Transcript

Okay. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to today's Cabinet meeting. Okay. We've got quite a packed agenda, so I just want to sort of move on to things. Okay. First and foremost, can I just welcome back Council of Promise tonight. And we now have a full complement of Cabinet members. And thank you for coming back. And, yeah. And can I just say thank you to Councillor Fleur Donnelly-Jackson for holding the fort of two portfolios as well. It hasn't been easy, but thank you very much for everything you've done as well. You can hand over the baton now. All right. All right. Before we start, I think we just need to reflect on some of the incidents that have happened. We had India flight AI-171 and the tragic loss of 242 lives and 30 other lives that were lost. And that there were family members and residents from Brent as well who've been impacted by that. And a lot of the community has been impacted. And I think we just need to show a sign of respect to move with a moment's silence just going forward before we start our deliberations. Thank you. Okay. Okay. Let's start with apologies for absence. I don't think we have any apologies. Okay. Thank you very much for that. Okay. Declarations of interest. Right. So please, if you have any declarations of interest, you can declare them now or you can declare them as we get to each item when we do. Okay. Okay. All right. And can we just go through the minutes of the previous meeting, right? Just for accuracy first. Okay. Page one, page two, page three, page four, page five, page six, page seven, page eight, page nine, page 10, page 11. Page 12, page 12, page 13. Okay. Any matters rising? Okay. I'll take that as an accurate reflection of the minutes of the previous meeting. Okay. Okay. And okay. Petitions. Okay. We do, we do have one speaker. Okay. Okay. And is it three minutes or five minutes? Three minutes. Three minutes. Okay. Okay. If you can introduce yourself, right? You want to speak on the issue of the bridge park and the closure around it. Right. And you'll have three minutes, right? To address the committee. Okay. And only have two minutes in a jam. So this is, this is okay. So my name is Vengeance. This is my, this is my name in roller derby. We have a long tradition of alter egos that help us play the sport better. So who here has heard of roller derby, please? Has anybody heard of roller derby? A couple of people. Cool. Right. So, so to give you a quick introduction, roller derby is basically a bit like rugby on skates. It is a full contact sport and it involves two teams of five people, each with one jammer. And we skate around in circles and the jammer has to bash through the blockers basically to score points, see score points every time you pass a blocker. It's very exciting. It's very fun. But more than that, it's a big sisterhood across the world. This is a group that has enabled me to, to meet people I would never would have met before across loads of different countries. So we're committed as a league to being open, diverse, inclusive, and democratic. Every member has a vote and every vote counts. And we're committed also to empowering women, non-marginalised genders and the LGBTQ plus community through sport. We are a member of the Women's Flat Track Roller Derby Association. And that has more than 1,000 roller derby teams across the world, mostly in the US. London Roller Derby, however, was the UK's first roller derby league. We were formed in 2006 and we have been a driving force for the growth of Flat Track Derby in the UK and in Europe. We remain one of the top teams in Europe. We have an international fan base and we sell out our events. You've got world-class athletes currently training on your doorstep in our league. We've got four teams, all named after various aspects of London. So our A team is London Brawling, our B team, London Brawl Saints, our C team, Battersea Power, and our very new D team, Docklands Fight Railway. So it's not just playing in the UK. We've also fielded 10 teams in the World Cup. We've got more than, what, nearly 30 skaters who are taking part in international roller derby. They are skating not only making up more than half of Team England, but for Team Scotland and Team Wales. We've also got skaters on Team Salaam, Team Desi, lots on Team West Indies, skaters on Finland, France, Greece, Spain, and South Africa. That's how great my league is. That's how fantastic our skaters are. So we are going to be training our hearts out until the World Cup in July, until you shut the doors at the end of June. We're going to be training our hearts out in Bridge Park. For the last nearly 20 years, we've trained every Sunday for five hours and every Thursday for two hours. So that's more than 200, sorry, more than 300 hours a year of our block booking. But we've got a problem, and that is a lack of training space. Partly that's why we've stayed loyal to Bridge Park, despite the fact that the price went up. And we were left with freezing temperatures because of the broken heating system and flooded halls when it rains, which means we can't skate at all. So please help us. London Royal Derby obviously stands with the Save Bridge Park campaign in urging you to vote against this plan. But if you do vote for it, please support us in finding an alternative venue, because otherwise we are homeless. We don't need much, a 33 by 23 metre space, which is the same as an international basketball court or netball court, and a solid floor, not a squishy floor, as I think Sport England has been recommending for some venues. We need a solid floor to be able to skate. And the biggest thing, the biggest problem that we have is a myth that roller skate wheels damage floors. They do not. They are made of soft polyurethane, and they do not damage floors. Any support you can give us would be really, really grateful for. Thank you. Thank you very much. The thing, the last comment you just made about the wheels and the polyurethane. My skateboard used to have polyurethane wheels. So I know exactly what you're talking about. That was a long time ago. Okay. Okay. Thank you very much for that. Okay. Okay. Neil, I'm going to hand over to the cabinet, but just make some comments. And then we'll move on to the formal item as well. Yeah. Vengeance. Thank you very much. Vengeance. There we are. Yeah. Look at you directly. Yeah. Thank you very much for coming and presenting to us today. You've given a very informative presentation about the sport and activity. Yeah. Officers obviously want to work with you. I don't want to prejudge the decision, which I hope cabinet will make in this morning. Yes. But should cabinet move ahead with the 31st of July, we obviously want to work with you to ensure that there's the opportunity for continuation at an alternative venue. And I know there have been some very helpful discussions going on about exactly what the spec is and how certain myths can be overcome as to what you need and don't need. Yes. But I have to say, I was very struck by your upfront honesty and being quite frank, right? Let's not use the word honesty, but being quite frank about the flood, the water and the cold of Bridge Park. And that is why in a minute, hopefully we can move on to a wider discussion about a new sports facility on this site. But thank you very much for presenting. Thank you very much for that. Tiri, do you want anything? Is that fine? Or you can do it? Yeah. Thank you, Chair. Yeah. Thank you so much for the presentation. Just to reiterate also what Councillor Nerva said, we will work with you to find an alternative. I think, you know, the conditions that Bridge Park finds itself in is not really sustainable anymore. So something needs to be done to make it, you know, a good community facility. So the investment needs to be there. But we will look to support you to find an alternative location. And I commend you for all the amazing work you do for, you know, the women community, but also for the LGBTQ. And thank you so much for coming today and sharing this with us. Thank you. Thank you very much. And I just want to also acknowledge that you also sent an email over the weekend to James Kinsella, where you highlighted some areas that you wanted us to address as part of the report. I can assure you all those points that you've raised, right, will be absolutely considered as part and parcel of the report and as part of the decision-making process, right, as we go forward as well. So thank you for your contributions. And I also want to say Dawn Butler has also been in contact with ourselves about the roller derby as well, right, and how she values it as well. So thank you for, so you've got a lot of support out there as well. Okay, let's move on to the formal items on the agenda now as well. Okay, right, so we've had the presentation. I've got nothing that's been notified from the scrutiny committee. And the first item on the agenda is the feature of Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre. Okay, and Harvey, you want to do that? Just to declare, I'm a member on regular use of Bridge Park. Okay, thank you for that. And Neil, hand over to you and to Teo in relation to the report. Leader, cabinet and residents. Today is a very significant milestone in the development of a new sports facility and wider regeneration of the Hillside Corridor. My colleague, Teo Benio, will be talking in a minute, I think, about the wider regeneration issues along the corridor. But I wish to, as cabinet lead for leisure, talk specifically about leisure at Bridge Park. I'd like to, at the outset, bring some of us back over 40 years to the creation of Bridge Park as a community venue. For those with a long memory or history of the area will know this was a bus garage, which was given to Brent Council by the GLC in a groundbreaking move to build community cohesion and confidence in an area. And I would like to thank that GLC for doing this. Because if they hadn't, who knows what that site would be today, but it would not be a facility which is under the stewardship of Brent Council. We know that development takes a very long time. And in preparing for this, I was trying to go back to check out when proposals for the development of Bridge Park first came to cabinet. And it was many, many years ago. What Brent has worked very hard to create partners for the development of the site, because what we do know is that Bridge Park cannot go on as it is. As we've just heard from users of Bridge Park, the building is not in good condition. And it isn't a question of, as people might like it to be, of do we move to repair or completely rebuild. The repair option is really not really good value, but it's also questionable whether it could actually even be achieved. So in the very short term, it is with regret that we actually have to close a facility at Bridge Park. But in the long term, it is about creating a new facility at Bridge Park, which is linked with the wider hillside corridor. And people might say, why can't you just run the facility up until the day the site is opened? And that is because if you read the report, if you look at the footprint, we are not talking about even building on the same, exactly the same location. So we've taken a long, hard look. There has been a very extensive consultation. And we are caught with the classic, everybody wants to see a new sports facility. I don't think we've met anybody who says we don't want to see a new sports facility. There have been very specific comments made about the heritage of the site, as I alluded to, in terms of its significance for people of colour in the Stonebridge area. And that is why we want to ensure that between now and the opening, and even after the opening, there is engagement and recognition and physical recognition built into the new location, built into the new facility of what Bridge Park has meant. Now, I know that there have been discussions, and there are certain residents who are seeking to get Heritage England involved. And therefore, it would be completely wrong of Brent to prejudge any application. And therefore, when the building is, if we agree to a 31st of July closure, it will not be possible to start work immediately on the new leisure centre. There will have to be a period of time whilst any discussions with Heritage England are actually addressed. But should they be addressed satisfactorily from the Council's point of view, there is an expectation, as can be seen in the report, that we move to a new, that we move on page 26 to the timetable as outlined. And secondly, I would like to highlight on table two, a very clear detail of what is currently available and what will be available in the future. I would like to finally just relate to the wide number, the appendices in the document, which highlight, not least, the wide range of physical activity that Brent currently offers, most of all of it is free and available in the area, and details of alternative pay-for provision within the wider, within the radius of the location. So I'm very pleased that Brent has assembled the land, identified redevelopment opportunities, and made it absolutely clear that when this is completed, Brent will not have two swimming pools, but will have three swimming pools under the responsibility of the authority. And it is with pride that I move this Cabinet report. Thank you. Okay, Councillor Bonnet. Thank you very much, Chair. Thank you very much, Neil, for that broad overview. I also welcome this report today, and I think it's not just the regeneration of the bridge parkside, but also the revitalization of the surrounding Stonebridge area, which is very, you know, important for us and a key component of the hillside regeneration corridor as well. I also want to, you know, emphasize, you know, what Bridge Park has meant for the black British residents and how much we've empowered them through this development. And we want to, you know, continue to commemorate this through the redevelopment and work closely with the community to make it a reality. I also want to thank all the residents that have been involved in the consultation and also the community groups. You know, the feedback was invaluable in shaping the future of this site. And, you know, 96% of respondents agreed that the site is in need of significant investment. So that gives us, you know, the confidence that, you know, the proposals are backed by our residents. We need, you know, new affordable homes for our residents, as well as training and employment opportunities, new green spaces as well. So I commend this report to the cabinet, and I hope we will have your support. Thank you. Thank you very much for that. Okay, you're going to open it up. Councillor Gaurong. Yeah, I think this is a really important proposal. I think we all recognise that temporarily closing the centre will impact residents. And thank you very much to Vengeance for speaking today. We know that there's a hugely diverse group of people who make use of Bridge Park as it is. But it does need investment. And I think if you look at the plans, this will bring out a modernised and a flexible space, which should much better meet the needs of the community. And I particularly welcome the 1,000 homes. We're in the middle of a housing crisis, and those are going to be, you know, really, really important. I know that Councillor Matt Kelcher on the planning committee will be pushing for 50% of those to be affordable, as per our target. And I would encourage residents to have a look at the drawings and plans in the consultation document, which show just how transformative the new centre is going to be. But really appreciate there will be some inconvenience, and I really hope officers will work really closely with community members to minimise those. But happy to support. Thanks. No. Okay. Okay. I'll come to Councillor Light and then Councillor Lori Jackson. I'd just like to echo what my colleagues have already said, and Vengeance, thank you very much for your speech. I am a ward councillor in Stonebridge, and of course I welcome these proposals, particularly the ones surrounding the wider hillside corridor and the continued investment in Stonebridge. I am delighted that these proposals will include much-needed new affordable homes, alongside training skills and opportunities for people in my ward. So thank you. Thank you. Councillor Dolly Jackson. Thank you. So I won't echo everything that's been said, because I think it speaks for itself, the commitment to homes and to redeveloping the centre. I did just want to draw attention to some of the points in the report three, which set out around how we value the heritage and the history of the site, and the fact that the plaque on the current Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre, which marks the achievements of the late Leonard Johnson, that will be retained. We are very keen to ensure that we make sure that the history is commemorated within the new development, and we'll work with communities to make sure that that happens. Thank you. Thank you very much. Looking around. Anybody else? Okay. Can I just, vengeance, I want to just say thank you for the commitment you've made to the Leisure Centre and utilising its services there, and one of the things for myself is in relation to the condition of the building itself, and as Councillor Donald Jackson also sort of mentioned about the legacy of some of the individuals who've been connected with the Leisure Centre going back to the 80s, and how we make sure that anything going forward also reflects the changing communities we have in the area as well, and also how we make sure that we are providing good quality leisure services there and centres and spaces that actually are fit for today's time and actually going forward as well. And it's always a tough decision for any landlord when they have to take a look at their assets and make decisions around even a temporary closure, because the impact will always be on some of those users. And we know there are people who value the space that they have there. And some of the previous reports we've had have highlighted some of the issues we're facing with the building, and also that there's support coming from the community as well to make sure they are part and parcel of the conversation, and creating some type of community board will be part of the conversation as well, where people will be working with us to make sure that they are part and parcel of the conversation as we go forward. And also, when we have conversations about closing anything, there's always an impact on staff as well, and we need to be mindful of that as well, and how we support those staff members going forward as well. This is not just a closure. It will have an impact not just on the community, the service users, but the staff as well, and we need to make sure we take all of those considerations into account going forward as well. Councillor Lenovo, thank you very much for all the work you have been doing, and for the team in making sure that we're highlighting and promoting some of the other activities that are being provided across Brent, in all the various Brent Connect areas, and some of which are available free of charge for our residents as well. Councillor Leno, thank you to yourself and the team as well. We have Tanvena Briel and Neil Martin, who have been working diligently on this for many, many years, and we still have a few hurdles to go through, but one of the things I think we do need to do is to make sure we do all the preparation work, and Councillor Lenovo alluded to the time scales, and we do have to take a look at the issue about the state of the building, how we remove some of the things in there as well, check for asbestos, bits and pieces, remove some of the broken items in there as well, and then how we sort of prepare ourselves for some use of the site as well, potentially in the interim as well, and also working with SRED and other partners just to continue the work to deliver the planning application. And like I said, there's still a few more hurdles that we have, but the pictures and the indicative outlines of what is proposed will mean, honestly, that we will be able to deliver something positive for the area, and it also links into the Corridor, the Sunbridge Corridor, where it's not just about the Bridge Park Leisure Centre, it's about everything else from there all the way into Harlsdon, and being able to provide a multitude of different services and platforms for our residents and users going forward as well. So I want to say thank you to everyone for being part and parcel of the conversation that we've had, and we do have the recommendations, and the Recommendation 2.1 does talk about the centre closing the 31st of July, and obviously approve the facility for the mixed-use development going forward as well. Obviously, we need to get the Secretary of State approval consensus as well for the demolition works, and entering the variation of deed for the Stonbridge SRED development as well. and delegations of permissions as well. So that's on page 16. Can we agree those recommendations from 2.1 to 2.6, and hopefully start a journey of improvement and regeneration? Is that agreed? Agreed. Thank you very much for that, and thank you to our speakers today as well. Okay, the next item on the agenda is the NSIL 2025-26 allocation priorities. Councillor Rubin. Thank you, Councillor Butt. I welcome this report in setting out the proposed approach to allocating the NSIL, which is the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy, and the funding for 2025-26. As we all know, NSIL is a really important tool that ensures that communities in Brent actually benefit directly from development that happens in our borough. I am welcoming the proposals for a borough-wide funding model, as is set out in option one of the recommendations, and recommends a cabinet that we take this approach. This approach is the least complex method of distribution, and also allows NSIL funds to be allocated to projects across the borough. It provides equal opportunities for communities to access funding, and whilst also taking into account, obviously, the various impacts of development that happens in different areas of the borough, and we will obviously be mindful to prioritise and allocate projects carefully so that not one part of the borough is disproportionately favoured, and that the parts of the borough that have had the biggest levels of development will also be taken into account. By removing the cap on the total funding for any individual project, we are creating the space to back larger, higher-impact projects that can deliver real change across the borough for our communities. The rationale behind this sort of streamlined process is to enable urgent investment into key physical infrastructure that allows with our neighbourhood priorities that have been identified in the 2023 consultation. The basic message is that we know what communities want, and we are acting fast to deliver it. We are going to... The report puts forward a fair and flexible approach to NSIL funds and allows us one that allows us to truly respond to community priorities and deliver results. So I therefore recommend that Cabinet approves the recommendations in this report. Thank you. Thank you very much for that. Okay, Councillor Patel. Thank you, and thank you very much, Councillor Rubin, for this report. I just wanted to just say that the NSIL process is incredibly complex, and it can get difficult, and it sort of ends up at the Council stage and never sort of getting out into the communities where it should be and what it should be for. So I just wanted to say thank you for the work that you and your officers have done in sort of streamlining the process, but also making it more transparent and also getting it out to the communities where it's most needed and so that we can actually see some tangible benefits to that. So I'm hoping that all residents will take sort of advantage of this, and thank you very much for that. Okay, Councillor Bonilla. Thank you very much, Chair. Also, thank you, Councillor Rubin, for this report. I also welcome streamlining the process. I think we have, you know, we need to be able to have a process that is easy and accessible for our residents to be able to apply for this funding, and I also welcome the fact that, you know, the communication around the projects that we're funding is going to be improved. I think we need residents to see how these funds are being allocated and how this is going to benefit, you know, all the communities living across Brent. And also I welcome the fact that councillors will also be involved in early conversations about the initiatives because I think, you know, ward councillors, through the work that they do, they know, you know, what's needed in different parts of the borough, so I welcome that. And I think this would be, you know, a much-needed improvement on how NCIL is being allocated, and I hope that there will be also resources from officers to provide support to community groups on how they can apply for this funding as well. Thank you. Councillor Graham. Yeah, echo what my colleagues have said. NCIL is hugely important. We all know community groups in our own wards who wouldn't be able to do the work that they do without NCIL funding. It's really important that that money is collected and allocated in a fair way. I'm happy to support option one. I think development across the borough is quite uneven, but I think everybody should get to share in that prosperity, and I want to maximise the flexibility that we have to distribute those funds. Thank you very much. Councillor Neva. Yeah, I'd like to thank Councillor Rubin for bringing this to Cabinet and preparation work, which he and officers have been working on. I think the option one is really important. It isn't just uneven development. It's the uneven impact of development. And I'm always aware that the impact of development crosses boundaries. Yes, probably crosses borough boundaries as well. But the idea that Brent should actually put up separate boundaries within itself, when we're looking at some significant development across the borough, I think means that option one is the best way forward. I think Brent has got a wealth of pre-existing information about what resident priorities are, from extensive consultations, plural, that the authority has taken on a range of issues, not least improving public work realm and active travel opportunities over the years. And I look forward to some of the public realm initiatives being used to maximise opportunities for health improvement and active travel. Thank you very much. Okay. Looking around, anybody else? I think the point about regeneration and how it can benefit Brent, I think it's a very good point, right? The amount of regeneration that's taking place across Brent has meant, we're not in a position now. We do have the funds here today, right? And for myself, I think regeneration benefits us in many different ways as well. It also opens up opportunities around employment, opportunities around skills, apprenticeships, creates opportunities for people to consider going into business. There's opportunities around community spaces where we can have the creation of some of those spaces and there's so many other benefits that can be attributed to the regeneration of Brent and hopefully, you know, people will see that Brent is open for business and we will continue to be open for business and to make sure that we achieve the best outcomes for our residents, right, when it comes to that regeneration, so that we can create opportunities for people and young people to succeed in Brent and to be the next leaders and captains of industry going forward as well. The report does highlight in 4.4 some of the areas of spend as well in relation to the Brent Connect areas as well and we do have a wealth of information that comes in from residents, from councillors, from members' inquiries, right, Fix My Streets and all the other departments who have interactions with our residents, right, so being able to utilise and harness some of that data, that information will help to inform some of the spend as well and as we've already indicated, some of the many conversations that we have with residents when we go about our daily business as well just means, right, that the initial spend will be able to be spent, prioritised with positive outcomes for all our residents across Brent and the opportunity to utilise this across Brent, right, is one of the, I think, the highlights of being able to make sure that, you know, every single resident benefits and no one is left behind. Okay, colleagues, can we go to page 87 and page 88 and agree with these recommendations and start the good work? Is that agreed? Thank you very much. Okay, and the next item on the agenda, Councillor Jake, is over to you again, Councillor, the Court for Performance Report. Thanks very much. I'm happy to introduce the Brent Court for Performance Report for 24-25. This is an honest and comprehensive account of how we're performing as a council and it's really going to, I think it's a really important model to show that we are both transparent but also accountable as a council and we have clear goals. Obviously, it's a very difficult year for local government but despite this, we are continuing to make progress for our residents. I'll outline some of the wins. For example, Brent Works secured 191 job placements well above its target, delivering opportunities particularly in construction and also growth industries. Apprenticeships also exceeded expectations. I'm pleased to report that we're seeing momentum on our environmental goals, so over 100 new vehicle charging points were installed over the borough. Public realm improvements have also continued with 100% of Category 2 highway defects being repaired on time, so roads being repaired, which I know that residents really care about. In addition, I'm pleased to report that we have retrofitted 130 homes for energy efficiency, which is really good news for people's homes and delivering cheaper bills and warmer homes. Obviously, we're not complacent, though, and the report outlines where there are significant areas for improvement, so we know that housing remains a real challenge, so particularly with respect to voids in housing. So we've had 54 properties refurbished at the end of quarter four compared to 42 in quarter three against the target of 100. We know that's not good enough when demand for housing is so high. We've also seen some delays in affordable housing completions due to construction issues, which also recognised across the capital. Similarly, there are some challenges with processing our resident support fund. As the cost of living crisis continues to bite, we do get lots of applications in there, so that has impacted that. We know that Brent continues to face really intense financial pressures with rising need and diminishing central government grants, but this report allows us to observe the trends and be accountable for them. So I do thank officers for their work in ensuring that that data is collected and presented. Our ambition remains the same, which is to build a fairer, greener and more resilient borough. And whilst obviously there's lots to do, the report shows that we are heading in the right direction on these aims. So I recommend the report to Cabinet. Councillor Donnie Jackson. Thank you so much for this. It's important that we stay on track with the ambitious targets that we have. There's just a couple of points I'd like to raise. So absolutely, that focus on void turnaround is something that our Housing Improvement Board is assisting us with to stay focused on. In terms of the handovers for affordable homes, I just wanted to say, although it sits with Councillor Bonnet's portfolio, I was delighted to be welcoming 115 new council homes into our property portfolio just last week in the Apperton area along the canal side at Grand Union. And again, I think the cost of living crisis, it persists. And so the fact that we are still processing so many resident support fund applications and also the steadiness of those Brent hubs food bank referrals, which are outlined in the report, just means it's something that we can't stop paying attention to in terms of how we support the most vulnerable residents in the borough. Thank you, Councillor Knight. Like Councillor Donnelly Jackson said, the additional pressures at the end of the financial year led to increase in demand and which we are all too familiar with. Councillor Graal. My point is very different. I just wanted to pay tribute to the Brent Youth Parliament who've absolutely smashed our target with 86 young people attending in the last quarter, which is really high. It's a very active cohort that we've got currently. And they did recently visit the Houses of Parliament and they spoke there. So we really value their contribution to the borough. Thanks. Councillor Nerva. Yes, I would just like to comment on the Healthier Brent targets. Very quickly, there's a lot which is green. I'm really pleased and proud it's green. Not least a whole load of work, which is involved in outreach. Yes. So we've actually the target for Brent Health Math programmes, health checks, was target of 3000, actually delivered 3796. And there's other examples, not dissimilar. I'd like to highlight the work of the drug service with VIA, who actually I'm really pleased that we're one of the few authorities, neighbouring, we stand out as an authority for actually delivering on our drug targets and overreaching them in terms of getting residents into structured drug and alcohol treatment. The top left one about percentage of new birth visits within 14 days, I'm really pleased, is on 95%. So I know there have been significant challenges for the NHS, who Brent Council commissions this service from, in delivering this for a whole variety of reasons. But I'd like to pay tribute both to the NHS, but also to public health for some active engagement with the NHS on enabling this to happen. And to own the one red target that we have around assessments completed in 28 days, adult social care is proactively setting up a number of assessment days, which will help reduce the number of people, which will actually increase proportion of assessments completed in 28 days. And I know there is background work going on on IT to improve how the workflow appears to make sure that work, which is being undertaken, is actually credited as being undertaken. So thank you. Councillor Schaeff. Thank you. Just want to say that we've managed to get up to 102 electric vehicle charge point installations surpassing our annual target, which is a great achievement. Thank you, Mr. Benet. Thank you, Chair. Also, I want to welcome this report and also to say that despite the financial pressures in the sector, we are, you know, remain on course to meet our targets in terms of housing, you know, delivering 1,700 homes by 2028. And I want to thank the team, Alice Tanvir and the others, you know, in being one of the top three boroughs that are meeting our housing targets, despite, you know, the challenges in local government. Thank you so much. Okay, looking around. Thank you very much. I think just for myself, I think it's we're continuing to do a lot of good work, right? But I think that there's still some challenges. We still need to take a look at some of the hurdles that we're facing in providing some of that support to our residents. And I think just everyone, we just need to keep in mind who we're here for, right? And just to make sure that when our residents are coming to us and service users are coming to us, they're coming to us now because they're coming from a point of need and a point of help. And sometimes, right, the only individuals who are there, right, is us. And it's imperative that we always keep that in mind going forward, right? And things are not getting any easier out there. It's not getting any easier for the council, right? And the challenges and the demands of the council are increasing day by day. And it's imperative that as we go forward, right, we do come up with the ideas. We do find the solutions. It is going to be the people in this room and the people in this building and our partners and colleagues who work with us that we need to make sure that all of us are working together hand in hand to deliver the best outcomes that we can. It will be challenging, but I know we can rise to that challenge because that's why we made that decision to come into local government, to make sure that we provide that help, that support, that guidance, that helping hand when people come to us. We're going in the right direction, we need to continue to make sure that we always strive to do the best that we can. So I'll leave it there. So, colleagues, we have the recommendations, right, not really the report and the borough plan and take a look at, you know, some of the challenges we're facing that are coming forward. And just make sure that every single one of us is challenging one another to make sure that we are doing the best we can. So can we agree the recommendations on page 96? Is that agreed? Thank you very much. Okay. And the next item on the agenda, right, is the revised Black Community Action Plan. As people know, the plan came out as a result of the incident with George Floyd, and we've made a commitment to work with the black community in order to make sure that some of the challenges that have been there for a long time are challenged and looked into collaboratively with the community, so that we can try to address some of those issues and those concerns going forward, we did agree to have a pause, a review in between, so that we could take a look at whether or not we're actually on the right track. And I think that this pause has allowed us to go back out to the community, to consult with them, to engage with them. And the report highlights the engagement exercise that was taken with the community. And we're now looking to relaunch the Black Community Action Plan so that it better fits the needs and the requirements of the community. One of the things I think we had previously, I think the themes were too wide. I think they're too long. And there wasn't enough time in order for some of those themes to address the challenges in each of those. We're now looking to phase things in a better manner over a four-year period and have three or four themes in each of those periods. And then address those collectively, cohesively as well. And one of the other things we need to take a look at is to make sure we have robust governance procedures as well. And how individuals who are going to be part of this new board are reflective of the community and also have a vested interest to make sure there are positive outcomes for our community going forward as well. So, people will ask the questions around finance. There will be some money that will be used. It's not a great large amount of money, but the whole idea will be to work with the new board and see how we can attract further investment. And to make sure that the income and the money is utilized to deliver those outcomes. The report highlights the conversations and the themes that have been ranked by the community groups that have worked with us. Early intervention and housing, things are always ranked high. And it just shows some of the things that we've been working on have been the right choices, but still the black community still faces significant challenges. And how do we continue to unlock some of those challenges? And that will be working with the community going forward as well. I will leave it there. Any comments and everything else? Okay. Council Farah. Thank you, Chair. I welcome this revised report. Specifically, the new governance arrangement, as well as the clear timelines that it sets out, which will enable us to address the challenges that the report addresses. So, I fully support. Council Rubin. Thanks, Chair. I also really welcome this report. Welcome the fact that it focuses on the structural inequalities that are faced by the black community. So, if you look at things like criminal justice, early internship for young people, tackling health inequalities, I'm glad that there are clear targets and clear aims on that. Of course, we know that the fight against racism is also a cultural fight. It's a cultural fight against prejudices. And I'm sure that that will also be part of the plan. And also, you know, the importance of celebrating the enormous contribution of the black community in Brent and also across Britain. So, I'm really happy that this plan is in place. I look forward to working with the board and the council to implement it. Okay. I've got Council Nova and then Council Grau. Yes, I'd like to also endorse this cabinet report. Sorry, I don't know who the nurse that is. I think it's really, when I was reading this report, I was very struck also by the points about structural inequalities and the fact that health appears as, is ranked as number two. And we need to recognise, when we're in this report, that there are some things the council has got direct control over and there are other areas, not least like health and criminal justice, where the council must be seen as a champion for local residents, for black residents, when we're addressing these inequality issues. And I was very struck when I was reading also on page 126, when you read the report and then you move to 126, is the, I'm sad to say, the timeless nature of these comments. When I look at highlighting health inequalities affecting the black community by developing campaigns to be at the forefront on issues such as diabetes, sickle cell and prostate cancer, that could probably have been written any time in the past 20 or 30 years, this is not a criticism, it's a reality check of what is going on or not going on. And I want to use this point to say that I think it's really important that we are proactively working and engaging and challenging our NHS colleagues to do the very best on this, to actually put in. So we actually, when we're reviewing this in the future, we can see the tangible changes have taken place. And that is why I look forward to using my role as chair of the health and wellbeing board to ensure that there's no opportunity for the, for the health elements of the black community action plan to be considered directly at the health and wellbeing board, which brings together the NHS and local authorities so that we can actually really do a deep dive and work out in tangible terms, what, where we expect to see changes, how and when. Thank you very much. Thank you. Yeah, it's really good to see progress on the black community action plan under the leadership of Khabibbe, who I know brings a lot of experience and thoughtful insight to this role. There's some really strong proposals here. Racism is systemic and we need to take those issues seriously and do everything as we can, everything we can as a borough to tackle those issues. I particularly welcome work surrounding disproportionality in educational outcomes. I know that's something our residents care a great deal about and there's youth and after-school provision in here, which I know young people really care about too. So it's really great news that we'll be moving forward in the coming weeks to recruit a steering group. Thanks. Okay. Councilman here. Thank you, Chair. Also to echo what Councillor Roll said about the independent advisory steering group, I think that's key in this revised black action plan because I think, you know, the communities are key to this and, you know, co-designing and co-producing the action plan with them and giving them a voice is key. Thank you. Thank you very much. Looking around. Anybody else? Okay. Thank you very much for everyone for your contribution. I just want to thank everyone who took part in the consultation and helped us to formulate the new vision and the new way going forward as well. And hopefully, as everyone sort of alluded to, right, the independent advisory steering group, right, will help us now to shape things going forward in a positive direction and to make sure we're targeting things in a clear, structured manner that enables us to deliver some of those outcomes as well, right, and because of the amount of time it's taken us, right, we're also looking to extend the timeline by year. So I'd say it will be up until 2033, a total of eight years going forward as well, so hopefully we'll still be able to achieve the outcomes we initially set out with originally when we started BCAP. So, colleagues, right, we have the recommendations on page 117 and 118. Can we agree with these recommendations and hopefully start the journey of regeneration, renewal, growth, and a better future for everyone involved in BCAP? Is that agreed? Thank you very much. Okay, the next item on the agenda is delivering Brent's 2024-28 EDI ambitions one year on. Councillor Mattel. Lovely. Thank you very much. So I'm pleased to introduce this progress report on the first year of Brent's equity, diversity, and inclusion strategy of 24-28, as the Chair said, alongside our Anti-Racism Action Plan and the priorities of the EDI Board. As a Labour Council, we're proud to lead a borough as vibrant and diverse as Brent, but we also have to be honest about the work that remains to be done to create a truly inclusive, equitable society. This report marks our first full year of implementation, and while we are clear-eyed about the challenges ahead, we also have real progress to celebrate. Over the past year, we've begun turning aspiration into action. 51 schools have now joined our Race Equality in Schools programme, tackling disproportionality and improving outcomes for young people. We also launched a new community wellbeing hub at New Horizons, integrating housing, health, and advice services under one roof, a practical, inclusive model of support. Our home libraries and outreach service delivered over 37,000 books to isolated residents, a quiet but powerful action of connection. And we also accredited 19 venues under our Dementia Friendly Venues Charter, making Brent a safer and more welcome place for older residents. Behind each of these statistics are lived, improved, communities empowered, and dignity restored. Our commitment to digital inclusion saw 978 devices distributed to those at risk of being left behind, while employment services reached hundreds of residents with health conditions. And we're not just addressing inequalities, we're also actively building ladders of opportunity. Internally, our workforce journey is gathering pace. All staff are preparing to undergo mandatory anti-racism and inclusive workplace training. We've also launched a new staff network, appointed 15 equity champions, and may progress in closing the gender pay gap and reducing the median gap from 8.8% to 4.4%. But we're also clear that we still have work to do. We're investigating disparities in recruitment at senior levels, particularly for Asian applicants. We've also seen a rise in our disability and ethnicity pay gaps, and we're committed to understanding and reversing that trend. That's the spirit of this report, and it's not a victory lap, but the checkpoint in our EDI journey. It gives us the data and the direction we need to keep pushing for change, because inclusion isn't a one-off project, it's a way of working a mindset and a continuous process of listening and learning. I want to also especially highlight that our approach to community engagement, from care-experienced young people successfully campaigning for their status to be recognised as a protected characteristic, to the formation of Brent's first Brazilian community group. We're embedding residents' voices into how we design our delivery service. We've also heard about the refresh of our Black Community Action Plan today, co-designed with 80 community representatives, and we're putting power and accountability into the hands of those most affected by systemic inequalities. A new independent advisory steering group will also help deliver the next phase of that work right through to 2033. So, today, I asked Cabinet to endorse this report, because this isn't just about policies or plans, but it's about how we build a Brent where every person, no matter their background, their story, or their circumstances, feel that they belong. Thank you, Chair. Thank you very much for that. Looking around, any comments? Councillor Patel, thank you so much for bringing this. It's really good to see the achievements over that year since the EDI strategy was introduced. It's just more of a comment to say that the EDI strategy was never meant to sit on a bookshelf gathering dust. The entire point behind it was that we would embed actions across different teams, and hence those actions to follow through. I think I'd just also like to say thank you, because every team and department will have seen this as something that runs through the way they deliver their services, and it just means that we're all committed, all of the council officers, all of the Cabinet, all of our councillors, in fact, committed to delivering that greater inclusion across all of the different services that we have. Thank you very much for that. Okay, looking around. Thank you very much. Just to echo, I think it's a great report. We're on track. I mean, some of the outcomes we're delivering so far are really positive. Hopefully, we can continue just to make sure that we're trying to meet the needs of our diverse communities going forward, and this plan, hopefully, will go a long way to achieving the positive outcomes for all our residents. Okay, can we go to page 132? Okay, and the recommendations 2.1, 2.2. Can we agree with these recommendations and continue the great work? Thank you very much. Okay, the next item on the agenda is the Staples Corner Growth Area and the projects aligned with it. Over to you, Kevin. Thank you, Chair. Yes, I welcome this report, which seeks Cabinet approval for up to 2,835 million pounds of strategic SIL funding into our four-priority infrastructure projects in the Staples Corner Growth Area. This follows adoption of our master plan for Staples Corner, which sets out our vision for transforming the area into a high-quality industrial and urban district with new homes, modern workspaces, and better transport connections. Over the past year, we have seen momentum build, with planning consents granted and positive levels of interest from developers. We must now do our part to unlock growth by putting in place infrastructure that will make this vision a reality. These investments are not just about enabling development, but also connecting communities, improving lives, and shaping a more sustainable future. The four projects recommended in this report will remove long-standing physical barriers created by the North Circular and Edgeware road, making it safer and easier for pedestrians and cyclists to travel across the area. They include new upgrade crossings, improved junctions and streetscapes, and upgrades to existing infrastructures such as Footbridge over A406. These changes will improve access to Brent Cross West Station and Brent Cross Town, enhance walking and cycling routes, and lay the foundation for new homes and job opportunities. This infrastructure directly complements Brent's borrow plan priorities from prosperity and stability through economic regeneration to a cleaner, greener future by promoting sustainable travel and improved air quality. These proposals are strategic in intent. They unlock development potential while supporting long-term connectivity, inclusion, and resilience. The inclusion of public realm improvements such as tree planting and wheelchair accessibility demonstrate our commitment to inclusive design and climate-conscious investment. By delivering these projects, we are taking a decisive step towards shaping Staples Corner into a place where people can live, work, and travel with greater ease and more safety. Therefore, I recommend that Cabinet approve the recommendation of this report. Thank you. Thank you very much. Okay, Councillor Graal. Yeah, I'm really grateful that funding has been found to go ahead with this. I think it's really excellent. It can sometimes be an overlooked part of the borough, and infrastructure is really crucial there, particularly good quality cycling infrastructure. So thank you so much for finding this strategic SIL money. Okay, Councillor Neva. I'd just like to endorse the comments made about active travel, but also just to highlight, this is an example of Brent actually using strategic SIL in advance of housing being built, rather than waiting for housing and people to say, where is the infrastructure? We're actually doing it in advance. And I think that's a really important precedent that we're setting. Councilor Donnie Jackson. Councillor Bonneia, thank you so much. This is just a very welcome report that basically sets out to create the conditions and improve travel infrastructure so that we can then go on to deliver over 3,000 new homes, working with developers to meet the need for those affordable homes, and to do our part to address the housing crisis, not only here in London, but across the country. Looking around at anybody else? Okay. When it comes to sort of infrastructure, regeneration and growth, right, I will always support, right, support things like this, because it just means, right, we're creating a better Brent, similar as that. And that's one of the things we're here for, right, in order to improve people's lives and make sure, right, that everything else that is around them as well is improved at the same time as well. And this is exactly what SIL is all about, making sure, using it to create the infrastructure, right, that enables that improvement to continue, right. So, long may regeneration continue in Brent. Okay, we have the recommendations on page 164 to approve up to £2.8 million of SIL to design, plan, and maintain the four priority areas that have been identified. Is that agreed? I didn't hear that. Thank you very much, you guys. Okay, and the next item on the agenda is the item 13, Cecil Avenue, the estate management company. Thank you, Chair. Yes, I'm pleased to bring forward this report, which marks another key milestone in our ambition, regeneration of Wembley, and in Brent's mission to build new homes, foster community, and deliver lasting public value. The proposal before Cabinet is to formally establish the SIL Avenue, a state management company, a purpose-built non-profit organization that will provide seamless, high-quality management of one of our borough's most significant regeneration sites. This is more than just a governance mechanism. Thanks to the very foundation of the new Wembley High Road, creating not just new buildings, but a thriving, safe, and well-managed place. Thanks to our partnership with Wembley High Road, and Mayor of London, we are delivering at pace. Construction of Cecil Avenue and Ujima House is well underway with over 290 homes, a new community center, public courtyard garden, commercial space, and enhanced public realm, all on track to be completed by the end of 2026. This is a regeneration with purpose, and with people at its heart, but successful regeneration doesn't stop at completion. That's why we're acting now to put in place the right long-term management structure. The company will act as a central source of estate services, ensuring maintenance, safety, and communal upkeep are consistent and accountable. Take on legal responsibility under the Building Safety Act with a clear governance framework to ensure resident safety is never compromised. Also be financially sustainable with costs recovered through fair service charges, rather than falling on the housing revenue account. Importantly, Brent Council will be a founding member, and in time will take full ownership and control of the company, securing our long-term influence and accountability. We're also establishing mechanism for residents' voices to be heard with a dedicated residents' group to engage directly with the managing agent. This approach shows what public-led regeneration can achieve. Strategic control, financial prudence, and social responsibility, all working hand-in-hand. I commend this report to Cabinet. Thank you. Thank you very much. Okay. Any further comments? Just looking around. Thank you. I think just to sort of add to the comments just being made, I think some of the things that are being delivered in Wembley are absolutely positive, right, when it comes to the homes and opportunities around employment, right? And on Friday evening, I was on Wembley High Road, where one of the businesses has invested hundreds and thousands, right, in creating a new gastropub, the Robin, a fusion of Indian and Italian food. Very nice food, very nice food, right, and it just shows, right, that the confidence that people are having in being able to put that investment into the area, and I think it reaffirms exactly what we're doing, the work we're doing, the improvements that are being made. I know that Wembley High Road was closed for four months, but when you go there now and you take a look at the positive improvements that are being made, and once these homes come on stream, and the new community space comes on stream as well, it can only help just improve people's health and well-being and lives going forward as well. And it just continues to demonstrate the commitment that we have towards all our residents as well. So I welcome this report in making sure that we continue to deliver the best outcomes for our residents. So can we agree the recommendations on page 173 and 174 and continue the work that we're doing in Brent and Wembley? Is that great? Thank you very much. Okay, exclusion of press and public, all private items have been considered by cabinet members in relation to every report of not being notified of any urgent business. And the next meeting will be on Monday, the 28th of July before the summer break. Thank you very much, everyone, for being here. No. Some people may, but keep your phones on. Thank you, guys. Thank you, guys.