Here is a summary of the scheduled Cabinet meeting for Barnet Council on 7 April 2025.

The Cabinet is scheduled to discuss a range of topics, including highways, community participation, consultations, care contributions, and housing. A key item is the proposed adoption of a 20 mph zone policy, alongside responses to a report from the Barnet Highway Network Task and Finish Group. Also to be discussed is the Barnet Homes’ Annual Delivery Plan, and a progress report on the Community Participation Strategy.

Here are some of the topics that the Cabinet will be considering:

Highways

The Cabinet will consider the proposed responses to recommendations made by the Barnet Highway Network Task and Finish Group. The Task and Finish Group was commissioned to review the state of the highways network. The report pack includes the Task and Finish Group’s final report, which was approved by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 20 January 2025.

The report pack includes the following recommendations from the Task and Finish Group:

• A review of the council’s Highways Infrastructure Asset Management Plan (HIAMP) to ensure its alignment with the good practice set out in the Local Council’s Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) document ‘Maintaining a Vital Asset’. The Cabinet response in the report pack notes that the council joined LCRIG in March 2025.
• Promotion of the Local Council’s Roads Innovation Group document “Maintaining a Vital Asset” amongst residents and local councillors.
• Exploration of ways to better utilise the data coming out of the annual highway network condition reports, currently conducted on behalf of the Council by Xais-PTS, in order to better inform the prioritisation of planned works on the network (via the Confirm software).
• Use of the borough-wide network hierarchy information and then separate down to ward level information to enable Ward Members to be consulted on the prioritisation of schemes within their individual wards.
• A review of the carbon footprint of the highways operation following the implementation of the Highways Materials Palette as endorsed at the Environment Committee meeting of 8 March 2022.
• A review and recommendations on possible changes and additions to the Highways Materials Palette in line with the market promotion of new maintenance methodologies and materials, including Thermopatching and the Multi Hog units as demonstrated to Members, to determine the best materials to use in Barnet balancing value for money against carbon reduction commitments.
• Work with the Council’s Communications Team to produce a Highways Communication Strategy; and draw on good practice from other Local Authorities. The report pack notes that a proposal has been submitted regarding forming a dedicated Task and Finish Group to look at Highways Communications aligned to this recommendation.

20 mph Zone Policy

The Cabinet will consider a draft 20 mph Zone Policy, which aims to provide a clear and consistent framework for implementing 20 mph zones in the borough. The policy outlines the process for neighbourhoods to request a 20 mph zone, the assessment criteria, consultation and engagement, and design principles. The report pack notes that the policy aims to improve road safety, encourage active travel, and align with Barnet's Long Term Transport Strategy.

The draft policy deals with both 20mph limits and zones. The report pack notes that the latter are usually groups of streets with signage and traffic calming measures, like humps or chicanes, at regular intervals, and that evidence shows that physical measures can be more effective in reducing traffic speed than simple sign-only 20mph speed limits.

The report pack states that the draft policy emphasises that the process will involve co-production by neighbourhoods and the Council working together in partnership.

Community Participation Strategy

The Cabinet will receive a progress report on the implementation of the 2022 Community Participation Strategy. The strategy aims to grow the council's relationship with residents and involve communities in shaping their neighbourhoods and services. The report will cover work evolved out of pathfinder projects, and progress made in growing community participation in the borough.

The report pack notes that the strategy has five principles:

• We go where people are
• We learn through doing
• We listen
• We are transparent, accessible and open
• We value Community Power

The report pack states that over the last two years, around 7000 residents and stakeholders have been involved in the work of the council through a number of community participation initiatives.

Consultation Policy

The Cabinet will consider Barnet’s Draft Consultation Policy 2025, which sets out the principles and standards the council will adhere to when conducting consultations. The policy outlines the council’s statutory and legal requirement to consult, including the best value duty to consult, its Public Sector Equalities Duty and other legal frameworks that reference consultation.

The report pack notes that the Consultation Policy is closely linked to the Community Participation Strategy 2022 with consultation being one part in the participation cycle, and that the Consultation Policy does not replace any procedures that are currently in place for statutory consultations, for example the local authority’s planning application consultation processes.

Statement of Community Involvement

The Cabinet will consider Barnet’s Draft Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), which sets out how the Council will involve local residents, businesses and community groups in the preparation of planning documents and the consideration of planning applications.

The report pack notes that planning legislation requires local authorities to review and update their SCI every 5 years, and that Barnet’s SCI dates from 2018.

Kinship Care Offer

The Cabinet will consider the new Barnet Kinship Care Offer 2025-2029, which updates the former ‘Family and Friends Policy’ and incorporates the Special Guardianship Order Policy. The report pack notes that the new Barnet Kinship Care Offer also considers the principles and recommendations of the National Kinship Care Strategy (2023).

The report pack states that the new Statutory Guidance requires each local authority to publish a kinship local offer, setting out the support available to kinship children and their carers comprehensively, and the approach the council takes towards meeting the needs of this group.

Award of Parking Enforcement Contract

The Cabinet will consider the outcome of the procurement of the parking enforcement contract and a recommendation to award the Civil Parking & Traffic Enforcement Services contract to APCOA Parking (UK) Limited. The report pack notes that the contract will commence on 1 November 2025 and will run for a period of five years with an option to extend by a further period of up to two years at the Council’s discretion.

Brent Cross Homes England Loans

The Cabinet will consider a Deed of Amendment to the Homes England Loan facility between the Council, BXS LP, Homes England and others. The report pack notes that the Council’s joint venture with Related Argent, BXS Limited Partnerships (“BXS LP” or “Joint Venture”) benefits from a £148m loan facility (the “HE Loan”) provided by Homes England (HE), which helps to fund infrastructure and other project expenditure needed to deliver the Brent Cross Town scheme.

Amendments to the Private Sector Housing Financial Assistance Policy 2017

The Cabinet will consider proposed amendments to the Council’s current Private Sector Housing Financial Assistance policy in relation to Empty Property Grants. The report pack notes that according to Council Tax data there are currently 2,612 long term empty properties in the borough, and that for a number of years financial help has been available to help and incentivise owners of long-term empty properties to bring them back into use.

The report pack states that updates have been made in relation to the amount of grant funding allocated and in what circumstances, and a flexibility to negotiate conditions in specified circumstances.

Care Contribution Policies

The Cabinet will consider the Community Care Contributions Policy and the Residential and Nursing Care Contributions Policy. The report pack notes that the Community Care Contributions policy was formerly known as the ‘Fairer Contributions Policy’, and that the Residential and Nursing Care Contributions Policy is a new policy document which outlines a Care Act compliant framework for charging for residential and nursing care in Barnet.

The report pack states that the policies have been updated to reflect the outcome of the Adult Social Care (ASC) Fees & Charges consultation which was undertaken in November 2024, and that for 2025/26 the key changes are:

• The introduction of an annual fee for cost recovery for arranging and administering care for people with savings/assets above the national capital/savings threshold. The fee will be £1,851 per year or £35.59 a week and will be introduced from April 2025.
• The introduction of a weekly charge for Assistive Technology. The fee will be a flat rate of £5 per week and is not means-tested. It will be introduced from July 2025.