CABINET THURSDAY 18 JUNE 2009 7.30 PM
COMMITTEE ROOMS 1 & 2, HARROW CIVIC CENTRE
Chairman: Councillor DAVID ASHTON (Leader of the Council)
Councillors:
1. Marilyn Ashton 2. Miss Christine Bednell 3. Tony Ferrari 4. Susan Hall 5. Barry Macleod-Cullinane 6. Chris Mote 7. Paul Osborn 8. Mrs Anjana Patel
(Quorum 3, including the Leader or Deputy Leader)
Issued by the Democratic Services Section, Legal and Governance Services Department
Contact: Alison Atherton, Senior Professional - Democratic Services Tel: 020 8424 1266 [email protected]
HARROW COUNCIL
CABINET
THURSDAY 18 JUNE 2009
AGENDA - PART I
1. Declarations of Interest To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests arising from business to be transacted at this meeting from:
(a) all Members of the Cabinet; and (b) all other Members present.
2. Minutes (Pages 1 - 18) Of the Cabinet meeting held on 14 May 2009 to be taken as read and signed as a correct record.
3. Petitions To receive any petitions submitted by members of the public or Councillors.
4. Public Questions * To receive any public questions received in accordance with paragraph 16 of the Executive Procedure Rules.
Questions will be asked in the order notice of them was received and there be a time limit of 15 minutes.
5. Councillor Questions * To receive any Councillor questions received in accordance with paragraph 17 of the Executive Procedure Rules.
Questions will be asked in the order notice of them was received and there be a time limit of 15 minutes.
6. Forward Plan 1 June - 30 September 2009 (Pages 19 - 26)
7. Reports from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee or Sub-Committees (if any).
(a) Progress on Scrutiny Projects: (Pages 27 - 28) For consideration
FINANCE
8. Revenue and Capital Outturn 2008-09 (To Follow) Report of the Corporate Director of Finance
9. Treasury Management Outturn Report 2008-09 (Pages 29 - 38) Report of the Corporate Director of Finance
Cabinet - Thursday 18 June 2009
ADULTS AND HOUSING
KEY 10. Future Partnership Governance Arrangements for Adult Health and Social Care in Harrow (Pages 39 - 78) Report of the Corporate Director of Adults and Housing
KEY 11. Revised Housing Revenue Account Budget 2009-10 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2009-10 to 2011-12 (Pages 79 - 90) Report of the Divisional Director of Housing
CHILDREN'S SERVICES
KEY 12. Building Schools for the Future (Pages 91 - 104) Report of the Director of Schools and Children’s Development
PLACE SHAPING
13. Place Shaping Directorate - Prospectus 2009/10 (Pages 105 - 136) Report of the Corporate Director of Place Shaping
KEY 14. Tourism Strategy (Pages 137 - 176) Report of the Corporate Director of Place Shaping
KEY 15. Local Development Scheme - Revision (To Follow) Report of the Corporate Director of Place Shaping
GENERAL
16. Member Development - Future Operating Arrangements (To Follow) Report of the Director of Legal and Governance Services
17. Any Other Urgent Business Which cannot otherwise be dealt with.
AGENDA - PART II
Nil
* DATA PROTECTION ACT NOTICE
The Council will record items 4 and 5 (Public and Councillor Questions) to help ensure the accuracy of the published minutes, which will be produced after the meeting.
The recording will be retained for one month after the date of publication of the minutes, after which it will be destroyed.
Publication of decisions Tuesday 23 June 2009
Deadline for Call in 5.00 pm on 30 June 2009
Decisions implemented if not Called in 1 July 2009
Cabinet - Thursday 18 June 2009 This page is intentionally left blank Agenda Item 2 Pages 1 to 18 CB 388
REPORT OF CABINET
MEETING HELD ON 14 MAY 2009
Chairman: * Councillor David Ashton
Councillors: * Marilyn Ashton * Barry Macleod-Cullinane * Miss Christine Bednell * Chris Mote * Tony Ferrari * Paul Osborn * Susan Hall * Mrs Anjana Patel
* Denotes Member present
[Note: Councillors Margaret Davine, Paul Scott and Bill Stephenson also attended this meeting to speak on the items indicated at Minutes 618 and 620 below].
PART I - RECOMMENDATIONS - NIL
PART II - MINUTES
616. Declarations of Interest:
RESOLVED: To note that no interests were declared in relation to the business to be transacted at the meeting. 617. Minutes:
RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 23 April 2009 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.
618. Petitions: Councillor Margaret Davine presented a petition containing 36 signatures of residents of Collier Drive and surrounding roads requesting action to tackle congestion and improve the state of alleyways in the area. She read the terms of the petition to the meeting.
RESOLVED: That the petition be received and referred to the Traffic and Road Safety Advisory Panel for consideration.
619. Public Questions:
RESOLVED: To note that the following public questions had been received: 1.
Questioner: Brian Stoker
Asked of: Councillor David Ashton, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategy, Partnership and Finance
Question: “You are reviewing a paper this evening on the future of Cedars Hall in which you are being asked, inter alia, to confirm a Cabinet decision of 21 May 2008 to authorise disposal of Cedars Hall site for residential development. Why is it necessary to confirm this decision, implying that other Cabinet decisions also need to be confirmed?” Answer: The decision taken by Cabinet in May 2008 agreed the granting of a lease to Weald Tenant’s and Resident’s Association for community use, subject to certain timescales and conditions and proposed an Option B should this opportunity not be fulfilled, that the land be sold for housing. The report to be considered by Cabinet tonight proposes the granting of the lease to Kids Can Achieve but Cabinet is also being asked to approve, should the lease to Kids Can Achieve not be completed, the disposal of the site for housing development when, or if, economic conditions permit. 1 CB 389 CABINET
The Officers report being presented sets out all the material considerations clearly and transparently so that they are absolutely clear to all stakeholders.
Supplemental Why is it that the other half of that Cabinet decision, to sell for Question: residential development is not also confirmed? Namely, authorisation to invest up to £100,000 from the sale proceeds to improve local community facilities. The second part of the decision that you have agreed to sell for residential housing, (a) was sell it, and (b) was £100,000 for the community.
Supplemental Well, the first thing is that we very much hope and expect that the Answer: Kids Can Achieve process will work, but we, as a Council, have to have a legal alternative to do something with the property. If contrary to what we expect and hope, the KCA proposal does not work out, then I would expect that whatever commitment we made first time round, in terms of use of part of the funds from selling it if we had to, for residential development, would go the same way as before.
2.
Questioner: Frances Pickersgill Asked of: Councillor David Ashton, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategy, Partnership and Finance Question: “In the paper concerning Cedars Hall that you are being asked to approve later this evening, the "timeline for the submission of the planning application is to be relaxed and KCA is to submit a planning application no later than 6 weeks following completion of the lease". Since the paper acknowledges that the Council's inability to agree on the lessee being KCA has delayed the application, why is the timeline not the original 4 months as it was in the Cabinet decision of 21st May last year, rather than only 6 weeks?”
Answer: Since the Cabinet Report of May 2008, the Council has been in constant negotiations with the Weald Tenant’s and Resident’s Association and also Kids Can Achieve to discuss proposals for Cedars Hall. Due to this, it is not seen as necessary to grant Kids Can Achieve a further 4 months from the agreement of the lease to submit the planning application. KCA plans for the property are well advanced and will be part of the consultation to be undertaken for the area along with the plans for the Cedars Youth and Community Centre. Supplemental Why does the Council want first refusal on assigning the lease, if Question the project should fail, when that would mean repayment of the loan of £500,000 which the Council profess not to have, otherwise they would have refurbished the hall or demolished it in the first place and for much less? Supplemental This is a complicated legal question which I am happy to answer Answer: in writing but we felt that was necessary to protect our position. 3.
Questioner: Simon Jarrett, Chair - KCA
Asked of: Councillor Tony Ferrari, Portfolio Holder for Major Contracts and Property
Question: "We hope that members can see that this is an excellent project with very positive outcomes both for residents of the Harrow Weald area, the children and young people of the borough and the wider Harrow community. It’s an opportunity for community organisations and the Council to work in a partnership to deliver significant benefit for the Harrow people and particularly with Kids Can Achieve bringing in significant external funds to the borough 2 CABINET CB 390
to enable these improvements to happen. This is going to include specialist services, support for Children and Young People with special needs and their families and it’s going to open up opportunities for their integration and engagement.
Can Councillor Ferrari assure us that Harrow Council is committed to support Kids Can Achieve and our ambition to secure funds to refurbish the derelict Cedars Hall so that we can provide these services?"
Answer: I am delighted that we have got to where we have got to. There has been a tremendous amount of work on the part of officers, TRA, Kids Can Achieve, local residents and I think it has been a tremendous example of local community working together to get a really good outcome for a building, which will give us a great future for that part of Harrow Weald. So, can I say thank you to everybody who contributed to get to the point that we have got to.
To answer your question, I can confirm that the Council is pleased and committed to be working with and supporting the Kids Can Achieve bid to refurbish Cedars Hall to provide services for children and young people with special needs and their families.
[Note: In accordance with Executive Procedure Rule 16.4, questioners 1 and 2 each asked a supplementary question which was additionally answered].
620. Councillor Questions:
RESOLVED: To note the following Councillor Questions had been received: 1.
Questioner: Councillor Paul Scott
Asked of: Councillor David Ashton, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategy, Partnership and Finance
Question: “Would you agree with me that the recommendations regarding Cedars Hall represent a means of bringing the hall back into the community use for which it was intended, are likely to command public support and will be within the Council's financial resources?”
Answer: Very much so. As I said before, and as Councillor Ferrari rightly said, this is a very positive move. We are not quite there yet but it is a very positive move which we completely support.
Supplemental Would you also agree that given the widespread and well known Question: opposition to housing on the site, some of which you have been reminded of this evening, the Council would do well to avoid falling back on the May 2008 decision?
Supplemental We would hope that is not necessary but as a Council we have a Answer: responsibility and we have to have a route forward if we cannot go ahead with our desired option for any property. Therefore legally speaking, we have to have that as an option. 2.
Questioner: Councillor Bill Stephenson
Asked of: Councillor Susan Hall, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Environment Services and Community Safety
Question: “Has the Council joined the Carbon Trading Councils scheme?” Answer: The Council has not subscribed to this scheme operated by the Local Government Information Unit. Harrow Council has signed the Nottingham Declaration and is taking action to reduce the carbon footprint of the Council’s activities. The Climate Change Strategy, which was taken through Cabinet, is at the consultation 3 CB 391 CABINET
stage and will come back to Cabinet in due course.
Supplemental Is Councillor Hall aware that sooner or later we will have to join Question: this scheme? Is it not better to jump before you are pushed?
Supplemental No, it is actually better to learn to walk before you do anything Answer: else and that is what we are doing. We are doing a consultation at the moment. We are moving in a steadfast way but to make sure that we put in sustainable differences as opposed to ticking boxes. We have got our scheme going and we are making sure that everything we do is sustainable.
3.
Questioner: Councillor Bill Stephenson
Asked of: Councillor Susan Hall, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Environment Services and Community Safety
Question: “How many vehicles have been clamped on the Civic Centre site (i) for parking illegally in disabled bays, (ii) for parking illegally in general, for each of the last three financial years?”
Answer: We vigorously encourage good parking behaviour through our security staff and stickers are often put on vehicles asking them to park in a more considerate way.
We do not keep a register of the vehicles that are clamped. At the Civic Centre vehicles are only clamped for the inconvenience factor and there is not a charge for releasing clamps.
On highways the Council policy is not to clamp as well.
Supplemental Is the Councillor aware that some officers claim that clamping Question: notices at the Civic Centre are not legally worded and they cannot clamp vehicles? Would she check whether this is the case, both for the Civic Centre car park and other Council owned properties?
Supplemental We are aware that we cannot charge. It is a deterrent to put them Answer: up. We are looking into this now. Obviously, if you feel that people are parking and they should not be, then please do let us know. If you think that we should start taking out traffic orders in order to do that, then I would be very happy to hear what you have to say.
4.
Questioner: Councillor Bill Stephenson
Asked of: Councillor Barry Macleod-Cullinane, Portfolio Holder for Adults and Housing
Question: “What percentage of responsive maintenance repairs are currently being carried out by staff directly employed by Kier and what percentage are carried out by subcontractors?”
Answer: I am advised that approximately 65% of responsive repair works are carried out by Kier and the other 35% by specialist contractors covering such areas as glazing, UPVC windows, electrical locks, CCTV systems and the like.
5. Questioner: Councillor Margaret Davine
Asked of: Councillor David Ashton, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategy, Partnership and Finance
Question: “Will the Leader please request that the Chair of Overview and 4 CABINET CB 392
Scrutiny, together with the Scrutiny Leads for Adults and Children monitor closely the Borough's preparedness for a widespread outbreak of Swine influenza?”
Answer: We as a Council have been working closely with the Harrow Primary Care Trust (PCT) for over 5 years on the influenza pandemic possibility and planning thereof. The Department of Health is the lead government agency and locally the PCT has been leading on this, but we are very much a support for the PCT.
The Council’s Environmental Health, Emergency Planning, Adults and Children’s Services have met with their healthcare colleagues on a regular basis to put plans in place and make contingency arrangements, which are in place, and the frequency of these meetings was increased during the past few weeks when the World Health Organisation increased the global warning level from Level 4 to Level 5. As you know, we have almost daily swine flu updates which go out to all Members to keep them informed.
The agenda for scrutiny is up for scrutiny to determine and I am not sure that it would be advisable for them to review this yet but maybe later, maybe the Autumn. But I have no objections to raising it with the Chair of Scrutiny but of course it is up to them to see if they want to look into it. I would not expect or anticipate, as their schedule is quite crowded, that they would give it a huge amount of time but clearly it is an option for them. I would not stop them doing it and do not have the clout to do so.
6. Questioner: Councillor Margaret Davine
Asked of: Councillor Barry Macleod-Cullinane, Portfolio Holder for Adults and Housing
Question: “Would the Portfolio Holder please ensure that all providers of Harrow services have robust plans in place to ensure continuity of service in the event of an influenza pandemic, and report back to all Councillors on the details of plans in place?”
Answer: The Council has been developing its business continuity arrangements for the past 3 years. This has included prioritisation of critical services using West London Alliance criteria, the identification of IT systems that these services depend upon in terms of delivery, and the development of departmental business continuity plans to ensure that we make sure that our services go out to our most vulnerable residents in the even of an influenza pandemic going up to Category 6.
All of the Council’s departmental business continuity plans were completed in July 2008. Our annual review process starts in April each year and the current one will be completed in June. We have shared our planning processes with the Harrow Primary Care Trust (PCT).
The Adults and Housing Service has specific plans in place. All contracted providers of services for vulnerable residents, such as Homecare, Residential Care and Nursing Care, as well as Supporting People services, have been reminded of their contractual obligations to have emergency plans in place and to revise these plans in light of the potential pandemic. The Council has asked for these revised plans to be submitted to our Contracts team for review by the end of this May.
Now, it might be said, if they have those plans in place, why are they not ready at the moment. I would just like to reassure you that we are taking the option to update those plans in light of recent PCT guidance and to ensure that those are ready in the case of moving towards a Level 6 categorisation of an influenza pandemic. The current crisis, and our planning around it, has been informed nationally and locally by some of the planning that 5 CB 393 CABINET
went around the avian flu outbreak and so, whilst we are all hoping that this does not progress to Level 6 and falls back quicker, we want to make sure that we are prepared for the worst if the worst should happen. This is only right for us and right for the residents who depend on our services.
Any work that is done around this outbreak is going to be useful in the future against a potential pandemic and most experts in the field expect it is a question of when, not if, it will happen. And so, by getting things ready now, it will inform our work just like the avian flu preparations helped to get ourselves in a better position, with respect of the current swine flu problem.
Supplemental Would the Portfolio Holder agree that should the pandemic of any Question: kind of influenza occur, the external providers of services, especially personal services to our elderly and vulnerable residents could be a weak link in the chain, as they are external. So do we not need to make sure specifically that they have plans that are as robust as the Council’s and PCT’s own?
Supplemental This is part of the process that we are undergoing. We are asking Answer: them to look at the plans that they have as part of the contractual obligations to us when they entered into those contracts with us. We are asking them to review them in light of the latest guidance from the PCT, in light of the current circumstances and the possible move to a Category 6 influenza pandemic. When those revised plans come in, we will be looking to make sure that they are robust and that our team, both within the Council and with our PCT partner, are assured that they are robust, and that our care providers do not become a weak link.
The last thing we would want is people who are going into our care homes and residential circumstances to be the cause of further problems. We want to make sure that we make them a strong rather than a weak link.
[Note: In accordance with Executive Procedure Rule 17.4, each Councillor asked a supplementary question, with the exception of question 4, and this was additionally answered].
621. Forward Plan 1 May - 31 August 2009: The Chairman reported that two items on the Forward Plan, “Future Partnership Governance Arrangements for Adult Health and Social Care in Harrow”, and “IT Strategy and Delivery Model”, had been deferred to June. The item “Procurement of Sports and Leisure Facilities Contract Management Partner” had been deferred to September. RESOLVED: To note the contents of the Forward Plan for the period 1 May – 31 August 2009. 622. Progress on Scrutiny Projects:
RESOLVED: To receive and note the current progress of the scrutiny reports.
623. Establishment of Cabinet Committees, Advisory Panels and Consultative Forums and appointment of Chairmen: The Chairman reported that the nominations for Chairman and membership of Cabinet’s Committees, Advisory Panels and Consultative Forums were before Members for consideration and approval. The appointment of Cabinet Assistants was also subject to approval.
RESOLVED: That the appointments for the Municipal Year 2009/10 as detailed in Appendix 1 to these minutes be approved.
Reason for Decision: To enable Cabinet bodies to be convened and Cabinet Assistants to be appointed.
6 CABINET CB 394
624. Timetable for the Preparation and Consideration of Statutory Plans and Strategies 2009/10: The Leader of the Council introduced a report, which set out the requirements of the Council’s Constitution in terms of the development of its policy framework and sought approval to the timetable for consideration of four statutory plans and strategies. He advised that the timetable for the Local Implementation Plan was subject to the Mayor of London publishing the transport plan and then Transport for London publishing guidance. Dates for this plan were therefore not included in Appendix A to the report.
RESOLVED: That the timetable for the preparation and consideration of the statutory plans and strategies as set out at Appendix 2 to these minutes be approved.
Reason for Decision: To comply with the requirements of paragraph 3 of the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules set out in Section 4C of the Council’s Constitution.
625. Comprehensive Area Assessment and Audit Fee Letters 2009/10: The Corporate Director of Finance introduced a report, which provided Cabinet with an opportunity to comment on the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) and Audit programme and fees for 2009-10. She advised that this year, two separate fee letters had been received, one from the Audit Commission and the other from the External Auditor. She added that the fees were indicative and would be kept under review by both the Audit Commission and External Auditor. The Corporate Director of Finance advised that the fees would be considered by the Governance, Audit and Risk Management Committee in June. She invited Portfolio Holders to send her comments on the fees which she would then forward on as appropriate.
The Chairman commented that it was pleasing to see that the fees were reducing.
RESOLVED: That the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) and Audit programme and fees for 2009-10 be noted.
Reason for Decision: To ensure that Cabinet was aware of the planned assessment and audit activity for 2009-10.
626. Temporary to Permanent Housing Initiative: The Portfolio Holder for Adults and Housing introduced a report, which confirmed that the proposed West London Temporary to Permanent Housing initiative was no longer proceeding. He advised that paragraph 2.1.5 of the report set out the reasons for not continuing with the scheme.
RESOLVED: To note that the scheme was not proceeding for the reasons set out in the report of the Corporate Director of Adults and Housing.
Reason for Decision: The scheme was no longer proceeding. 627. Key Decision - Future Organisation of Priestmead First School and Priestmead Middle School: The Portfolio Holder for Schools and Children’s Development introduced a report, which set out the outcome of the statutory consultation about the future organisation of Priestmead First School and Priestmead Middle School, and the recommendations of the federated governing body that the two schools amalgamate in January 2010.
The Portfolio Holder for Schools and Children’s Development reported that 77% of the responses from parents and staff of both schools were in support of the proposals whilst 6% were opposed. The Director of Schools and Children’s Development advised that the governing body had commended the work of the headteachers and the support they had given to the whole process.
RESOLVED: That, having considered the outcome of the statutory consultation and the recommendation from the federated governing body, the publication of statutory notices to combine Priestmead First School and Priestmead Middle School be approved. Reason for Decision: To exercise the local authority’s statutory responsibility in relation to school organisation and to publish statutory notices to effect the change.
7 CB 395 CABINET
628. Key Decision - Cedars Hall, Uxbridge Road, Harrow: The Portfolio Holder for Major Projects and Property introduced a report, which updated Cabinet on the current position with Cedars Hall and sought approval of a number of recommendations. The Leader of the Council stated that Members were keen to see the proposal progress and indicated that residents should contact him if any issues arose.
RESOLVED: That the Corporate Director of Place Shaping, in conjunction with Portfolio Holder for Major Projects and Property, be authorised to:
a) permit a letting of Cedars Hall to Kids Can Achieve (KCA), subject to KCA receiving a quote for the refurbishment in line with their funding from Futurebuilders and KCA granting a sub lease to Weald Tenants and Residents Association (WTRA) at a peppercorn rent for the duration of their lease and other terms to be approved by the Corporate Director of Place Shaping;
b) relax the timeline for the submission of the planning application and KCA submit a planning application no later than 6 weeks following the completion of the lease;
c) agree alienation terms which permitted Futurebuilders (the proposed funders) only to assign, having first given the Council the option to take the property back on agreed terms, noting that assignment was to be with landlord’s consent which would be statutorily qualified not to be unreasonably withheld;
d) in the event of the Cedars Hall letting not proceeding, confirm the decision of Cabinet 21 May on 2008 and conclude the disposal of Cedars Hall site for residential development at best consideration, noting that the necessary marketing exercise would commence if and when suitable economic conditions prevailed.
Reason for Decision: If the letting of Cedars Hall proceeded, the recommendation would allow KCA access to funding from Futurebuilders to bring the property back into community use, providing a base for WTRA. If the option to accommodate WTRA in the new Cedars Youth Centre, to be redeveloped with the £4.1m grant, and KCA within the Council’s existing school property was deemed suitable, then the leasing of Cedars Hall would not need to proceed. This would permit Cedars Hall to be disposed of for residential development generating a capital receipt in accordance with Option 2 in the May 2008 Cabinet Report.
629. Key Decision - Sustainable Building Design Supplemental Planning Document - Adoption: The Portfolio Holder for Planning, Development and Enterprise introduced a report, which stated that the objective of the Sustainable Building Design Supplemental Planning Document (SPD) was to ensure that new development within Harrow was designed to be more efficient, cost less to run (heat and maintain) and more sustainable. She drew attention to section 1 of the report which stated that the SPD also sought to encourage all residents to consider the actions they could take to reduce their own impacts on the environment. Through improving the sustainability of homes and buildings, it was anticipated that this SPD would contribute towards the Council meeting its commitment to tackle climate change as well as generally improving the quality of life of its residents. The Portfolio Holder drew attention to the recommendation from the Local Development Framework Panel.
The Corporate Director of Place Shaping stated that his department intended to provide sufficient and appropriate information to applicants to enable them to comply with the SPD requirements.
RESOLVED: That the Sustainable Building Design SPD, attached at Appendix A to the report of the Corporate Director of Place Shaping, be adopted.
Reason for Decision: The SPD would, upon adoption, become a material consideration in the determination of planning applications.
(Note: The meeting, having commenced at 7.30 pm, closed at 8.05 pm).
(Signed) COUNCILLOR DAVID ASHTON Chairman 8 CB 397 CABINET
APPENDIX 1
CABINET ADVISORY PANELS 2009/2010
(Membership in order of political group nominations)
Conservative Labour Liberal Democrat
(1) BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION PARTNERSHIP PANEL (5)
(3) (2)
I. David Ashton Keith Ferry Members Narinder Singh Mudhar Bill Stephenson * Paul Osborn
II. 1 Tony Ferrari 1. Navin Shah Reserve 2. Yogesh Teli 2. Thaya Idaikkadar Members 3. Tom Weiss 3. -
[Note: The Councillor representatives on the Partnership Board should be the same as the full- voting Members of the Business Transformation Partnership Panel.]
(2) CORPORATE PARENTING PANEL (6)
(4) (2)
I Husain Akhtar Mrs Margaret Davine * Members Miss Christine Bednell Mitzi Green Janet Mote Myra Michael
II. 1. Mrs Vina Mithani 1. B E Gate Reserve 2. Julia Merison 2. Raj Ray Members 3. John Nickolay 4. Mark Versallion
(3) EDUCATION ADMISSIONS AND AWARDS PANEL (3)
(2) (1)
I Husain Akhtar Asad Omar * Members Anjana Patel
II. 1. G Chowdhury 1. Krishna James Reserve 2. Julia Merison 2. - Members 3. Narinder Singh Mudhar 3. -
9 CABINET CB 398
(4) GRANTS PANEL (10)
(6) (4)
I. Don Billson Ms Nana Asante Members G Chowdhury Asad Omar Ashok Kulkarni Mrs Rekha Shah * Mrs Myra Michael Mrs Sasi Suresh Chris Mote (from 31 Aug – Jean Lammiman) Joyce Nickolay
II. 1. Manji Kara 1. Nizam Ismail Reserve 2. Yogesh Teli 2. David Gawn Members 3. Narinder Singh Mudhar 3. Thaya Idaikkadar 4. Jeremy Zeid 4. Krishna James 5. Susan Hall 6. Julia Merison
(5) HARROW BUSINESS CONSULTATIVE PANEL (4)
(2) (2)
I. Susan Hall Mrinal Choudhury * Members Manji Kara Keith Ferry
II. 1. Yogesh Teli 1. Thaya Idaikkadar Reserve 2. Mrs Vina Mithani 2. Mrs Sasi Suresh Members 3. Mrs Myra Michael 3. -
(6) LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK PANEL (7)
(4) (3)
I Husain Akhtar Keith Ferry * Members Marilyn Ashton Thaya Idaikkadar Manji Kara Navin Shah Joyce Nickolay
II. 1. G Chowdhury 1. Mano Dharmarajah Reserve 2. Don Billson 2. Jerry Miles Members 3. Dinesh Solanki 3. Raj Ray 4. Julia Merison
10 CB 399 CABINET
(7) SUPPORTING PEOPLE PANEL (5)
(3) (2)
I. Jean Lammiman (from 31 Aug – Mrs Margaret Davine * Members Dinesh David Gawn Solanki) Barry Macleod-Cullinane Yogesh Teli
II. 1. Mrs Myra Michael 1. Krishna James Reserve 2. Jeremy Zeid 2. Nizam Ismail Members 3. Mrs Vina Mithani 3. -
(8) TRAFFIC PANEL (10)
(6) (4)
I. Manji Kara Mrinal Choudhury Members Ashok Kulkarni Nizam Ismail Julia Merison Jerry Miles * John Nickolay David Perry Yogesh Teli Jeremy Zeid
II. 1. G Chowdhury 1. Bob Currie Reserve 2. Paul Osborn 2. Graham Henson Members 3. Mrs Vina Mithani 3. Raj Ray 4. Husain Akhtar 4. Keith Ferry 5. Susan Hall
(CH) = Chair (VC) = Vice-Chair * Denotes Group Members on Panels for consultation on administrative matters.
To note the membership of the following informal body.
BUDGET REVIEW WORKING GROUP (6) (4) (2)
I. David Ashton Archie Foulds * Members John Cowan Bill Stephenson Richard Romain Tom Weiss
II. 1. Salim Miah 1. Thaya Idaikkadar Reserve 2. Ashok Kulkarni 2. Mrinal Choudhury Members 3. Yogesh Teli 3. - 4. Jeremy Zeid
11 CABINET CB 400
CONSULTATIVE FORUMS
“ADVISORY” COMMITTEES ESTABLISHED UNDER SECTION 102(4) OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972, APPOINTED BY CABINET
(Membership in order of political group nominations)
Conservative Labour
(1) EDUCATION CONSULTATIVE FORUM (7)
(4) (3)
I. Mrs Camilla Bath B E Gate Members Miss Christine Bednell Raj Ray Janet Mote Bill Stephenson * Anjana Patel
II. 1. Husain Akhtar 1. Keeki Thammaiah Reserve 2. Julia Merison 2. Nizam Ismail Members 3. Mrs Vina Mithani 3. David Perry 4. Jean Lammiman
(Representatives of the Teachers’, Governors’, Elected Parent Governor Representatives’, Denominational Representatives’ and Arts Culture Representatives’ Constituencies) (Mrs C Millard (Governor Representative) (VC))
(2) EMPLOYEES’ CONSULTATIVE FORUM (7)
Council Representatives
(4) (3)
I. David Ashton Bob Currie Members Mrs Camilla Bath Graham Henson * Susan Hall Phillip O’Dell Paul Osborn
II. 1. Joyce Nickolay 1. B E Gate Reserve 2. Don Billson 2. Keith Ferry Members 3. Julia Merison 3. Navin Shah 4. Tony Ferrari
[Note: In accordance with the Forum’s Terms of Reference, the Council membership should include the Leader and/or Deputy Leader, Portfolio Holder with responsibility for human resources]. Employee Representatives
Six UNISON Representatives Lynne Ahmad, Mary Cawley, Anna Jackson, Gary Martin, Robert Thomas, (Vacancy) One GMB Representative: John Dunbar Three HTCC Representatives Lynne Snowdon, (2 vacancies)
(Note: The Chairman of the Employees’ Committee shall be a Council side representative in 2009/2010, and the Vice-Chairman is to be appointed by the Employees’ side. These appointments shall thereafter alternate in succeeding years) (TBC (Employees’ Side Representative) appointed VC 2009/10). 12 CB 401 CABINET
(3) TENANTS’ AND LEASEHOLDERS’ CONSULTATIVE FORUM (4)
(2) (2)
I. Barry Macleod-Cullinane Bob Currie * Members Yogesh Teli David Gawn
II. 1. G Chowdhury 1. Phillip O’Dell Reserve 2. Ashok Kulkarni 2. B E Gate Members 3. Mrs Myra Michael 3. -
“ADVISORY” COMMITTEE ESTABLISED UNDER SECTION 85A OF THE SCHOOLS STANDARDS FRAMEWORK ACT 1998
HARROW ADMISSIONS FORUM (3)
The appointment of Council Members is subject to the agreement of the Forum at its next meeting.
Conservative Labour
(2) (1)
Anjana Patel Bill Stephenson * Dinesh Solanki
Other Representatives
Community Schools (Governor) - Vacancy Community Schools (Primary) - Sue Jones Community Schools (Secondary) - Allan Jones
Jewish School - Mrs D Palman Roman Catholic School - Mike Murphy Church of England School - Mrs S Hinton
Church of England Diocese - Rev Paul Reece Catholic Schools Diocese - Mr Billiet
Primary Elected Parent Governor Representative - Mrs D Speel Secondary Elected Parent Governor - Mr R Chauhan Representative
Harrow Council for Racial Equality - Julia Smith (temporary)
Early Years Development Partnership - Helena Tucker
Children’s Services Representative - (Vacancy)
NB: Each school in the Borough is also entitled to appoint their own representative on this Forum.
(CH) = Chair (VC) = Vice-Chair * Denotes Group Members on Panels for consultation on administrative matters.
13 CABINET CB 402
APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRS TO ADVISORY PANELS AND CONSULTATIVE FORUMS FOR THE MUNICIPAL YEAR 2009-10
Advisory Panel Appointment
Budget Review Working Group Councillor David Ashton Business Transformation Partnership Panel Councillor Paul Osborn Corporate Parenting Panel Councillor Janet Mote Education Admissions and Awards Advisory Panel Councillor Anjana Patel Grants Advisory Panel Councillor Chris Mote (from 31 Aug – Councillor Jean Lammiman) Harrow Business Consultative Panel Councillor Manji Kara Local Development Framework Advisory Panel Councillor Marilyn Ashton Supporting People Advisory Panel Councillor Barry Macleod-Cullinane Traffic Advisory Panel Councillor John Nickolay
Consultative Forum Education Consultative Councillor Anjana Patel Employees’ Consultative * Councillor Paul Osborn Tenants’ and Leaseholders’ Consultative Councillor Barry Macleod-Cullinane
Other Forum
Harrow Admissions (appointed by the Forum) To be decided by the Forum
[* Note: The appointment of the Vice-Chair for 2009-10 will be appointed by the Employer’s side].
14 CB 403 CABINET
REPRESENTATION ON OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES EXECUTIVE BODIES FOR THE MUNICIPAL YEAR 2009/10
BODY Appointment
Adoption Panel Councillor Miss Christine Bednell
Fostering Panel Councillor Miss Christine Bednell
[Note: In relation to the Adoption Panel, the statutory guidance states that 'where possible, the Local Authority should appoint an elected member from the corporate parenting group or a member with responsibility for children's services.']
REPRESENTATION ON HOMES LIMITED (FORMERLY WARDEN HOUSING COMMITTEE AND RAYNERS LANE ESTATE COMMITTEE) FOR THE MUNICIPAL YEAR 2009/10
BODY Appointment
Homes Limited Councillor Bob Currie (formerly Warden Housing Committee and Councillor Graham Henson Rayners Lane Estate Committee)
[Note: The appointed Members are local Roxbourne Ward Councillors]
REPRESENTATION RE – PRIMARY CARE TRUST JOINT WORKING BODIES FOR THE MUNICIPAL YEAR 2009/10
BODY Appointment
Health and Social Integration Board Councillor Barry Macleod-Cullinane Councillor Mrs Margaret Davine Adult Health and Social Care Partnership Councillor Barry Macleod-Cullinane Councillor Mrs Margaret Davine Children and Young People’s Partnership Councillor Miss Christine Bednell Councillor Bill Stephenson
[Note: There are two appointments for each body]
15 CABINET CB 404
APPOINTMENT OF CABINET SUPPORT MEMBERS 2009/10
Cabinet Member Assistant
(Support Member)
Cllr David Ashton (1) Cllr John Cowan
Leader (Strategy, Partnership and Finance) (2) Cllr Tom Weiss
Cllr Susan Hall (1) Cllr Julia Merison
Deputy Leader, Environment Services & (2) Cllr John Nickolay Community Safety
Cllr Marilyn Ashton Cllr Joyce Nickolay
Planning, Development & Enterprise
Cllr Christine Bednell Cllr Husain Akhtar
Children’s Services
Councillor Tony Ferrari (1) Cllr Richard Romain Major Contracts & Property (2) Cllr Jeremy Zeid
Cllr Barry McLeod-Cullinane (1) Cllr Jean Lammiman (from 31 Aug Cllr Dinesh Solanki) Adults & Housing (2) Cllr Yogesh Teli
Cllr Chris Mote (1) Cllr Manji Kara
Community & Cultural Services (2) Cllr Golam Chodhury
Cllr Paul Osborn Cllr Narinder Mudhar Singh
Performance, Communication & Corporate Services
Cllr Anjana Patel Cllr Husain Akhtar
Schools & Children’s Development
16 CB 405 CABINET
APPOINTMENTS TO THE BTP PARTNERSHIP BOARD 2009/10
I. 1. Councillor David Ashton 1. Councillor Keith Ferry Members 2. Councillor Narinder Singh 2. Councillor Bill Stephenson* Mudhar 3. Councillor Paul Osborn
II. 1. Councillor Tony Ferrari 1. Councillor Navin Shah Reserve 2. Councillor Yogesh Teli 2. Councillor Thaya Idaikkadar Members 3. Councillor Tom Weiss
17 CABINET CB 406
APPENDIX 2
CABINET FORWARD PLAN ( 1 June 2009 - 30 September 2009 )
MONTH:- June
This Plan sets out matters which are likely to be the subject of a key decision over the next 4 months.
A Key Decision is a decision by the Executive which is likely to:
result in the council incurring expenditure which is, or the savings of which are, significant having regard to its budget for the service or function to which the decision relates; or
be significant in terms of its effects on communities living or working in an area of 2 or more wards of the Borough.
or where expenditure or savings are less than the amounts specified above, they constitute more than 50% of the budget attributable to the service in question. 19
Please note that decision dates are indicative and may change. Please consult Democratic Services if you wish to check the decision date of a particular item.
Subject Nature of Decision making Decision date Cabinet Consultation Background decision body Member/Lead required Documents officer
JUNE Pages 19to26 Agenda Item6
Learning and To contract with Portfolio Holder for 8 June 2009 Councillor Paul Business N/A Development Capita for the Performance, Osborn Transformation Managed Service delivery of a Communications Partnership managed Learning and Corporate Jon Turner Board, and Development Services Divisional Director, Employees and Service Human Resources Trades’ Unions and Development [email protected] ov.uk tel:0208 424 Subject Nature of Decision making Decision date Cabinet Consultation Background decision body Member/Lead required Documents officer 1225
Tourism Strategy Adoption of the Cabinet 18 June 2009 Councillor Marilyn Consultation Draft Action Plan Strategy. Ashton documents and Consultation included in Documents. Andrew Trehern, appendix form. Corporate Director, Place Shaping [email protected] ov.uk tel: 0208 736 6535
Future Partnership To agree the Cabinet 18 June 2009 Councillor Barry Consultation with None Governance revised Macleod-Cullinane strategic Arrangements for governance partnership, 20 Adult Health and arrangements Paul Najsarek, partnership Social Care in Corporate Director, boards, partner Harrow Adults and Housing organisations, mark.gillett@harrow. users and carers. gov.uk tel: 020 8424 1911
IT Strategy and Approve the target Cabinet 18 June 2009 Councillor David Consultation on None Delivery Model delivery model for Ashton the priorities to be IT and the carried out in the approach to Mahesh Patel, Autumn achieving it. Divisional Director, IT Services mahesh.patel@harr ow.gov.uk tel: 020 8736 6465
Building Schools Agree or confirm Cabinet 18 June 2009 Councillor Anjana Consultation has Reports to Cabinet for the Future the final Readiness Patel been undertaken relating to the to Deliver on the Vision for strategic approach submission to the Heather Clements, to school Subject Nature of Decision making Decision date Cabinet Consultation Background decision body Member/Lead required Documents officer Department for Director of Schools Education in organisation in May Children, Schools and Children's Harrow and the 2008, June 2008, and Families and Development School January 2009 and agree the johanna.morgan@h Reorganisation April 2009. proposals to arrow.gov.uk tel: proposals. There secure the funding 020 8736 6841 will be further to support the BSF consultation when process for Harrow is entered Harrow. into the BSF programme.
JULY 21 Integrated Planning To approve the Cabinet 16 July 2009 Councillor David Consultation on None and Year Ahead framework for the Ashton priorities to be Statement development of the carried out in the new corporate plan Myfanwy Barrett, Autumn and medium term Corporate Director, financial strategy Finance for 2010-2011 to myfanwy.barrett@ha 2012-2013 rrow.gov.uk tel:020 8420 9269
Cedars Youth and To authorise the Cabinet 16 July 2009 Councillor Tony Consultation with None Community Centre necessary Ferrari Ward Members approvals required for the Partnership Andrew Trehern, Project between Corporate Director, Harrow Council, Place Shaping Watford Football belinda.prichard@ha Club and MyPlace rrow.gov.uk tel: 0208 420 9930 Subject Nature of Decision making Decision date Cabinet Consultation Background decision body Member/Lead required Documents officer
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
Risk Management Approve risk Cabinet 17 September Councillor David None None Strategy and management 2009 Ashton Position Statement strategy; approve arrangements for David Ward, emergency Divisional Director, planning, business Audit and Risk
22 continuity, david.ward@harrow. insurance and gov.uk tel:020 8424 health and safety. 9269
Procurement of To agree a facilities Cabinet 17 September Councillor Chris None. None. Sports and Leisure mix, which will go 2009 Mote Facilities Contract out to competitive Management tender, resulting in Javed Khan, Partner the procurement of Director of a new Sports and Community and Leisure Contract Cultural Services Management clifton.jackson@harr Partner. ow.gov.uk tel: 0208 424 7623
Whitchurch Authority to enter Cabinet 17 September Councillors Chris Consultation with None. Pavilion and into a Lease 2009 Mote and Tony Ward Councillors Playing Fields Agreement and Ferrari Service Level Agreement in Andrew Trehern, accordance with Corporate Director, Subject Nature of Decision making Decision date Cabinet Consultation Background decision body Member/Lead required Documents officer officer Place Shaping recommendations. andrew.connell@har row.gov.uk tel: 020 8424 1259
If you have comments on any of the issues raised in the Forward Plan please contact the lead officer whose details are indicated. Alternatively contact Alison Atherton, Senior Professional - Democratic Services on telephone no. 020 8424 1266 or by email: [email protected] 23 CONTACT DETAILS OF PORTFOLIO HOLDERS
Portfolio Councillor Address Telephone no. Email
Mob: Strategy, Partnership and David Ashton Chestnut Cottage [email protected] Finance Tanglewood Close 07710 899615 STANMORE HA7 3JA Environment and Susan Hall 40 Sequoia Park Mob: [email protected] Community Safety Hatch End 07860 742093 PINNER HA5 4DG Planning, Development Marilyn Ashton Chestnut Cottage Mob: [email protected] and Enterprise Tanglewood Close 07831 319324 STANMORE HA7 3JA 24 Children’s Services Christine Bednell 56 St. Edmunds Drive Mob: [email protected] STANMORE 07709 959420 HA7 2AU Major Contracts and Tony Ferrari The Eagles Mob: [email protected] Property West Drive 07914 961035 Harrow Weald HARROW HA3 6TU 5 Langton House Adults and Housing Barry Macleod- Mob: [email protected] Cullinane Cottage Close 07791 600930 HARROW ON THE 07976 712611 HILL HA2 0HG Portfolio Councillor Address Telephone no. Email
Community and Cultural Chris Mote Riverside Cottage 020 8868 8996 [email protected] Services 15 Eastcote Road PINNER HA5 1EA Performance, Paul Osborn 2 Vaughan Road Bus: [email protected] Communication and HARROW 020 7692 7188 Corporate Services HA1 4EE Schools and Children’s Anjana Patel 187 The Ridgeway 07946 586017 [email protected] Services North Harrow HA2 7DE 25 This page is intentionally left blank
26 Review Methodology Type of report Expected date AgendaComments Item 7a for report to Pages 27 to 28 Cabinet The scrutiny work programme for the remainder of the current administration will be considered at the Overview and Scrutiny committee on 11th June. The next cabinet update will identify projects included in the programme. Standing Review of Standing review Final Report TBC The draft report from the NHS Finances (18 months) O&S review has been prepared Cabinet and will be submitted to Overview and Scrutiny committee in the summer. Standing Review of Standing review Second interim TBC The second phase has Budget (3-years) report now commenced. The O&S review is considering 3 Cabinet strands of work: • shared services - focusing on asset management - the group will consider the place strategy and the council’s approach to asset management at its meeting on 16th June • revenue income maximisation - a survey of officers strategic approach to fees and charges is planned; and • the capital budget - visits to other boroughs (Wandsworth, Camden, Newham, Hillingdon) are underway Sustainability In depth review Final report to TBC The review has now Cabinet end of commenced. Its 2009 investigation is focussed around 3 themes: • Consideration of the Climate Change Strategy • Support to the borough’s business base • Community cohesion
The report from the Climate Change Strategy challenge panel will be presented to the O&S committee in June and the comments of the panel were fed through to officers as part of the consultation process
27 Extended schools Light touch Final Report Spring 2009 The final report of the review O&S review group has been Cabinet drafted and will be presented to O&S in June Healthcare for Joint Overview Report to TBC Harrow Overview and London and Scrutiny Healthcare for Scrutiny Committee’s Committee London, response to the incorporating consultation was submitted Harrow opinion prior to the 8 May deadline, following a challenge session with a number of local NHS and Council key players. The final JOSC report is likely to be finalised and submitted by mid-June – the JOSC received an extended deadline.
28 Agenda Item 9 Pages 29 to 38
Meeting: Cabinet
Date: 18 June 2009
Subject: Treasury Management Outturn Report 2008-09
Key Decision: No
Responsible Officer: Myfanwy Barrett: Corporate Director of Finance
Portfolio Holder: David Ashton (Leader and Portfolio Holder for Strategy, Partnership and Finance) Exempt: No
Enclosures: Appendix 1 – Prudential Indicators
Section 1 – Summary and Recommendations
This report sets out the summary of Treasury Management activities for 2008- 09.
Recommendations Note the outturn position for Treasury Management activities for 2008-09.
Reason • To promote effective financial management and comply with the Local Authorities (Capital Finance and Accounting) Regulations 2003 and other relevant guidance. • To keep Cabinet Members informed of Treasury Management activities and performance.
29 Section 2 – Report
1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
The Council is required, under the Local Government Act 2003, to approve a Treasury Management Strategy each year. The strategy complies with the DCLG guidance on local government investments and the CIPFA Code of Practice for Treasury Management.
The primary requirements of the Code are as follows:
1. Creation and maintenance of a Treasury Management Policy Statement which sets out the policies and objectives of the Council’s treasury management activities.
2. Creation and maintenance of Treasury Management Practices which set out the manner in which the Council will seek to achieve those policies and objectives.
3. Receipt by the Council of an annual treasury management strategy report (including the annual investment strategy report) for the year ahead and an annual review report of the previous year.
4. Delegation by the Council of responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of its treasury management policy to Cabinet and for the execution and administration of treasury management decisions to the Council’s Section 151 Officer.
2. THIS ANNUAL TREASURY REPORT COVERS
the outturn position the Council’s treasury position as at 31 March 2009; the economy in 2008-09; the borrowing outturn for 2008-09; compliance with treasury limits and Prudential Indicators; investment outturn for 2008-09;
3. Outturn Position
There was a favourable variance of £3.5m on capital financing budget of £16.5m as detailed below:-
Latest Outturn Variation Budget £000 £000 £000 %
Cost of Borrowing 9,485 7,706 -1,779 -18.8 Investment Income -3,135 -4,321 -1,186 -37.8 Minimum Revenue Provision 6,222 5,696 -526 -8.5
Total 12,572 9,081 -3,491 -27.8
The reasons for variations are explained in the report in paragraph 6 and 8.
30
4. TREASURY POSITION AS AT 31 MARCH 2009
The Council’s debt and investment position at the beginning and the end of the year was as follows:
31st Average Average 31st Average Average March Rate Life yrs March Rate Life yrs 2009 2008 £M % Yrs £M % Yrs Fixed Rate Funding - PWLB 135.4 4.38 33.33 120.5 4.91 32.66 - Market 81.8 5.18 34.63 86.8 6.09 24.79 Total Debt 217.2 4.69 207.3 5.09 Investments: - In-House 84.9 5.26 85.3 5.94 Total Investments 84.9 85.3
5. THE ECONOMY AND INTEREST RATES
The story of 2008 has been the credit crunch, the banking crisis and the change in economic outlook from a slowdown in growth to outright recession.
After the initial concerns about the impact of the credit crunch in the earlier part of 2008 it appeared as though the storm had been weathered. The MPC had been very concerned about CPI inflation, which had been rising sharply on the back of higher commodity and food prices. The bank rate reached a peak of 5.75% in July 2007 after which cuts of 0.25% occurred in December 2007 and February and April 2008 before the major cuts in the autumn.
The economic data had been indicating a slowing economy for some while but it was not sufficiently weak to force the MPC into another cut. It was the strength of the banking crisis, precipitated by the collapse of Lehmans in New York that eventually drove the MPC to cut interest rates by 50bp on October 8 in concert with the Federal Reserve, the ECB and other central banks. It was then appreciated that the economic downturn would be much more severe than previously thought and interest rates were subsequently slashed by 150bps in November, 100bps in December and 50 bps in January, February and March 2009 respectively. It currently stands at 0.5%.
Based on the Sector view it is expected to stay at 0.50% for the rest of the year and gradually start increasing to 1.5% from the third quarter of 2010.
31 Central Bank Rate Movements
7
6
5
4
3
Base Rate(%) 2
1
0
7 8 8 9 0 08 0 08 l- -08 - l- - -09 u n r-0 y u n r-0 J a a a J ov a a Sep-07 Nov-07 J M M Sep-08 N J M
6. BORROWING OUTTURN FOR 2008-09
Total long term debt of £217.2m at the end of March 2009 is made up £81.8m Bank loans and £135.4m PWLB loans. The maturity of a debt is determined by reference to the earliest date on which the lender can require payment.
The following activities were carried out in respect of Long Term Borrowing:-
PWLB borrowing in November 08 of £5m for a 50yr period at 4.28% PWLB borrowing in December 08 of £5m for a 50yr period at 4.12% PWLB borrowing in December 08 of £5m for a 1yr period at 1.49%
The table below sets out the position as at 31 March 2009
31st March 2009 31st March 2008 £m % £m %
Under 12 Months 5.0 2.3 5.0 2.4 12 Months and under 24 0.0 0.0 Months 24 Months and within 5 10.2 4.7 0.2 0.1 years 5 years and within 10 years 26.1 12.0 26.2 12.6 10 years and above 175.9 81.0 175.9 84.9
Total 217.2 100 207.3 100.00
As highlighted in section 3 above the average debt portfolio interest rate has moved over the course of the year from 5.09% to 4.69%. The approach during the year was:
1. To draw longer term fixed rate debt, to take advantage of low long term rates and reduce exposure to fluctuations in short term interest rates: 2. Fund borrowing from surplus cash.
The outturn position on Capital Financing was a favourable variance of £1.8m. This represents a lower borrowing cost as a result of implementing the above strategy. 32 7. COMPLIANCE WITH TREASURY LIMITS
During the financial year the Council operated within the treasury limits and Prudential Indicators set out in the Council’s annual Treasury Strategy Statement. The outturn for the Prudential Indicators is shown in Appendix 1.
The total capital expenditure for 2008-09 was £98.9m. Approximately £52.6m (53% of the total expenditure) was funded from grants, revenue contributions and capital receipts. This resulted in the borrowing requirement of £46m.
Following the impact of the credit crunch on world economies and the banking system, the strategy during the year was to fund the borrowing requirement from surplus cash. This resulted in the lower financing cost for 2008-09.
However, the impact of capital investments decisions on the Council Tax per annum has risen sharply (approximately by 50%) due to the new Minimum Revenue Provision requirement. Under the new regulations the charge to revenue is based on the appropriate asset life compared to the old regulation of charging revenue with 4% on the reducing balance of the borrowing. The new methodology is more prudent as it is matching the life of the asset to the borrowing requirement.
In addition to the above, the lack of capital receipts due to current economic conditions results in a higher borrowing requirement.
8. INVESTMENT OUTTURN FOR 2008-09
The Council manages its investments in-house and invests with the institutions listed in the Council’s approved lending list. The Council invests for a range of periods from overnight to 364 days / 5Y years, dependent on the Council’s cash flows, its interest rate view and the interest rates on offer.
Change in strategy and credit policy during the year The strategy and policies adopted in the Treasury Management Strategy Report and Annual Investment Strategy for 2008-09 approved by the Council in February 2008 were subject to major revision during the year due to the unprecedented impact of the credit crunch on world economies and the world banking system. This resulted in amending the lending list criteria as detailed below:- 1. Introduced sovereign rating criteria of AAA for foreign banks 2. Eliminate all the building societies from the list except for the ones which are credit rated and meet the minimum criteria 3. The individual and group limits for the UK banks were increased to create more flexibility. 4. Reduction in limits for Non UK banks
The impact of the credit crunch resulted in a rapid fall in central bank rates around the world during the year, including in the UK, and correspondingly in the Council’s investment returns in the second half of the year.
This Council viewed the market’s expectation for Bank Rate as too low, and that short term rates would rise during the year. Investments were, accordingly, kept short, with a view to enabling returns to be compounded more frequently.
33 A total of £84.9m investments were placed via the London money market as at 31 March 2009. The average return achieved on investments for the year was 5.26%; this included investments made in the previous financial year that matured in 2008-2009. This figure compared favourably with the average 7 day LIBOR rate for the year of 3.76%.
The actual income was £4.3m compared to a revised budget of £3.1m. The main reason for the favourable variation amounting to £1.2m is mainly due to higher rates secured on investments made before the credit crunch The table below sets out the position as at 31 March 2009.
March 2009 March 2008 £m % £m % Specified Investments Banks & Building Societies 52.9 62.3 3.0 71.3 Money Market Funds 5.0 5.9 3.4 5.9 Non –Specified Investments Building Societies 27.0 31.8 78.9 22.8 Total 84.9 100.0 85.3 100.0
9. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Financial matters are integral to the report.
10. PERFORMANCE ISSUES Treasury Management is scored as part of one of the Key Lines of Enquiry on Managing Finances in the Use of Resources framework. The Council meets the requirement of the CIPFA Code of Practice for Treasury Management and therefore is able to demonstrate best practice for the Treasury Management function, contributing to the overall score on the Use of Resources.
11. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
There is no environmental impact.
12. RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
Risk is included on Directorate risk register.
Section 3 - Statutory Officer Clearance
Name: Myfanwy Barrett √ Chief Financial Officer
Date: 26 May 2009
Name: Hugh Peart √ Monitoring Officer
Date: 3 June 2009
34
Section 4 – Performance Officer Clearance
Name: Alex Dewsnap √ Divisional Director
Date: 26 May 2009
Section 5 – Environmental Impact Officer Clearance
Name: John Edwards √ Divisional Director (Environmental Services) Date: 26 May 2009
Section 6 - Contact Details and Background Papers
Contact: Jennifer Hydari (Divisional Director of Finance and Procurement)
Background Papers: Report to February 2008, December 2008 and February 2009 Cabinet : Approval of 2008-09 Treasury Management Strategy and Prudential Code.
35 Appendix 1 Prudential Indicators
PRUDENTIAL INDICATORS 2007-08 2008-09 2008-09 (1). EXTRACT FROM BUDGET AND RENT SETTING REPORT £'000 £'000 £'000
actual Revised actual Capital Expenditure Non - HRA £42,562 £76,586 £83,310 HRA £10,957 £14,963 £15,590 TOTAL £53,519 £91,549 £98,900
Ratio of financing costs to net revenue stream Non - HRA 7.30% 6.61% 5.67% HRA 28.69% 35.64% 35.46%
Net borrowing requirement brought forward 1 April £149,333 £122,083 £122,083 carried forward 31 March £122,083 £131,568 £132,374 in year borrowing requirement £27,250 £9,485 £10,291
In year Capital Financing Requirement Non - HRA £14,156 £32,156 £29,911 HRA £6,121 £10,254 £10,673 TOTAL £20,777 £42,410 £40,584
Capital Financing Requirement as at 31 March Non - HRA £166,625 £198,781 £196,536 HRA £36,907 £47,161 £47,580 TOTAL £203,532 £245,942 £244,116
Incremental impact of capital investments decisions £p £p £p Increase in Council Tax (band D) per annum £20.59 £57.10 £58.03 Increase in average housing rent per week £18.64 £19.30 £19.22
PRUDENTIAL INDICATORS 2007-08 2008-09 2008-09 (2). TREASURY MANAGEMENT PRUDENTIAL INDICATORS £'000 £'000 £'000 actual Revised actual Authorised Limit for external debt- borrowing £207 £278 £217 other long term liabilities £0 £0 £0 TOTAL £207 £278 £217
Operational Boundary for external debt- borrowing £207 £255 £217 other long term liabilities £0 £0 £0 TOTAL £207 £255 £217
Upper limit for fixed interest rate exposure Net principal re variable rate borrowing / investments £207m £255m £217m
Upper limit for variable rate exposure Net principal re variable rate borrowing / investments OR:- £85m £100m £0m
Upper limit for total principle sums invested for over 364 days £11m £50m £18.6m (per maturity date) 36
Maturity Structure of new fixed rate borrowing during 2008-09 Upper Lower Actual Limit Limit March 2009 % % £m % Under 12 Months 20 0 0 0 12 Months and under 20 0 5 2.3 24 Months 24 Months and within 30 0 0 0 5 years 5 years and within 10 40 10 0 0 years 10 years and above 95 10 10 4.6
37 This page is intentionally left blank
38 Agenda Item 10 Pages 39 to 78
Meeting: Cabinet
Date: 18 June 2009
Subject: Future partnership governance arrangements for adult health and social care in Harrow Key Decision: Yes Responsible Officer: Paul Najsarek, Corporate Director of Adults and Housing Services Portfolio Holder: Cllr Barry Macleod-Cullinane, Portfolio Holder for Adults and Housing Exempt: No
Enclosures: Appendix 1a – Consultation Document Appendix 1b - Proposed structure Appendix 2 – Analysis of Responses to Consultation Appendix 3 – Proposed revised structure Appendix 4 – Proposed Terms of Reference – Adult Health and Well-being Partnership Appendix 5 – Proposed Terms of Reference – Joint Commissioning Board
Section 1 – Summary and Recommendations
This report sets out the findings from the recent consultation about the future partnership governance arrangements for adult health and social care in Harrow.
Recommendations: Cabinet is requested to: 1. Agree to the proposal to replace the Adult Health and Social Care Management Group with the Adult Health and Well-being Partnership; and 2. Agree to the proposal to establish an Adult Joint Commissioning Board; and
Page 1 39 3. Agree the proposed terms of reference for both bodies. 4. Delegate to the Adult Health and Well-being Partnership responsibility for decisions about the structure of the delivery groups supporting the work of the Partnership. 5. Note the intention to strengthen the role of the Local Safeguarding Adults Board and to clarify the reporting lines consistent with the structure at Appendix 3.
Reason: (For recommendation) To improve the current partnership governance arrangements for adult health and social care in Harrow in order to provide direction for this service taking into account local needs, national direction and the Harrow Strategic Partnership and Local Area Agreement priorities.
Section 2 – Report
Introduction
1. The proposed changes to the existing partnership arrangements for adult health and social care contained in this report support the Council and NHS Harrow vision to support vulnerable people and build stronger communities. The proposals also support Harrow Strategic Partnership’s vision to make a measurable improvement to the quality of life of the people of Harrow through robust and inclusive partnership working.
Background and Options Considered
2. The current Adult Health and Social Care Management Group is one of a number of Management Groups accountable to the Harrow Strategic Partnership for the achievement of priorities.
3. The proposals contained in the consultation paper were drawn up following discussions between the Corporate Director of Adults and Housing, NHS Harrow’s Chief Executive and the Joint Director of Public Health. The document also builds upon discussion that took place at the October 2008 meeting of the Adult Health and Social Care Management Group.
4. The proposals set out in the consultation paper were informed by research into governance models elsewhere in the country; relevant learning drawn from the Audit Commission’s recent report entitled ‘Are we there yet? Improving governance and resource management in Children’s Trusts.’ The proposals also reflected the recently revised arrangements for the wider Harrow Strategic Partnership.
Why a change is needed
5. The Service Inspection of Learning Disability undertaken by CSCI in January 2008 and the Learning Disability Joint Review undertaken by a joint review team in October 2008 highlighted the need to strengthen the Learning Disability Partnership Board within the broader context of partnership governance arrangements for adult health and social care. Page 2 40 A specific recommendation was to strengthen the capacity of members of partnership boards to hold statutory services to account for service delivery and performance.
6. The advent of a National Indicator Set and the development of Harrow’s Local Area Agreement require a number of the indicators to be delivered in partnership. Similarly the new Performance Assessment Framework for Adult Social Care requires joint working with other areas of the Council and partners to deliver the priorities for health, well-being and social care in Harrow.
7. The need to clarify the role of the Local Safeguarding Adults Board, its remit to work across and beyond the Health and Well-being Partnership and its accountability through the executive structures of Harrow Council and NHS Harrow as well as other agencies.
8. The development of partnership working is leading to more joint commissioning of services with pooled budgets and formal agreements (Section 75) which need to be managed through the partnership.
9. The requirement to separate out the roles of purchaser and provider within the NHS.
10. The separation of executive decisions from consultative arrangements and clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the various bodies.
11. Ensuring that a strong user and carer voice is developed and supported to participate fully at all levels within the partnership.
12. The development of structures that focus on well-being outcomes for all adults with all partners represented.
Consultation
13. The consultation document is attached at Appendix 1. The key proposals on which we consulted were: a. To replace the existing Adult Health and Social Care Management Group with an Adult Health and Well-being Board with revised terms of reference and membership. b. To establish a Joint Commissioning Board or Adults’ Trust.
14. The consultation was conducted over a period of 9 weeks from 19 January to 20 March. The consultation was sent to members of the partnership boards, voluntary organisations, and statutory partners. The documents were published on the web with the option to complete an online survey. The consultation document was an agenda item on meetings of individual partnership boards and in addition two public meetings were held.
15. A summary of responses to the consultation is attached at Appendix 2. The key findings from this are:
Page 3 41 a) There is broad support for the proposals about the high level structure set out in the consultation document although a number of specific points were raised: i. The Adult Health and Well-Being Board should be re-titled Adult Health and Well-Being Partnership with one view expressed that this should be simply the Adult Well-being Partnership. ii. The term ‘Adults’ Trust’ implied a legal status and therefore Joint Commissioning Board was preferred. iii. Terms of reference would be critical to ensure clarity of the role of each of these groups and ensure that the Adult Health and Well-being Partnership was not marginalised or becomes merely a ‘talking shop’. b) There is a body of support for moving away from the existing structure of partnership boards to one which reflects the way that people lead their lives. However this is not universal and the Learning Disability Partnership Board (as well as some other individuals) felt very strongly that this runs counter to Government policy set out in Valuing People Now. Other views support the principle of moving in this direction but suggest that further development of partnership boards needs to take place to enable this to happen. In the meantime Partnership Boards should focus on life episodes/themes as part of their work programmes. c) The Safeguarding Board needs to have right of access to all other parts of the structure as required to deliver objectives. The role of the Local Safeguarding Adults Board should therefore be strengthened and situated appropriately within the Harrow Strategic Partnership. Its role is to challenge partners as well as to report on progress through the Harrow Chief Executives’ Board as well as the executive structures of the Council, NHS Harrow and other agencies. d) There is strong support for the involvement of service users and carers in the governance structures as well as recruitment and project design and that this should be seen as good practice and the norm. The point is made that such involvement will require investment of time, people and resources to ensure that individuals can be adequately supported to fully participate. e) Partnership Boards are seen to be crucial to monitoring performance and holding statutory bodies to account. Again the user and carer experience is central to this and link to the comments made above. f) There are mixed views about the model adopted by the Learning Disability Partnership Board of a user being appointed as co-chair. The key point from respondents is that all users and carers need to be supported effectively to participate fully in the process and that investment will be needed to empower users and carers in these roles. g) There is mixed support for partnership boards being chaired by senior officers from other organisations or directorates of the Council. It is felt that this would bring a degree of independence and external challenge
Page 4 42 but without detailed knowledge or understanding of the subject area this might limit their effectiveness.
h) There is strong support for developing and applying a user and carer involvement strategy across the Council and other statutory organisations. It is clear that users and carers will need to play a lead role in this and it is suggested that the Council and NHS Harrow may not be the most appropriate bodies to lead this work.
i) There are mixed views about how the Local Involvement Network (LINk) should relate to the governance structures for the partnership. As an important independent voice of the experience of users and carers it is critical that there should be some engagement and it may be that the LINk is best placed to comment on the structure of any relationship.
j) There is acknowledgement of a need to ensure that relationships between the different elements of the Harrow Strategic Partnership and the range of reference groups are effective. The Adult Health and Well- Being Board will need to consider how best this can be achieved in agreeing its membership.
Recommended Proposal
16. As a result of the feedback received through the consultation Cabinet are being recommended to:
a. Agree to an amended proposal to replace the Adult Health and Social Care Management Group with the Adult Health and Well- being Partnership. b. Agree to the proposal to establish an Adult Joint Commissioning Board. c. Agree the proposed terms of reference for both bodies. d. Delegate to the Adult Health and Well-being Partnership responsibility for decisions about the structure of the delivery groups supporting the work of the Partnership. e. Note the need to strengthen the role of the Local Safeguarding Adults Board and to clarify the reporting lines consistent with the structure at Appendix 3.
Equalities Impact
17. An Equality Impact Assessment has been undertaken. Consideration of equalities matters is integral to the work of the partnership and its delivery groups. The proposals, if adopted, will strengthen the voice of users and carers at all levels within the partnership.
Legal Comments
18. The Adult Health and Well-being Partnership and Adult Joint Commissioning Board will be required to comply with the Council’s schemes of delegations and accountability arrangements as contained in the Council’s Constitution. They will need to report to Cabinet and
Page 5 43 the appropriate NHS bodies specifically in relation to allocation of resources or policy commitments.
Financial Implications
19. The costs of implementing these proposals will be contained within the existing revenue budgets of Adults and Housing Service and NHS Harrow.
20. There will need to be effective financial management arrangements in place for monitoring and reporting purposes. Regular financial reporting including output information will need to be integral to the governance arrangements.
Performance Issues
21. Adult Health and Wellbeing Partnership will be responsible for the delivery of the key partnership targets which are included the current Local Area Agreement, specifically:
Indicator 2008-9 LAA Target Comparator (where performance 2010/11 available) NI 39 Alcohol harm Not yet 1463 – Definition changed, related hospital available, 2007- represents a comparator data not reduction in the admissions 8 baseline is rate of increase yet available 1100 NI 130 Self directed 15% 35% New indicator, no support comparator information available. NI 135 Carers 43% 62% New indicator, no services comparator information available. NI 134 Emergency Not yet available 74,061 2% decrease agreed bed days – 2007-8 with central baseline is government 78690 NI 136 People helped 3583 per 2924 per 100,000 New indicator, no to live independently 100,000 LAA target comparator information already exceeded – internal stretch available. of 4000 set for 2009-10 NI 146 Adults with 7.7% Target being 13% top quartile Learning Disabilities in set with GOL employment NI 149 Adults with 83.2% Target being New indicator, no mental health set with GOL comparator information problems in settled available. accommodation
22. Effective monitoring and action on these by the partnership will be critical to their delivery.
Page 6 44 23. The proposed structure will ensure an effective understanding of local need exists, gleaned through mechanisms such as the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. It will also ensure appropriate objectives and priorities are being set and delivered through key partnership mechanisms such as the Sustainable Community Strategy and Local Area Agreement. This will also facilitate the review of outcomes of external inspections and monitor related improvement activity.
24. The proposed bodies will oversee implementation of a rolling program of work, led by delivery groups, around adult health and social care designed to meet key objectives. Users and carers, through their membership of delivery groups and the Health and Well-being Partnership Board will be central to performance management arrangements within the partnership.
Environmental Impact
25. There are no environmental implications arising from this report.
Risk Management Implications
Risk included on Directorate risk register? No
Separate risk register in place? No
26. There are no new risks associated with this proposal.
Section 3 - Statutory Officer Clearance
on behalf of the* Name: Jennifer Hydari X Chief Financial Officer
Date: 22 May 2009
on behalf of the* Name: Jessica Farmer X Monitoring Officer
Date: 21 May 2009
Section 4 – Performance Officer Clearance
on behalf of the* Name: David Harrington X Divisional Director (Strategy and Date: 22 May 2009 Improvement)
Page 7 45 Section 5 – Environmental Impact Officer Clearance
on behalf of the* Name: Andrew Baker X Divisional Director (Environmental Date: 21 May 2009 Services)
Section 6 - Contact Details and Background Papers
Contact: Mark Gillett – Divisional Director Commissioning and Partnerships [email protected] 020 8424 1911 (x2911)
Background Papers:
Consultation Document - Future Partnership Governance Arrangements for Adult Health and Social Care in Harrow (Appendix 1)
Page 8 46 Appendix 1a
Consultation Document
Future Partnership Governance Arrangements for Adult Health and Social Care in Harrow
Introduction
This paper follows discussions over recent weeks involving Harrow Primary Care Trust’s Chief Executive, the Joint Director of Public Health and Harrow Council’s Corporate Director for Adults and Housing and builds on the discussion that took place at the October meeting of the Adult Health and Social Care Management Group – all of which considered future partnership governance arrangements for adult health and social care in Harrow.
The paper sets out proposals for the two main bodies to be at the heart of a revised partnership governance structure – the Adult Health and Well-Being Board (re-titled from the Adult Health and Social Care Management Group) and the Joint Commissioning Board or Adults’ Trust involving Harrow Council and Harrow Primary Care Trust.
We wish to consult widely on this paper with such consultation informing proposals that will be considered by Harrow Council’s Cabinet and Harrow Primary Care Trust’s Board in the New Year and which it is intended would come into effect from 1st April 2009.
The proposals are informed by research into governance models elsewhere in the country, relevant learning drawn from the Audit Commission’s recent report entitled ‘Are we there yet? Improving governance and resource management in children’s trusts’ and recently revised governance arrangements for the wider Harrow Strategic Partnership.
The structure for the proposed new governance arrangements is attached.
Adult Health and Well-Being Board
This body will operate at the strategic level and will form an integral element of the Harrow Strategic Partnership governance structure. It will feature broad representation from amongst those with whom we work, including voluntary organisations, service users and carers, and is designed to act as a consultative body and champion adult health and social care and the interests and well-being of adults in Harrow. In addition, it will facilitate collaboration and the joining up of adult health and social care services, maximise the contribution of wider services to adult well-being and aid the sharing of good practice across partner organisations.
The proposed remit of this body is as follows:
• Ensure an effective understanding of local need exists, gleaned through mechanisms such as the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment
• Help to join up consultation activity
47 Appendix 1a • Ensure appropriate objectives and priorities are being set and delivered through key partnership mechanisms such as the Sustainable Community Strategy and Local Area Agreement
• Oversee implementation of a rolling programme of work around adult health and social care designed to meet key objectives
• Help develop the joint commissioning of work and building of capacity within the voluntary and community sector to deliver services
• Review outcomes of external inspections and monitor related improvement activity
• Maintain an overview of local resources for adult health and social care
• Oversee the work and delivery of groups, such as partnership boards, sitting underneath the Adult Health and Well-Being Board
• Feed into an annual report of actions and progress by the Harrow Strategic Partnership
Once the remit of this group is agreed, work will need to be undertaken to determine its membership and thoughts on this would be welcomed as part of the consultation. The following elements of the revised governance arrangements for the wider Harrow Strategic Partnership are pertinent here:
• The Chair will be reviewed on an annual basis
• Members of the group will be expected to contribute services and resources to ensure delivery against relevant priorities and targets
• The group takes direction from, and is responsible to, the Harrow Board for delivering relevant aspects of the Sustainable Community Plan and Local Area Agreement. It will be expected to report its’ achievements against relevant priorities and targets to the Harrow Board on an exception basis. The Chair may be invited to attend Harrow Board meetings as required but will not be a full, voting member of the Board.
• The Chair of the Harrow Board will, when necessary, convene and chair meetings with some or all of the Chairs and/or key staff/members of the different Management Groups to ensure progress on the commitments of the wider Partnership or to discuss key issues of concern to the Partnership.
Joint Commissioning Board or Adults’ Trust
This body will operate at the executive level and will comprise senior managerial decision- makers from the Council and Primary Care Trust. It will aim to develop stronger and deeper integration of health and social care and enhance joint working, including the pooling of budgets where appropriate. As regards governance arrangements, this forum will not exist as a statutory body and will therefore need to work in accordance with the accountability arrangements of the Council and Primary Care Trust when it comes to, for example, considering the allocation of resources or making policy commitments.
48 Appendix 1a
The proposed remit of this body is as follows:
• Provide direction for the development of health and social care services taking into account local needs, national direction and the Harrow Strategic Partnership and Local Area Agreement priorities
• Direct and manage performance to ensure effective delivery against key measures and objectives
• Provide oversight of adult safeguarding
• Provide oversight of continuing care and jointly funded packages of care
• Direct and manage resources, including the pooling of budgets where appropriate
• Share financial information and agree shared responses to budgetary pressures within partner agencies
• Optimise sources of funding
• Oversee the development and monitoring of current and future section 75 agreements and the establishment of joint posts
• Provide governance for the integrated commissioning of health and social care and develop the annual joint commissioning business plan
• Consider relevant statutory reports and the outcomes of external inspections and commission related improvement activity in response, potentially including major service reviews
• Oversee the work and delivery of groups, such as partnership boards, sitting underneath the Joint Commissioning Board or Adults’ Trust
Hearing your views
The consultation will run until Friday 27 February.
This consultation document is being circulated widely and will also be available on the Council and the PCT websites.
There will be an opportunity to discuss the proposals set out in this consultation document at partnership boards and other relevant meetings during January and February. The views of service users and carers will be actively sought as part of this process.
Queries about the consultation and written responses to the consultation should be sent to
Margaret Buckley Partnership Board Support Adults and Housing Services
49 Appendix 1a Harrow Council PO Box 7 Civic Centre Harrow HA1 2UL e-mail: [email protected] Tel: 020 8420 9642
Consultation questions
In addition to considering the potential setting up of the above bodies, their remit and make-up, consideration also needs to be given to:
• The performance reporting arrangements around these bodies and those linked to them.
• The groups, such as partnership boards, that will exist below the Adult Health and Well- Being Board and the Joint Commissioning Board or Adults’ Trust and what their role and remit will be. The intention for the Adult Health and Well-Being Board to have wide representation and act as a consultative body has particular implications for the likes of partnership boards.
We are interested in hearing your views on these areas and the broad proposals set out in this paper but also on a number of specific questions below which will help inform our thinking:
1. Is there merit in moving away from existing arrangements that arguably see users and carers being engaged in a way that is determined more by partnership structures than the way they lead their lives? This would potentially involve, as an example, a shift away from people with a learning disability attending the Learning Disability Partnership Board to instead being appropriately represented on a wider body of people reflecting the make-up of the borough which would be drawn upon to contribute to the thinking and planning around themed subjects, such as housing or leisure provision. The thinking is that this would enable people’s needs to be considered in a more holistic way and potentially reduce the demands being placed upon their time.
2. Has the practice of involving service users in specific activities such as the recruitment and selection of council staff, as with the Neighbourhood Resource Centre project manager recruitment and the design of the Centres themselves been successful and, if so, how can it best be extended?
3. Should partnership boards have a service monitoring remit?
4. Is the model of a service user co-chairing the Learning and Disability Partnership Board one that can be built upon?
5. Would there be benefit in modelling the arrangement adopted in some other parts of the country whereby senior officers from non-related directorates or departments chair the equivalent of partnership boards?
6. Is there merit in a user and carer involvement strategy being adopted, and consistently applied, across Harrow Council and partner organisations including the Primary Care Trust and Mental Health Foundation Trust?
50 Appendix 1a
7. How should the Local Involvement Networks (LINKS) relate to the Adult Health and Well- Being Board and partnership boards below it?
8. How should the older people and voluntary and community sector reference groups of the Harrow Strategic Partnership relate to the Adult Health and Well-Being Board and partnership boards below it?
51 This page is intentionally left blank
52 Appendix 1b – Proposed Structure
Harrow Strategic Partnership Board and Assembly Council PCT Board/ Cabinet Delivery Committee
Harrow Chief Executives’ Group
Joint Commissioning Board
Adult Health and Well-Being or Adults’ Trust
Board Membership: PCT Chief Executive Harrow Strategic 2 x Directors PCT Council’s Corporate Director of
53 Partnership Chair: to be reviewed annually Adults and Housing Management 2 Council Divisional Directors Groups
Obesity Contract Carers’ Supporting Mental and Learning Adult Monitoring Joint Partnership People Health Physical Disability Safeguarding Group Commissioning Commissio Partnership Activity Partnership Board (Section 75 Group ning Body Partnership etc)
Tobacco Older Physical Sexual and Peoples Disability Health Alcohol Partnership Partnership Partnership Partnership (Drugs?) This page is intentionally left blank
54 Appendix 2
Future Partnership Governance Arrangements for Adult Health and Social Care in Harrow
Analysis of Responses to Consultation
Introduction
The Consultation was conducted over a period of 9 weeks from 19 January to 20 March. The consultation was sent to members of the partnership boards, voluntary organisations, and statutory partners. The documents were published on the web with the option to complete an online survey. The consultation document was an agenda item on meetings of individual partnership boards and in addition two public meetings were held.
Responses to the consultation, which are summarised below, were received as follows: • 32 people representing a range of organisations attended two public meetings • 6 people attended a special meeting of the Older People’s Reference Group • 10 written responses 55 • 1 written response summarising an individual response as well as views collected at a meeting of the Mental Health Partnership Board, a Mental Health Carers Drop-In Group, a Harrow Rethink meeting and a meeting of a Harrow Carers Task Group • 5 people completed the online survey
Key Findings
1. There is broad support for the proposals about the high level structure set out in the consultation document although a number of specific points were raised: • The Adult Health and Well-Being Board should be re-titled Adult Health and Well-Being Partnership with one view expressed that this should be simply the Adult Well-being Partnership. • The term ‘Adults’ Trust’ implied a legal status and therefore Joint Commissioning Board was preferred. • Terms of reference would be critical to ensure clarity of the role of each of these groups and ensure that the Adult Health and Well-being Partnership was not marginalised or becomes merely a ‘talking shop’.
2. There is a body of support for moving away from the existing structure of partnership boards to one which reflects the way that people lead their lives. However this is not universal and the Learning Disability Partnership Board (as well as some Appendix 2
other individuals) felt very strongly that this runs counter to Government policy set out in Valuing People Now. Another view supports the principle of moving in this direction but suggests that existing arrangements are not yet mature enough to enable this to happen.
3. There is strong support for the involvement of service users and carers in the governance structures as well as recruitment and project design and that this should be seen as good practice and the norm. The point is made that such involvement will require investment of time, people and resources to ensure that individuals can be adequately supported to fully participate.
4. Partnership Boards are seen to be crucial to monitoring performance and holding statutory bodies to account. Again the user and carer experience is central to this and link to the comments made above.
5. There are mixed views about the model adopted by the Learning Disability Partnership Board of a user being appointed as co-chair. The key point from respondents is that all users and carers need to be supported effectively to participate fully in the process and that investment will be needed to empower users and carers in these roles.
56 6. There is mixed support for partnership boards being chaired by senior officers from other organisations or directorates of the Council. It is felt that this would bring a degree of independence and external challenge but without detailed knowledge or understanding of the subject area this might limit their effectiveness.
7. There is strong support for developing and applying a user and carer involvement strategy across the Council and other statutory organisations. It is clear that users and carers will need to play a lead role in this and it is suggested that the Council and NHS Harrow may not be the most appropriate bodies to lead this work.
8. There are mixed views about how the LINk should relate to the governance structures for the partnership. As an important independent voice of the experience of users and carers it is critical that there should be some engagement and it may be that the LINk is best placed to comment on the structure of any relationship.
9. There is acknowledgement of a need to ensure that relationships between the different elements of the Harrow Strategic Partnership and the range of reference groups are effective. The Adult Health and Well-Being Board will need to consider how best this can be achieved in agreeing it membership.
Appendix 2
Summary of Responses to Consultation questions
Question 1 Is there merit in moving away from existing arrangements that arguably see users and carers being engaged in a way that is determined more by partnership structures than the way they lead their lives?
Consultation Response Comment There is a need for both to be supported, main boards & individual sub groups & This has been recognised in the Cabinet their activities. There needs to be a channel of communication from top to bottom report and further work on this will need to be and bottom to top led by the Adult Health and Well-being Partnership Personalisation will significantly influence the future commissioning and structure This is an important point and will need to be of services. A forum/partnership group should be established to share learning taken forward by the Adult Health and Well- across client groups. being Partnership Harrow should move toward following the Social Model of Disability which takes This has been recognised in the Cabinet 57 little notice of people’s diagnosis and impairment and concentrates instead on the report and further work on this will need to be importance of meeting access needs. If partnership groups were based on issues led by the Adult Health and Well-being which are common problems for many people using social care such as transport, Partnership employment, health etc they would have a very different focus and more chance of outcomes. It would also be easier to keep the involvement of important partners in this way. Mixed impairment groups would support Harrow’s drive for jargon free The Adult Health and Well-being Partnership communication as jargon associated with one group will not be familiar to others. and Adult Joint Commissioning Board will Communication may need work and resourcing as meeting notes would need to be need to consider how users and carers can prepared for more than one audience. be fully supported to participate including issues of accessibility The arrangement does not cover support groups likes ours and others that were at This has been noted and Adult Health and the meeting e.g. wheelchair users. They do not have a recognisable box to be Well-being Partnership and Adult Joint ticked or linked to and it is important that our voice is heard. Commissioning Board will need to consider how a wide range of views can be heard The disbanding of the Learning Disability Partnership Board (LDPB) would not be This has been recognised in the Cabinet in line with ‘Valuing People Now’. Both ‘Valuing People’ documents have reflected report and further work on this will need to be Appendix 2
that people with a learning disability are not listened to by statutory bodies. How led by the Adult Health and Well-being can this be improved without the existence of the LDPB. Experience of broadening Partnership the membership of the Employment Steering Group to include a range of disabilities has shown that the needs and voice of people with learning disabilities were not being heard nor was there an understanding of employment issues faced by people with learning disabilities. We are sympathetic to the argument that social planning should follow individuals This has been recognised in the Cabinet as they pass through different life stages rather than to categorise and label by report and further work on this will need to be area of disability or illness. However we do not feel that the partnership led by the Adult Health and Well-being arrangements are yet mature enough to make this shift. Nor does the way in which Partnership government operates in planning for services facilitate this approach. Yes, but it has not been made clear how the new arrangements will differ from the This has been recognised in the Cabinet old, nor how users and carers will be engaged in way which is determined by the report and further work on this will need to be way in which they lead their lives. This is a meaningless phrase unless it is led by the Adult Health and Well-being attached to a new process which we can all agree is user friendly or new bodies Partnership
58 which are easier to reach and interact with. Services that users receive and their effectiveness should be the starting point. Noted There need to be both – the existing partnership board structure and cross-cutting This has been recognised in the Cabinet themed groups. report and further work on this will need to be led by the Adult Health and Well-being Partnership A number of groups felt that their members did not fit into the existing structure of This has been recognised in the Cabinet partnership boards, and that umbrella organisations in Harrow were not report and further work on this will need to be necessarily responsive to their views. led by the Adult Health and Well-being Partnership The composition of partnership boards should be looked at. The restructure and The terms of reference for the Adult Health potential merger of the partnership boards should not be wholly shaped on costs of and Well-being Partnership and Adult Joint facilitation. While there may be a need for a rethink regarding the number of Commissioning Board reflect this and further partnership boards some groups need their access and complex needs to taken work on this will need to be led by the Adult into account. A generic disability partnership board was not seen as an option. Health and Well-being Partnership The proposal appears to risk excluding users and carers from contributing at a This has been recognised in the Cabinet strategic level, as it suggests that e.g. people with a Learning Disability might be report. Service Users and Carers will be Appendix 2
better placed to contribute to ‘planning around themed subjects’, rather than on a central to the new arrangements for Partnership Board. Carers and users often provide the ‘memory’ of the partnership governance. organisation and are well-placed to learn from what has been tried previously; to identify what worked well, and what changes would improve services. It is essential that carers and users retain involvement at the strategic planning (i.e. Partnership Board and LIT), level, and are also able to continue to contribute to the more detailed planning of ‘themed subjects’ (in local groups such as the CPA Implementation Group and Clinical Governance Groups). Online Survey Responses Yes 3 No 1 Don’t Know 1
Question 2 59 Has the practice of involving service users in specific activities such as the recruitment and selection of council staff, as with the Neighbourhood Resource Centre project manager recruitment and the design of the Centres themselves been successful and, if so, how can it best be extended?
Consultation Response Comment This is a service user question but from a carer’s point of view, it must be positive Noted for users to participate fully regarding the care, resources and facilities they consider useful in aiding their recovery and those they consider are not. Commissioners’ connections with service users at the ‘grassroots’ should be Service Users and Carers will be central to strengthened through face to face consultation or targeted surveys which are the new arrangements for partnership brought back to partnership boards for consideration and action. governance User representation on recruitment and selection panels and induction of staff Noted should be accepted good practice The main premise is that service users have so much more awareness of how The Adult Health and Well-being Partnership services are run so it is difficult to see how this can be a disadvantage. However it and Adult Joint Commissioning Board will would be a failure if the same group of people are involved in everything and do need to develop strategies to involve a broad not move on. range of service users and carers which Appendix 2
avoids this situation developing Service user involvement needs to bring about serious change, it should not just Noted be about making a point. People with a learning disability have particular needs to enable them to take part The Adult Health and Well-being Partnership in and make informed decisions such as accessible information and time to digest and Adult Joint Commissioning Board will information before making decisions. need to consider how users and carers can be fully supported to participate including issues of accessibility As a general principle we support the involvement of users in staff appointments This is a key principle which the Adult Health and project design. However this can be meaningless and damaging is users are and Well-being Partnership and Adult Joint not properly involved and supported to take an equal role with professional staff. Commissioning Board will need to consider in developing user and carer involvement Trust, training and information are the key to developing users and carer Noted involvement. Users and carers need to be supported to be involved Noted
60 Time and contribution of members to the partnership boards needs to be valued The Adult Health and Well-being Partnership and be seem to have an influence. Action taken as a result of partnership board and Adult Joint Commissioning Board will needs to be fed back to members of the board. need to consider how they feedback I am sure that both service users and carers would be able to provide a useful Noted input into how physical buildings could be re-designed and might work better (eg the new mental health wards at NPH). Online Survey Responses Yes 2 No 0 Don’t Know 3 Question 3 Should partnership boards have a service monitoring remit?
Consultation Response Comment Yes there needs to be a means of auditing outcome performance. Noted Service users should lead service monitoring through independent and regular The Adult Health and Well-being Partnership surveys and reviews (e.g. Camden) and Adult Joint Commissioning Board will Appendix 2
The best people to monitor services and advise on their development are those need to consider how users and carers can who use them. We do not believe a generic board would have the level of contribute their views on the performance of expertise or understanding to do this. services through the partnership boards. This A service monitoring remit is essential to the work of a partnership board. Planning needs to add value to other monitoring is greatly assisted by a good understanding of the strengths and shortfall of processes that involve service users and existing service provision. carers. Users and carers need to be listened to about their experiences. Services need to The Adult Health and Well-being Partnership feedback on improvements and developments in provision. and Adult Joint Commissioning Board will need to consider how to feedback to service users and carers on the impact of their contribution The partnership boards should hold the Council and the PCT to account but this The views of user and carers gathered should not detract from the role of commissioners in contract monitoring through Partnership Boards are an important source of evidence for commissioners in carrying contract monitoring 61 Partnership boards are often talking shops and the role originally envisaged has Noted never been fully implemented. The accountability proposed, coupled with the role of monitoring and shaping service development are to be welcomed. Yes - How this should be done needs more thought, and is likely to vary between Noted Boards. Online Survey Responses Yes 4 No 0 Don’t Know 0 Not answered 1
Question 4 Is the model of a service user co-chairing the Learning and Disability Partnership Board one that can be built upon?
Consultation Response Comment Very useful to track one another no loss of focus and might lead to more user/carer A range of views are reflected in these influence but there needs to be a leader follower approach. The co chair follower comments. The key principle of user and Appendix 2
can take over when the chair lead was not available. The follower could also be used as a meeting facilitator when both are present. The existing user representation is important to ensure that service users are at ‘the table’ with commissioners and providers. This should be more user-led by service users setting the agenda with the chair and regular agenda space for service users to raise their concerns directly to commissioners and providers. Anecdotal comment is that this has tended to be unsuccessful although this should carer involvement in the partnership boards not mean that the principle is wrong. It shouldn’t matter whether the chair is a appears to be accepted along with the need professional or a service user as long as this is open to all participants and the to provide effective support to enable people group take a shared responsibility for decision making. to participate fully in meetings. There is It is good practice that service users co-chair partnership boards and the other co- recognition that service users who co-chair a chair has a professional responsibility for mentoring and training the co-chair. It is partnership board need to be supported important that chairs act independently and not as a vehicle of the organisation effectively by their co-chair through mentoring they represent. and coaching. The Adult Health and Well- Chairing a partnership board is a complex and skilled task and anything less will being Partnership and Adult Joint
62 limit the effectiveness of the board. Users can be empowered to develop such Commissioning Board will need to consider skills and understanding, but it won’t happen by just inviting them to sit alongside. how the model adopted by the Learning Time and resources will be needed to make its successful. Disability Partnership Board can be extended It is too much to expect service users to have this responsibility rather than a paid appropriately to other boards. professional. In theory, this might lead to more user and carer influence on Boards. I have no experience of a service-user chairing a Partnership Board. However, assuming that the Board is run democratically, and users and carers are able to suggest items for inclusion on the agenda, and to speak at meetings, I don’t see any particular need for the chair to be a service user, or indeed, a carer. Online Survey Responses Yes 4 No 0 Don’t Know 0 Not answered 1
Appendix 2
Question 5 Would there be benefit in modelling the arrangement adopted in some other parts of the country whereby senior officers from non- related directorates or departments chair the equivalent of partnership boards?
Consultation Response Comment They would be none partisan but would know little or nothing about the subject without comprehensive guidance from say the co-chair leader follower approach defined in 4 above. The chair needs to be someone knowledgeable with a passion for the remit of the group but an ability to incorporate all others’ views. It may be good to move away A range of views are reflected in these from a focus on care provision and for the chair to be someone whose own work comments. There is recognition of benefits outcomes bring a different perspective. that an independent chair would bring. The We do not feel sufficient information has been provided about this. At a simple proposed membership for the Adult Health 63 level we are not sure a surgeon could chair with total confidence a meeting of and Well-being Partnership recognises that a engineers. On the other hand a fresh perspective and ‘man from Mars’ type broad range of organisations contribute to questions can sometime be effective. health and well-being in Harrow. The Adult It would bring a fresh perspective and ensure independence from pressure groups Health and Well-being Partnership and and organisation who may pay their salary. Partnership Boards are best place to Independent chair favoured but concerns about their level of expert knowledge. determine chairing arrangements that will The person chairing needs to have some understanding of the focus for the ensure their effectiveness. partnership board. They should certainly be members but not necessarily chair. The attraction is that someone external is more likely to be impartial. The downside would be that they have less understanding of the subject under discussion and may be less able to ensure that all angles are addressed adequately. Online Survey Responses Yes 1 No 1 Don’t Know 2 Not answered 1
Appendix 2
Question 6 Is there merit in a user and carer involvement strategy being adopted, and consistently applied, across Harrow Council and partner organisations including the Primary Care Trust and Mental Health Foundation Trust?
Consultation Response Comment Yes but more strength in depth for the users and carers would be required to support this comprehensively. Financial assistance would also help regarding parking and general support costs would be helpful. There is merit in this being developed and applied consistently across all partner organisations as long as it is not too unwieldy. Most User Led Organisations (ULOs) don’t focus on having user involvement strategies. HAD, for example, includes engagement with users in the Partnership Protocol, which covers relationships with all stakeholders, rather than seeing services users as separate to its intents and work. If it would help it would be good to have one but the proposed Centre for Independent Living and the Disability
64 Forum should lead this, not the Council or PCT. There is support for the development of a We would have though it an absolute given that a user and carer strategy is user and carer involvement strategy. The consistently applied across all agencies participating in Harrow’s partnership Adult Health and Well-being Partnership will arrangements. Anything less is to lessen the value of the strategy. need to consider how best this can be taken This needs to be open and transparent so that it can be seen to be fair and clear forward and whether this should be led by the about the conditions to be applied to user/carer involvement. Council and/or NHS or through a Third Sector Strategies do little – implementation of an action plan is the key. Body. It must be made easy for users and carers to take part and feedback to other users and carers. This should be the first task for the adult health and well-being board. Empowerment of users and carers is critical but they need support to enable them to participate. A broad generic user and carer involvement strategy should be applied across Harrow Council and Partner organisations. There is also a need for more detailed user and carer strategies for each of the Council and Partner organisations. It is likely that each Board may need to make adjustments to suit the needs of its ‘population’ and that there may be a need for Appendix 2
minor differences between user and carer strategies. It is important to recognise that many service users and carers have long-standing Noted experience and ‘memory’ of services. They are well-placed to learn from what has been tried previously; to identify what worked well, and what changes would improve services. By definition, users and carers may have limited and unpredictable ability to attend meetings and should not be penalised if they unavoidably miss meetings. There is a need for financial commitment and administrative support from the 3 The Adult Health and Well-being Partnership main organisations (PCT, Council and CNWL) for users and carers, to enable the will need to consider how users and carers elections to occur and for user and carer expenses. can be supported to fully participate including the issues highlighted here. Online Survey Responses Yes 4 No 0 Don’t Know 0 65 Not answered 1
Appendix 2
Question 7 How should the Local Involvement Network (LINk) relate to the Adult Health and Well-Being Board and partnership boards below it?
Consultation Response Comment It is imperative that there is some connection but it is not yet feasible for LINk members to sit on all the partnership boards therefore should be a representative on the AHWB board. At the moment the social care arrangements are divorced from the assessment needs of adult and disabled service users. Especially in the case of dementia sufferers, this arrangement is not working at all. There is little help available for carers and when carer's health suffers, respite arrangements are very difficult to organise. There needs to be some key performance indicators cascaded down for use of This should be a matter for discussion 66 networks to give some measure of performance outcomes. between the LINk and the Adult Health and Its too early for the LINk to have had any outcomes. I do know that disabled people Well-being Partnership. often get fed up giving their opinions to professional and organisations and seeing little change as a result. We believe the outcomes of the LINk’s work should know to the boards. However we don’t think we should consider a place on the board for a LINk representative. Some members of the LINk are already on partnership boards but this should be a matter for the LINk and needs further discussion. It should be remembered that the LINk is the voice of the user and carer and should be seen to be independent of the Council and PCT Very important that this is done. I have no opinion on the mechanism. Online Survey Responses Provided 2 response Not answered 3
Appendix 2
Question 8 How should the older people and voluntary and community sector reference groups of the Harrow Strategic Partnership relate to the Adult Health and Well-Being Board and partnership boards below it?
Consultation Response Comment A representative from each group AHWB (consider time given by the voluntary and The Adult Health and Well-being Partnership community sector to attend meetings) will need to consider how to engage more Clubs and societies catering for older people could be represented widely with reference and other groups. A lot of good work is done by MIND, Harrow carers, Crossroads and in some A key role of the Adult Health and Well-being cases there is duplication of services. Support needs are met but often too late Partnership and the Adult Joint when the situation has deteriorated. Some measure of need versus funding and Commissioning Board is to ensure that development of expertise and personnel needs to be addressed. activities are coordinated and best use made of resources
67 The Harrow Transition Board should be an ongoing part of the structure and should help to facilitate the creation and maintenance of links between Children’s Services (CAMHS and others), and older people, etc. Transition issues will be considered by the It is also important that personal links are made between services, possibly Adult Health and Well-being Partnership and through an identified person between each of the interconnecting services. the Adult Joint Commissioning Board It is essential that these links are shown clearly on the structure chart. There should be a link between children, young adults, adults & retirees to ensure effective support is being monitored. There appears to be little communication or feedback between groups and it is not The Adult Health and Well-being Partnership clear what groups (including the HSPB) are achieving. While minutes of some and Adult Joint Commissioning Board will groups are circulated these can be difficult to wade through – a summary of key need to consider how to feedback on their actions and decisions would be useful. achievement The key to this will be the terms of reference for each group. While there is a Noted possibility of overlap between the Older People’s Reference Group and the Partnership Board, the OPRG does deal with issues outside the remit of the Health and Social Care Partnership Board. Partnership boards should be easier to access by people who wish to volunteer to The Adult Health and Well-being Partnership Appendix 2
become involved with information and forms available at public libraries. will need to consider how this can be addressed Partnership boards should be adapted and extended or amalgamated to cover all This point is addressed in the response to adult health and social care needs. Question 1 above There should be a place for the OPRG on the adult health and well-being board as Noted well as on partnership boards. Online Survey Responses Provided 3 response Not answered 2
Other Comments
Consultation Response Comment Combine as one the Adult Health & Well-Being Board and the Joint There is a need to separate executive
68 Commissioning Board or Adult Trust. decisions from consultative arrangements The development of an integrated commissioning strategy is to be welcomed. The A Third Sector Strategy is currently being development of an integrated approach across sectors and the development of developed following an Overview and Scrutiny strategic Third Sector partners is the most likely approach to achieve the review of the Third Sector government’s aim of increased Third Sector capacity to deliver high quality services. The Domestic Violence Steering Group should be included within the proposed This is shown within the structure governance arrangements. The Safeguarding Board needs to have right of access to all other parts of the The role of Local Safeguarding Adult Board structure as required to deliver objectives. will be strengthened and situated appropriately within the HSP structure We need to set out how the process of consultation with partnership boards is This will be addressed by Adult Health and expected to work Well-being Partnership There are many partnership groups set out in the consultation. It is essential to This will be addressed by Adult Health and ensure that all these partnerships be reviewed to clarify their utility and functionality Well-being Partnership and whether they are ‘fit for purpose’. The use of the term ‘Board’ in the Adult Health and Well-Being Board is thought to This is addressed in the Cabinet Report which Appendix 2
be problematic and confusing, It is suggested that the term ‘partnership’ is used recommends the title to be Adult Adult Health instead. and Well-being Partnership The importance of governance and accountability for both groups was stressed. Noted Although membership of the proposed boards was not specified it will be important The Trust is included within the membership for North West London Hospitals NHS Trust to be represented on both bodies. It is of the Adult Health and Well-being hard to see how good practice can be shared across partner organisations if one of Partnership. As a provider of services it would the largest partners is not present. In addition the new regulatory requirements for not be appropriate for the Trust to be a health and social care require that governance arrangements are not undermined member of the Adult Joint Commissioning locally by excluding the acute Trust from its structures. Board ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. Until we are convinced that the current system is fatally The reasons for making the change are set flawed we remain uncertain that the proposed arrangements offer a positive out in the Cabinet report change. The consultation paper does little to explain what the basis of the change is other The reasons for making the change are set than to create a new joint commissioning board. We understand that this will out in the Cabinet report replace the former Adult Health and Social Care Management Group and in 69 consequence will streamline some aspects of the operation and decision making. We welcome the apparent propose direct relationship between the Joint The role of Local Safeguarding Adult Board Commissioning Board and the Adult Safeguarding Board that does not currently will be strengthened and situated appear to report to any other body, other than through the personal reporting lines appropriately within the HSP structure of the officers involved. The relationship between the Adult Health and Well-Being Board and the Joint There is a need to separate executive Commissioning Board needs to be explained. There is a risk of overlap and the decisions from consultative arrangements. possibility of the Officer-only Joint Commissioning Board eclipsing the work of the This is clarified in the terms of reference for Adult Health and Well-being Board. each body attached as appendices to the Cabinet report It is not necessary to call the Board ‘Adult Health and Well-being. This is a The word ‘health’ in the title of the board/ tautology and surely the term ‘well-being’ pre-supposes good health. It troubles us partnership is used in its broadest context. that this is another example of a pathological view being taken of ‘old age’ by tying ‘Health’ is not restricted to describing the it in so closely with health, which in this context is taken to mean the health absence of illness and is used to encompass service. the broader public health agenda and not just health services. The chair of boards should rotate every two years – there is a lack of continuity if The terms of reference for both bodies Appendix 2
chair changes annually. proposes that the chair alternates – the frequency for this will be determined by each body. The Supporting People Commissioning Body should sit under the joint The structure has been amended to reflect commissioning board – it is not a partnership board. this Agendas and minutes for all meetings should be accessible to the public, on the This will be considered by the Adult Health internet, as well as being sent to all board members by post or email according to and Well-being Partnership and Adult Joint individual preference Commissioning Board Detailed proposals for carer involvement including elections were contained within This information will be passed to the Adult one response Health and Well-being Partnership for consideration.
Organisations responding to the consultation
Age Concern Inside Out Stoma Support Group
70 MIND Choices 4 All NHS Harrow Harrow Drug Action Team Aspergers Syndrome Access to Provision Partnership with Older People North West London Hospitals NHS Trust Harrow Carers Harrow Association of Disabled People Harrow Association of Voluntary Services Learning Disability Partnership Board Harrow Crossroads Special meeting of Older People’s Reference Group Harrow Independent Wheelchair Users Rethink Harrow Relate London NW Harrow Drug and Alcohol Service, CNWL Foundation NHS Trust Individual Carers Physical and Sensory Services Team, Harrow Council Harrow LINk Harrow Assertive Outreach Team, CNWL Foundation NHS Trust Harrow Samaritans
Appendix 3 Revised Structure for Partnership Governance of Adult Health and Social Care in Harrow
Harrow Strategic Partnership Harrow Council NHS Harrow & Assembly Executive Executive
Harrow Chief Executives’ Local Safeguarding Group Adults Board
71 Adult Health and Well-being Adult Joint Commissioning Partnership Board Reference Groups Delivery Groups e.g. Older People’s • Carers’ Partnership Board Reference Group • Mental Health Partnership Board • Obesity and Physical Activity Partnership Delivery Groups Board • Supporting People • Learning Disability Partnership Board Commissioning Body • • Older Peoples Partnership Board Quality Monitoring Group • • Physical Disability Partnership Board Joint Commissioning Group • Sexual Health Partnership Board • Tobacco and Alcohol Partnership Board • Domestic Violence Steering Group
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72 Appendix 4 Adult Health and Well-Being Partnership
TERMS OF REFERENCE
1. Purpose
The Adult Health and Well-Being Partnership will coordinate the delivery of the health and wellbeing priorities of the Harrow Strategic Partnership identified in the Sustainable Communities Strategy and Local Area Agreement with the aims of: • Improving well-being and quality of life for vulnerable people in Harrow. • Improving health outcomes in adults • Reducing health inequalities for adults • Developing social care for adults • Ensuring independent and supported living
2. Status
The Adult Health and Well-Being Partnership is a subgroup of the Harrow Strategic Partnership. The Partnership will work within the schemes of delegations and the accountability arrangements of the Council and NHS.
3. Membership
Chair: Director of Public Health
Members:
Organisation Position Harrow Council Portfolio Holder for Adults and Housing Services Harrow Council Corporate Director of Adults and Housing Services Harrow Council Director of Community and Cultural Services Harrow Council Divisional Director of Adult Community Care Harrow Council Divisional Director of Commissioning & Partnerships NHS Harrow Chief Executive NHS Harrow Director of Public Health NHS Harrow Director of Quality and Governance North West London Chief Executive Hospitals NHS Trust CNWL Foundation Chief Executive NHS Trust Metropolitan Police Borough Commander London Fire Brigade Borough Commander Harrow Association of Chief Executive Voluntary Services Harrow Carers Chief Executive Harrow Association of Chief Executive Disabled People MIND Chief Executive MENCAP Chief Executive Age Concern Chief Executive
73
Older Peoples Nominated representative Reference Group Carers Forum Nominated representatives – to be confirmed Service User Nominated representatives – to be confirmed
Note
Organisations will be permitted to send a duly authorised representative if the ordinary member (eg a Director) is unable to attend a meeting.
4. Quorum
50% + 1
5. Frequency of Meetings
Meetings will take place 4 times per year.
6. Terms of Reference
a) Ensure an effective understanding of local need exists, gleaned through mechanisms such as the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment b) Help to join up consultation activity c) Oversee development and implementation of a health inequalities and wellbeing strategy d) Ensure appropriate objectives and priorities are being set and delivered through key partnership mechanisms such as the Sustainable Community Strategy and Local Area Agreement e) Oversee implementation of a rolling program of work around adult health and social care designed to meet key objectives f) Help develop the joint commissioning of work and building of capacity within the voluntary and community sector to deliver services g) Review outcomes of external inspections and monitor related improvement activity h) Maintain an overview of local resources spent on adult health and well-being i) Engage all relevant partners in well-being j) Oversee the work and delivery of groups, such as partnership boards, sitting underneath the Adult Health and Well-Being Partnership k) Feed into an annual report of actions and progress by the Harrow Strategic Partnership
7. Reporting Arrangements
The Adult Health and Well-Being Partnership will report to the Harrow Strategic Partnership Board and Assembly through the Harrow Chief Executives’ Group.
The deliberations of the Adult Health and Well-being Partnership will inform the decisions of the Adult Joint Commissioning Board
74
8. Delivery Groups
The Adult Health and Well-Being Partnership will performance manage the following groups:
Carers’ Partnership Board Mental Health Partnership Board Obesity and Physical Activity Partnership Board Learning Disability Partnership Board Older Peoples Partnership Board Physical Disability Partnership Board Sexual Health Partnership Board Tobacco and Alcohol Partnership Board Domestic Violence Steering Group
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76 Appendix 5
Adult Joint Commissioning Board
TERMS OF REFERENCE
1. Purpose
The Adult Joint Commissioning Board will aim to develop stronger and deeper integration of health and social care and enhance joint working, including the pooling of budgets where appropriate. As regards governance arrangements,
2. Status
The Adult Joint Commissioning Board has no status as a separate entity and will work within the schemes of delegation and the accountability arrangements of the Council and NHS Harrow when it comes to, for example, considering the allocation of resources or making policy commitments.
Its decisions will be informed by the deliberations of the Adult Health and Well-being Partnership.
3. Membership
Chair: To alternate between the Corporate Director of Adult and Housing Services or Chief Executive of NHS Harrow
Members:
Organisation Position Harrow Council Corporate Director of Adults and Housing Services Harrow Council Divisional Director of Adult Community Care Harrow Council Divisional Director of Commissioning & Partnerships NHS Harrow Chief Executive NHS Harrow Director of Public Health NHS Harrow Director of Quality and Governance
4. Quorum
At least one Officer from each organisation must be in attendance at the meeting for a decision to be taken.
77
5. Frequency of Meetings
Meetings will take place 4 times per year.
6. Terms of Reference
a) Provide direction for the development of health and social care services taking into account local needs, national direction and the Harrow Strategic Partnership and Local Area Agreement priorities b) Direct and manage performance to ensure effective delivery against key measures and objectives c) Integrate health and social care services d) Provide oversight of continuing care and jointly funded packages of care e) Direct and manage resources, including the pooling of budgets where appropriate f) Share financial information and agree shared responses to budgetary pressures within partner agencies g) Optimise sources of funding h) Oversee the development and monitoring of current and future section 75 agreements and the establishment of joint posts i) Provide governance for the integrated commissioning of health and social care and develop the annual joint commissioning business plan j) Consider relevant statutory reports and the outcomes of external inspections and commission related improvement activity in response, potentially including major service reviews k) Consult and communicate with partnership boards and reference groups
7. Reporting Arrangements
The Adult Joint Commissioning Board will be accountable to the respective executive decision making structures of the Council and NHS Harrow. The Board will report on the outcome of its deliberations to the Adult Health and Well-being Partnership.
8. Delivery Groups
The Adult Joint Commissioning Board will performance manage the following groups: • Supporting People Commissioning Body • Quality Monitoring Group • Joint Commissioning Group • And other groups as may be required from time to time
78 Agenda Item 11 Pages 79 to 90
Meeting: Cabinet
Date: 18th June 2009
Subject: Revised Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget 2009-10 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2009-10 to 2011-12
Key Decision: (Executive- Yes side only) Responsible Officer: Gwyneth Allen, Divisional Director Housing Services
Portfolio Holder: Councillor Barry Macleod-Cullinane, Portfolio Holder for Adults & Housing
Exempt: No
Enclosures: Appendix 1 – Budget 2009-10 to 2011-12 Appendix 2 – Average Rents & Service Charges Appendix 3 – Amended Determination and Impact on Negative Subsidy
SECTION 1 – SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This report sets out the revisions to the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget for 2009-10 and the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2009-10 to 2011-12 approved by Council on 19th February 2009. Government announced in principal, reduction in rental increases for 2009-10 on 9th March 2009.
RECOMMENDATIONS: That 1) Council be requested to approve the Housing Revenue Account (Appendix 1) for 2009-10 and to agree to the revised average rent increase of 3% effective from 6th April 2009 2) The revised Medium Term Budget Strategy for the HRA at appendix 1 be approved.
REASON: To publish the revised Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget and rents for 2009-10, in line with Government policy for rent setting.
79
SECTION 2 – REPORT
Background
1. On 19th February 2009, Council approved the Medium Term Financial Budget Strategy for the HRA for 2009-10 to 2011-12.
2. In line with Government policy, which requires local authority rents to come into line with other social rents over time, an average rent increase of 6.15% was approved (5.66% in 2008-09). The rental increase proposed was calculated in accordance with government guidance and the increase is related to Retail Price Index (RPI) as at 30th September 2008. The index was 5% at that date. This resulted in an average rent charge of £86.57 per week per tenancy (£81.55 in 2008-09) representing an average rent increase of £5.02 (£4.37 in 2008-09). This would achieve rent convergence for 84% of Council dwellings by 2015/2016.
3. On 27th February 2009 all tenants were formally notified of the rental increase for 2009-10 approved by Council and effective form 6th April 2009.
4. On the 6th March 2009, the Housing Minister Margaret Beckett announced proposals to halve the increase in the national average guideline rent increase for local authority tenants.
5. The original average increase in guideline rent was published on 18th December 2008 in the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy Determination 2009-10 and was 6.2%
6. The proposed new national average guideline rent increase for 2009-10 is 3.1%
7. Communities and Local Government (CLG) issued a draft Housing Revenue Account Determination 2009-10, Amending Determination 2009, for consultation on 26 March 2009, with a deadline for responses by 24th April 2009.
8. The final version of the Amending Determination was published on 20th May 2009. This confirms what was in the draft revised offer accepted by Harrow Council.
9. Tenants will be consulted at a special Tenants’ and Leaseholders’ Consultative Forum arranged for 29th June 2009, when the housing capital programme will also be part of the agenda. Any comments made at this meeting in relation to rental reduction will be accommodated in the final report to Council on 9th July 2009. The housing capital programme will be subject of a report to Cabinet in July 2009.
Income
Dwelling Rent
10. Councils that accept the reduction in rent achieved by reducing their actual rent increases will be compensated on the following basis:
If the Councils 2009-10 average actual rent increase is less than or equal to the lower of; - 3.1% of the authority’s average guideline rent in 2008-09 or - 3.1% of the authority’s actual average rent in 2008-09
PD -final FinalV4 27 5 2009 80 2
The CLG would give each participating council an increase in subsidy that a change to the national average guideline rent increase of 3.1% would result in for that council.
Councils have to substitute the national guideline rent increases with their own percentage guideline increases. This is explained in Appendix 3- Impact on Negative Subsidy.
11. The revised rent increase that results from the change in Government policy means an average rent increase of 3% for 2009-10 (previously 6.15% for 2009-10 and 5.66% in 2008-09). This means an average rent charge of £84.00 per week per tenant (previously £86.57 for 2009-10 and £81.55 in 2008-09) representing an average rent increase of £2.45 (previously £5.02 for 2009-10 and £4.37 in 2008- 09). Details of average rents are shown in Appendix 3. This will achieve rent convergence for 63% of Council dwellings by 2015/16. In the February 2009 Cabinet report this was 84%. The reason for the decrease in numbers is that the target rent has remained unchanged in the amended determination and the reduced rent increase has widened the gap for convergence of the actual and target rents.
12. Subject to Council approval, it is intended that adjustments to take into account rent reduction with effect from 6th April 2009 will be implemented from 31st August 2009. This timetable will allow for the statutory 28 day notice of the change following Council’s decision.
13. In addition to the cost to the HRA of negative subsidy amounting to £10,705 it is estimated that there are further costs amounting to £7,740 associated with implementing the rental reduction. There are also costs to the general fund for review of housing benefit entitlement estimated at £9,940.
Service Charge – Tenant
14. The amending determination refers to rents only and therefore service charges remain unchanged.
Expenditure
HRA subsidy
15. Appendix 3 shows the subsidy calculation based on the original determination issued in December 2008 on which the approved HRA budget was based. Appendix 3 provides comparison with the revised determination based on the lower rent increase of 3%.
16. The sum payable to CLG for 2009-10 will be reduced by £661,029 as a result of the reduction in the guideline rent from £87.55 to £85.01 reflecting the lower guideline rent increase of 2.97% (previously 6.07%).
17. 3.1% represents the national average guideline rent increase. Each authority will be required to apply their individual guideline rent increase, which for Harrow is 2.97%.
18. CLG have stated that they will consult in the summer on the issue of “Rent Caps and Limits” alongside their proposals for guideline rent increases for 2010-11. The
PD -final FinalV4 27 5 2009 81 3 purpose is to ensure that those councils who qualify for “caps and limits” payments in respect of rents set in 2009-10 are not disadvantaged in 2010-11 by taking up the amended determination offer.
Balances
19. The previously agreed Medium Term Financial Strategy, anticipated reducing annual in year deficits in the three years to 2011-12 and anticipated a balance carried forward on 31st March 2012 of £2.577m, a reduction from £5.070m at 31st March 2009.
20. In 2009/10 the overall impact of the reduction in rents and negative subsidy payable is an additional cost to the HRA of £10,705. This is reflected in the increased in year deficit in Appendix 1.
21. Revised lower guideline rent in 2009/10 will lead to reduction in deficits by £36,710 in 2010/2011 and £123,390 in 2011/2012 as compared to budgets agreed at February 2009 cabinet.
22. The impact of the revision to rents and HRA subsidy anticipates HRA balances at 31st March 2012 of £2,726m.
Summary
23. The revised HRA strategy remains broadly consistent with the 30 year business plan. The business plan will be reviewed to reflect stock reductions and increases in capital investment when cabinet has approved those recommendations.
24. The revised budget estimates annual in year deficits over the three year period to 2011-12, will result in a reduction of balances carried forward to £2.734m (February 2009 Cabinet, £2,883m) when compared with the business plan balances of £5.460m anticipated at the end of 2011-12.
25. The impact of the lower level of balances will further shorten the period during which the Council has a viable HRA. If income and expenditure assumptions remain in line with the business plan, in year 7 [2013-2014] the balances will fall below the recommended level of £0.75m. By this point, the Council will have considered the options in relation to its future as a landlord.
Legal Issues
In accordance with the section 103 of the Housing Act 1985 the Council as landlord is required to give at least 4 weeks notice to its tenant of any variation to the rent.
In addition under the Council is required by the provisions of Schedule VI the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 to maintain the Housing Revenue Account.
Equalities Impact
The reduction of rent levels will benefit those tenants on low incomes bringing an equality benefit. The change will be applied to all tenants.
Performance Issues
PD -final FinalV4 27 5 2009 82 4 It is unlikely that there will be any reduction in the rental collected as a result of the rental reduction outlined in this report.
Rent Collection performance indicators Actual Target 2008/09 2009/10 Proportion of rent collected (ex BVPI 66a) 96.17% 98% % tenants with more than 7 weeks arrears (ex BVPI 66b) 7.09% 7% % tenants in arrears served with NOSP for arrears (ex 27.11% 20% BVPI 66c) % tenants evicted for rent arrears (ex BVPI 66d) 0.24% 0.24%
Environmental Impact
There is no environmental implication related to this report
Risk Management Implications
When the rental reduction proposals were announced by Central Government on 9th March 2009 confirmation of Harrow Council’s intention to reduce the rental increase effected on 6th April 2009 were given to Harrow Federation of Tenants Associations. Full detail of the announcement was included on the Harrow Council Website. Tenants are therefore expecting a reduction in rental due in the current financial year.
A plan to effect the reduction is being developed which takes into account the way in which the refund will be calculated and put through each tenant’s rental account. Rental cannot be backdated as this would invalidate all processes in relation to chasing of debt that have taken pace between 6th April 2009 and the date on which the refund is transacted. The ways in which sums of housing benefit that need to be repaid are calculated are being worked through.
The key risk is in the implementation of the reduction and the staff time that will be absorbed by this task. The reduction process is considerably more complex than the rental increase notification that was transacted on 6th April 2009.
Section 3 - Statutory Officer Clearance
on behalf of the Name: Jennifer Hydari √ Chief Financial Officer
Date: 22 May 2009 .
on behalf of the Name: Jessica Farmer √ Monitoring Officer
Date: 26 May 2009
PD -final FinalV4 27 5 2009 83 5 Section 4 – Performance Officer Clearance
on behalf of the* Name: Tom Whiting √ Divisional Director (Strategy and Improvement) Date: 26 May 2009
Section 5 – Environmental Impact Officer Clearance
Name: John Edwards √ Divisional Director (Environmental Services) Date: 27 May 2009
Section 6 - Contact Details and Background Papers Contact: Donna Edwards Adults & Housing Finance Manager Telephone: 020-8424-1140
Background Papers:
• 30 year HRA Business Plan • Report to Cabinet in December on the Medium Term Financial Strategy
PD -final FinalV4 27 5 2009 84 6 Appendix 1 Housing Revenue Account 2009-10 to 2011-12
Budget Budget Budget Comments 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12
Expenditure Employee Costs 1,928,850 1,918,280 1,958,590 Pay inflation assumed as 2%
Supplies & Services 444,830 464,830 444,830 Increase 2010-11 represents bi-annual tenant survey Utility cost (Water & 626,250 645,040 664,390 Inflation assumed at 16.7% Gas) 09-10 and 3% annually thereafter Estate & Sheltered 1,956,980 1,988,600 2,020,950 Services
Central Recharges 1,971,700 2,020,990 2,071,530 Inflation assumed at 2.5%
Operating 6,928,610 7,037,740 7,160,290 Expenditure
Contingency - general 200,000 200,000 200,000 Provision for unforeseen expenditure Charges for Capital 6,917,220 7,104,390 6,971,940 Includes £123k HARP costs, CRI @ 5.45%, interest on balances @ average 2.1% Contribution to 4,800,680 4,800,680 4,800,680 Repairs Account
RCCO 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,000 Annual contribution
Bad or Doubtful Debts 250,000 250,000 250,000
HRA Subsidy 6,213,840 6,700,760 7,374,530 Based on amended final determination issued by CLG [payment redistributed to other parts of the country]
Total Expenditure 26,310,350 27,093,570 27,757,440
Income Rent Income – -21,999,830 -23,168,180 -24,351,790 Average revised increase Dwellings 2009-10, 3% in line with Government rent model
Rent Income – Non -869,840 -882,010 -894,490 Average increase of 2.5% for Dwellings garages. Commercial premises reflect lease agreements Service Charges - -1,150,430 -1,184,940 -1,220,490 Average increase 2009-10 Tenants 5.5% in line with Government rent model
85 1
Budget Budget Budget Comments 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12
Service Charges - -424,350 -424,350 -424,350 Average rent increase 2009- Leaseholders 10 10.6% reflecting leaseholder costs to be recovered Facility Charges -487,480 -499,490 -511,490 (Water & Gas) Interest -17,000 -17,000 -17,000
Other Income -8,010 -8,010 -8,010
Transfer from General -83,000 -83,000 -83,000 Amenities shared by Council Fund and non- Council residents.
Total Income -25,039,940 -26,266,980 -27,510,620
In Year Deficit / (Surplus) 1,270,410 826,590 246,820
BALANCE carried -3,799,870 -2,973,280 -2,726,460 forward
BALANCE Business -4,764,000 -5,319,000 -5,460,000 Plan
86 2 Appendix 2 Average Rents & Service Charges
Current Total of Proposed Total of Proposed Proposed Proposed Current Average Rent & Average Rent & Average Average No of No of Revised Property Type Average Rent Service Service Service Service Rent Service Charge Beds Properties Average Rent 2008-09 Charge Charge Charge 2009- Charge Increase Increase 2009- 2009-10 2008-09 2008-09 10 2009-10 2009-10 10
£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
Bedsit flat 0 102 62.54 2.95 65.48 64.36 3.11 67.47 1.82 0.16
87 Flat 1 1,246 70.06 3.11 73.17 72.14 3.28 75.42 2.07 0.17
Flat 2 827 77.02 3.33 80.34 79.54 3.51 83.05 2.52 0.18
Flat 3 45 80.87 3.50 84.37 83.91 3.69 87.60 3.04 0.19
Bedsit Bungalows 0 21 75.07 3.05 78.11 77.13 3.21 80.35 2.07 0.17
Bungalow 1 116 83.64 3.29 86.93 85.93 3.47 89.40 2.29 0.18
Bungalow 2 25 98.31 3.37 101.68 100.71 3.55 104.26 2.40 0.19
Non-Parlour Bungalows 2 1 95.72 3.37 99.09 97.82 3.55 101.37 2.10 0.19
Non-Parlour Bungalows 3 1 124.90 0.00 124.90 127.53 0.00 127.53 2.63 0.00
Non-Parlour Bungalows 7 1 164.37 3.79 168.16 166.49 4.00 170.49 2.12 0.21
Maisonette 1 6 69.05 3.37 72.42 70.97 3.55 74.52 1.92 0.19
Maisonette 2 96 76.80 3.37 80.17 79.26 3.56 82.82 2.46 0.19
Maisonette 3 61 81.00 3.58 84.58 84.06 3.78 87.84 3.06 0.20
Maisonette 4 1 89.04 0.00 89.04 93.08 0.00 93.08 4.04 0.00 3 Proposed Current Total of Proposed Total of Proposed Proposed Average Current Average Rent & Average Rent & Average Revised Service Average Rent Service Service Service Service Rent Average Charge 2008-09 Charge Charge Charge 2009- Charge Increase No of No of Rent 2009-10 Increase 2008-09 2008-09 10 2009-10 2009-10 Property Type Beds Properties 2009-10
£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
Non-Parlour House 1 1 48.16 3.37 51.53 49.69 3.55 53.24 1.53 0.19
Non-Parlour House 2 526 88.74 3.52 92.26 91.24 3.71 94.95 2.50 0.19
Non-Parlour House 3 752 95.02 3.70 98.72 97.91 3.90 101.81 2.89 0.20
Non-Parlour House 4 28 105.93 3.49 109.42 109.13 3.68 112.80 3.20 0.19 88 Non-Parlour House 5 3 112.74 3.79 116.53 116.11 4.00 120.11 3.37 0.21
Parlour House 2 35 92.31 2.43 94.74 94.85 2.56 97.42 2.54 0.13
Parlour House 3 551 100.81 2.92 103.73 103.69 3.08 106.77 2.89 0.16
Parlour House 4 58 109.41 3.32 112.73 112.52 3.51 116.03 3.11 0.18
Parlour House 5 6 117.69 3.44 121.12 120.95 3.63 124.57 3.26 0.19
Parlour House 6 2 129.81 2.73 132.54 133.37 2.89 136.26 3.57 0.15
Sheltered 0 547 67.51 11.26 78.77 69.51 11.88 81.39 2.00 0.62
Sheltered other 1 9 80.93 11.56 92.48 84.00 12.19 96.19 3.07 0.64 5067
4 Appendix 3 Amended Determination : Impact on Negative Subsidy Based on Harrow Council's guideline rent
Increase No of per week Properties per from £ Increase % £ determination 2008/09 Impact on Subsidy due to reduction in Guideline Rent Original Determination 2009/10 ( December 2008) Final Determination 2008/09 82.56
Original Determination 2009/10 (December 2008) 87.57 6.07% 23,073,294 5,067 £5.01 Less: Void Allowance 2% 461,466 Total Guideline Rent Included in Subsidy 22,611,828
Revised Determination 2009/10 (April 2009) Final Determination 2008/09 82.56
Revised Determination 2009/10 (Reduction of: 6.07-3.1=2.97) 85.01 2.97% 22,398,775 5,067 £2.45 Less: Void Allowance 2% 447,975 Revised Guideline Rent for 2009/10 21,950,799
Reduction in Negative Subsidy 661,029
Actual Rental Income Projection Actual Average Rent 1.04.08 81.55
2009/10 Rent per rent setting in Feb 09 Actual Average Rent 1.04.09 86.57 6.15% 22,823,315 5,070 Less: Void level of 0.7% 151,752 Budget Approved on 19th February 2009 22,671,563
Proposed Change according to Revised Determination (April 2009)
Actual Average Rent 1.04.08 81.55
2009/10 Rent per rent setting in Apr 09 Actual Average Rent 1.04.09 83.97 2.97% 22,138,387 5,070 £2.42
However, since average rent increase is less than £2.45 (guideline rent), CLG allows use of £2.45. 84.00 3.00% 22,145,769 5,070 £2.45 Less: Void level of 0.7% 145,941 21,999,829
Estimated Actual Rent Reduction 671,734
Impact (loss) on HRA budget set in February 2009 10,705
NB: There is difference of 3 units between dwelling stock for subsidy purposes and rental income calculation. The council has 5 dwellings which are classed as Houses in Multiple Occupation (where facilities are shared). For subsidy purposes these are classified 2 whole equivalent dwellings.
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90 Agenda Item 12 Pages 91 to 104
Meeting: Cabinet
Date: 18 June 2009
Subject: Building Schools for the Future
Key Decision: Yes
Responsible Officer: Heather Clements, Director Schools and Children’s Development
Portfolio Holder: Cllr Anjana Patel, Portfolio Holder, Schools and Children’s Development
Exempt: No
Enclosures: Annexe A: BSF Delivery and Procurement Costs and Funding Annexe B: Proposed Governance Arrangements
Section 1 – Summary and Recommendations
This report provides Cabinet with proposals to secure the funding to support Building Schools for the Future (BSF) in Harrow and an outline governance structure.
Recommendations: Cabinet is requested to:
1. Agree the indicative funding for the BSF Programme in Harrow which will only be required once formal entry into the programme is confirmed.
2. Agree ‘in principle’ the proposed governance structure for the BSF programme.
3. Delegate responsibility to the Leader of the Council and the Portfolio Holder for Schools and Children’s Development, in consultation with the Director of Schools and Children’s Development, to agree the final Readiness to Deliver submission to the Department for Children, Schools 91 and Families in accordance with timescales to be confirmed by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
Reason: (For recommendation) For Cabinet to confirm its commitment to BSF in Harrow and to enable the completion of the Readiness to Deliver submission in line with the Partnerships for Schools and Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Guidance.
Section 2 – Report 2.1 Introduction 2.1.1 BSF is the Government’s secondary school investment programme that aims to transform secondary education by the rebuild or refurbishment of every secondary school. Partnerships for Schools (PfS) is the Government’s BSF delivery organisation.
2.1.2 BSF could bring considerable investment to Harrow (indicative funding of £84m in Wave 1 and £126m in Wave 2), but the council will incur costs to deliver the BSF programme.
2.1.3 At their meeting in April 2009, Cabinet considered a report on Harrow’s approach to BSF. Cabinet confirmed their ‘in principle’ commitment to BSF for Harrow and Harrow’s proposals to meet PfS Readiness to Deliver criteria set out in the report. Cabinet agreed that a further report be received in June 2009 outlining the Council’s Readiness to Deliver together with proposals to secure the funding to support the BSF process for Harrow. This report presents the resource requirements once Harrow has entered the BSF programme.
2.1.4 Harrow Council needs to demonstrate complete commitment and support for its entry to BSF. This includes evidence that the costs and affordability have been considered and there is a clear strategy for the governance of the programme.
2.1.5 This report presents the financial implications for Harrow Council once it has entered the BSF programme, and the proposed governance model. It should be noted that until Harrow Council enters the BSF programme that there will be minimal expenditure.
2.2 Background 2.2.1 Waves 1-6a of the BSF programme have commenced. Harrow is ranked currently 52 out of 70 local authorities who have yet to enter the BSF programme. A Readiness to Deliver document is being completed. This is assessed by PfS and is a gateway into the BSF programme. The timescale for the submission of the Readiness to Deliver document is not yet known. PfS will assess the level of resources committed by the local authority to deliver the BSF programme.
BSF in Harrow 2.2.2 Although BSF is focussed on transforming schools and the learning experience for students, the government also expects it to contribute to 92 local community transformation. BSF has potential to increase facilities and local services for communities on school sites. These facilities will be shaped to the needs of local communities. In Harrow’s context it would contribute to the Corporate Priority to Build Stronger Communities and complement and support the Council’s own Transformation Programme.
2.2.3 Harrow schools already provide extended services and have some community facilities and local services. Through BSF there is potential for a step change in the level of community provision that will contribute positively to Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) ratings. An initial list would include:
• State of the art facilities for local communities for sport, leisure and the arts • Improved access to services at a local level to meet a range of health and social needs including those for adults • Targeted services to meet specific local needs • Improved partnership working within the council, with public sector partners and the private and voluntary sector to meet the needs of children and families • Reduced carbon footprint by providing services closer to people’s homes and reducing distances travelled to existing centres • Increased use of new technology to meet the needs of residents, for example remote access to services through ICT hubs providing video conferencing facilities (Tellytalk).
2.2.4 Through the co-location of services and the development of multi-use spaces on school sites there are potential resource efficiencies. Details are outlined in paragraph 2.3.12.
2.2.5 Detailed options for each school would need to be developed through consultation with local communities and needs analysis across the council and with partners. Place Shaping Directorate’s digital mapping and analysis of the Experian data would underpin the development of proposals and this would ensure that each school would have an individual profile of facilities and services.
2.2.6 Schools are committed to this approach, and there are many examples of local services on school sites that bring clear benefits for the school and the local community. For example, there can be a positive impact on the challenges of engaging with hard to reach families, barriers between home and school can be reduced, and the community has more ownership of the school. The Children’s Trust for Harrow will facilitate further joint planning. The recently agreed changes to the admission arrangements, that give a priority to families living close to schools, will also help to embed schools as being at the heart of their community.
2.2.7 To achieve enhanced community facilities, inward investment will be required from the council, national bodies such as Sport England and public and private partners. These will determine the business case to support inclusion of those facilities in the project.
93
2.3 Harrow’s Readiness to Deliver 2.3.1. The Readiness to Deliver submission is the gateway into the BSF programme. The completion of this document is being undertaken within existing resources. However, once entry into the programme is secured, resources will be required to deliver the BSF programme. The details for the submission are outlined in the following section. The implications to the Council are presented in section 2.4 of this report.
2.3.2. The Readiness to Deliver requires the following information in respect of finance:
i) The authority has considered the affordability of its BSF estate ii) The authority has identified adequate resources to implement the programme
i) Affordability of Harrow’s BSF Estate 2.3.3. The Readiness to Deliver requires the authority to consider the relationship between the indicative funding provided by the DCSF cost calculator and the BSF investment proposals. Based on experience, it is inevitable that the capital cost of the BSF programme aspirations and any community facilities will be greater than the DCSF funding available. The level of this shortfall will depend on the final scheme details, the financing of the schemes through design and build or PFI, the extent of the community facilities incorporated into the schools and the ability of the local authority to join funding streams to address funding gaps.
2.3.4. The Council will work within the available capital funding sources. This will be predominantly the BSF funding. In addition, it is proposed to utilise a proportion of the other DCSF education grant capital funding streams. These are; the indicative DCSF annual grant for School Modernisation, totalling £6.3m per year; and the Schools’ Devolved Formula capital, which is approximately £100k per school per annum.
2.3.5. Schools DCSF devolved formula capital and modernisation grants would be expected to contribute to any funding shortfalls on the school site proposals. We have adopted a holistic site approach to BSF to ensure that all building and site needs are addressed. This includes building condition, facilities etc. In non-BSF schools, building issues would be addressed through the use of DCSF grants. Therefore it is justified that any such funding would contribute to increasing the potential for the BSF investment. Joining up funding streams is also an expectation of the DCSF.
2.3.6. This dialogue with schools will be part of the planning for BSF.
ii) Resources to Implement the Programme 2.3.7. As the default model for the delivery of BSF is a Local Education Partnership (LEP), a budget forecast has been prepared on this model, and assumes:
94 • There will be limited expenditure beyond some legal and possibly financial advice required prior to entry to the programme • Entry to the programme would be November 2009 at the earliest and could be as late April 2010 • From BSF programme entry to LEP operation is estimated to be across 4 financial years.
2.3.8. Officers have collected information from local authorities in BSF on their resource forecasts and sources, and from consultants advising BSF authorities. The table in Annexe A presents the indicative costs from entry to BSF, through procurement and to operational LEP. These are indicative costs and suggest a total of £3.6m revenue and a further £400k from capital. It is proposed to redeploy current resources where possible, including the Harrow Transforming Learning Team (HTLT) and staff from each of the schools. This would cover £1.2m of costs.
School Contributions 2.3.9. The majority of BSF programmes have received a contribution from schools. Usually this is a top slice from the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) agreed by Schools Forum. Given the impact of the change in the age of transfer and the small number of high schools in Wave 1, a top-slice from DSG is not considered appropriate. These proposals include indicative amounts that will need to be secured from the community schools and voluntary aided schools. The following options will be investigated:
• The four schools in Wave 1 will be expected to contribute from the entry into the BSF programme. Annexe A assumes funding totalling £800k over 4 years. This equates to an average of £50k per school per year. • Wave 2 schools will be expected to commit to this same level of contribution when they enter the programme. This funding would become available when the schools entered the programme and would provide a contribution to any ongoing costs of BSF. • All schools in the BSF programme will be required to make an ‘in-kind’ contribution to the process. This might include releasing members of the senior leadership team to input into delivery of BSF. This approach has been established through the Whitmore School project whereby the school agreed to the part time release of a deputy headteacher as school based project manager. This role included design development, engagement with staff, implementation etc and was managed through a reduced teaching timetable commitment. Annexe A assumes funding totalling £408k over 4 years. This equates to an average of £25.5k per school per year.
2.3.10. Assuming the schools agree to the proposed contribution the current estimated funding gap is £2,900k revenue and £400k capital over 4 years and this would be a cost to the Council.
95 On going Costs and Benefits 2.3.11. There will also be on going costs associated with the BSF programme. These are listed below although currently it is too early to quantify exact costs:
• PFI – If there is a PFI scheme within the programme there is likely to be a funding gap. The experience of the current schools PFI is that the school will partly fund the shortfall but the remaining element will be a call on the council’s revenue budget.
• LEP – The majority of the costs of the LEP will be financed by the private sector partner through the capital payments and any on going facilities management arrangements. There will be client management of the LEP, the cost of which was estimated at £100k pa by the local government organisation 4ps (Public Private Partnerships Programme).
• ICT – ICT is an integral part of the BSF programme. Experience of early BSF schemes has highlighted the on going costs of ICT refresh. Schools will be expected to contribute, however there is potentially a funding gap that would have to be met. As part of the preparation for readiness to delivery we are working on the proposals for ICT and part of this work is identifying the expected costs and funding.
2.3.12. These need to be considered in the context of the wider savings that could be achieved across the council and by our partners by joining up the BSF programme with other initiatives to provide local services and co-location. Although these are at early stages of development, some potential benefits are listed as follows: • Reduced need for stand alone facilities for sport, leisure and the arts saving on revenue costs and allowing for disposal of capital assets • Savings across the Harrow Strategic Partnership (HSP) through the co-location of services and multi use spaces allowing improved value for money • Savings achieved through more localised targeted delivery of services for example, weekly housing surgeries to deal with issues in a specific area rather than several separate visits • Distributive services model would reduce the need for centralised services • By exploiting co-location and new technology, savings could be achieved in revenue costs and disposal of capital assets
Governance 2.3.13. PfS expect that BSF has a high profile in the Council and propose a governance structure that includes the Chief Executive. A proposed governance structure is at Annexe B, indicating membership and meeting frequency with direct workstreams and associated workstreams.
2.3.14. The proposal aligns with the PfS guidance and is developed from the successful model for school reorganisation which includes: a
96 Stakeholder Reference Group (SRG), chaired by the Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services with members including the Portfolio Holder for Schools and Children’s Development, school representatives and unions: the School Organisation Officer Group (SOOG), a cross council officer group, chaired by the Director of Schools and Children’s Development: and the project team Harrow Transforming Learning Team (HTLT).
2.3.15. Terms of Reference for the proposals will need to be drafted. The remit of the SRG, as agreed by Cabinet in October 2007, will need to be reviewed so the membership is increased and the remit broadened to oversee the implementation of school reorganisation and BSF.
2.3.16. The Council is considering how it will organise its Transformation Programme over the coming 3-5 years. It is anticipated that a Council- wide Programme Office, comprised of existing staff, will support and integrate the whole Council Programme. BSF will be part of this programme, located within the Place Shaping stream of activity. This structure will be further refined when BSF is integrated into the Council’s wider Transformation Programme.
2.3.17. An ‘in principle’ agreement is requested to allow for any revisions that may be required for entry to BSF.
2.4 Implications of the Recommendations
Equalities Impact 2.4.1. An Equalities Impact Assessment will be undertaken as part of the development of Harrow’s BSF programme.
Legal Comments 2.4.2. External legal advisers will be appointed to provide expertise in the procurement of the BSF procurement including a possible Local Education Partnership and other areas as required.
Financial Implications 2.4.3. The BSF programme is expected to bring in £210m of capital resources to the Council. However, as detailed in the report, it also requires a substantial financial commitment from both schools and the Council. The current estimated procurement cost is £4.9m, currently split between revenue of £4,413k and capital of £480k. This includes a substantial contingency of 20% (£815k). The profiling of expenditure across financial years is an estimate based on entry into the BSF programme in November 2009. Full details of the projected costs and income, separated between capital and revenue, are shown in Annexe A and summarised in Table 1 below.
97 Table 1 : Summary of projected procurement costs and potential funding NB. None of this funding will be required or committed until entry to the programme is confirmed
2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 Total £,000 £,000 £,000 £,000 £,000 Project Team Costs 279 384 402 369 1,434 External Advisors 393 824 969 458 2,644 Contingency 125 250 275 165815 Total Estimated Expenditure 797 1458 1,646 992 4,893 Current resources 157 212 230 207 806 Contribution from schools - Cash 100 220 240 240 800 - In kind 102 102 102 102 408 Total Estimated Funding 359 534 572 549 2,014 Current Funding Gap 438 924 1,074 443 2,879
2.4.4. The majority of BSF programmes to date have had a contribution from schools. The forecast detailed in Table 1 assumes a funding contribution from the schools totalling £800k over the 4 years. Schools have not yet formally agreed to this contribution however it is anticipated they will support the scheme, especially as their financial contribution is required for the scheme to progress.
2.4.5. Assuming the schools do contribute there is estimated funding gap of £2.9m spread over the 4 years. If the council wishes to enter into the BSF programme then funding for the shortfall would have to be identified as part of the Medium Term Financial Strategy.
2.4.6. Although the BSF programme attracts a total of £210m capital funding across Wave 1 and Wave 2 the experience of authorities already in the BSF programme has been that this is not enough to fully fund the building costs. Again schools will be expected to contribute their capital resources. Building plans will be developed to be affordable within the funding available however until the details have been finalised the projected shortfall is not quantifiable.
2.4.7. Costs prior to formal entry to the programme will be met from existing resources, and largely consist of officer time in preparing for our Readiness to Deliver and for subsequent preparation for the Remit Meeting. Some minor costs may be incurred in seeking external legal or contractual advice about the best procurement option for Harrow Council, but these would be contained within existing budgets. It is our understanding that once we are invited to attend a Remit Meeting we are in the programme and the funding is secure. We will ensure this is the case, at that time. The risks therefore in terms of investment are small for a potential significant gain to benefit schools and the wider community.
Performance Issues 2.4.8. BSF will have Key Performance Indicators that are linked to national and local priorities, and BSF school specific targets. These will be developed through the process to gain entry into the programme. 98
2.4.9. BSF will contribute to a range of performance indicators, in particular the following from the new National Indicator Set. NI 72 – 109 ‘Enjoy and Achieve’ indicators covering Key Stage achievement and progression, narrowing the gap for lower performing and vulnerable groups, attendance, behaviour, special educational needs.
2.4.10. Whilst Harrow’s performance is currently above national and statistical neighbours averages at all Key Stages, Harrow’s targets, which are set annually for the DCSF, are highly challenging. The table below presents Harrow’s performance against its targets and the national averages.
Harrow's 2007-08 Results
KS1 Actual Target National Reading L2+ 87.0% Not Set 84.0% Writing L2+ 83.0% Not Set 80.0% Maths L2+ 91.0% Not Set 90.0% Science L2+ 88.0% Not Set 89.0% KS2 Actual Target National English L4+ 82.0% 85.0% 81.0% Maths L4+ 79.0% 85.0% 78.0% Science L4+ 87.0% Not Set 88.0% KS3 (Provisional) Actual Target National English L5+ 77.6% 82.0% 73.0% Maths L5+ 79.5% 82.0% 77.0% Science L5+ 74.2% 78.0% 71.0% GCSE Actual Target National % 5+A*-C 69.5% 68.2% 65.3% % 5+A*-C inc E & M 57.7% 58.0% 47.6%
Environmental Impact 2.4.11. As part of the Readiness to Deliver submission, the local authority is required to explain how a 60% reduction in carbon footprint across its school estate will be achieved and how the project meets the DCSF’s Sustainable Schools Strategy. 2.4.12. The BSF programme offers a major opportunity to make a significant reduction in the council’s carbon footprint (NI 185) and help to deliver improvements to NI 186 (per capita CO2 emissions in the local authority area) – an LAA target. 2.4.13. The programme will also help to deliver the council’s Carbon Reduction Commitment, which starts in April 2010.
Risk Management Implications 2.4.14. A risk register for BSF will be developed through the Project Management and Project Initiation Documentation required by Partnerships for Schools. The register will link to the Children’s Services Risk Register.
99
Section 3 - Statutory Officer Clearance
on behalf of the Name: Myfanwy Barrett √ Chief Financial Officer
Date: 26 May 2009
on behalf of the Name: Jessica Farmer √ Monitoring Officer
Date: 8 June 2009
Section 4 – Performance Officer Clearance
on behalf of the Name: David Harrington √ Divisional Director (Strategy and Improvement) Date: 22 May 2009
Section 5 – Environmental Impact Officer Clearance
on behalf of the Name: Andrew Baker √ Divisional Director (Environmental Services) Date: 18 May 2009
Section 6 - Contact Details and Background Papers
Contact: Johanna Morgan, Head of School Organisation Strategy, 020 8736 6841
Background Papers: DCSF Readiness to Deliver Guidance Cabinet Report 23 April 2009 Building Schools for the Future
100 BSF Delivery and Procurement - Breakdown of Costs and Indicative Funding required when Harrow enters the BSFAnnex programme A BSF report Cabinet 18.6.2009
BSF Key Activities Strategy for Change and OBC Procurement and FBCTransition Operational Total 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 onwards Comment/Source Revenue Capital Revenue Capital Revenue Capital Revenue Capital Revenue Capital Expenditure £000's £000's £000's £000's £000's £000's £000's £000's £000's £000's
Project Team Costs HTLT 115 168 188 169 640 0 Office Expenses 10 40 40 40 130 0 Consultation & Communication 10 30 30 20 90 0 Internal Advisors (Legal & Finance) 5 7 5 1 18 0 Education- Achievement & Inclusion 37 37 37 37 148 0 Education - Schools 102 102 102 102 408 0
External Advisers Legal 145 350 400 205 1100 0 Finance 83 204 204 53 544 0 ICT 65 70 65 200 0 Technical e.g. QS, Architects & FM 100 200 100 200 200 400 400 101
Contingency # 125 250 235 40 125 40 735 80 Total – Expenditure 797 0 1458 0 1406 240 752 240 4413 480
Funding
Current Staffing - Children's Services 152 205 225 206 788 0 Current Staffing - Other Council 5 7 5 1 18 0
Proposed Contribution Schools Cash Contribution from Schools 100 220 240 240 800 0 In Kind Contribution from Schools 102 102 102 102 408 0 Total – Funding 359 0 534 0 572 0 549 0 2014 0
FUNDING GAP 438 0 924 0 834 240 203 240 2399 480
* Any contribution from the schools is subject to the school's agreement # A contingency of 20% has been included given the indicative nature of the figures. This page is intentionally left blank
102 Diagram to Illustrate Possible BSF Project Structure Annexe B
Cabinet DJC/CJC/ECF Stakeholder Reference Group LDD and EYRG Chair Portfolio Holder Children's Services, Strategic Project Board and CDG Membership: Chair Chief Executive Councillor Respresentatives, Headteacher Representatives Membership: Corporate Director Children's Services (Project Sponsor) Admissions (Secondary, Special, Middle, First and Combined Schools), Project Sponsor Corporate Director Finance, Corporate Director Community and Environment, Forum Governor Representatives (Secondary, Special, Middle, Corporate Director Children's Services Corporate Director Place Shaping, Director of Schools and Children's First and Combined Schools), Diocesan Board, Professional Development (Project Director), Stakeholder Representative, Design Champion Headteacher Associations (UNISON, NUT, GMB), Local Authority Diocesan Board, Portfolio Holder Schools and Children's Development (Quarterly Executives (Director of Schools and Children's Development). (2 Meetings) monthly meetings may increase to monthly during EdCF operational phase) Project Director Director of Schools Schools Forum and Children's Development
Core Project Team HTLT (Weekly meetings)
Corporate Project Team (Monthly/Quarterly meetings)
Associated workstreams
ICT Workstream Site Communication Finance (Internal Educational Community Use Legal BSF Schools Group Place Shaping Development & Consultation and External) Tranformation of Schools (Internal and Development, Workstream Workstream 103 Proposals and Workstream Workstream (Education Workstream External) Procurement Capital Strategy) Workstream and Transition to Workstream Workstream Operation Lead Lead Lead Lead Lead Lead Lead Lead Lead Lead This workstream The workstream An officer group The workstream The workstream The working This workstream Project Representatives To ensure that Human Risk Early Years and Data Pupil SEN Workstream provides the lead leads the site including the lead links with lead incorporates group lead links with management for from the SLT and Place Shaping Resources Management Extended Projections and for the strategic development Council’s Comms corporate finance, BSF into the incorporates Harrow Legal the BSF Govs from Wave Directorate Workstream and Schools Demographics development of plans for Wave 1 Unit, to co- manages the established planning for Services programme. 1 Schools plus informs the Procurement Workstream and KPIs ICT in BSF, and Wave 2 BSF ordinate the external financial School community use, regarding council Develop the the Secondary development of Workstream Workstream providing the Schools, headline consultants and Improvement using geo- democtratic procurement Headteachers BSF proposals interface with including the messages and reports to Schools work undertaken mapping processes, model to deliver Executive rep. and provides links Curriculum and Design consultation Forum as in partnership with techniques to procurement, BSF in Harrow Responsbile for with the wider Lead Lead Lead Lead Lead Administrative/Ma Champion, design regarding BSF required. the schools and idenfity areas of planning and including individual strategic plans for To lead on HR Linking with This workstream The workstream This workstream nagement ICT development and Strategy for Acheivement and under and over education investigating the school's BSF Harrow issues regarding corporate officers lead provides the lead will provide provides the and hardware. output change (Local Inclusion Service. provision. Linking services, and the LEP and transformation BSF. Issues may to secure strategic lead for data services to strategic lead for specifications, Authority and It covers with Community external legal Framework including arise from the provision of Early years and the project the development sustainability, Schools). Curriculum, and Environment consultants in options. To translation of LA procurement advice and extenced schools, including pupil of SEN across all plus other site Teaching & (Leisure, Culture,) these areas. complete the Strategy for route and the guidance on the and links with projections, and schools including issues including Learning, School and Place procurement, and Change to School operation of a Risk Register established KPIs BSF. It links with surveys, AMP Leadership, Shaping etc transition and Strategy for LEP. construction and groups including the Learning and other Management & Directorates. ongoing Change, Wave 1 management, the Early Years Difficulties and technical aspects. Governance, operation. schools' including a risk Reform Group Disability (LDD) change engagement and workshop, and and the Childcare Advisory Group. management and delivery of their support for the Development workforce strategy for procurement Group that report development, and change. process. to the Integrated KPIs and targets. Early Years and Childcare Partnership.
Possible BSF Structures This page is intentionally left blank
104 Agenda Item 13 Pages 105 to 136
Meeting: CABINET
Date: Thursday, 18 June 2009
Subject: Place Shaping Directorate – Prospectus 2009/10
Key Decision: No
Responsible Officer: Andrew Trehern, Corporate Director Place Shaping
Portfolio Holder: Councillor David Ashton, Leader of the Council Councillor Marilyn Ashton, Portfolio Holder Planning Development & Enterprise Councillor Tony Ferrari, Portfolio Holder Major Contracts and Property
Exempt: No
Enclosures: Appendix 1 – Place Shaping Prospectus
Section 1 – Summary and Recommendations
This report sets out the initial prospectus for the new Place Shaping Directorate.
Recommendation:
That the Place Shaping Directorate prospectus 2009/10 be endorsed.
Reason: (For recommendation)
The Place Shaping Strategic prospectus has been compiled to provide an overview of the drivers for, and the Council’s response to, the Place Shaping Agenda.
The Community Strategy sets out the LAA vision for the future of Harrow. Place Shaping activities have a key role in shaping that future. This document is intended to provide a platform for future discussion and in particular coordination of activities across both the public and private sectors, which will ensure that Harrow remains a great place to live, to work in, to learn in, do business in and to visit.
105 Page 1 of 7
Section 2 – Report
Background
The Community Strategy was adopted in April 2009 around six themes;-
• Economic Development in Harrow • Every Harrow Child • Health, Well being and Independence • Improving Harrow’s Environment • Harrow’s Culture, Communities and Identity • The Future of Public Services and Democracy in Harrow
Harrow Council, as a key partner responsible for delivering the Community Strategy has created the Place Shaping Directorate. The Directorate has been formed around the Council’s Planning Service and Corporate Estate Division, to help achieve a broad range of ambitious objectives over the short, medium and long terms that reflect key aspirations and ambitions of the Harrow Strategic Partnership, as set out in the community strategy.
The core services to be provided by the Directorate include Development Management, Building Control, Local Development Framework, Design and Conservation, Economic Development, Research, and Corporate Estate.
Additionally, Place Shaping is charged with establishing the coordination and collaboration necessary to ensure that development in Harrow, in particular development of social and economic infrastructure is delivered in an appropriate holistic way.
This prospectus provides the outline direction for the Directorate’s service plans, and will form part of a suite of documents that will comprise the service plan. The Local Development Framework Core Strategy, to be prepared by the Place shaping Directorate, will provide the long term spatial vision and an implementation plan for the borough, to support delivery of the community strategy.
What is Place Shaping?
Place Shaping has been defined by the Government as, “the creative use of powers and influence to promote the general well being of a community and its citizens”.
Place Shaping is therefore the responsibility of the local Council, as strategic leader and place shaper, but also all local partners in the public, voluntary and business sectors. It is about creating attractive, prosperous, vibrant, safe and strong communities, where people want to live, work, learn, do business in and visit.
Place Shaping Activities
Harrow enjoys an enviable reputation for good quality housing, excellent schools and a range of high quality open spaces, a historic environment, and an attractive and well established suburban character, with excellent public transport links. We are also one of the safest Boroughs in London.
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However our Town Centre in particular is facing ever increasing competition, and needs to attract much needed investment to avoid the threat of decline. Other local and district centres also need to improve, and develop new roles, if they are to remain the hub of neighbourhoods and communities. Additionally, there is a critical requirement to provide much needed new housing and to ensure that the Borough’s social infrastructure is developed to provide sufficient capacity to meet our residents’ needs and expectations in the future.
The prospectus provides an overview of the way in which the Directorate’s capabilities and legislative responsibilities will be aligned to deliver key parts of the Council and community aspirations for the Borough as set out in the community strategy.
The Flagship Actions and Corporate Priorities are already translated into a series of projects that are being led by Place Shaping in 2009/10. These are focused on planning for the much needed development of our Town Centre and district shopping centres to secure their vitality and viability over the long term, whilst other projects are intended to protect and enhance the pleasant suburban character of many of our residential streets.
Capabilities
The Place Shaping Directorate contains the Council’s statutory functions in respect of the following:
Development Management Enforcement Spatial Planning Regeneration Infrastructure funding (via S106) Building Regulations Economic Development Business support via Business Connect Property and Estate Management
These functions are delivered by way of a team of specialist and support staff encompassing professions including:
Transportation Chartered Surveyors Engineers in Building control Chartered town Planners Architects Arboriculturalists Building Conservation specialists Landscape Architects
Of the six key themes in the Community Strategy, the capabilities and statutory responsibilities of the Place Shaping Directorate mean that it is ideally placed to take a leading role in the delivery of the Economic Development theme and to work with the Environment Services Department to ensure coordinated delivery of Improving Harrow’s Environment theme. Additionally Place Shaping will play a complementary role to other departments on the remaining four themes; Every Harrow Child, Health Wellbeing and Independence, Culture, Communities and Identity and the future of public services and democracy
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The Directorate has already, through the development of a suite of strategic objectives within the core strategy, outlined how it will support the community strategy vision by:
• Ensure development meets the needs of all residents and businesses, without compromising the well-being of future generations.
• Locate development where it will enable local residents to access jobs and key services in a sustainable manner.
• Promote community safety in the design of new developments.
• Ensure all residents have a choice of good quality and affordable housing and in particular larger affordable family housing.
• Promote walking and cycling and access to reliable public transport.
• Ensure the greenbelt, parks and open spaces are accessible to all.
• Ensure new developments are of a high quality design and enhance the built and public realm (particularly in and around Harrow Town Centre).
• Ensure global sustainability initiatives are integrated into all developments.
Development of the Council’s property assets, to ensure that facilities are available in the right place, to meet future customer and service requirements, is another fundamental element of Place Shaping role.
However, development of the Council’s property assets will increasingly be undertaken in partnership with other public sector agencies, in particular the PCT and the Police. Asset development will be undertaken to ensure that community and social assets are provided to meet local customer needs and expectations, thereby helping to improve the sustainability of these local communities, whilst delivering substantial efficiency, cost and quality gains, from joined up public services.
Key to the above objective will be the Building Schools for the Future Programme, development of the Primary Care Trust’s Health Centres and the development of a new Civic Centre.
The Harrow Strategic Partnership will be critical to the delivery and realisation of our ambitious plans for Harrow. The creation of the Place Shaping Directorate is part of Harrow Councils response to the delivery of the community strategy and the realisation of all partners’ vision for the future of the borough. The Directorate’s management team will be responsible not only for defined flagship projects on behalf of Harrow Council (listed below) but also the management of the resources of the directorate to optimise the delivery capability of the Council and its partners and to ensure that members are able properly to participate in the evolution of projects and strategies, such as the LDF, to effect delivery.
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Options Considered
Projects delivered to date and those that will be delivered in the future have all included an options appraisal work stream.
The Flagship Actions and Corporate Priorities for 2009/10 have been developed utilising a high level options process.
• Flagship Actions Publish a Town Centre Design Guide to help secure the inward investment required to enhance the range of facilities within our Town Centre and improve the quality of development
• Prepare a Planning brief for the Stanmore District Centre car park to help secure the long term vitality of this important district centre
• Adopt a House Conversions supplementary planning document to help retain the suburban character and charm of Harrow’s residential streets
Corporate Priority Projects
• Progress the Local Development Framework, Core Strategy and related planning documents
• Publish Wealdstone District Centre Planning Brief to help secure development of this district centre such that the much needed regeneration activity can be encouraged
• Coordinated the Council’s and Partner’s response to the economic down turn to support our resident and business communities
• Support the West House Trust to open the refurbished building for community use.
• Begin planning fro the relocation for the Civic Centre with partners, to promote further integration of service delivery for our community
• Assuming approval by the Learning Skills Councils, continue to work with Harrow College to facilitate delivery of the new campus.
Financial Implications
There are no direct financial implications arising from this report.
Performance Issues
Key performance measures relevant to the Place Shaping agenda include:-
NI154 – Net Additional Homes Provided – to ensure delivery of approximately 5,000 new homes over the next ten years, to exceed the allocated target. NI157 – Processing of Planning Applications – to retain upper quartile performance NI170 – Previously Developed Land that has been Vacant or Derelict for more than five years – continuing the approach to date such that development on Greenfield sites is minimised NI197 – Improved Local Biodiversity (LAA) – to achieve objectives set out within the BAP 109 Page 5 of 7
NI146 – Adults with Learning Difficulties in Employment (LAA) – 36 residents were supported in 2009. Target for 2009/10 to be agreed with GOL NI152 – Working Age People on out of Work Benefit (LAA) – achieve 1% reduction is a target which has been agreed previously. The economic difficulties will result in this target being missed. Discussions with GOL will determine revised target and focus for activities.
Environmental Impact
Place Shaping will drive the future sustainable development of the Borough, and the maintenance and enhancement of cohesive communities, and will set the pattern for development in Harrow over the next 20-30 years.
The developments which will be delivered through the Place Shaping Programme will enable substantial improvements in sustainability and environmental performance which would otherwise not be realised.
Risk Management Implications
Projects delivered to date and those that will be delivered in the future have all included a risk management appraisal and monitoring work stream.
There are no additional work risks which would be created as a result of the adoption of this strategic framework. In fact the more structured approach to be used to enable delivery of the major developments programme will significantly improve the effectiveness of the risk management process.
Section 3 - Statutory Officer Clearance
Name: Steve Tingle √ on behalf of the Chief Financial Officer Date: 8 June 2009
on behalf of the Name: Jessica Farmer √ Monitoring Officer
Date: 8 June 2009
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Section 4 – Performance Officer Clearance
on behalf of the Name: Liz Defries √ Divisional Director (Partnership Development Date: 8 June 2009 & Performance)
Section 5 – Environmental Impact Officer Clearance
on behalf of the Name: Andrew Baker √ Divisional Director (Environmental Services) Date: 8 June 2009
Section 6 - Contact Details and Background Papers
Contact:
Andrew Trehern, Corporate Director Place Shaping Email: [email protected] Tel: 0208 424 1590
Background Papers: None
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112 Place Shaping Directorate Prospectus 2009/10
113 Page 1 of 23 Foreword
It gives us great pleasure to introduce the first prospectus for the Council’s new Place Shaping Directorate.
The Place Shaping Directorate has been formed partly in response to the difficult economic context in which all businesses are now required to work, but primarily to ensure that the Council is well positioned to attract the much needed inward investment required to secure Harrow’s future prosperity.
The Council will do everything that it can, working with our key partners, to use our combined influence to attract substantial resources from both the public and private sectors. The Local Development Framework Core Strategy will provide the blue print for the long term spatial development of our Borough. However, during the current year we will prepare a new design guide for our Town Centre and planning briefs for both Wealdstone and Stanmore district centres. The purpose of these documents will be to demonstrate to investors that Harrow is not only keen, but is also well prepared to work in partnership to revitalise these key commercial areas.
Place Shaping activity will also ensure the very best coordination possible across all projects, so that investment in the facilities, which will be developed to meet the needs of local residents, is undertaken in the most efficient way possible and crucially in full consultation with our community. It is our ambition to ensure that wherever possible the Council, Primary Care Trust, Police and community services, are co-located at appropriate sites for the convenience of our residents.
Sustainability, value for money, innovative design and customer service, will be at the heart of all Place Shaping projects in the future. Much has already been achieved, including plans which are well advanced for the development for sixth form and high school facilities, and also for the establishment of modern and accessible health centres. The challenge for us now is to ensure that the new proposals, which will create much needed additional housing, new retail outlets and space for our small businesses to flourish, can be taken forward. Whilst celebrating everything that is good about Harrow today, our overall goal is to ensure that Harrow remains a great place to live in, to work in, to learn in and to visit in the future.
Councillor David Ashton Councillor Marilyn Ashton Councillor Tony Ferrari Leader of the Council Portfolio Holder Planning, Portfolio Holder Major Development & Enterprise Contracts and Property
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Contents
Section 1: Overview 4
Section 2: The need for Place Shaping 6
Section 3: Proposed Strategic Actions 15
Section 4: How the Prospectus can influence future activity 17
Annex 1: Overview of Recent & Proposed Place Shaping Projects 20
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Section 1: Overview
About this document This document is about understanding the key challenges facing the Borough and translating the vision of the recently adopted 2009 Community Strategy into a programme which will focus on the activities of the newly created Place Shaping Directorate over the coming year.
It has been prepared to show how:
1. A wide range of Place Shaping activities undertaken by the Council and its partners can be harnessed and managed to realise the aspirations and vision for the area as set out in the Community Strategy.
2. The place shaping Directorate will harness its capabilities and responsibilities to play a leading role in the delivery of two of the key themes within the community strategy relating to “Economic Development in Harrow” and “An Improving Environment.”
3. Work with other partners on supporting the delivery of the remaining themes within the community strategy to ensure the activities of the Council and its partners are harnessed and coordinated in a way that successfully achieves the Communities aspirations for the Borough into the future.
Place Shaping activities have an important role to play in influencing life and work in Harrow in coming years. We hope therefore that this document will stimulate further discussion on what can be done to achieve the best outcomes for Harrow’s people.
What is ‘Place Shaping’?
The creative use of powers and influence to promote the general wellbeing of a community and its citizens 1
The idea of Place Shaping is that the main focus of the Council should not simply be on providing services, but on working with other partners to shape the life experiences of Harrow’s people.
Place Shaping is therefore the responsibility of the local council, as strategic leader and place shaper, but also all local partners in the public, voluntary and business sectors. It is about creating attractive, prosperous, vibrant, safe and strong communities, where people want to live, learn, work, do business and visit.
The Place Shaping programme builds upon the definition of regeneration activities from the most recent Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) guidance,
1 The Lyons Enquiry
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which terms regeneration as “a set of activities that reverse economic, social and physical decline”2.
The guidance sets out three priority outcomes:
• Creating sustainable places where people want to live, work, and learn in and where businesses want to invest.
• Improving economic performance
• Improving rates of work and enterprise
2 Department for Communities and Local Government (2008) Transforming places; changing lives: a framework for regeneration
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Section 2: The Need for Place Shaping
Overview
Over the next ten years and beyond, Harrow will experience many changes from population growth, an uncertain economic climate, the need to address the impacts of climate change and the impact of technology innovations. The challenge we all face is to make Harrow an even better place to live, work and enjoy life.
Harrow Borough sits within a city of global importance and will play its role in supporting the Country and the Capital’s strategic aspirations set out in both national and regional policy. Engaging with and supporting the work of the Outer London Commission as well as supporting and responding to the review of the existing and emerging polices in the London Plan and the economic strategy of the Mayor of London must therefore feature alongside delivering the local level services, and changes that residents and businesses require and expect within the borough.
London Context The London Plan has direct implications for the borough. Key policies with relevance for Harrow include: targeting suburban areas for growth in housing and job creation; preserving and enhancing strategic employment locations; protecting employment and industrial land from change of use; encouraging more intensive and mixed use development in Metropolitan and District centres, including Harrow town centre; and balancing public investment between the inner London boroughs and the outer London boroughs.
“Sustaining Success”, the economic strategy of the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency, includes among its ambitions for North West London the linking of areas of deprivation to employment opportunities through skills and qualifications programmes. It mentions the need to maximise the potential benefits from the new Wembley national stadium and the 2012 Olympics among other issues.
The recently announced Outer London Commission aims to provide a direct link between mayoral action and the needs of the outer London boroughs, including Harrow. This programme will work to investigate how policy attention and investment can be rebalanced in favour of outer London. The Commission has recently been formed and Harrow will need to be proactive in engagement with the organisation.
The Impact of the Recession
Meanwhile the extent of the UK recession is expected to be at least as severe as that of the early 1990s, when it took several years for employment to return to pre-recession levels. Recent work3 by the Audit Commission identifies a number of potential impacts including:
3 ‘Crunch Time?’, Audit Commission, 2008.
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• Falling demand for goods and services across the economy, but with some sectors such as retail particularly effected, which may lead to disproportionate impacts in Harrow.
• Rising unemployment.
• Falling values for residential and commercial property, restricting the scope to use higher land values to fund regeneration projects.
• Restricted finance available for investment.
Addressing these impacts will mean that a significant burden is likely to fall on the public sector, with central government and local councils expected to pump finances into projects and offer ways to adapt to worsening economic circumstances. Particular areas of stress are likely to include:
• The need for workers who are made redundant to be re-skilled, rather than up-skilled.
• Educational attainment and access to vocational opportunity and apprenticeships will increase in importance.
• Affordable housing will also be key in retaining a local workforce.
We will be expected to respond to changing circumstances. There are a number of ways in which we are taking this forward:
• Continuing to implement the Borough’s Economic Development Strategy, Enterprising Harrow, to provide leadership in the development and implementation of relevant strategies and plans
• Making best use of our planning powers in straightened circumstances by actively promoting development in Harrow Town Centre, Stanmore and Wealdstone.
• Taking more of an active Leadership role with infrastructure developments.
• Mediating with private developers in securing local area investment.
• Developing stronger partnerships with other public sector providers.
• Using our policies to develop an environment in which businesses can thrive. Ensuring access to support that will enable Harrows businesses to grow and working with partners to ensure residents have the skills to access local and London employment opportunities.
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The Community Strategy
The Council’s Sustainable Community Strategy (March 2009) responds to many of these existing and emerging challenges and, with its partners, outlines how Harrow Council will seek to deliver short and longer term activities in a way that helps the area progress towards the a vision for Harrow. It starts with a vision statement that describes the sort of place the borough will aim to be by 2020, covering a range of issues and how these will be addressed, stating that Harrow in 2020 will be recognised for:
The Strategy identifies six themes:
• Economic Development in Harrow
Place Shaping will continue to promote Harrow Town Centre and our strategic industrial areas as the focus for economic growth and make sure we create an environment and infrastructure that enables such growth to be realised, delivering jobs and an improved standard of living.
• Every Harrow Child
Place Shaping will help to secure the ambitious developments planned for schools as part of the Building Schools for the Future Programme. We will continue to support the development of children’s centres and community sports facilities. We will take steps to engage effectively with young people, in particular in respect of the proposed developments aimed specifically at this important section of our community.
• Health, Wellbeing and Independence
Place Shaping will continue to provide safe communities and ensure residents have access to high quality health, recreation and education facilities.
• An Improving Environment
Place Shaping will continue to ensure the new development and the actions of Council addresses the impacts of climate change. We will continue to promote and provide sustainable transport network that result in a connected borough, making it convenient and attractive to business, enables people to get around safely and efficiently, and minimises negative impacts on the environment. We will continue to work to protect and improve the quality of our natural and historic environments, including our open spaces in respect of its ecology, biodiversity and landscape values, and its use and accessibility by residents for passive and active recreation.
• Culture, Communities and Identity
Place Shaping will continue to manage the growth of the Borough, ensuring new development results in high-quality urban design that complements and enhances the distinct character and conservation values of our suburban communities, creates vibrant neighbourhoods and promotes further inward investment in our district centres.
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• The Future of Public Services and Democracy
Place Shaping will work to ensure that the public has confidence in our leadership, that they experience high customer service in their interactions with us, they feel their views and opinions are appreciated and make a difference, and that our service areas deliver value for money.
By 2020, Harrow will be recognised for:
• Integrated and co-ordinated quality services, many of which focus on preventing problems from arising, especially for vulnerable groups, and all of which put users in control, offering access and choice;
• Environmental, economic and community sustainability, because we actively manage our impact on the environment and have supported inclusive communities which provide the jobs, homes, education, healthcare, transport and other services all citizens need. • Improving the quality of life, by reducing inequalities, empowering the community voice, promoting respect and being the safest borough in London.
The chart on the following page provides an overview on how the Local Development Framework, the Sustainable Community Strategy and Government guidance will be combined to drive the outcomes required to secure Harrow’s success in the future
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Community Strategy Vision
Local Development Infrastructure & Premises Housing Jobs & businesses Recreational & cultural facilities Framework
Sustainable Community An improving Health, well-being, Economic Every Harrow Culture, Communities Strategy environment independence Development Child & Identity 122
CLG Framework for Regeneration Transforming places Changing Lives
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The Place Shaping Directorate
The Place Shaping Directorate was established in December 2008. It has been formed around the nucleus of existing spatial, land and economic planning services separated out from the former Community & Environment Directorate. It has been formed to help achieve a range of goals over a long term timescale. The Place shaping Directorate therefore encapsulates in one department the Councils responsibilities in respect of the following:
• Planning application decisions • Planning Enforcement • Spatial Planning • Regeneration • Infrastructure funding (via S106) • Building Control • Economic Development • Property and Estate Management
These functions are delivered by way of a team of specialist and support staff encompassing professions including:
• Transport Planning • Chartered Surveyors • Civil Engineers • Chartered Town Planners • Architects • Landscape Architecture • Arboriculture • Building Conservation
Of the six key themes in the Community Strategy, the capabilities and statutory responsibilities of the Place Shaping Directorate mean that it is ideally placed to take a leading role in the delivery of two key themes on behalf of the Council, notably “An Improving Environment” and “economic Development in Harrow” whilst playing a complementary role to other departments on the remaining 4 themes; Every Harrow Child, Health Wellbeing and independence, Communities, culture and identity and the future of public services and democracy.
This prospectus for Place Shaping activities is needed for a number of reasons:
• The establishment of a Place-Shaping Directorate, and the need to define a strategy and framework for the future work it undertakes.
• The recognition of the need to adopt an approach that explains and gives broader coherence to a range of Place Shaping related activities that have taken place in the Borough in recent years.
• The need to carry out future Place Shaping activities in alignment with actions of other local partners and policy at the London and national levels.
• The need to address the impact of the recession.
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The purpose of this document, therefore, is to outline the direction that the Place Shaping Directorate will take by further elaborating on the vision of the Sustainable Community Strategy to explain how these strategic objectives will guide the decisions and choices the Directorate needs to make in terms of our priorities for resource allocation, investment and influence,
Place Shaping activities in the Borough
Harrow enjoys an enviable reputation for good quality housing, superb schools, a range of high quality open spaces, historic environment, and attractive and well established suburban character, with excellent public transport links. Additionally, we are particularly proud of being one of the safest boroughs in London.
As an outer London Borough, Harrow enjoys the benefits of the Green Belt (one fifth of the Borough’s area), has a higher level of resident earnings than the rest of London, and a higher than average life expectancy than England as a whole. Nonetheless, these figures mask local concentrations of deprivation and worklessness as well as an ongoing need to maintain the competitiveness of local businesses and employment locations.
The Town Centre is facing ever increasing competition as a result of new and planned developments at other retail centres. Most noticeable of these is the new West Field shopping centre, and developments planned for Brent Cross, Watford and Wembley. Attracting private inward investment is critical, if we are to have any chance of retaining our position as one of the eleven Metropolitan Centres in London.
The Council has led a number of Place Shaping activities in recent years, supported by a broad range of partners and other agencies. These include locally developed initiatives as well as the implementation of national schemes at local level.
The Council has recently adopted a new Tourism Strategy. Our attractions include the world famous Harrow School, the award winning Grim’s Dyke Hotel, Headstone Manor, St Lawrence Church, the neighbouring historic Cannons Park, together with our wide areas of green open space. Our proximity to Wembley and our location on the public transport infrastructure provide opportunities make it easy for visitors to come to Harrow and importantly spend money whilst they are here.
In 2009/10 the Place Shaping Directorate will be responsible for the delivery of a range of projects which have been approved as part of the corporate plan, including:-
Flagship Actions
• Publish a Town Centre Design Guide to help secure the inward investment required to enhance the range of facilities within our Town Centre and improve the quality of development
• Prepare a Planning brief for the Stanmore District Centre car park to help secure the long term vitality of this important district centre
• Adopt a House Conversions supplementary document to help retain the suburban character and charm of Harrow’s residential streets.
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Supporting Projects
As part of its responsibility for delivering services to the Community, the Place shaping Directorate also expect to engage on a range of projects including;
• Progress the Local Development Framework, Core Strategy and related planning documents
• Publish Wealdstone District Centre Planning Brief to help secure development of this district centre such that the much needed regeneration activity can be encouraged
• Coordinated the Council’s and Partner’s response to the economic down turn to support our resident and business communities
• Support the West House Trust to open the refurbished building for community use.
• Work with the Police to open the new “Police Cube” in St Ann’s Road
• Agree proposals for the development of Whitchurch Playing Field, to provide enhanced sports and leisure facilities
• Secure the development of Cedars Hall in partnership with Kids Can Achieve
• Secure the development of Cedars Youth and Community Centre in partnership with Watford Football Club
• Agree plans for the redevelopment of Mill Farm Estate in partnership with residents
• Secure the development of the former Box Tree and Leaping Frog Public Houses
• Review and update the Retail Capacity Study, to inform and influence retail investment in the Borough, and to secure the long term vitality and viability of shopping areas.
• Review and update the PPG 17 Leisure Study, to inform and influence future planning for an investment in the development of sports and leisure facilities.
• Review and revise the Skills and Employment Strategy to ensure that Harrow is well positioned to embrace the opportunities of the economic up-turn.
• Facilitate delivery of the Building Schools for the Future Programme to ensure that Harrow retains its position as one of the best places to learn in the Country, whilst providing superb facilities for students and the local communities which the school serve.
• To review and revise the Vitality Profiles to ensure that the Council and Partners are able to lobby effectively to secure additional resources for Harrow and to inform and influence service development decisions.
• Prepare for the 2011 Census to ensure that all necessary data is captured as required.
• Work with Kodak and Land Securities to plan for the development of this strategic site. 125 Page 13 of 23
• Work with the Primary Care Trust to secure the development of new health centres to meet the future needs pf our community
• Work with private sector developers and Registered Providers to ensure the development of housing to meet future need, and in particular to ensure a good supply of affordable housing.
• Begin planning fro the relocation for the Civic Centre with partners, to promote further integration of service delivery for our community
• Assuming approval by the Learning Skills Councils, continue to work with Harrow College to facilitate delivery of the new campus.
The chart at Annex 1 provides and overview of Place Shaping Projects which have either been planned, delivered, or are proposed.
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Section 3: Proposed Strategic Actions Overview
In order to meet the Councils obligations under the Community Strategy, the overall goal of creating a place where people want to live, work, learn and visit Place Shaping in Harrow needs to take an holistic approach, covering a range of aspects of the physical environment and social and economic life. The diagram below illustrates how the responsibilities and capabilities of the place shaping directorate will be applied to the central themes underpinning the community strategy:
Community Place Shaping Strategic Action Strategy Themes Every An Health, Communities, The Future of Economic Development Harrow Improving Wellbeing and Culture and Public Service in Harrow Child Environment Independence Identity Delivery and Democracy in Harrow
• Planning • Planning • Planning • Planning • Planning • Spatial Application Application Application Application Application Planning Decisions Decisions Decisions Decisions Decisions • Infrastructure • Planning • Spatial • Planning • Spatial • Planning funding (via Enforcement Planning Enforcement Planning Enforcement S106) • Spatial • Infrastructure • Spatial • Property and • Property and • Property and Planning funding (via Planning Estate Estate Estate • Regeneration S106) • Regeneration Management Management Management • Infrastructure • Property and • Infrastructure funding (via Estate funding (via S106) Management S106) • Building • Building Regulations Regulations • Economic • Economic Development Development • Property and • Property and Estate Estate Management Management
Short-Term Short-Term Short-Term Short-Term Short-Term Action Action Action Action Action
• Vitality • Cedars Hall • St. Ann’s • Affordable • Prince Profiles • Cedars Police Cube Housing Edward Youth & • Town Centre Developments Playing • Retail Community Design Fields Capacity Centre Guide • Whitchurch Study • Building • Stanmore Playing • Tourism Schools for Car Parking Fields Strategy the Future Planning • Skills & Briefs Employment • Wealdstone Strategy District Centre Planning Brief 127 Page 15 of 23
Governance Context
This prospectus is a non statutory guide to how the Place Shaping Directorate will support the community strategy vision. The directorate nevertheless has a significant statutory role to play in developing the Councils Local development Framework which will set statutory polices for the way in which new development and change are managed throughout the Borough to 2026. The Local Development Framework will sit alongside the Community Strategy and will provide a central role in managing the changes required to deliver the shared vision for the future.
Harrow’s Local Development Framework
In preparing the emerging Harrow Core Strategy the Council has already engaged with its strategic partners and members of the community in developing the following spatial vision for the borough, having regard also to the visions promoted through each theme of the Sustainable Community Plan:
By 2026, Harrow will be a more sustainable outer London Borough that has maintained and enhanced its existing infrastructure and communities, enabled greater development opportunities and provided for regeneration. Its residents and visitors will have benefited from an improved quality of life with better access to a range and choice of housing, jobs, services, recreational and cultural facilities.
It includes eight cross-cutting strategic objectives, which can be summarised as follows:
• Ensure development meets the needs of all residents and businesses, without compromising the well-being of future generations.
• Locate development where it will enable local residents to easily access jobs and key services in a sustainable manner.
• Promote community safety in the design of new developments.
• Ensure all residents have a choice of good quality and affordable housing and in particular larger affordable family housing.
• Promote walking and cycling and access to reliable public transport.
• Ensure the greenbelt, parks and open spaces are accessible to all.
• Ensure new developments are of a high quality design and enhance the built and public realm (particularly in and around Harrow Town Centre).
• Ensure global sustainability initiatives are integrated into all developments.
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Section 4: How the Prospectus can Influence Future Activity
We welcome suggestions from Harrow residents, businesses, community and voluntary organisations and public sector agencies on how future activity can contribute to achievement of the shared vision for the borough. This section suggests some early ideas on how this might happen.
It is widely recognised by the Council and its partners that there are important opportunities for Place Shaping through integrating and joining up the way public services are delivered, in particular through the co-location and co-ordination of development plans for the public sector estate.
Public Sector organisations currently operate from 163 different office locations in the Borough. Several of these have plans to consolidate or modernise their estates. In several cases however, existing plans on hold (such as the Metropolitan Police’s Asset Management Plan or private residential development to create a more mixed community at Rayners Lane Estate) due to the credit crunch. In other cases, as with the Primary Care Trust’s polyclinics or the possibility of building a new civic centre, plans have yet to be agreed or finalised. This provides an opportunity for fresh thinking.
While individual services will have their own needs, there are opportunities to consolidate or share facilities between services, and to ensure, for instance, that building design reflects future community needs. Examples include:
• Harrow’s Building Schools for the Future programme to ‘build in’ community facilities with new and refurbished schools. Schools are at the heart of communities, and can help to bridge the gap between service providers and ‘hard to reach’ communities.
• Co-locating new facilities for the Police, Primary Care Trust and Harrow Council on the same site, and sharing frontline offices between them.
• Ensuring public building design reflects community aspirations. If a new Civic Centre is to be built in future, its design should reflect Harrow’s distinct communities, taking into account for instance of faith and religious issues which are of deep significance to much of the local population.
Re-development of the public sector estate could also be undertaken with other Place Shaping themes in mind. Both small business and voluntary and community sector organisations highlighted the potential for public sector procurement to play a greater role in underpinning local business growth. Anecdotal impressions from Harrow in Business for instance are that the benefits from Olympics related work have been small for Harrow business, but that local procurement codes for the Games could be built on at a local level in relation to large site developments in the borough, particularly where these involve the public sector.
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To some extent, achieving the shared vision will require projects taking account of all of the themes in the Community Strategy at particular locations in the borough. This implies an ongoing need for physical development, combined by other measures. Ongoing regeneration of Harrow Town Centre is an example. This requires an economic development focus, but critically action to ensure that our plans for our Town Centre are attractive to the private sector, who will bring the resources required to invest in the development of in particular the retail offer. This also needs to be accompanied by measures from other agencies to ensure its success. The focus on improving town centre security in partnership with the Police in recent years is an example, but we also need to lobby the Greater London Authority and Transport for London for the essential refurbishment of our Town Centre public transport infrastructure. Our work with the PCT and Harrow College is intended to secure development of other key elements of social infrastructure.
However, Place Shaping goes beyond the realm of physical development. The comments of some partners for this framework provided some examples of this including:
• The need to focus on ‘social’ aspects of regeneration, now that physical regeneration of the most in-need estates is nearing completion.
• The need for community development initiatives to focus on ‘inclusion’ and ‘vulnerability’ as priorities, suggesting the ongoing need to focus work in Harrow’s more deprived communities.
Place Shaping operates in a challenging environment. The regional development agencies have been subject to year on year reductions in funding. Harrow itself is not seen as a priority area for funding. It lacks the employment opportunity of Heathrow, Wembley, White City, Southall or Park Royal, or the level of deprivation of Ealing, Brent, or Hammersmith and Fulham. However, Harrow offers a population with high skills; it is safe with the lowest crime rates in London and has an enterprising community. Harrow can therefore offer good opportunities to inward investors and companies wishing to establish their business here.
Discussions with partners to review early drafts of this document revealed an acknowledgment in several cases that more cross-service working could help to deliver better outcomes. While few specific examples of potential projects were suggested, we believe that more specific opportunities will emerge given time for consideration and creation of specific forums for discussion.
Our attention has been drawn in particular to the opportunity to develop the Place Shaping agenda in more detail through the following processes or discussion forums:
• Adoption of Harrow’s Local Development Framework (LDF). The LDF provides the long-term framework for future physical development in the Borough. There is an imperative, in finalising the LDF, to ensure it ‘fits’ as closely as possible with the objectives outlined in Harrow’s Sustainable Community Strategy and with activities relating to Place Shaping. Work on the core strategy is well advanced and will provide the Council with the means of accommodating growth and investment whilst maintaining the high quality suburban character of the borough.
130 Page 18 of 23
• The Borough Transformation Programme is currently being developed. “Place Shaping and Property” is one of the key project work streams which will comprise this ambitious and wide ranging programme. Working with our key partners the intention is to ensure that we have a plan for joining up service delivery in more tangible ways than has been possible in the past. Wide ranging redevelopment of property assets will facilitate the modernisation of the Council’s business whilst enhancing service delivery and realising substantial efficiency and cost gains.
• Harrow Strategic Partnership, in particular the Chief Executive’s group will be critical to the delivery and realisation of our ambitious plans for Harrow. The achievement of our goal to ensure that Harrow continues to be, a great place to live in, to work in, to learn in and to visit will only be realised through effective collaboration with partners from the public and private sectors and off course wide ranging engagement with our community.
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Annex 1: Overview of Recent & Proposed Place Shaping Projects
District and Town Centres
Recent Projects Proposed Projects
Town Centre Facelift St Anns Police Cube
Travis Perkins Site Lyon House
Bradstowe House Town Centre Design Guide
Gayton Road Stanmore District car park planning brief
Dandara Wealdstone District Centre Planning Brief
Tesco Station Road Station Road 2 Way Buses
Business improvement District Harrow on the Hill Bus Station Development
Wealdstone High Street Re Opening Harrow on the Hill Train Station – Step Free Access & Refurbishment
Civic Centre Site Options Review
Public Realm Strategy
132 Page 20 of 23
Neighbourhood Renewal
Recent Projects Proposed Projects
Petts Hill Bridge Whitchurch Playing Field
LDF Core Strategy Byron Leisure Centre – Skate Park
Sustainable Building Design SPD Hatch End High School Swimming Pool
Pinner Conservation Area SPD Cedars Hall
Harrow on the Hill Conservation Area SPD Cedars Youth and Community Centre
Bentley Priory SPD Conversions SPD
Accessible Homes SPD Allotments & Trees SPD
Prince Edward Playing Field Joint Waste SPD
William Ellis Playing Field Rayners Lane Public House
Green Flag Parks Mill Farm Estate
Cannons Heritage Park Watling Farm Travellers Site
West House Box Tree Public House
Headstone Manor Leaping Frog Public House
Honeypot Lane – Berkley Homes Reduce CO2 Emissions and Improve Air Quality
Rayners Lane Estate Richards Close
Climate Change Strategy and Nottingham Declaration
Waste Recycling
Environmental Cleanliness
Tree Replacement Programme
Biodiversity Action Plan
Decent Homes
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Enterprise and Economy
Recent Projects Proposed Projects
Harrow College Retail Capacity Study
Kenton Learning Centre Skills and Employment Strategy
Harrow in Business Vitality Profiles
Recession Busting Group Census 2011
Tourism Strategy Kodak Site Development
Economic Development Strategy Pathways into Work Project
Xcite Project Harrow Pledge
Slivers of Time Support for SMEs
Construction Out Reach Project Promoting Visitors to Harrow
By local and district centres campaign
Tourism Strategy
134 Page 22 of 23
Stronger Communities
Recent Projects Proposed Projects
Hindu School Stanmore ERUV
Whitmore High School PPG 17 Leisure Study
Weeks of Action Building Schools for the Future
Harrow Central Mosque PCT Health Centre
North Harrow Community Centre Affordable Housing
Rayners Lane Afghan Centre
Childrens Centres
LIFTCO NRCs
PCT Health Centres – eg: Pinn Medical Centre
Healthy Living Centre
Hatch End Arts Centre – Elliot Hall
Harrow on the Hill Post Office
One of the Safest Boroughs in London
135 Page 23 of 23 This page is intentionally left blank
136 Agenda Item 14 Pages 137 to 176
Meeting: Cabinet
Date: 18 June 2009
Subject: Tourism Strategy
Key Decision: Yes
Responsible Officer: Andrew Trehern, Corporate Director of Place Shaping Portfolio Holder: Councillor Marilyn Ashton, Portfolio Holder for Planning, Development and Enterprise Exempt: No
Enclosures: Appendix A: Tourism Strategy Appendix B: Consultation plan Appendix C Action plan
Section 1 – Summary and Recommendations
This report seeks adoption of the Tourism Strategy 2009-12 following the consultation exercise conducted on the draft strategy from 16 February to 31 March 2009.
Recommendations: That Cabinet adopt the Tourism Strategy (2009-2012) attached at Appendix A.
Reason: (For recommendation) The tourism strategy plays a significant role in the council’s economic development remit and also plays a key role in maximising the benefit of the Olympic Games for the benefit of the local economy.
137 Section 2 – Report
2.1 This report introduces a new tourism strategy for the borough, which aims to build on the successes of the first strategy.
Options
2.2 As the first strategy expired in 2008, there is no option other than to prepare a new strategy.
2.3 Background: first strategy (2005-2008) – achievements include:
• Tourism contributes £161 million to the local economy
• Since the first tourism strategy there has been a £4 million increase in overseas visitor spend in Harrow between 2005 and 2006.
• Tourism contributes 4.2% of local employment – this equates to 3,427 jobs in the borough
• Tourism provides flexible work opportunities and is therefore ideally suited to slivers- of-time and other initiatives to tackle worklessness.
• Harrow’s tourism has particularly benefited from the completion of Wembley Stadium, prior to the completion of any new major hotels in Brent.
• Anecdotal evidence has demonstrated that within two hours of concert tickets going on sale in 2008 – every hotel room in the Comfort Hotel Harrow had sold out. The hotel has now received consent for expansion of facilities to accommodate extra rooms and conference facilities.
• There has also been a 25% increase in hotel occupancy between 2006-200712008
• 28% increase in revenue per available room from 2006-20072
• 2008/9: New expressions of interest from the Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) and the Hilton hotel chain.
• 2008: New hotel approved for Northolt Road, South Harrow
• Harrow’s excellent public transport interface makes it a popular base not only for events at Wembley but also for rugby matches at Twickenham, London Fashion Week, Wimbledon and events at the O2. Visitors travelling by Eurostar can arrive in Harrow in twelve minutes from Euston and the Jubilee line creates direct access to the Olympic sites in Stratford in less than an hour.
• Total number of bed spaces in the borough: approximately 900 (including University of Westminster Harrow campus.)
1 Statistics based on evidence supplied by a selection of Harrow hotels 2006/2007 2 Statistics based on evidence supplied by a selection138 of Harrow hotels 2006/2007 2.4 The strategy has been developed though a comprehensive series of consultation exercises that started in April 2008 with initial discussions under the auspices of the Harrow Tourism Forum and the Tourism Action Group (TAG).
Following approval of the first draft of the tourism strategy by cabinet in January 2009, a further period of consultation followed (from the 16 February – 31 March 2009), with a wide variety of internal council departments including: Conservation, Heritage Projects, Championing Harrow, Waste Management, Community Development, Cultural Services and Economic Development. The strategy was also an agenda item at the Greener Harrow meeting on Tuesday 24 March and further feedback has also been received from the London Development Agency (LDA) and Visit London (VL). In addition, the strategy has also been disseminated to the Harrow Youth Council, the Harrow Association of Voluntary Services (HAVS) neighbouring West London boroughs and local authority tourism departments in both Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
Key findings during consultation: The key findings during the consultation period were as follows:
Partnership working: to develop further the links with voluntary, public and private sector partnerships in order to create added value to the “visitor offer.” This could include offering complete packages of accommodation, leisure activities and entertainment particularly during the recession. More joined-up working in the areas of public transport, walking/ cycling and volunteering is needed in order to share resources and create greater awareness to wider audiences.
Sustainability: as tourism does have a social and environmental impact, sustainability needs to be an important element of the strategy. This includes waste management, visitor management, promotion of public transport, development and promotion of walking and cycling infrastructure and adoption of green tourism business practices by attractions and accommodation providers.
Skills and employment: Harrow will be going through sizeable population growth in the next decade and it is therefore important to ensure that there are enough local jobs for local people. The flexible nature of employment within the tourism industry needs to be highlighted and the sector should be incorporated into new employment initiatives such as “Slivers-of- Time” which particularly benefits those who cannot work on a full-time basis. Volunteering also provides a useful stepping-stone into work particularly for those who are long-term unemployed. Volunteering opportunities within the tourism sector should therefore be incorporated into existing schemes run by Harrow Association of Voluntary Services (HAVS).
Impact of 2012: Harrow’s ethnic diversity is a positive strength for the borough and one that should be capitalised on in the lead-up to and during the Olympic games. Harrow’s diversity sends out a welcoming message to the world’s athletes and has already helped to secure the Bangladeshi team. It is estimated that 72% of visitors to the Games will be staying with friends and relatives. Harrow’s strong links with India, one of the world’s strongest emerging markets, could therefore be exploited further to not only boost the visitor economy but also stimulate inward investment opportunities.
2.5 The vision for the new strategy is: By 2012, tourism will play a fundamental role in supporting the local economy by creating more jobs for local people, improving local facilities and bringing our diverse communities together in a united feeling of civic pride in our borough. By offering a quality experience for the visitor in terms of accommodation, facilities, attractions and local welcome, Harrow will become the destination of choice for visitors to northwest London.
139 Through a wide range of actions the strategy seeks to maintain this boost to the economy.
Partnership working: build on the current partnership activity developed with the voluntary, public and private sector particularly in the areas of volunteering and community engagement with ethnic minority groups in the lead up to 2012. Continue to work with attractions and accommodation providers to promote key messages around good value accommodation and excellent public transport connections.
Develop more local tourism – encourage local people to take pride in their area and support the facilities and amenities that are right here on their doorstep rather than travelling elsewhere. This will also help with encouraging “visits from friends and relatives” in the lead up to and during 2012. During the recession, marketing will focus attention on the new trend for hard up families to holiday at home. Emphasis will be put on our diverse restaurants, heritage attractions and “unlimited legroom” in terms of the expansive areas of local greenbelt. This will be positioned as a ‘weekend in the country without leaving the city.’ These measures also help reduce environmental damage by influencing local Londoners to take fewer flights to overseas destinations.
Sustainability: positively promote the “Green Tourism Business Scheme” and arrange annual awards for the best “green tourism business provider” to encourage uptake. Adopt best practice in terms of waste management and visitor management planning. Work with other council departments and external voluntary groups to improve walking and cycling route infrastructure and promotion. Highlight Harrow’s excellent public transport infrastructure to wider audiences.
Skills and employment: integrate tourism opportunities into existing employment schemes including “slivers of time.” Work in partnership with the Harrow Association of Voluntary Services (HAVS) to create volunteer opportunities within the tourism sector and encourage uptake among the long-term unemployed as a stepping-stone into work. Offer training such as the London Ambassadors scheme to frontline workers to up skill staff and create a better visitor welcome in 2012.
Impact of 2012: positively promote Harrow’s direct public transport access to Stratford via the Jubilee Line. Promote positive messages around Harrow as a great base to stay for the leisure and business travel markets and continue to align Wembley Stadium with Harrow for the conference meetings and events sector. Maximise post-2012 legacy opportunities by creating itineraries around Harrow and the wider West London area to encourage post-2012 repeat visits to West London.
Exploit Harrow’s links with India and encourage our expatriate population to take an ambassadorial role in encouraging more inward investment opportunities in the borough. Create stronger links with Think London and the LDA’s new “Tourism, Inward Investment and Emerging Markets” division. Conduct site visits where appropriate and proactively approach developers with possible sites for investment where appropriate.
2.6 Equalities impact: contributes to creating cohesive communities through increasing civic pride
2.7 Legal comments: none
2.8 Community safety: the Tourism Forum provides a mechanism to identify safety issues and discuss resolution through community safety and other channels.
140 2.9 Financial Implications The Tourism Officer will manage the implementation of the partner strategy.
It is anticipated that external funding and public and private sector support will cover the costs of various activities outlined in the Action Plan. This method of financing has worked successfully in the last three years and has resulted in £8,000 from the London Development Agency (LDA) and £30,000 from the private sector to finance signage and other related tourism marketing activity. As there is no budget provision for this, the proposal can only go forward if the anticipated income is received.
2.10 Performance Issues: In reviewing the national indicator set, only NI5 “general satisfaction with area and NI6 “participation in regular volunteering” were deemed appropriate and tourism is only one of many factors that would impact on this target.
The current performance for these targets are as follows:
Satisfaction with your local area:
Very satisfied: 13% Fairly satisfied: 58%
Participation in regular volunteering (at least one a month) 24% Outer London average 21%
However the strategy includes a monitoring schedule for which we have used key indicators which have hard evidence.
• Increase overall visitor spend by 10% from £161 million (2006 Economic Impact Model figures provided by the LDA) to £177 million by 2012.
• Increase overseas visitor spend by 10% from £81 million to £89 million by 2012. (2006 Economic Impact Model figures provided by the LDA)
2.11 Risk Management Implications: The strategy includes a risk assessment and minimisation plan.
2.12 Environmental Impact Tourism has significant potential to be damaging to the environment, as it encourages people to travel both to and around their destination; puts pressure on water resources; increases the production of waste; increases local energy consumption; etc. In delivering the strategy, the council and its partners will look to minimise these negative impacts by encouraging more sustainable modes of transport and reducing waste, water and energy use by good environmental design and management systems. The Green Tourism Business scheme will be promoted to tourism businesses and there will also be a Green Tourism Award created as a further incentive to businesses. Best practice in waste management practices will be adopted in tourism events and at key attractions. Visitor management plans will be implemented at key sites in the borough. By employing the findings above, the new strategy seeks wherever possible, to manage energy use in a sustainable manner in accordance with the Council’s LAA NI 186.
141 Section 3 - Statutory Officer Clearance and Performance Officer Clearance
on behalf of the Name: Sheela Thakrar x Chief Financial Officer
Date: 19 May 2009 Name: Abiodun Kolawole on behalf of x Monitoring Officer Date: 20 May 2009
Section 4 - Performance Officer Clearance
on behalf of the Name:Tom Whiting x Divisional Director (Strategy and Improvement) Date: 20 May 2009
Section 5 – Environmental Impact Officer Clearance
on behalf of the Name: Andrew Baker x Divisional Director (Environmental Services) Date: 19 May 2009
Section 5 - Contact Details and Background Papers
Contact: Linzi Clark, Tourism Officer, Ext 6535
Background Papers: None
142 - Draft Tourism Strategy – Foreword
Welcome from Councillor Marilyn Ashton, Portfolio Holder for Planning, Development and Enterprise.
It gives me great pleasure to introduce this latest tourism strategy for Harrow. It’s arrival coincides with the start of a very difficult economic period and a great deal of uncertainty. At this time, we recognise more than ever, the importance of building strong working partnerships to support business and our local economy. During the lifetime of the first strategy, Harrow’s local economy has received a *£4 million boost in visitor spend. The new strategy marks the culmination of an extensive process of preparation and consultation with both local and regional stakeholders and I would like to thank everyone who gave their time to participate in this process.
Despite these challenges, we are proud of the part Harrow plays in London’s standing as a world-class city. Our attractions include the world-famous Harrow School, the award-winning Grim’s Dyke Hotel, the 14th century Headstone Manor and the beautiful St Lawrence Church and neighbouring historic Canons Park. The borough is rightly prized for its green and leafy nature, and Harrow can offer the visitor a green belt area equivalent to eight Hyde Parks with three of our parks achieving Green flag status in 2008 and three more to follow in 2009. The borough’s good quality value for money accommodation, low crime levels and excellent road and public transport links combine to make Harrow one of London’s most accessible and desirable boroughs. We want to ensure that this high quality of life is sustained for both our residents and visitors into the future.
Harrow which is home to a large Asian population, is also exploring the expanding potential of visitors from the Indian sub-continent. The borough has a proud record of diversity, and was pleased to announce this year it has a provisional agreement to host the Bangladeshi team and trainers in the run-up to the 2012 Games.
Add to this the fact that you can access London Euston in just 14 minutes from Harrow by train plus convenient links to Heathrow airport, and I believe Harrow presents a compelling proposition as a borough to enjoy, and one in which to base a holiday in the capital.
This first draft of the tourism strategy was approved by cabinet on 12 February 2009 and was followed by a one month period of consultation which took place between 16 February – 31 March 2009. The consultation plan timetable is set out in Appendix B. The final version of the strategy will also include council structure/ risk assessment and an equality impact assessment. The final strategy is scheduled to go to cabinet on the 18 June 2009.
I believe this new strategy reflects a strengthening partnership between the Council and its partners in the hotel, restaurant, voluntary and leisure trades. In conclusion, can I thank everyone whose participation has resulted in this report. -
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Contents
Page 1: Foreword
Page 2: Contents
Page 3-4: Executive Summary
Page 4 -5: Strategy context
Page 6: SWOT analysis
Page 7: Harrow Tourism Profile
Page 7-8: Key Achievements
Page 9-10: Volume and value of tourism in Harrow
Page 11: Impact of 2012
Page 12-13: Guiding Principles
Page 13-17: Marketing and Promotion
Page 17-19: Skills and Training
Page 19-21: Quality improvement
Page 21-23: Product Development
Page 24: Monitoring and Evaluation
Page 25: Conclusion
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Harrow Tourism Vision 2009-2012 – Executive Summary
By 2012, we still expect tourism to play a positive role in supporting the local economy by creating local employment opportunities, improving local facilities and bringing our diverse communities together in a united feeling of civic pride in our borough. By offering a quality experience for the visitor in terms of accommodation, facilities, attractions and local welcome, Harrow will become a more attractive choice for visitors to London.
Visitors help to support leisure and cultural facilities, they add vibrancy and vitality to town centres and have a marked effect upon our local economy – in the case of Harrow this represents £160 million a year*. Tourism is also one of the few council departments to actively bring money into the local economy as well as supporting local jobs for local people and uniting our communities. Harrow’s local economy has received a *£4 million boost in visitor spend during the lifetime of the first strategy.
The Olympic Games represents an opportunity unprecedented in recent years for the tourism industry and it is generally predicted the influx of visitors will result in a £2 billion boost for the UK economy. The Olympics are also a major catalyst for improvements in the tourism sector. This strategy will ensure that Harrow is able to reap maximum benefits from the opportunities presented by 2012.
Harrow’s excellent transport links, lack of congestion charge and green and leafy suburban ambience all combine to make it a very popular base for visitors to London. The re-opening of Wembley Stadium has had a major impact on hotel occupancy rates with hotel rooms selling out within several hours of concert tickets going on sale. There has been a 28% increase in revenue per available room and Harrow is now attracting the attention of the Intercontinental Hotel Group (ICG) and the Hilton Hotel Group.
Harrow’s overland and underground train connections also make it a convenient base for visitors to stay while attending events at the 02, rugby matches at Twickenham, Wimbledon and London Fashion Week. Visitors travelling on the Eurostar can arrive in Harrow from Euston station in only twelve minutes and the Jubilee line provides a direct route from Stanmore to Stratford in less than sixty minutes.
Tourism currently provides 4.2% of Harrow’s total employment and this equates to over 3000 jobs. New interest from hotel developers could provide more local jobs for local people with the flexibility to accommodate lone parents and other hard to reach groups. . While we recognise that this process will take longer to happen in the current financial climate, it is still an important aim to bring more trade to our businesses and a greater vitality to our town centre.
The new Harrow tourism strategy will be closely linked to other council strategies from the areas of Economic Development, Planning, Community Development, Cultural Services, Environment and also links to the Council’s new corporate priorities in respect to “building better communities” and creating “ cleaner and safer streets.” This new strategy seeks to work closely with the Council’s own communications team and other related council departments to create a seamless approach to marketing Harrow to residents, visitors and to boost inward investment opportunities. At the same time, it recognises the Council’s draft climate change strategy and the theme of sustainability is one of the guiding principles in this document
Overseas visitors account for approximately half of Harrow’s total tourism expenditure, with this figure rising from £71 million in 2004/2005 to £81 million in 2006. Harrow’s large Indian
- 3 - 145 demographic provides a vital link to the world’s strongest emerging market and the new strategy will focus attention on developing this link in the build up to 2012. In the current financial climate, it is also important to note that London will become a cheaper destination for international travel and is therefore capable of attracting many new overseas visitors who have previously been deterred from visiting due to the cost factor. On the reverse side of the coin, resources will also be targeted at promoting the local area to Harrow’s residents and influencing their visiting friends and relatives (VFR).
*based on research from the London Development Agency Economic Impact Model 2006.
While the depth and duration of the current recession is difficult to gauge, Harrow Council has to prepare for population growth and the need to create local jobs for local people. Tourism is the fastest growing industry in the UK and this strategy will seek to work with all sectors of Harrow’s communities to up skill our workforce and make effective use of our rich resources of cultures and languages. The increased emphasis on volunteering opportunities, one of the key strands of the Olympic legacy, provides not only a chance to bring our communities together but also provides a vital stepping stone into work for people trapped in long-term unemployment.
All of the ideas in this summary are developed in further depth within the main strategy document along with a comprehensive action plan to ensure implementation over the course of the next three years.
Strategy Context The strategy is set within the context of The Mayor’s Tourism Vision for London (2006-2016). The strategy is also set in the more immediate context of the Department for Media, Culture and Sport’s (DCMS) Tourism Strategy for 2012 and Beyond. Being one of the very few Councils in West London to offer a dedicated tourism service, Harrow plays a significant part in West London’s tourism development and also enjoys a close working partnership with Visit London, the official marketing organisation for London.
These external strategies aim to continue to promote London as a world-class destination for visitors and create an awareness of the outer boroughs in order to disperse the high volume of visitors away from central London. Following London’s success in the Olympic Bid, there is also an increased focus in driving up the quality of the visitor welcome which ranges from skills and training through to providing high quality accommodation. The new visitor strategy is therefore designed to ensure that Harrow continues to benefit from these initiatives.
The Council has a wide and far-reaching role in facilitating, enabling and improving the visitor experience and has already played a leading role in the key achievements outlined later in this document. This strategy is designed to further focus key public and private sector agencies responsible for tourism delivery to ensure an integrated approach to Harrow’s tourism development over the next three years. This strategy is linked to a number of internal strategies as summarised below.
The Local Development Framework (LDF): replaces the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) as the current statutory development plan for the borough. The LDF places a strong emphasis on spatial planning which considers an area from a social, economic and environmental perspective. It also identifies inter-dependencies and relationships between different policy areas including tourism.
The Corporate Plan (2008-2011) the Corporate Plan sets out the Council’s high level priorities and targets for the coming years. The Council is seeking to become recognised as one of the best London Councils by 2012 in a borough that is cosmopolitan, confident and cohesive.
Sustainable Community Plan (2009-2020) The Sustainable Community Plan shows how the organisations making up the Harrow Strategic Partnership (HSP) will try to shape the effects of - 4 - 146 global, national, regional and local trends and events to work towards successful outcomes for Harrow.
Community Development Strategy (2007-2010): the Community Development Strategy will contribute to the Council’s strategic vision as outlined in the Corporate Plan. In partnership with the voluntary and community sector (VCS) and other agencies, it focuses on how the skills, awareness, knowledge and experience of the community, can be harnessed and utilised in order to build a stronger foundation for community development and cohesion in the borough.
Enterprising Harrow Strategy (EH) (2007-2016): the EH strategy focuses on making Harrow a more business friendly borough which will ultimately encourage investment and reinvestment in the borough from employers. The strategy also focuses on making sure the conditions are right for small and medium size enterprises (SME’s) to develop and grow and to ensure that residents skills levels are able to meet future needs.
Cultural Strategy (CS) (2006-2008): the CS strategy aims to help improve quality of life by widening opportunities for participation and enjoyment. It also aims to promote conditions for a culturally inclusive Harrow, stimulate the cultural economy and its contribution to making Harrow a vibrant and exciting place and promoting Harrow’s cultural assets including: people, buildings, spaces and achievements. A new updated cultural strategy will be created in 2009.
Championing Harrow Action Plan (2007-2012): created in 2007 as part of the Council’s commitment to maximising the benefits of the Olympic Games for local businesses, voluntary groups and residents. Tourism is linked in with the local business work-stream and regular meetings with the wider business community are already taking place.
Draft Climate Change Strategy (2009-2012): Harrow signed the Nottingham declaration in July 2007. The Council is therefore taking the lead in encouraging and helping local businesses and other organisations to reduce their energy costs, reduce congestion and adapt to the impact of climate change.
Harrow Corporate Priorities – 2009-2010 The Council issued the following Corporate Priorities for 2009/10 which link to tourism in the following ways:
Building stronger communities: “in partnership with the voluntary and community sector (VCS) and other agencies, this priority focuses on how the skills, awareness and knowledge and experience of the community can be harnessed and utilised in order to build a stronger foundation for community development and cohesion in the borough. This links to the aims and objectives of encouraging volunteering opportunities in Harrow and increasing civic pride in our residents.
Cleaner and safer streets: to improve performance and help deliver cleaner streets, service delivery patterns have been reviewed. Additional resources will also be focussed on the town centre, shopping areas and known litter spots. The town centre is one of the main gateways into Harrow and cleanliness is therefore very important in creating a positive first impression for the visitor. Other key tourism sites in the borough also need to be monitored on a regular basis for cleanliness. In the early part of 2009, St Ann's Road, College Road, Station Road and the Station Road part of St. John's Road will all be given a facelift to improve the - environment and thereby encourage more footfall to the businesses and shops in the town centre. .
Many thanks to the stakeholders who have made a positive contribution to the development of this strategy. In particular, we would like to thank the Porfolio Holder for Tourism, Councillor Marilyn Ashton, the members of Greener Harrow, the Harrow Tourism Forum, the London Development Agency (LDA), Harrow Association of Voluntary Services (HAVS) and the external and internal individuals who have also added their comments to this document. - 5 - 147
SWOT Analysis
The following data has been identified following consultation with the Harrow Tourism Forum which includes community groups, attractions, hotels, B&B’s and also council members.
Strengths On the doorstep of Wembley Stadium Excellent public transport and motorway links No congestion charge zone Significant green belt area Low crime area Strong heritage offer Free car/coach parking facilities at the majority of attractions/hotels
Weaknesses Geographical locations of attractions and insufficient public transport Town centre car access difficult Negative attitude towards town centre and transport hub Not enough entertainment facilities in the borough
Opportunities Future investment and re-development of Harrow on the Hill transport hub Business Improvement District (BID) proposal 2012 Olympic Games Impact of Wembley Stadium Heightened emphasis on Tourism in the Enterprising Harrow Strategy and Local Development Framework
Risks Credit Crunch Lack of funding for investment in tourism Competition from surrounding areas in West London / Hertfordshire/Bucks Threats from terrorist attacks Change of local and national government priorities on tourism Lack of sustainable funding for town centre if BID fails
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Harrow Tourism Profile
Situated in north-west London, Harrow is a thriving and culturally diverse outer borough bordering leafy Hertfordshire on one side, yet within speedy rail access to central London. Lack of congestion charge and free hotel car parking facilities are two other reasons cited for visitors choosing to stay in Harrow.
With a green-belt area equivalent to eight Hyde Parks, Harrow prides itself on the quality and quantity of its open spaces. From the historic Canons Park to the expansive Bentley Priory Nature Reserve, the borough offers unbeatable opportunities for walking, strolling and taking part in sport. Three of our parks have now achieved Green Flag status and three more are currently being considered for this award. The borough also boasts three top quality golf courses all within easy access of central London. Harrow is also home to one of London’s last remaining skateboard parks, which attracts visitors from far afield.
Harrow is of course best known for the world-famous Harrow School, which welcomes 8-10,000 visitors per year. However Harrow’s other heritage gems include the 14th century Headstone Manor at Harrow Museum – previously part of the estate belonging to the Archbishops of Canterbury, Grim’s Dyke Hotel, former residence of W.S. Gilbert of Gilbert & Sullivan fame, St Lawrence Church, where Handel was once resident organist and St John the Evangelist Church, final resting place of the Fourth Earl of Aberdeen, W.S. Gilbert and Sir John Wolstenholme. In addition, Harrow also boasts RAF Bentley Priory, the nerve centre for the Battle of Britain during World War II and West House in Pinner Memorial Park, soon to become a museum and art gallery to house the Heath Robinson collection.
Harrow has a wide selection of excellent, value for money accommodation ranging from the award-winning Grim’s Dyke Hotel - a country house retreat on the border of Hertfordshire, to the modern centrally situated town centre hotels. Harrow also has a growing number of guest- house and bed & breakfast accommodation, ideal for short stays at a reasonable price. Harrow’s hotel occupancy rates have sharply increased due to the re-opening of Wembley Stadium. However Harrow benefits not just from sports events and music concerts but also from the high-yield conference, business meeting and events market and it is for this reason that the stadium is included in all tourism promotional activity. While there has been two new hotel applications received this year, the credit crunch will obviously impact on the progress of any new developments over the course of the next year. However the recession also provides an opportunity to encourage local people to make the most of the attractions that are right here on their doorstep rather than spending their money on overseas locations.
Since the inception of the first tourism strategy in 2005, considerable progress has been made to put Harrow on the map. The new strategy will be seeking to build on these foundations in partnership with our voluntary groups, businesses and attractions all of whom have provided substantial support to the achievements of the first strategy.
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Key Achievements 2005-2009
• Tourism Officer post made permanent by Harrow Council Tourist information services • 42% Improvement in tourist information service to visitors (conducted via annual Visit Britain mystery shopper exercises 2005-2007) • Town centre tourist information provision established at Gayton library - 2009 • Enhanced visibility for events, attractions and accommodation on plasma screens at new Gayton library (20,000 footfall per month) - 2009 • Visit Britain customer service training implemented for Council reception, front line hotel reception and library staff from 2005 – 2009 • Enhanced road signage approved for ASPIRE – 2009 Strategic road signage implemented for Grim’s Dyke Hotel - 2006 • Road Signage enhanced for Harrow Museum – 2006 Road signage enhanced at South Harrow road junction – 2008 Town centre pedestrian signage approved for new Gayton library - 2009 Annual product training familiarisation trips 2005 - 2009 Implementation of the West London Tourism Toolkit for training purposes
Accommodation development • 20% increase in Harrow accommodation becoming quality assessed from 2006-2009 • Increased number of B&B’s in the borough • Westminster University Halls of Residence – quality assessed in 2007 • Promotion of quality-assessed accommodation only in the Discover Harrow Visitor Guide • Substantial increase in queries from prospective B&B and hotel developers • 28% increase in revenue per available room from 2006-2007 • 25% increase in hotel occupancy between 2005-2008
Marketing and Promotion • £4 million increase in overseas visitor spend between 2004 and 2006 • 2000 hits generated per month generated on the Visit Harrow website • Harrow attractions included in Visit London’s “Unique in London” £2 million global marketing campaign for summer 2009 • Podcast produced for Harrow on the Hill • £100.000 worth of PR revenue generated from West London Movie Map • Production and launch of the Discover Harrow Visitor Guide – the only destination guide in circulation in West London • Participation in the Visit London Villages campaign (2007) and Outdoors campaign (2008) resulting in a return of investment (ROI) ratio of 16.83:1 and 46.25:1 respectively • Participation in CONFEX 2007 & 2008 (the leading trade event for conference and meeting organisers) • £10, 000 worth of revenue raised from post-CONFEX business familiarisation trips • Regular bi-monthly e-communications established with the business travel trade • National, regional and local press participation in press trips including The Guardian, The Sunday Times, BBC Radio London and the specialist travel trade.
Partnership working • £30,000 contributed from local businesses and voluntary organisations to fund marketing activity and to host a wide range of events from tourism forums to familiarisation trips. • Regular quarterly Harrow Tourism Forums involving the participation of voluntary organisations, hotels, residents’ groups, Harrow Chamber of Commerce and other external stakeholders - 8 - 150 • Regular bi-monthly progress meetings with the Harrow Tourism Action Group (TAG) • Over 50 voluntary / private sector stakeholders participating in “residents’ week • Expansion of residents’ week to a West London sub-region event in April 2008 • Demonstrable evidence of hotels and attractions now working together. • Partnership working with Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Brent, Hounslow, Hillingdon and Chiltern District Council • Joint local press marketing campaigns with the Harrow Observer and Harrow Times.
Volume and value of tourism in Harrow
Since the first Harrow tourism strategy, estimates from the LDA’s Economic Impact Model have demonstrated a £4 million increase in overseas tourism expenditure. However it is likely that the credit crunch will have an impact on the figures for the next three years.
Visitor Type The Economic Impact Model also shows that overseas visitors contributed half of the overall expenditure (£81 million), while day visitor’s contribution was approximately £59 million. Domestic overnight stay visitors accounted for the remaining £21 million. As seen in other London boroughs, domestic visitors provided the smallest share of tourism expenditure. Expenditure by UK overnight tourists fell from £36 million in 2004 to £23 million between 2005 and 2006. This reflects the national trends with the expenditure in the UK as a whole declining by more than 20% between 2003 and 2006. While more people than ever are taking day trips – many of these for shopping trips – fewer are choosing to stay overnight in UK destinations. It is hoped that the 2012 Games will offer the opportunity to boost the number of UK residents taking longer holidays at home through the heightened interest in games-related activities in different parts of the country. It is anticipated that the impact of the credit crunch will also encourage more local tourism as consumer confidence continues to remain low.
The increase in the volume of overseas visitors mirrors the trends across London, which has seen an increase of 14% in international visitors visiting the capital. The largest contributors to growth in European visits to London were those from Poland, Spain and France. These figures are however eclipsed by the increase in visits from “emerging markets” which have increased by a staggering 60% in the last five years. In 2006, for the first time, the UK received more visits from India than from Japan. Bearing in mind Harrow’s strong Asian demographics, this could be a crucial market to target for future economic growth.
Chart 5 – overseas tourism expenditure in Harrow (£millions)
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Employment The Hospitality, Leisure, Tourism and Travel (HLTT) sector supports 280.000 jobs in London including transport and travel, hospitality, retail, accommodation, visitor attraction and performing arts. Tourism is the second fastest growing employer in London after financial services. Tourism in Harrow impacts on a range of employment sectors contributing towards 3,427 jobs in the borough.
The tourism employment ratio in London (excluding Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea is 4.8%.) The London Plan recognises that for every 1,000 residents, 230 new jobs are created. Harrow’s population is expected to increase by 10,000 in the coming years with a total of 2- 3000 new jobs needed to cover this increase in population. The creation of local employment opportunities within the tourism and hospitality industry is an important part of filling this gap which will be more difficult in the current financial climate.
Chart 6 – Proportion of tourism related employment in 2006
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Impact of 2012: The 2012 Games will create an opportunity for London to showcase Itself to the rest of the world and current estimates have forecast that the Games could generate an estimated £2.1 billion pounds in additional tourism benefits over the period from 2007-2017. While these forecasts could be affected by the current economic situation, there is still great scope to target the “visiting friends and relatives” market both domestically and internationally, as this may be one of the most cost-effective options for visitors during an economic downturn. Recent research has demonstrated that 72% of visitors are expected to benefit from these local connections. London will be following in the footsteps of other destinations, which have successfully used the Olympic Games to showcase their tourism offer and substantially boost their visitor numbers. It is worth bearing in mind that London does differ from other previous host cities in that its brand profile is already massive. However after taking this into account, the net benefit is still expected to be in the region of £2 billion. • • Barcelona's 1992 Games helped propel the city from the 16th to 3rd most popular short break destination In Europe and doubled the number of international visitors during the following decade.
• Atlanta 1996 added 5.1 billion US dollars to the Georgia economy, generating US1.5 billion spend from out-of-state visitors.
• Sydney's 2000 Games advanced "Brand Australia" by 10 years, stimulating 1.6 million "Olympic-Induced" visitors between 1997-2004 and generating £1.5 billion for Australia's visitor economy.
The timetable of action over the following years is outlined below:
2009: Building momentum by showcasing London and Britain to international event planners and integrating the Games into all Britain brand and public diplomacy activities.
2010: Galvanising Britain by encouraging business to “roll out the red carpet” to visitors. A new travel writer's centre will be established for the world's media and relationships with Canada and India will be established to link with the Winter and Commonwealth Games. The London 2012's official Volunteering Programme launches this year.
2011: Inviting the world to visit: highlighting our many attractions and allaying any fears regarding building works etc. Post-Games marketing opportunities will be refined at this point. Olympic and Paralympic Games tickets go on sale.
2012: Providing a great welcome and comprehensive information to all Games visitors, supporting UK businesses in ensuring they enjoy their time in Britain. Excellent hospitality will be provided for targeted world travel leaders and full support will be given to the world's media. The actual Games take place from Friday 27 July to Sunday 12 August and the Paralympic Games start on the 29 August to 9 September 2012.
The Council also plays an important part in supporting businesses to take advantage of 2012 contracts. This is currently being carried out via regular Championing Harrow business forums. Tourism businesses can also benefit from 2nd and 3rd tier supply chain opportunities by offering their services to contract award- winners. These large contractors will need a range of other suppliers from accommodation through to catering and other ancillary services. A full list of award winners can now be accessed from www.2012.com/business.
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Guiding principles for the new tourism strategy
In this new strategy, the guiding principles will focus on three main areas that include partnership working, improving the quality of our tourism offer and also ensuring that tourism development continues in a sustainable manner that does not exceed capacity or adversely affect the local environment. These areas are looked at in further depth in this section.
Partnership working: By pooling resources together, partnership- working leads to a more effective way of delivery with decisions made from a wider knowledge and skills base. This is particularly the case with regard to tourism training courses where input from hotels and other hospitality providers is needed to guide the format of training courses. During difficult economic times it is also important that businesses work together to offer added value and retain repeat custom.
It will be important that the town centre businesses collaborate with the town centre hotels to ensure that footfall in the town centre is maximised. Closer collaborative efforts also need to be developed in the areas of volunteering, training and skills and also in the crucial areas of planning and inward investment to ensure that tourism development becomes fully integrated into the borough’s future economy.
Improving Quality: Harrow needs to gain a competitive edge over its neighbouring boroughs by ensuring a high quality experience for its visitor. Cleanliness, safety, good quality amenities, accredited attractions and accommodation will combine to offer a tourism product that will be capable of attracting repeat business and establishing a positive reputation for the borough.
First impressions of a destination are very important and the council is therefore committed to monitoring the litter and vandalism not only in the town centre but throughout the borough. This is particularly the case during summer weekends and bank holidays. The council is introducing an “adopt a planter” scheme to involve residents, schools, training colleges and businesses in caring for flower beds in planters which are strategically placed around main road routes in the borough. This again helps to create a positive first impression to the visitor.
Within quality enhancement there also needs to be a greater recognition of the needs of the disabled traveller. The specialist sports facilities at ASPIRE, are a very positive strength for the borough in terms of being able to attract Paralympic pre-training camp activity. 4,500 disabled athletes and disabled visitors will come to the Paralympic Games and many will want to attend other events and attractions. Harrow Museum is a good example of a listed heritage building which has recently become DDA compliant by implementing an accessible toilet and new sliding doors for wheelchair accessibility.
However, there is only a very small proportion of UK hotel rooms or guest-houses which are wheelchair accessible. We therefore need to draw attention to the needs of travellers with disabilities and ensure that the recognised code of practice - the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) continues to be used in any new hotel developments /attractions and that changes can be made wherever possible to existing accommodation stock.
Sustainability: Harrow’s tourism development must not exceed capacity particularly when bearing in mind the population growth, which is forecast for Harrow town centre in the coming years. Actions taken therefore need to promote and facilitate good quality design, be sustainable and consistent with our plans. Economic sustainability also recognises that local economies are subject to change and plans may need to be refined to take account of this. - 12 - 154 The population projections show that we will need to accommodate more people in the borough by 2026 and build new homes. As mentioned in the Enterprising Harrow strategy, “whilst there is a definite need to increase the supply of housing this should largely be on land designated for housing use, with the limited release of employment land after strategic review.” Applications have already been approved for hotel development within redundant town centre office space, which would not only increase both the vitality and footfall in the town centre but also create more local jobs for local people. In order to improve the long term economic, social and environmental sustainability of the borough it is important to ensure that we are attracting a wider spread of visitors across the day and evening, throughout the year and around the borough.
It is widely acknowledged that all activities cause environmental and social impacts. The current visitor management models set goals and objectives, based on desired conditions serving as the baseline for planning. Visitor numbers at attractions should therefore be set in accordance with agreed upon standards. This depends not only how many people are in an area, but also how these users are affecting the area’s natural and cultural resources. The most effective models therefore set limits to impacts rather than visitation by using ecological and social indicators through field studies and user surveys. This is particularly of relevance for sites where the physical buildings are fragile, for example Headstone Manor at Harrow Museum where visits must be staggered in carefully monitored group tours.
Harrow Council is taking a very innovative approach to preserving the 500 year old Tithe Barn at Harrow Museum. The Council hopes to preserve the building into the future by using eco- friendly methods which could include thermally efficient insulation, solar panels and energy efficient lighting. These improvements would have to be very carefully planned in partnership with English Heritage to ensure that the historic character of the building is preserved. However if approved, this approach would not only help to sustain the building into the future but also provide another added attraction to the site.
It is also important that both our accommodation suppliers and also our attractions are aware of best practice in terms of environmentally sound working practices such as the recently published “Green Tourism Business Scheme.” The Council is currently implementing free business advice for all Harrow businesses through the Smart Works scheme. This type of initiative aims to save businesses money by improving their energy efficiency. There is also scope to increase uptake of this type of scheme by introducing annual awards for the best “green tourism business” in the borough. Hotels, restaurants and attractions should also be encouraged to adopt “green waste energy practices” including segregation, recycling, composting and using renewable energy as part of their eco-certification. A carbon footprint audit could also be carried out by the Carbon Trust to enhance the work already being done in this area.
Waste management is also another aspect of sustainability that needs to be factored into the strategy. Events and attractions that receive high levels of footfall need to follow best practice in terms of responsible waste management. This is particularly important during council events such as Under One Sky where the Council can send out a clear message to residents and businesses on best practice in the area of waste management and make a positive contribution to the council’s recycling targets of 50% by 2012.
Harrow should also take advantage of The Mayor of London’s global role in tackling climate change to make London “ a sustainable world city”. Harrow’s excellent public transport links, wide open green spaces and the policy of encouraging Londoners to stay and enjoy different aspects of their own city could all be used to positive effect to market Harrow more successfully to local audiences. The London Loop and the Capital Ring walking networks are also another effective means of encouraging Londoners from outside the borough to visit Harrow in a sustainable manner.
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Harrow’s excellent public transport links in terms of underground and overland train connections are a huge asset to the borough and should be promoted more to local visitors prior to departure. Visitors can currently travel from Heathrow airport to Harrow by bus for only £2.00. Similarly any European visitors arriving into Kings Cross Station by Eurostar can take advantage of a twelve minute journey from the nearby Euston station to Harrow and Wealdstone. However visitors also need to be warned in advance of the current weekend disruption on the train and tube lines which will extend until 2012. Replacement bus services are not always a viable alternative for visitors and they therefore need to be warned as and when this is going to occur. A six month advance plan for tube disruption is now available on the Transport for London (TfL) website.
Traffic congestion and illegal parking caused by football fans attending matches at Wembley Stadium are two negative aspects of Harrow’s close proximity to the Stadium. This type of visitor contributes very little to the local economy and has an adverse impact on the local environment in congestion and pollution. The Council is currently looking at several options to alleviate this situation by providing more regulated parking restrictions particularly around the Stanmore area. A more strategic response to this problem would be for London boroughs to work with transport providers to provide more parking facilities north of Watford to accommodate traffic coming to London from the M1. Extra high speed train services with additional stops at Wembley Stadium could then be provided to accommodate the high density of visitors on these days.
As part of the sustainability agenda, it is also important that we encourage local businesses to use local services in order to ensure that more local money stays within the local area. The council has been instrumental in creating new business forums and linkages with Harrow in Business to ensure that networking opportunities are created.
Marketing & Promotion
Harrow brand: in order to market Harrow externally to a number of different markets, there is a need for closer joint-working with individual departments and with the Council’s communications team to provide a more seamless approach. The Council’s desire to encourage inward investment opportunities has a similar aim to increasing tourism expenditure and uses similar marketing techniques with attendance at trade shows being one of the prime examples. By working more closely together and creating one single identity for Harrow in our marketing material, the “Harrow” brand will become more established in a shorter time-span and will gain greater credibility to our diverse audiences. In terms of market research, the new tourism strategy will be seeking to use the new customer insight programme to help understand and target market segments identified in this new research.
The London Development Agency commissioned a destination branding report for West London in 2006 which highlighted “the need for destinations to associate themselves in consumer’s minds with strong themes, landmark places or with neighbouring destination brands.” In the local area, Harrow School and Wembley Stadium are both very strong brands in consumer’s minds and it is for this reason that Wembley Stadium is included in Harrow tourism trade events and site visits. For a similar reason, Harrow School is also prominently featured on all marketing collateral and all tourism events. Harrow School is also featured in Visit London’s new “only in London” worldwide marketing campaign which highlights the School as being an integral part of London’s unique appeal to visitors.
Local Londoners: We will also focus this attention on ‘staycation’ –the new trend for hard up families in Britain to holiday at home. We will therefore look to encourage Londoners who want to get away from the city for a long weekend but who do not want to pay hidden charges of low cost flying or get stuck in a motorway traffic jam. We will also promote our other strengths which include our - 14 - 156 heritage attractions such as Harrow School, excellent restaurants and the borough’s ‘unlimited legroom’ in our expansive green belt. We will position this as a ‘weekend in the country without leaving the city’. There is also scope to promote our cultural and arts events at the Harrow Arts Centre to local audiences outside of the borough by linking low-cost pre-theatre restaurant offers with entertainment at the Arts Centre. During times of recession, consumers need to feel that they are getting very good value for money to counteract the feelings of “guilt” that are associated with spending money.
Harrow’s range of diverse events from traditional May Day and St George’s Day celebrations through to Under One Sky also offer scope for attracting the residents market and in turn the visits from friends and relatives. Harrow’s participation in pan-London events such as Open House and the London Story also offer opportunities to attract more local Londoners from further afield in the capital.
It is therefore vital that we continue to develop local knowledge and pride in our city, all the more so during these uncertain times when consumer confidence is low. The Olympic Games therefore provides a positive focus for our communities and an opportunity to enjoy the facilities and resources that are right here on our doorstep. Some host cities have seen a reduction in domestic visitors because people fear the area will be dominated by building sites in the run-up to the Games or overcrowding during them. Defying the displacement effect is therefore a major challenge in the important lead-up to the Games. Encouraging residents to spend time in their own boroughs rather than going further a field means more money is retained in the local economy which is all the more important during an economic downturn. Visit London has already initiated specific marketing campaigns aimed at Londoners including the “London Villages” campaign in summer 2007, which transformed Trafalgar Square into a village green and more recently in 2008, the “great outdoors” campaign. Both campaigns highlighted in innovative ways the different aspects of the city that are right here on our doorstep. Harrow’s obvious strengths include our heritage offer, the borough’s expansive greenbelt area and also our award-winning restaurants which range from Michelin rated haute cuisine through to great value for money ethnically diverse offerings such as Wealdstone’s MASA – (Time Out award- winner for Best Cheap Eats.)
Average spend for tourism day trips to London is approximately £28.50. Of the 130 million tourism day trips taken in London each year, over 95 million are taken by Londoners and 68% of day trips by Londoners are to London. The table below demonstrates average spending on leisure items:
London’s spend on leisure items
Area of expenditure % above UK average Restaurant and cafe 40% Alcohol drinking outside the 12% home Watching and participating in 31% sports and leisure Cinemas, theatre and other 30% entertainment
There is however a decrease in overnight stays from UK residents. There is an expectation that the hotels will be hardest hit during the credit crunch and we therefore need to improve the offer to visitors by offering added value for money. For example, the Grim’s Dyke Hotel currently markets itself as an easily accessible, affordable country retreat for Londoners who want to get away from it all for a weekend but want to avoid the lengthy motorway queues on Friday and Sunday nights. Working collaborations between hotels and leisure attractions could also create mutually beneficial packages to maximise the benefits of repeat visitors who regularly visit the borough. - 15 - 157
Current collaborations include hotels working with private gyms and golf facilities to create one day visitor passes and this type of initiative could be extended to other businesses. There are also opportunities for joined up working between tourism and cultural services to expand the leisure passport project not only to residents but also to repeat visitors and visiting friends and relatives.
In terms of local Londoners and our resident population, there is a great deal of scope to promote the value for money and free events and activities that take place in Harrow. In particular, our extensive green belt area offers opportunities for local walks, exercise and family activities in a wide variety of parks, wood and heathland areas. Harrow is also home to London’s only subterranean skateboard park. St Lawrence and St John the Evangelist Churches offer free guided tours throughout the year. Harrow Museum offers low cost guided tours, exhibitions and jazz afternoons. The Harrow Arts Centre also offers a wide diversity of performances, classes and events at competitive prices without the need to pay the congestion charge or high parking fees in central London.
International visitors and visits from friends and relatives (VFR) Of the £161 million of tourism spending in Harrow in 2006, overseas visitors contributed half of the total expenditure l (£81 million) while domestic day visitors contributed £59 million pounds and domestic overnight stay visitors contributed £21 million. While this expenditure is expected to increase over the coming years, the current economic decline must also be taken into account in any future forecasts.
Harrow’s ethnic diversity is undoubtedly a great resource for inbound tourism as foreign expatriates living in Harrow are likely to invite friends or relatives back in their country of origin to visit them. The International Passenger Survey reports that in 2003 nearly 7 million inbound visits were to see friends and relatives (that’s 28% of all visits), accounting for £2.64billion of spending. The multicultural environment of Harrow is a welcoming message for overseas visitors regardless of the purpose of their visit. Bearing in mind the loss of consumer confidence of late, saving money on accommodation by staying with family and friends is likely to be a growing trend at this time. Added to this, the decreased value of the pound will make the UK a cheaper option for overseas visitors who may well have been put off visiting London before due to the expense involved.
British tourism does not simply benefit from the spending of those coming to visit friends and relatives. The hosts will also participate in at least some of the leisure activity that their visitors undertake during the period of the visit, be this eating out at a restaurant or visiting an attraction. Furthermore, the local economy will benefit from other indirect expenditure by the host on items such as groceries.
According to demographics from the 2001 census, nearly a third of Harrow’s residents were of Asian or Asian-British origin (over 63,000 people in total.) The Indian group is the largest ethnic minority group in Harrow with over 45,300 Indian citizens in Harrow according to the 2001 census. India is currently one of the fastest growing world economies with the Indian middle class already the size of the entire US population and growing by around £30 million per year. The average length of stay is 26 nights and the average spend per person visiting is £856.00. The Indian market is very much linked to visiting friends and relatives with 50% of Indian visitors overall staying as a free guest with friends and family when they visit the UK. Family and friends not only provide this market with a place to stay but also provide information on itineraries, transport, attractions and emotional reassurance. In the current economic climate, it is likely we will see this market continue to grow.
To reach this market ahead of the 2012 Games, we need to ensure that our marketing to residents reaches and influences our ethnic minority groups through celebrating the borough’s cultural and social diversity. As India is changing there is a danger in relying on the historical - 16 - 158 link between Britain and India as an incentive for visiting. Indian people are becoming more self-confident in India and the part that India will play globally in the future. Visiting Bollywood film locations is now a growing incentive for travel in the UK. In 2006, 40 Indian productions were filmed in London alone. Film London, the capital’s film and media agency already produce a fact sheet for Indian production companies as well as practical advice and on-the-ground support. However there is also an opportunity for the West London Film Office to proactively market West London venues to the Bollywood film industry to increase visitor numbers and to ensure that when friends and relatives come to visit, their tourism expenditure remains within West London. There are also opportunities for Harrow to work directly with Indian film companies through the West London Film Office to offer site visits and familiarisation trips locations in the area. As an example of what has been done elsewhere, to further target Indian visitors, the Yorkshire Tourist Board have created a “Top 10 Indian gems in Yorkshire” to attract visitors from the Indian sub-continent and elsewhere. Harrow’s close proximity to Neasden Temple, excellent range of Indian restaurants and strong reputation in Indian dancing are all very positive strengths in attracting this market. Harrow School and Pinner High Street are already two very popular filming locations in the borough and more could be made of these and other locations in Harrow.
The Olympic brand allows an opportunity to create commonality in our communities and provides an ideal opportunity to create a feeling of civic pride. Inclusive community initiatives such as Under One Sky, the Asian Archive at Harrow Museum and the inclusive programming of the Harrow Arts Centre successfully highlights the diverse culture on offer in Harrow. It is therefore very important that the council’s tourism and cultural strategies are very closely linked together to ensure that Harrow makes the most of the opportunities that the Olympic Games represent. These different strands can be brought together through the Council’s Championing Harrow strategy, which seeks to make the most of the Olympic opportunities through different work streams including Tourism and Economic Development, Clutural Celebration and Young People, Sports participation and Health.
In addition to the four year Cultural Olympiad, there will also be a strong cultural focus to the main Olympic ceremonies which will include major international festivals: a World Cultural Festival, the International Shakespeare Festival and an International Museums Exhibition. There will also be a UK-wide cultural festival of community cultural projects. The Cultural Olympiad itself will involve theatres and museums; libraries and stately homes; cinema and digital technology and live music, dance and comedy. The new Gayton library facility in Harrow town centre benefits from one of the highest take up rates of library facilities among resident populations and also attracts visitors of other ethnicities who travel to Harrow to use its music library. The facility could therefore provide a central focus for the promotion of events and participatory activities relating to the Cultural Olympiad for both residents and other visitors.
Australia saw a 30% increase in visitor participation in cultural activities after a similar exercise linked to the Sydney Games. By Involving all of our communities in inclusive Cultural Olympiad activity, we can create a more cohesive feeling of civic pride among the different nationalities who live in the borough and encourage more money to be retained In Harrow during visits from friends and relatives. To mark the launch of the Cultural Olympiad, the Harrow Arts Centre participated In Open Rehearsal which encouraged all our of communities to visit the Arts Centre to participate in the very diverse range of events on offer. Access to culture in Harrow needs to be made more readily available to all our communities and there is a need for marketing and communications campaigns to actively encourage take up in these areas. The Harrow Arts Centre has recently had a great deal of success In targeting the Asian market through diverse arts programming and by employing culturally specific techniques such as offering complimentary food with events. They have also used key influencers within community groups and within community centres to spread the word about targeted events. In March this year the retro Bollywood band night sold out completely and had a waiting list of around 200 people. - 17 - 159
In terms of attracting visitors for the Olympic Games, Harrow is proactively targeting selected countries for pre-training camp activity in the two years leading up to 2012. The choice of countries not only reflects the ethnicities who are already settled in the borough but also considers the capacity that the borough Is able to accommodate. In addition to the athletes themselves, Harrow would also benefit from the residual spend of their visiting friends and relatives who would also be supporting them during their stay. By creating these links with countries In advance, Harrow can establish Itself as a welcoming place to visit to encourage further repeat business In the future.
Business travel: Business tourism accounts for a quarter of all overseas visitors and 31% of inbound tourism earnings. It also has a wider economic impact through associated travel, entertainment, shopping and tours – worth £22 billion a year. The typical business visitor spends nearly £120.00 a day, almost twice as much as the average leisure traveller. Such year-round activity supports 530,000 jobs, many of them full-time, and has made the UK the third most popular destination for international meetings after America and Germany. Whilst this may be an area affected by the global economic downturn, conversely, visiting the UK is now a cheaper option for businesses which may result in more interest.
Harrow currently has a wide range of venues from modern, budget town centre hotel and office meeting rooms to historic and prestigious venues such as the Tithe Barn at Harrow Museum to the world-famous Harrow School. Harrow’s strong travel interconnectivity in terms of public transport and motorways is another strong selling point for this market. Venues available in the wider West London sub-region also offer a wealth of famous historic and sporting venues including Chelsea Football Club, BBC, Chiswick House and Wembley Stadium.
The business travel market has already been targeted on a sub-regional basis with West London participating in CONFEX, the leading conference and events exhibition in the industry, which takes place in February each year at Earls Court. 125 leads were obtained from the show and further confirmed business was obtained during post-event familiarisation trips around Wembley Stadium and Harrow. However there is a need for continued promotion in order to be able to compete with other London venues and destinations. In addition to trade events and familiarisation trips, regular e-communications are now being established to keep businesses aware of new products, promotions and raise awareness of Harrow town centre’s developing infrastructure. Over the last two years, we have worked hard to build up our contacts within the business travel market and in the present difficult financial climate, there needs to be more of a focus on retaining our repeat business by giving added value wherever possible.
VisitBritain is currently working to maximise business tourism by encouraging conference organisers to come to Britain. EventBritain is a new dedicated events unit to support sporting, cultural and business events organisations. The unit will provide access to specialist support, linking the Britain brand to business tourism much more than before. It is essential for Britain to maximise the opportunity of hosting the 2012 Games. Our analysis of previous Games in Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney, shows that business visits and events could accrue up to 50 per cent of the overall tourism economic benefits of hosting the 2012 Games. EventBritain is a key unit in ensuring that this potential is fulfilled and we therefore need to ensure that Harrow gets a slice of the action as part of the wider West London offer.
"Events for London" has been established as a one stop shop for anyone staging an event in the capital. It can help organisers sort out accommodation, transport, security and other needs. The organisation will also develop new events that complement the city’s cultural diversity, expand existing events and attract major international festivals and forums. DCMS also supports proposals for a major new International Convention Centre (ICC) in London. A feasibility study for the Mayor advised that the new ICC could generate an extra £400 million for the capital with at least 5,500 extra jobs. - 18 - 160
Group Travel Market The group travel market is another area of significant growth into the future and Harrow benefits from having some heritage interest which could be augmented in the coming years by the addition of the Heath Robinson collection in West House, Pinner and also the historical aspects of RAF Bentley Priory. These two additional attractions would provide enough product to create group travel itineraries around the borough. Themed itineraries provide the most interest to special interest groups and the themes of architecture/ heritage and British history could be applied to many Harrow venues including Harrow School, Headstone Manor, Grim’s Dyke Hotel, West House and Bentley Priory. Harrow School already attracts 8-10,000 visitors a year from the group travel market mainly from “probus” groups who mainly consist of Women’s Guild, National Trust groups etc.
Group sizes are declining and tend to be around 20-30 people rather than 50-100 people. Coaches are more environmentally friendly than cars since they achieve the economic benefit of transporting more people at the same time and have the benefit of being managed (fixed drop off and pick up points and designated parking areas). The majority of Harrow hotels have free parking areas, which are unobtrusive and would not adversely affect the local residents. Group travel itineraries further spread visitors more widely across the borough with potential new trade not only for the attractions but also for the restaurants, cafes and shops situated in the near vicinity.
The legacy following the 2012 Games also presents an opportunity to offer a different tour itinerary to our 2012 games supporters who may wish to return to see another side of the capital in the aftermath of the Games. Having experienced all that east London has to offer, there is also considerable scope to develop “West London” itineraries to encourage Olympic visitors to return and discover another side to the city.
This method of using the Games as a catalyst to expand interest and curiosity for other parts of the host nation was used to great effect by the Sydney Olympics when their tourism industry continued to benefit from the Games for years after by offering different itineraries across the country. It would also be in Harrow’s benefit to link in with other similar attractions in the local area such as Syon House etc or with a similar product theme such as Harrow on the Hill, Highgate and/or Hampstead. In contrast to central London, Harrow’s venues offer free car parking facilities and no congestion charge zone. Itineraries could also be used for school visits etc
Skills and Training The Hospitality, Leisure, Tourism and Travel (HLTT) industry in London supports 280,000 jobs. The restaurant industry is the largest in terms of employment, followed by pubs, bars, nightclubs and hotels. It is a major growth sector, with 27% growth in employment during 1995-2000, which exceeds the London average of 17.7%. Currently there are also quite considerable staff shortages - chefs and waiting staff are the most predominate “hard to fill” vacancies with 70 and 68% of vacancies unfilled, respectively. In addition, the hospitality industry experiences difficulties recruiting housekeepers (57% unfilled), hotel porters (55% unfilled) and catering assistants (61%).
A relatively low proportion of employment in tourism and leisure is taken by “in-commuters” and 89% of workers employed in the sector in London are Londoners. Hospitality could therefore help provide the means with which to ensure that local people in Harrow have access to local jobs. Hospitality jobs also provide a greater degree of flexibility to enable groups such as single parents and carers to work during periods that are best suited to their needs.
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These shortages are further compounded by the very high turnover of the industry generally. The difficulties in staff retention are affected to some degree by perceptions of the industry being low-skilled and low-paid. However according to recent research, it is predicted that by 2014, there will be a decrease of 19,000 in the number of those working in “elementary occupations” and an increase of 41,000 in the number of managers. There therefore needs to be greater awareness of the variety of jobs and the career progression that can be achieved in the industry.
The UK Skills Passport is a new and unique online resource that has been developed to provide comprehensive information and tools on skills development, training, jobs, qualifications and access to funding in the tourism and hospitality industries. This is intended to make it easier for employers to recruit and retain good staff and help employees to take control of their learning. The site also contains a very useful mind map outlining the possible career progression for students entering the industry.
The Council’s Economic Development Team are currently working on new approaches to tackling worklessness such as “Slivers of Time” which was originally funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). The scheme works by matching potential employees from the local area to organisations who are urgently seeking people to carry out short hourly contracts for 1-3 days. The flexibility of the scheme is particularly well suited to hotel, leisure and entertainment facilities who frequently need employees at short notice at varied times during the day and evening. This approach would help to meet the targets of the West London City Strategy Pathfinder, which aims to reach a target of 80% or working age people in employment. Hotels and leisure attractions are also being consulted on the Council’s Xcite project, which aims to target specific areas of deprivation in the borough to reduce rates of worklessness by providing one to one coaching and access to local work. In response to the recession, the Council has also just recently launched the Harrow pledge which aims to create a borough that remains good for business and where residents have the appropriate learning opportunities, skills and knowledge to join the workforce. This will take the form of a partnership network between the Council, Job CentrePlus and the local colleges to create a co-ordinated approach to skills and employment. The pledge recognises the importance of developing the skills of our workforce during recession to aid future recovery.
Customer service issues Recent research conducted by Visit Britain indicates that overseas visitors’ perceptions and experiences of customer service in Britain are poor. A further 57% of visitor economy businesses believe that the customer service skills of their employees could be improved. It is for this reason that the London Development Agency with support from the Learning & Skills Council and People 1st, are compiling a “Gold standard customer service for 2012 and beyond” Plan to improve existing levels of customer service.
Consultation with hotels in Harrow has also indicated that some of the current tourism and travel courses do not sufficiently equip today’s students with the practical skills they need in today’s industry. Some progress to this end has been achieved over the past two years by People 1st and the industry in identifying skills priorities and working with stakeholders on developing long- term solutions. In 2007, the DCMS and People 1st launched the employer led “Raising the Bar”: the national skills strategy for hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sectors in England. Raising the bar outlines a ten point plan focussing on management and leadership, chefs and customer service and on improving staff retention in the industry. It is important to ensure that these findings are put to practical use in today’s training courses in colleges. Following consultation at local level, there is also scope to create work- based projects where students could assist tourism providers on set projects. This has already been successfully piloted by Stanmore College who have worked together with the Grim’s Dyke hotel to produce new marketing material. The projects also allow employers to select the most promising students to take up permanent positions as and when they arise. - 20 - 162
Personal Best: Funded by the London Development Agency (LDA) and Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the Personal Best programme will help participants find jobs and training opportunities. Graduates of the scheme will also be offered an interview to be a volunteer during the London 2012 Games. Harrow College is already implementing the Personal Best training scheme in the area of events organising for local people. There is great potential to use these new labour skills either within volunteering opportunities but also as part of the Cultural Olympiad and tourism activity over the coming years.
London Ambassadors Scheme: The welcome a visitor receives at a destination is key to the tourism experience. Visitors and participants also cite the visitor welcome as one of the main measures of success for Olympic and Paralympic Games. With this in mind the LDA has invested in a scheme that provides new skills to existing customer-facing staff, helping them to move from local experts to London Ambassadors.
The underlying principle is that free, impartial and reliable information goes a long way to creating a sense of comfort and confidence among visitors when they are in unfamiliar surroundings, and therefore enhances the sense of welcome. The first recipients of the training have been neighbourhood wardens who currently provide a uniformed presence in parts of the capital, offering an additional level of information and security for visitors exploring London. In the first year over 200 wardens have been through the programme from warden schemes in the boroughs of Camden, Greenwich, Hammersmith & Fulham, Islington, Merton, Newham, Southwark, Waltham Forest, and Westminster City Council. The scheme is now being rolled out to other staff at key visitor contact points such Heathrow Terminal 5 and TfL Travel Centres. Previous examples of excellent customer service could be taken from other destinations such as New Zealand where ambassadors were put in place in the main airports to welcome and assist visitors on arrival.
It is the LDA’s intention to roll out this scheme to the outer London boroughs later on this year. Bearing in mind Harrow’s ethnic diversity, it would also be advantageous to make use of the borough’s language skills through voluntary work placements for new arrivals or other ethnic minority groups who are struggling to gain permanent employment. This would increase the skills of the local workforce providing customer service experience which could later be put to use in a hospitality setting.
The role of volunteering The 2012 Games provide a major catalyst to increasing levels of current volunteering across the UK. 70,000 volunteers will be needed in total and the volunteer programme has already become massively oversubscribed. The criteria for choosing volunteers will to a large extent be based upon experience of volunteering at a local level. This provides a great opportunity for local authorities to capitalise on the interest and enthusiasm for volunteering which the 2012 Games will generate.
Local level volunteering would also create an opportunity to increase local pride in Harrow by encouraging locals to take an active part in improving and promoting their local area. This could include conservation work at attractions or creating a range of regular guided walks to incorporate the Harrow Heritage Trails. Volunteering is now one of the Council’s Local Area Agreement (LAA) targets and as such, new innovations such as the one-4-one scheme where council employees are released for one hour’s volunteering a week, will help to encourage local volunteering opportunities for staff.
The growth in interest in employer supported volunteering is characteristic of a much larger movement to encourage employers - business and the public sector to become more socially aware and accountable. Employers are increasingly realising that they have responsibilities on - 21 - 163 many levels, and everything from employment records and human rights to environmental issues is under scrutiny – not just from pressure groups, but from shareholders, customers, and potential investors and business partners. The idea of integrating these issues with business operations and strategy is called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). A joint-working partnership approach between Harrow Association of Voluntary Services (HAVS), Harrow council and the local businesses could ensure an integrated approach to creating volunteering opportunities in the tourism sector.
Quality Improvement
Accommodation Quality of accommodation is the single biggest complaint from visitors who spend time in Britain. Currently, only 34% of accommodation in the capital is quality assessed. Research has demonstrated that visitors do not return to a destination if the accommodation did not meet with their expectations. In London this is particularly problematic when bearing in mind that accommodation is very expensive when compared with other similar city break destinations abroad. In order to therefore raise standards and protect repeat visits that the 2012 Games hopes to generate, the LDA has launched a £1.6 million incentive package to increase the proportion of quality accreditation to 50% by 2010.
The scheme, which was rolled out in 2007, offers non-assessed properties a £400.00 reduction over a three-year period in the costs of becoming assessed. This is of particular benefit to B&B operators who find the costs of the scheme prohibitive. In more recent months, the effects of the credit crunch have been felt particularly in the guest- house accommodation sector with several properties in Harrow reporting a noticeable decrease in trade. As the battle for trade becomes more competitive, this provides a timely opportunity to highlight the benefits of increased publicity and business advice which quality assessment would give to struggling businesses in this sector. In the run up to 2012 it is also important to maintain this momentum and ensure that the new businesses are also informed from the start of the importance of being quality assessed.
The Government is also seeking to make visitors more aware of the benefits of booking assessed accommodation by employing consumer marketing techniques in the press and through Visit London. By increasing public awareness in this area, it is hoped that quality- assessment will become a recognisable benchmark of quality for the public in the same way that ABTA bonding has in the package holiday market. There are also plans to incorporate a number of well-known customer feedback sites such as tripadvisor as a means of improving accommodation and facilities. Following a consultation between DCMS and Visit Britain, it has been agreed that the England Net internet portal should contain a facility for electronic feedback. This would be designed to provide reliable, mediated feedback. Such a scheme, would also provide an opportunity to promote it through the www.visitharrow.co.uk website.
Visitor Attractions Over the course of the next decade, Harrow’s range of attractions may grow to include Bentley Priory and also West House in Pinner Memorial Park. However these facilities will not come forward until the whole site is developed and may take longer in the current economic crisis unless there is a contribution made by the Government to secure them earlier.
However the council has made a financial contribution to West House which is helpful.
In order to ensure that all our attractions are fit for purpose, it is highly recommended that they also become accredited. The Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance (VAQAS), was launched nationally in 2001. It is a customer focussed quality assessment service for all types of attractions. It helps to identify the strengths of an attraction and highlights development areas based on industry examples. A wide range of attractions of all sizes, both large and small, throughout England have benefited from this service. - 22 - 164
It is estimated that 4,500 disabled athletes and a large number of disabled visitors will come to the Paralympic Games. Many will want to attend other events and attractions. It is important that they find them accessible. The Olympic Village and stadia will be fully accessible, as will London buses, black cabs and the Docklands Light Railway from 2008.
Pedestrian Signage Signage for both pedestrians and road users are a common source of frustration for venues and visitors. A recent study showed that there are 32 different types of signage for walkers in central London alone and that 44 per cent of pedestrians use the tube map to help them navigate.
Transport for London (TfL) is working with the LDA tourism team on the Legible London project, to help encourage more journeys by foot and improve pedestrians’ quality of experience. Its long term aim is the design, development and roll-out of a consistent and simple pedestrian wayfinding system.
It is imperative that good co-ordinated pedestrian signage exists from Harrow on the Hill train station to the new Gayton Road TIC facility. Following consultation, it has also been made apparent that clear signage from the train station also needs to be able to direct the visitor to the village of Harrow on the Hill. Much confusion also surrounds the place name of Harrow on the Hill as many visitors confuse the village with the town centre as “Harrow on the Hill” is the name used on the tube map to the town centre. While changing the actual place name may prove difficult to implement, clear signage must direct the visitor to both destinations.
Signage for road users Since the implementation of the previous tourism strategy, Harrow now has six new white-on- brown signs implemented for the Grim’s Dyke Hotel, one replacement sign for Harrow Museum and one new sign for Harrow Museum implemented at the top of Harrow View. More progress needs to be made with signing other attractions in the borough and also incorporating new attractions such as RAF Bentley Priory and West House in the years leading up to 2012 in order that a co-ordinated system of signage is created.
The LDA’s guidance on white-on-brown tourism signs in London was published in June 2007. The original project, based on stakeholder consultation and research, looked at how effective these road signs are in informing visitors and how they could be used more efficiently by visitor attractions, businesses and local authority transport and tourism officers.
Harrow town centre hotels have also expressed an interest in road signage. According to regulations outlined by Transport for London (TfL), due to the high proportion of hotels that already exist in London, it is not possible to provide signage for individual hotels. However, it has been noted that particularly at weekends, leisure visitors contribute to congestion particularly around Northwick Park roundabout due to problems finding hotels – this is most notably the case with the Comfort Hotel Harrow. Current legislation does not allow for hotels in London to be signposted but there is a definite need to simplify the visitor’s experience of reaching their destination. An alternative solution might be to introduce 3D navigational instructions on the Visit Harrow website or liaise with Satellite Navigation companies to enable visitors to find their way more easily to the hotel.
Product Development
Hotel Development The Mayor’s Tourism Vision for London 2006-2016, has recognised that there is great demand on London’s existing accommodation stock. A total of 40,000 extra hotel rooms will be required between 200 9 and 2026. The geographical spread of hotels is also expected to increase with a large number of developments planned for East and West London. Hotel developers have strict - 23 - 165 criteria when making a decision on a site and the key trends in the spread of accommodation across the city are linked to such factors as regeneration initiatives, proximity to strong leisure drivers and good transport links.
Harrow’s good transport access and close proximity to Wembley Stadium, make it a strong contender for further hotel development in the future. Already two new hotel applications have been received in 2008. This is an opportunity for closer working partnerships between boroughs and developers to provide intelligence and ensure that both parties needs are met. While hotel development on disused brown field sites is a beneficial use of existing resources there is also a need to protect our environment as outlined in the Local Development Framework (LDF). The Good Practice Guide on Planning for Tourism published by the Department for Communities and Local Government provides good guidance on this. As Harrow town centre already has three town centre hotels which are all in the 3* category, it would be beneficial to encourage a slightly higher standard of hotel development such as the new Hamptons by Hilton brand which offers 3* plus facilities. This would also help to attract more affluent leisure visitors and higher yield business travellers. . . However in the current economic climate, this may be more of a long-term aspiration over the next decade.
Hotel occupancy in Harrow has shown a sharp increase in demand between 2005 and 2008. There have also been several instances of hotels in Harrow reaching the unprecedented figures of 115% occupancy in 2007. While much of this traffic can be attributed to the re-opening of Wembley Stadium, Harrow is also proving a popular overnight stay destination for many other pan-London events. Harrow’s good transport links to the east of the city via the Metropolitan and Jubilee lines will also put the borough on a good standing for an overnight stay destination for visitors attending the 2012 games and this ease of travel must be one of our key messages to our target audiences. The jubilee line provides a direct connection between Stansted and Stratford and takes only fifty- five minutes.
Town centre developments Whilst Harrow has one of the lowest levels of crime, the implementation of a town centre Police team has already had a very positive impact on the look and feel of the town centre and has also helped to reduce the fear of crime, making the town centre a more welcoming place. Harrow Council is also showing strong leadership by implementing sustainable measures for the future of the town centre, which include a Business Improvement District (BID) and a Town Centre Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). The Council is also supporting the development of major projects such as a new Harrow College, which will result in greater footfall and spending within the town centre. All of these plans are currently affected by the very difficult economic situation and remain longer term projects.
The Business Improvement District would allow town centre businesses to manage the town centre and allocate extra resources to improve its vitality and future prosperity. The BID levy would charge businesses a 1% increase according to their rateable value to create a collective annual fund worth in the region of £250.000. This fund would provide additional resources over and above what the council already provides. In other areas of London the BID has successfully implemented subsidised and sometimes free recycling schemes for local businesses who often struggle to be able to access and afford business recycling services. The Harrow BID would also seek to implement a car club for town centre businesses in order to cut down on the congestion and parking issues, which currently exist in the town centre.
The additional funds raised in the BID levy would be used to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, and to market and promote the town centre to residents, employees, shoppers and visitors. The marketing and promotion would include the delivery of a well-publicised and well- organised calendar of town centre events including international markets to raise the profile of Harrow and encourage greater footfall from more affluent areas of the borough. Recent research has also indicated that regular street markets have a very positive effect on shop vacancy rates in the surrounding area. The BID would also seek to encourage an evening - 24 - 166 economy in Harrow town centre with later shop opening hours and possible restaurant and leisure promotions. According to the Harrow town centre strategy, currently 40% of residents do not view Harrow town centre as their main shopping area. There is also scope in the new SPD to encourage more restaurants and entertainment facilities to occupy the area between the St George’s Shopping Centre and the bus station. This area feels particularly threatening at night due to the absence of footfall and evening economy. If the BID vote is attained, the town centre could apply for the new “purple flag” scheme which aims to highlight town centres which have improved and therefore challenge their previous negative image.
It will remain important to target resources on the visitors that we are already receiving due to events at Wembley Stadium, the O2 and other London venues, to create partnership activity with the retailers and other leisure facilities. Pre-departure information to potential visitors could include notice of town centre events, shopping promotions and late evening shopping opportunities to increase trade for the town centre and help add a greater feeling of vitality to the area. This form of promotion could also be extended to other attractions and events in differing areas of the borough in order to ensure that the benefits are spread equitably around the whole borough.
Sustainable transport Sustainable transport is defined as any public use of transport; trains, buses, car sharing, walking and cycling, all of which are considered to be less damaging to the environment and which contribute less to traffic congestion than one-person car journeys. Sustainable transport schemes can help reduce pressure from on-site traffic and save on the cost of providing parking, while protecting sites from the visual and noise pollution and physical damage of extending car parks. An attractive well-connected and well-promoted network of walking, cycling and public transport routes is an invitation to explore the environment and a valuable asset for any tourism destination.
Different tourists have different needs and subsequently their preferential use of public transport would depend on such factors as age range, mobility, available time and cost. Further analysis in the form of behavioural surveys therefore need to be conducted to determine which sustainable public transport modes would be most effective. As Harrow’s heritage attractions are geographically spread around the borough, there is a need to improve the public transport infrastructure around these sites. The Mayor’s Transport strategy aims to increase the bus network capacity by 40% over the coming years, which will be of particular benefit to Harrow. Higher service frequencies, better reliability and increased capacity on London underground will also benefit Harrow which is home to twelve different stations on three different tube lines and also excellent overground train connections both north and south of London. In terms of Harrow’s longer tourism development, the possible addition of new attractions such as West House and potentially Bentley Priory, could provide enough product to require a “loop” eco-friendly electric bus to take visitors around Harrow’s various attractions. While there would be fairly large cost implications attached to such a venture, there could be scope for attractions and restaurants to work together with the bus provider to offer a full package of attraction entry, transport and meals as part of complete day package. This method would support a range of businesses who could subsidise the running costs of the transport.
A good example of sustainable transport In tourism can be found at Prior Park Landscape Garden in Bath, the National Trust worked in partnership with the local bus operators to establish a bus stop outside the main entrance and there is now a service every twenty minutes throughout the year linking the city with the garden. Forming partnerships with other local attractions also allowed joint ticketing arrangements, which include the bus service. The property was also marketed as an environmentally sustainable attraction - one aspect of which is the green transport options available. The main leaflet for the site is designed to explain how to arrive without driving, and that, wherever you are, you can reach the gardens by bus or on foot. - 25 - 167
As front-line ambassadors for the borough, there is also a need to improve our bus drivers’ knowledge of the key tourism sites. During the course of the first strategy, bus drivers were invited to attend Harrow familiarisation trips to enhance their knowledge of the local area but unfortunately the transport contractors were unwilling to release their staff for such product training. Further lobbying of the bus companies needs to happen at sub-regional and national level to ensure that the service meets the needs of increasing numbers of visitors who may be entirely unfamiliar with the area.
There is also a need to enhance, increase and improve the existing walking and cycling networks currently available in Harrow. During “resident week” activities, the Harrow Heritage Trails have been of particular interest to residents with the highest take up of all the activities on offer. In response to the demand generated for this type of activity, there is scope to encompass the Harrow Heritage Trails into the existing volunteer walk leader programmes that are currently rolled out by the Harrow Primary Care Trust. Established walking networks such as the Capital Ring and London Loop should be promoted more to encourage more local Londoners to visit the borough and highlight the interconnectivity that exists between parks and walking routes and where this could be extended within current provision. There is also scope to enhance the current provision of cycle lanes in the borough and improve their interconnectivity in order to encourage more residents and visitors to visit the borough by bike. While currently funding issues have hampered the progression of this work, it is still an important issue that could be addressed through external means such as the North West Greenways consultation. If cycling is to be developed further in the borough, further attention will also need to be given to cycle racks and storage facilities particularly at public transport gateways, restaurants, hotels and other areas.
Volunteering could be used in this way to provide regular guided walks of the local area, increase health benefits, improve residents’ knowledge of local attractions and help to instil a higher level of civic pride in all our residents. There is also great scope to encourage more local tourism by encouraging residents to visit and support the heritage attractions and expansive greenbelt area that Harrow offers. The attractions offer a fantastic insight into Harrow’s past with many tours provided free of charge or for only a nominal fee, as is the case for Harrow Museum.
Harrow is also known for its fantastic range of restaurants. The Grim’s Dyke Hotel and Incanto both have AA rosettes and Friends restaurant in Pinner is Michelin rated. At the other end of the spectrum, MASA in Wealdstone was runner up in the Time Out Cheap Eats Awards 2006, and Curry Mahal won Best restaurant in Greater London in the British Curry Awards 2005. Sea Pebbles restaurant in Hatch End has also won the Observer, Evening Standard and Sea Fish industry awards. Restaurants are one of Harrow’s real strengths and represent an important sector of Harrow’s evening economy and more therefore needs to be done to promote them to local audiences particularly during recession
The Government guidance on local transport planning recognises that, more than any other area of policy, transport needs to be joined up with the wider planning and policy framework. In the National Policy context, “the future of transport – a network for 2030”, The following objectives would have particular relevance to tourism. “Enabling people to make informed choices and how and when they travel and providing bus services that are reliable, flexible, convenient and tailored to local needs.” By providing greater flexibility, tourism could for the first time be factored in the criteria for future investment in transport planning.
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New attractions Harrow’s heritage offer will be significantly enhanced in the following years by the possible addition of both RAF Bentley Priory and West House in Pinner Memorial Park. Bentley Priory is a mixed use site which means that its status as a visitor attraction will be limited to set opening days and times during the year. However its historical areas including the Sir Hugh Dowding Room are of considerable interest to the public at large and the site therefore represents a major draw for local residents/ Londoners and for specialist group travel operators. The prestigious and historic nature of the site would also provide an excellent venue for corporate meetings, conferences and events for the high yield business travel sector. The current difficult economic climate has led the developer VSM to postpone marketing the site until next year. In the meantime, the Porfolio Holder for Planning, Development and Enterprise has lobbied the government for financial assistance to secure the museum.
West House will be converted into an art gallery to display the William Heath Robinson Trust Collection. In addition, the restored house will also contain an art gallery to international standards, community education and function rooms, a space for historical archives including the Pinner Books of Remembrance, a café and a museum shop. The interest in the collection was demonstrated in 2005 when a touring temporary exhibition in the UK recorded the highest visitor numbers for any free exhibition in the UK. In addition to domestic interest, Heath Robinson also has a great following in Japan and therefore provides a greater draw by the more lucrative overseas visitor markets. The creation of these two new sites could also encourage greater trade for the surrounding town centre areas of Stanmore and Pinner, where restaurants, shops and cafes could benefit from the increased trade visiting these attractions. Best practice in visitor management policies are important in the development of both these sites to ensure the respect of the historic aspects of the site, enhance the visual quality of the site and ensure that the development fits in well with its surroundings.
Monitoring and Evaluation 2009-2012
The council will evaluate the success of this tourism strategy by measuring the following areas:
Increase in the number of accommodation bed spaces by 10%
Increase in overseas visitor spend by 10% from £81 million to £89 million
Increase visitor spend by 10% from £161 million to £177 million
Increase the number of quality assessed accommodation from 42% to 60%
Establish quality management systems - to include customer satisfaction measures. (A target of 70% good to excellent satisfaction measurements.)
Increase number of jobs generated by tourism in the borough by 5%
The strategy will also contribute to the below
- 27 - 169 national indicators and Enterprising Harrow indicator framework:
NI15: general satisfaction with local area NI16: Participation in regular volunteering
Conclusion
The council has an important role to play in the development of the visitor economy in Harrow. Tourism’s re-positioning within the Planning, Development and Enterprise directorate reflects the important emphasis placed on tourism as part of the wider economic development remit. The promotion, management and development of tourism in the borough will not only enhance the visitor experience but will also improve the quality of life of our residents who will benefit from upgraded facilities such as heritage attractions, parks and open spaces and other tourism sites.
Strong partnership activity and cross council support is vital to the success of tourism development in Harrow to bring consistency and support to the sector. As the provider of essential public facilities, statutory policy and infrastructure such as Planning, Conservation, Environmental Protection, Licensing and Parking, the council’s role has a major impact on tourism development. By taking pride in the fact that Harrow is a destination worth visiting, tourism can also have a positive effect on bringing together our ethnically diverse communities who all have an important role to play in encouraging their friends and relatives to come and stay in Harrow in the lead up to, during and after the 2012 Olympics. The council and its partners will therefore ensure that all sections of the community are able to benefit and that quality of life is improved through the advocacy of tourism.
- 28 - 170 Tourism Strategy 2009 –2012 consultation plan
Date Consultation Group Methods From 13 Internal Council departments Send out e-mails and arrange February one to one appointments with key contacts 16 February Kirsty Adams (2012 Officer) Appointment conducted
16 February Residents Tourism strategy snap survey available on the website from the 13 February until the 31 March 20 February Claire Codling (Economic Development) Feedback received throughout the course of the strategy 20 February Andrew Baker (Waste management) Appointment conducted
27 February Hotels, attractions / Westminster University Discussed at the Tourism Action Group (TAG) meeting
24 February Voluntary groups Mail out with HAVS – Julie e-mailed on the 13 Feb information sent out to 220 charities, informing them of the consultation. 11 March John Pennells (Gatyon Library) Appointment conducted
11 March Samia Malik (Community Cohesion & Appointment conducted Engagement) 12 March Stanmore College Appointment conducted with Denise Pearce and Govind Bharadia 17 March Harrow Heritage Trust Interview took place 17 March 2009 with Martin Verden 18 March Ian Wilson (Heritage Projects) Appointment conducted
23 March Lucy Hale (Conservation) Appointment conducted
24 March Greener Harrow Discussion item at Greener Harrow – 24 March 2009 27 March Fuad Omar / Anne Fine (Transport) Appointment conducted with Fuad 26 March Tourism Development Team – London Feedback received 26/03 Development Agency (LDA) Lael Sheckter – Visit London Information e-mailed 23/02 West London Alliance Information e-mailed 23/02 3 Rivers Council Information e-mailed 23/02 Hertsmere Council Information e-mailed 23/02 28 March Haringey Council Strategy sent to Haringey via Visit London
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172 Objective Action Key Strategic Outcomes Skills and training Challenge negative perceptions around Disseminate benefits via new service sector Engage more of the local workforce in tourism careers opportunities / careers fairs and other tourism careers promotional events Improve sustainability in the tourism sector Promote green tourism business scheme to Encourage greater awareness and uptake of tourism suppliers and implement an annual sustainable business practice / reduce award for most “green business” in the carbon emissions in the borough borough / promote best practice in waste management and visitor management at tourism events and attractions Provide support and advice to new start-up Promote the business support role of Increase both the capacity and the quality of B&B providers in the run up to 2012. accreditation as a means of ensuring accommodation profitability Ensure that hospitality training is fit for Use new research to influence training Ensure that local training providers have purpose courses – integrate private sector input into adapted courses to meet industry needs. training courses / employ selective work 173 experience opportunities Develop volunteering opportunities in the Co-ordinate programmes in partnership with Increase civic pride and improve visitor tourism sector as part of 2012 activities the London Development Agency, welcome Championing Harrow and Harrow Association of Voluntary Services (HAVS) Integrate tourism within the wider social Work with the Harrow Employability & Skills Increase work opportunities for the local regeneration context Forum to integrate tourism within Slivers of workforce and reduce levels of worklessness Time and other employment initiatives Improve customer welcome Promote and implement “Gold Standard” Ensure high standard of service available customer service training across sector
Monitor new town centre tourism resource at Provide on-going training and monitoring of Town centre point of contact to provide Gayton Library library staff performance via annual Visit information and advice to visitors Britain mystery shopper exercises
Empower front-line staff to provide visitor Find mechanisms to implement London Increased civic pride and information to information Ambassadors Scheme visitors
Marketing and Promotion Improve research Develop and use economic forecasting and Improved measurement of sector’s benchmarking contribution to local economy
Adopt market segmentation approach Implement market segmentation techniques Improved use of resources to maximise using research from the Council’s customer visitor spend insight programme Develop new markets Match the product and extend the offer to Increase the return on investment new audiences – particularly VFR and “emerging markets” Provide quality information Communicate best messages accurately Improved awareness of benefits of around the product destination / resulting in more visits and more repeat visits Target resources on high-yield markets Associate Harrow with Wembley as the Greater visitor spend generated for the local place to do hold business meetings and economy. events in North-West London
174 Maximise the legacy opportunities presented Create West London/ Home Counties Increased repeat visits to West London post- by 2012 itineraries for repeat 2012 visitors 2012
Exploit inward investment opportunities and Create strong links with Think London and Increase new business and economic investigate opportunities with emerging the LDA’s new “tourism, inward investment prosperity in the borough. markets and emerging markets” division
Integrate pan-London events into marketing Implement calendar of pan-London events Increase frequency of over-night stays in strategy for accommodation providers Harrow and contribute greater spend to the local economy
Re-assess current dissemination of Review existing uptake and identify new More effective use of resources and better marketing material partnerships /sources for possible for value for money for businesses dissemination
Increase use of modern technology in Investigate funding sources to expand Cost effective method of increasing marketing techniques Harrow podcasts to other attractions/ areas knowledge and awareness of the local of the borough audience
Quality Improvement Increase number of accredited Joint-working with LDA to promote and Improved quality of accommodation to accommodation – (particularly B&B sector) encourage greater participation / promotion encourage more repeat visits in business forums/tourism newsletters etc Provide business support and advice to new Publicise tourism advice and accreditation Improved quality of accommodation and accommodation providers initiatives more widely through business & business advice for suppliers business support forums as appropriate Implement a co-ordinated system of signage Identify areas of need in partnership with Improve awareness and access to important for road users transport, conservation and attractions tourist sites within the borough
Support streetscape and public realm works Monitor cleanliness and attractiveness of Upgrade quality of visits and help to instil tourism sites and town centre as part of the civic pride Council’s priority for “better streets.”
Monitor town centre crime levels Work with BID board and town centre police Ensure that Harrow retains its position as team to monitor crime one of London’s safest boroughs
175 Product Development Support hotel development as and where Identify appropriate sites for possible hotel Increased capacity for overnight stay means appropriate development in conjunction with Planning higher yield to the local economy
Augment existing product offer to include Work with organisers on new campaigns Enhanced tourism product to spread the new attractions – (West House and Bentley benefits more widely and encourage longer Priory) stay in the borough Develop town centre evening economy Work with the BID to implement longer Increased trade from residents and visitors trading hours and seasonal café culture to Harrow town centre
Develop product around other key sites in Match the product and extend the offer Better distribution of benefits and greater the borough to include Stanmore and Pinner capacity ensuring sustainability
Improve local public transport facilities to Audit current transport facilities and map Increase accessibility to attractions for both tourism attractions potential opportunities to improve residents and visitors sustainable transport links
Resources: One full-time Tourism Officer, external funding and public and private sector support to cover the costs of various activities outlined in the Action Plan. This method of financing has worked successfully in the last three years and has resulted in £8,000.00 from the London Development Agency (LDA) and £30,000 from the private sector over the three years to finance and host marketing activity.
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