The Cabinet of Harrow Council met on Thursday 29 January 2026, approving key decisions on the Poets Corner early works package, the calculation of business rates retention for 2026-2027, and extensions to existing contracts for estate improvements and re-roofing works. The meeting also saw the approval of a new contract for water services and a lease surrender and regrant.

Poets Corner Early Works Package

Cabinet approved the commencement of early works at the Poets Corner site, including the demolition of the former social club, at an estimated cost of £0.680m. This decision is subject to agreement with the Harrow Strategic Development Partnership (HSDP). The Strategic Director of Housing and Regeneration, in consultation with relevant portfolio holders and directors, has been delegated authority to undertake a compliant procurement process, award the contract, and approve any costs exceeding the initial budget. Furthermore, authority has been granted to negotiate and enter into a side agreement with Wates and/or the HSDP to ensure the demolition costs are treated as HSDP expenditure. The Cabinet also noted that procurement for repairs to existing hoarding and the clearance of redundant furniture and equipment from Civic 1 is underway, with delegated authority to award this contract if the final value exceeds the director's existing delegated authority. The primary reason for these early works is to secure the Poets Corner site, particularly the social club, from unauthorised access, thereby reducing health and safety risks to residents and preventing fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour. The demolition is also crucial for the early preparation of the site for development under the HSDP. Councillor Stephen Greek declared a pecuniary interest as a Council appointee on the Harrow Strategic Development Partnership and, due to a dispensation, remained in the room but did not vote on this item.

Calculation of Business Rates Retention Amounts for 2026-2027

The Cabinet approved the Council's Business Rates Retention amount for 2026-2027, agreeing that the calculated business rates yield for the year would be £22.407m. This decision fulfills the Council's statutory obligation to provide these estimates. The Chief Finance Officer has been authorised, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Highways, to submit the notification of the estimated Non-Domestic Rates income to the Secretary of State and the Greater London Authority (GLA). They are also authorised to implement announced Autumn Budget Business Rates measures, including new or revised reliefs, once statutory provisions are prescribed. The Cabinet also agreed to the policies set out in Appendix 1 of the report, authorising the Chief Finance Officer to implement these and make necessary changes to ensure compliance with statutory provisions and government guidance. The decision was made in accordance with the Non-Domestic Rating (Rates Retention) Regulations 2013, as amended. The call-in period for this decision was waived by the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Extension of Previously Awarded Contracts for Estate Improvement and Re-roofing Works

Authority was granted to extend the budget allocation for two completed estate improvement and re-roofing schemes, with a total additional spend from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget of £448,600 for Beatty Road and Mountside Estate. The Strategic Director of Housing and Regeneration, in consultation with relevant portfolio holders and the Director of Finance, has been authorised to approve necessary variations to three contracts. These variations are required due to unforeseen essential works, including fire safety measures and electrical utility infrastructure upgrades, which increased the scope and value of the contracts beyond the initially approved budgets. The original contracts were awarded following a competitive procurement process that included social value considerations.

Water Services

A contract for the provision of the Council's water, wastewater, and ancillary services was approved to be awarded to Anglian Water Business (National) Ltd, trading as Wave Utilities. This will be achieved by accessing the NEPO Central Purchasing Body NEPO311 Water Retail Services framework agreement. The contract will commence on 1 May 2026 for an initial period of two years, with an option to extend for up to a further two years, concluding no later than 30 April 2030. Additionally, a contract was approved for Wave Utilities to install automatic meter reading (AMR) water meters at the top 10 high-consumption corporate sites and maintained schools. This initiative aims to improve billing accuracy, enable early leak detection, and enhance water efficiency, with approximately 38% of the Council's total water consumption to be monitored via AMR. The Strategic Director of Housing and Regeneration has been delegated authority to finalise and implement the contract, including decisions on exercising extension options and potentially extending AMR to further sites, subject to budget availability and consultation with relevant portfolio holders.

Housing Regulatory Update

The Cabinet noted the officer's report, including the lifting of the Regulatory Notice by the Regulator of Social Housing. They also noted the new statutory regulations known as Awaab's Law and the council's reporting and service provision in place to achieve compliance. The Regulatory Notice, issued in April 2023 due to failures in completing electrical safety checks and water risk assessments, was withdrawn in August 2025 after the Council demonstrated resolution of these issues. The report highlighted that 99% of homes now have valid Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs) and 98% of properties requiring them have had water risk assessments. The implementation of Awaab's Law, which came into force in October 2025, requires landlords to address emergency and significant damp and mould hazards within strict timeframes. Harrow Council has implemented dedicated reporting streams and a system to ensure compliance, with investigations for significant hazards being completed within five working days, ahead of the statutory ten-day limit.

Lease Surrender and Re-grant

Delegated authority was given to the Strategic Director of Housing and Regeneration, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Property and Business and the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Highways, to enter into the surrender and re-grant of a lease for an out-of-borough investment property. This decision is part of good asset management for income-producing commercial property assets. The Strategic Director has also been authorised to approve the final terms of the lease agreement and undertake necessary due diligence to ensure best value. The property, an office building in South Wales, is let to a tenant with strong covenant strength. The surrender and regrant is recommended based on professional advice to reduce risk and mitigate costs, particularly given the weakening demand for secondary office space and the approaching lease expiry.

Strategic Performance Report

The Cabinet noted the Strategic Performance Report for Quarter 2 2025-26, which summarises Council and service performance against key measures and highlights areas requiring action. Portfolio Holders will continue to work with officers to achieve improvement against identified key challenges. The report indicated progress across the Council's three priorities: A council that puts residents first, A borough that is clean and safe, and A place where those in need are supported. Key achievements included improvements in resident satisfaction with council services, enhanced website functionality, and progress in recycling rates. Challenges identified included IT supplier issues, performance issues with the new Housing IT system, and financial pressures in social care and SEND services.

Petitions

Two petitions were received and noted. Councillor David Perry presented a petition with 227 signatures regarding the cancellation of the proposed Harrow View Primary School, requesting representations to the Department of Education to save the school. The Cabinet resolved that representations had been made to the Department of Education. A second petition, with 43 signatures from Kumarasamy Indrachith, related to the removal of green benches on Northolt Road to reduce anti-social behaviour impacting local businesses. This petition was referred to the Strategic Director of Culture, Environment and Economy.

Public and Councillor Questions

The Cabinet noted that two public questions had been received and responded to, with the recording placed on the Council's website. Similarly, Councillor Questions were responded to, and the recording was also placed on the Council's website.

Key Decision Schedule and Scrutiny Projects

The Cabinet noted the contents of the Key Decision Schedule for February to April 2026 and received and noted the current progress of scrutiny reports.

Councillor Stephen Greek declared a pecuniary interest in the Poets Corner early works package as he was a Council appointee on the Harrow Strategic Development Partnership. Due to a dispensation, he remained in the room but did not vote on the item. Councillor Kanti Rabadia sent apologies for absence. The Harrow Youth Parliament Representative was absent. The meeting closed at 7:33 pm.