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Overview & Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday, 15th July, 2025 6.30 pm

July 15, 2025 View on council website  Watch video of meeting
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Summary

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to discuss the council's performance, budget, and future work programme. The committee was also expected to review key decisions outlined in the forward plan. A 72 seconds' silence was scheduled to be observed to remember those who lost their lives in the Grenfell tragedy1.

Corporate Performance and Council Action Plan Delivery

The committee was scheduled to review the council's performance and delivery against internal measures, external indicators, and key commitments for the third and fourth quarters of 2024/25. The report pack included an assessment of performance against 74 performance metrics and updates on the delivery of the Council Plan (2023-27) and the Council Plan Action Plan (2023-25).

The report pack noted key achievements including:

  • The retrofitting of five schools with new heat pumps and energy efficiency measures.
  • The planting of 505 trees, exceeding the target of 500.
  • The completion of the Amazing Spaces project at Sloane Street.
  • Kensington and Chelsea's Children's Services securing an outstanding rating from Ofsted2 for a third consecutive time.
  • The council's acquisition of a specialist supported housing unit.
  • The launch of a new targeted speech and language programme in schools for 4-to 6-year-olds.
  • The Grenfell Support programme receiving 1,738 applications by the end of March, with 1,514 wellbeing grants paid to households.

Areas requiring improvement that were highlighted in the report pack included recycling rates, overdue fire risk assessment actions, the number of people quitting smoking, and the number of young people not in education, training or employment (NEET).

Final Outturn 2024/25 - Revenue and Capital Monitoring Report

The committee was scheduled to discuss the final revenue and capital budget outturn position for the 2024/25 financial year. The report pack set out the final revenue and capital budget outturn position at the end of the 2024/25 financial year.

Key points from the report pack included:

  • The total General Fund revenue budget for 2024/25 was £195.100m, with a final underspend of £5.207m, which will be transferred to reserves.
  • The overall position on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) was a transfer of £2.731m to the HRA capital programme, against a budgeted transfer of £3.161m.
  • The General Fund Capital Programme spend in the year was £80.600m, an underspend of £17.825m against a revised budget of £98.425m.
  • The HRA Capital Programme spend in year was £70.494m, an underspend of £14.562m against a revised budget of £85.056m.
  • The overall position on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) was an underspend of £0.841m against a revised budget of £85.041m.

The report pack included details of revenue outturn, capital programme, section 1063 and the Community Infrastructure Levy4, schools and education, savings, and reserves.

Forward Plan and Key Decision Tracker

The committee was scheduled to discuss the Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

Some of the key decisions listed for future consideration included:

  • Lots Road - construction of a new open space.
  • Supported Housing Strategy 2025 - 2030 - setting out the council's vision for supported housing.
  • Council acquisition of a freehold property for depot use.
  • Housing Asset Management Strategy - ensuring council homes are safe and well maintained.
  • Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) - to tackle alcohol related antisocial behaviour.
  • Council Housing External Cyclical Works - Council Housing External Cyclical Works KD06406.
  • Implementation of updated Housing Management Hoarding and Self Neglect Policy - Implementation of updated Housing Management Hoarding and Self Neglect Policy KD1012020.

Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to consider the work programme for the municipal year 2025-26. The report pack included a summary of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme for the Municipal Year 2025-26, and information about the development of the Work Programme.

The report pack noted that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee is responsible for the creation of an overarching work programme which prioritises the Council's scrutiny work, ensuring that scrutiny holds the executive to account and focuses on achieving outcomes that matter to local people.

The report pack also included a proposal for financial and budget scrutiny, and the annual review of scrutiny ways of working, activity and impact.


  1. The Grenfell Tower fire was a devastating fire in 2017 that had a profound impact on the community, and continues to be a key concern for the council. 

  2. Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. They inspect and regulate services that care for children and young people, and services that provide education and training. 

  3. Section 106 agreements are legal agreements between local authorities and developers, used to mitigate the impact of new developments on the community. 

  4. The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a charge that local authorities can impose on new developments to fund infrastructure improvements in the area. 

Attendees

Profile image for CllrMohammed Bakhtiar
CllrMohammed Bakhtiar  Labour Party •  Colville
Profile image for Cllr Toby Benton
Cllr Toby Benton  (Vice-Chair, Licensing Committee, Family Services Spokesperson ) •  Labour Party •  Colville
Profile image for Cllr Joanna Gardner
Cllr Joanna Gardner  (Vice-Chair, Housing and Communities Select Committee) •  Conservative Party •  Pembridge
Profile image for CllrGregory Hammond
CllrGregory Hammond  (Chair, Environment Select Committee) •  Conservative Party •  Courtfield
Profile image for Cllr Preety Hudd
Cllr Preety Hudd  (Vice-Chair, Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Vice-Chair, Investment Committee) •  Conservative Party •  Campden
Profile image for CllrLucy Knight
CllrLucy Knight  (Chair, Adult Social Care and Health Select Committee) •  Conservative Party •  Holland
Profile image for CllrWill Pascall
CllrWill Pascall  (Chair, Family Services Select Committee) •  Conservative Party •  Stanley
Profile image for Cllr Claire Simmons
Cllr Claire Simmons  (Chair, Housing and Communities Select Committee) •  Labour Party •  Notting Dale
Profile image for CllrMary Weale
CllrMary Weale  (Chair, Overview and Scrutiny Committee) •  Conservative Party •  Brompton & Hans Town
Profile image for Cllr Sidney Yankson
Cllr Sidney Yankson  (Vice-Chair, Audit & Transparency Committee) •  Conservative Party •  Redcliffe
Jacqui Hird

Topics

No topics have been identified for this meeting yet.

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