Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Deputy Alastair Moss, Deputy Joyce Nash and the Rt Hon The Lord Mayor Alderman William Russell.

Alderman Vincent Keaveny and Alderman Sir David Wootton declared non-pecuniary interests in respect of Item 22 as Honorary Benchers of Gray’s Inn.

To consider minutes as follows:-

The following minutes were considered:

a) The public minutes of the Policy and Resources Committee meeting held on 18 February 2021 were approved.

b) The public minutes of the Projects Sub-Committee meeting held on 25 January 2021 were noted.

c) The public minutes of the Resource Allocation Sub-Committee meeting held on 17 February 2021 were noted.

d) The draft public minutes of the Resource Allocation Sub-Committee meeting held on 2 March 2021 were noted.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk setting out amendments requested from various committees to their compositions or terms of reference.

Introducing the item, the Town Clerk advised of a minor issue with the proposed amendment to the Community & Children’s Services Committee’s terms of reference, in relation to new public safety responsibilities. It was observed that the proposal specified that the Police Authority Board Chair/Deputy Chair would serve as the SaferCity Partnership Deputy Chair; however, that Board had, in fact, agreed that it should be a Member of that Board, not necessarily the Chair/Deputy. Subject to the wording being amended to reflect this revised position, Members were supportive of the change.

A late request from the Markets Committee was also brought to Members’ attention, which sought an addition to their terms of reference to provide for “input into the design and management elements of the new consolidated market at Dagenham Dock.” Members discussed the proposal, noting the various discussions in recent years in relation to responsibilities around the re-location programme, including the establishment of a protocol to clarify definitively such matters. The Committee questioned the necessity of such an amendment but, on balance, was not opposed to one if it helped add greater clarity. However, it was cautioned that it would need to be re-worded sufficiently to make clear the respective responsibilities of the two Committees; in particular, the ownership of the programme by the Policy & Resources Committee must be respected, so it was clear that the Markets Committee was simply providing views and not making decisions. It was agreed that authority should be delegated to the Town Clerk, in conjunction with the Chair and Deputy Chairman, to consider final wording.

The Committee was also advised of a prospective amendment to the Barbican Centre Board’s arrangements, which the

To consider nominations to the Working Group.

The Committee proceeded to make appointments to the five vacancies on the Statues Working Group.

Pursuant to the resolution at the last meeting, Deputy Wendy Hyde (as Chair of the Culture, Heritage & Libraries Committee) was appointed to one of the vacancies. Members proceeded to ballot in respect of the remaining four vacancies.

The results of the ballot were announced as follows:-

RESOLVED: That Munsur Ali, Mary Durcan, Sheriff Christopher Hayward, Deputy Wendy Hyde, William Upton be appointed to the Statues Working Group.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk proposing the reappointment of the Rt Hon the Lord Boateng to the Board of Governors of the Museum of London.

RESOLVED: That the reappointment of Rt Hon the Lord Paul Boateng to the Board of Governors of the Museum of London for a12-month term expiring 31 March 2022 be approved.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk concerning the formalisation of recess periods, during which the scheduling of meetings should be avoided.

The Town Clerk clarified that the proposals would be put into effect from the coming municipal year, if approved.

In response to questions, it was confirmed that a degree of pragmatism would be used where the recess dates fell awkwardly, such that business was accommodated sensibly and recess lengths were consistent with the spirit of the proposals. It was also confirmed that recess dates would be made clear in advance through the annual committee diary setting process.

RESOLVED: That the introduction of formal Christmas recess period, in addition to those covering the Easter and Summer holidays, be approved, during which time no formal committee meetings should be held.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk regarding the planning outcomes of the Governance Review of the City Corporation.

RESOLVED: That Members:-

·         Considered the proposals in relation to Planning made by Lord Lisvane in Section 7 of his Review (Appendix 1)

·         Noted the feedback provided by Members through the informal engagement process (Appendix 2)

·         Considered the items in respect of the various proposals, as set out in this report and Lord Lisvane’s Review, together with the recommendations from the Resource Allocation Sub-Committee (see paragraph 23), as to a way forward

·         Agreed that officers be requested to draft detailed proposals on the establishment of Planning Panels, outlining quorum requirements, terms of reference and suggested revisions to the Planning Protocol etc. ahead of submission to the Policy and Resources Committee in April 2021 for consideration, and with submission thereafter to the Court of Common Council in May 2021

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk proposing interim amendments to the City of London Corporation’s Scheme of Delegations to Officers, required as a consequence of the ongoing organisational restructure.

RESOLVED: That the proposals as outlined be recommended for approval by the Court of Common Council and that the Town Clerk be authorised to make such minor amendments to the Scheme of Delegations as required whilst structures are developed and implemented throughout the next 12 months.

Joint report of the Director of Innovation & Growth and the Director of Communications.

The Committee considered a joint report of the Director of Innovation & Growth and the Director of Communications regarding the need for a large scale and sustained promotional campaign to entice workers back to the Square Mile sooner and give people compelling reasons to return frequently.

The following points emerged during discussion:

·           Members strongly endorsed the proposed approach, as well as the suggestion that thought be given to increasing the level of resource available in support of this initiative. The Committee agreed to delegate authority to the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chair and Deputy Chairman, to consider related proposals as required.

·           It was urged that any intended activity be grounded in what City businesses were planning or encouraging their employees to do. This would ensure that efforts did not end up simply functioning as a marketing exercise but, instead, resulted in a co-ordinated and considered approach.

·           It was suggested that initiatives such as the roll-out of a “City gift card” should be explored, in an effort to stimulate spending at local businesses.

·           Caution was urged in respect of ensuring that any approach, whilst supporting London-wide recovery, remained politically neutral the in run-up to the Mayoral election.

·           Members reflected on the difficult tensions between necessary budget cuts in some areas and expenditure on initiatives such as this, noting the importance of prioritisation. This included items such as expenditure on public toilets, which would be a necessary provision in plans to bring people back to the City, whilst opportunities to leverage activity in some areas for the benefit of other objectives should also be explored. In this particular instance, could this increased engagement with workers and businesses be leveraged into an opportunity to increase voter registration, for example.

·           It was urged that any planned events or activity be coordinated carefully with

Report of the Director of Built Environment.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Built Environment regarding the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and proposing an extension of the deferral of CIL Payments due to COVID.

RESOLVED: That a time-limited extension to the Community Infrastructure Levy phasing policy until 31 July 2021, as set out in paragraphs 5-8 of the report, be approved.

Report of the Chamberlain.

The Committee considered a report of the Chamberlain which provided the schedule of projects and activities which had received funding from the Policy Initiatives Fund (PIF), the Policy and Resources Committee’s Contingency Fund, Committee’s Project Reserve, COVID19 Contingency Fund and Brexit Contingency Fund for 2020/21 and future years, with details of expenditure in 2020/21.

RESOLVED: That Members:-

1.      Note the report and contents of the schedules

2.      Agree that unallocated balances on the Committee’s PIF and Contingency Fund should be carried forward into 2021/22

3.      Agree to roll forward the COVID Contingency Fund into 2021/22 due to the ongoing pandemic and the need to respond rapidly.

Report of the Director of Human Resources (TO FOLLOW).

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Human Resources which outlined the revised arrangements concerning senior officer appointments and committee involvement therein.

The Town Clerk advised of an error in the appended schedule in relation to the appointment of senior police officers (i.e. the Assistant Commissioner and Commanders). The list set out gave the impression that such posts were Member appointments; however, whilst there was Member involvement in the process, it was important to clarify that such appointments were made by the Commissioner of Police.

A Member also queried the arrangements concerning the Head of the Barbican & Community Libraries post, observing that, whilst the budget for the Library Service fell within the remit of the Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee, the Head of the Libraries Service reported to the Director of Community and Children’s Services. It was, therefore, agreed that the latter committee should also be included within the recruitment process for this particular post.

Subject to these two amendments, Members approved the paper for onwards submission to the Court of Common Council.

RESOLVED: That the interim position in respect of the recruitment of senior officers be approved for submission to the Court of Common Council, as set out appendix 1 and subject to corrections in relation to senior police roles and the Head of Libraries post.

Report of the Assistant Town Clerk & Director of Major Projects (TO FOLLOW).

The Committee considered a joint report of the Town Clerk, Chamberlain, Director of Innovation & Growth, and City Surveyor concerning the details of a COVID Business Recovery Fund, intended to support small businesses in the City affected by the pandemic.

Members welcomed the report and commended officers on the pace with which the proposals had been developed following the Fund’s establishment at the previous week’s meeting of the Court of Common Council.

During discussion, the following points arose:

·           It was agreed that the Deputy Chairman of Finance should be added to the informal “sounding board” of Members outlined in the report and at recommendation 3.

·           In relation to the criteria at paragraph 19 subsection (vi), assurances were sought and provided that the City Corporation’s own SME tenants would be able to apply for grants where eligible, and that the Corporation would be proactive in this respect. Clarification was also sought in respect of those businesses which might not qualify solely due to unsupportive landlords. Officers advised that one of the intentions of the scheme’s design was to put pressure on landlords to engage with their businesses, assisting them in gaining additional grant funding: it was, clearly, in the interests of landlords to have viable tenants. The lack of stipulations around the level of support within this particular clause would also aid in that respect.

·           In response to a query around a similar ongoing process for Housing Revenue Account (HRA) tenants, assurance was provided that a joined-up approach would be employed to minimise any duplication or overlap of activity.

·           Responding to questions concerning the online-based nature of the application process, officers advised that there would be 1-1 telephone support, as well as computer support in the City’s business library, to assist those with who had difficulties using online systems. However, it was

There were two questions:-

Virtual meetings

A Member observed that the Regulations governing the ability to hold virtual meetings (introduced as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic) were shortly to expire and requested andupdate on the position. The Assistant Town Clerk advised that consideration was being given to the various scenarios for holding meetings in the event that the Regulations were either extended or not, including hybrid meetings, and would report back to Members with more detail. The Remembrancer added that the Corporation continued to lend its voice to the Local Government Association’s efforts in calling for an extension.

Census

A Member reflected on the potential difficulties faced by those residents who did not have ready access the internet in completing the Census, as well as the prospective impact of Census completion rates on the Corporation’s funding allocations. The Assistant Town Clerk advised that paper forms were made available and undertook to provide information on this to Members following the meeting. A Member, also the Chairman of Finance, took the opportunity to clarify that the Corporation’s funding allocation from central Government would be subject to consideration within the context of the wider Fair Funding Review, adding that the Chamberlain and Town Clerk would be monitoring the position.

There were no items of urgent business.

MOTION - That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

RESOLVED: That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

To consider non-public minutes of meetings as follows:-

The following non-public minutes were considered:

a) The non-public minutes of the Policy and Resources Committee meeting held on 18 February 2021 were agreed

b) The non-public minutes of the Projects Sub-Committee meeting held on 25 January 2021 were noted

c) The non-public minutes of the Resource Allocation Sub-Committee meeting held on 17 February 2021 were noted

d) The draft non-public minutes of the Resource Allocation Sub-Committee meeting held on 2 March 2021 were noted

Report of the Director of Human Resources.

The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk proving an update on the Target Operating Model implementation.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk advising of decisions taken under delegated authority or urgency powers since the last meeting.

Report of the Bursars of the City of London School and the City of London School for Girls (TO FOLLOW).

The Committee considered and approved a joint report of the Heads of the City of London School and City of London School for Girls presenting the strategy and associated funding proposals for a satellite site.

There were no questions.

There was one urgent item, concerning ongoing engagement with Transport for London.