The Council meeting on Thursday 15 May 2025 saw the election of the new Mayor and Deputy Mayor, alongside the approval of the Scrutiny Annual Report for 2024/25 and the confirmation of the council's meeting dates for the upcoming year. Key decisions also included the approval of Councillor Jean Lammiman's long service award and the granting of a dispensation for Councillor Vipin Mithani's absence due to ill health.

Election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor

The meeting commenced with the formal election of the Mayor of the Borough for the Municipal Year 2025/26. Following this, the newly elected Mayor announced their appointment of a Deputy Mayor and a Chaplain. The agenda also included announcements from the new Mayor regarding civic functions for the upcoming year.

Recognition of Long Service Award - Councillor Jean Lammiman

Council approved a Long Service Award for Councillor Jean Lammiman in recognition of her over 30 years of service to Harrow Council, which she achieved in May 2024. Councillor Lammiman has a distinguished record, having served as Mayor of Harrow in the 2007/08 Municipal Year and holding various Portfolio Holder positions, including for Adults and Public Health. She has also chaired the Health and Well-being Board and numerous other committees. The award, a framed, illuminated copy of a resolution of appreciation, will be presented in September 2025, with costs met from existing budgets.

Approval of Reason for Absence of Councillor Vipin Mithani

The Council approved the reasons for Councillor Vipin Mithani's absence due to ill health. Under Section 85(1) of the Local Government Act 1972, a dispensation was granted, allowing Councillor Mithani to be absent from Council meetings until the end of September 2025, thereby avoiding disqualification.

Scrutiny Annual Report 2024/25

The Council received and approved the Scrutiny Annual Report for 2024/25, subject to comments made during the meeting. The report, developed by the Scrutiny Leadership Group, outlines the activities of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, its sub-committees, and Scrutiny Lead Members. Members raised concerns that the draft report initially read more like the Council's Corporate Plan than a scrutiny document, lacking specific feedback on previously identified issues and areas for improvement. Councillors were advised that feedback mechanisms were in place and would be part of future induction programmes. A concern was also raised about the late submission of some officer reports, which hinders effective scrutiny. To enhance best practices, the Centre for Public Scrutiny Report (2017) will be provided to key scrutiny members.

Constitution Update

The Council resolved to amend parts of the constitution as attached in Appendix A and authorised the Monitoring Officer to make these changes.

Information Report - Use of the Urgency Procedure - Executive

This report detailed decisions taken under the Urgency Procedure and the General Exception procedure since the Council meeting on 27 February 2025. It was noted that no executive decisions had been taken under the Urgency Procedure since the last meeting. However, a decision regarding the United Kingdom Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) for 2025/2026 was made under the General Exception procedure by Cabinet on 10 April 2025. This was due to the need for Harrow Council to sign a funding agreement with the Greater London Authority (GLA) to receive its allocation of £798,400, as the funding period ended on 31 March 2026 and delaying the start of provision risked not maximising benefits for residents.

Information Report - Remuneration Packages of £100,000 or Greater

The Council noted a report summarising remuneration packages approved by the Chief Officers’ Employment Panel (COEP) since the last Council meeting. Government guidance requires the full Council to be informed of any remuneration package of £100,000 per annum or greater. Between October 2024 and April 2025, the COEP approved the remuneration package for the Assistant Director of Internal Audit & Corporate Anti-Fraud, graded D1, with a salary range of £132,302 - £155,625, including on-costs. This role is considered essential for strategic leadership in internal audit, counter fraud, and corporate risk management.

Dates of Council Meetings 2025/26

The dates for ordinary Council meetings for the 2025/26 Municipal Year were noted and confirmed. These include meetings on Thursday 18 September 2025, Thursday 27 November 2025, Thursday 26 February 2026 (Council Tax), and Wednesday 20 May 2026 (Annual).