the service will collect food waste from all residential properties in Barnet once a week using special vehicles. The report pack says that the service will be funded by a grant of £2,706,942 that the council has already received from the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA),² and that the council is expecting to be given more money from DEFRA to help with the costs of the service.

The report pack says that the council has been thinking about the best way to collect food waste, considering whether to collect it using separate vehicles from other waste and recycling, or to use special vehicles that have compartments for both recycling and food waste. The report pack recommends using separate vehicles, saying that this option is more flexible and will mean that any issues with the new food waste service will not disrupt the existing recycling and waste collections. The report pack also asks the council's cabinet to give permission to begin buying the bins and containers that will be used to collect the food waste.

Additional Licensing Scheme 2022-27 - Year Two Review

The council's Cabinet is being asked to consider a report that reviews the Additional Licensing Scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation. The scheme requires landlords of certain Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), in which three or more people who are not a family share facilities like a bathroom or kitchen, to obtain a licence from the council. The report pack explains that the scheme was introduced in October 2022 with the aim of improving the standards and management of HMOs in Barnet. The report pack goes on to explain that since its introduction, the scheme has faced several challenges, including the late introduction of online functionality for licence applications. The report says:

Due to significant issues caused by the data management system provider Idox, the new online functionality which should have gone live in early 2024 did not go live until October 2024. This was linked to other system improvements which are ongoing.

Despite these challenges, the report pack says that the service carried out 1,583 inspections of HMOs in 2024, a 42% increase on the previous year. The report pack concludes by saying that the stability of the team that manages the licensing scheme, and the online licensing system will be critical to the decision on whether to proceed with plans to introduce Selective Licensing³ for all privately rented properties in Burnt Oak, Colindale North and Colindale South.

Our Plan for Barnet - Delivery and Outcomes Framework, Q3 2024-25

The Cabinet is being asked to note a report that summarises the council's progress in delivering its plan for the borough Our Plan For Barnet. The report pack says that the council is measuring its performance using 99 indicators that cover a range of things the council is doing. The report says that, of the 82 indicators for which there are comparable figures:

46 improved (56%); 19 were the same (23%); and 17 worsened (21%).

The report pack summarises a range of things the council has been doing in the third quarter of the financial year 2024-2025, including: publishing an Equalities Annual Report; delivering work to support people struggling with the cost of living crisis; working on a new Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy; completing the planting of 900 trees; and awarding £70k in funding for projects aimed at improving children and young people's mental health and wellbeing. The report pack also says that the council is facing significant financial challenges and is working with officers and Members to balance the council's budget. Finally the report pack describes a number of risks that are facing the council, including School budget pressures; Provision for disabled children and those with special education needs; Statutory timescale failure; Strain on Special Educational Needs (SEN) transport; Increase in SEND demand; and Shortage of community equipment.