Hillingdon Council Cabinet Member and Officer Decisions
Environmental & Recreational Initiatives 2021/22- Provision of Pollution Reduction Screening Phase 4 at 15 Schools
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Democratic Services Location: Phase II Ext: 0833 DDI: 01895 250833 Ref: CMD 271 To: COUNCILLOR JONATHAN BIANCO CABINET MEMBER FOR PROPERTY AND INFRASTRUCTURE COUNCILLOR MARTIN GODDARD CABINET MEMBER FOR FINANCE COUNCILLOR SUSAN O’BRIEN CABINET MEMBER FOR FAMILIES, EDUCATION AND WELLBEING COUNCILLOR EDDIE LAVERY CABINET MEMBER FOR ENVIRONMENT, HOUSING AND REGENERATION c.c. All Members of the Environment, Housing & Regeneration Select Committee c.c. Dan Kennedy, Corporate Director for Planning, Environment, Education and Community Services c.c. Peter Elliott-Smith, Infrastructure, Transport and Building Services c.c. Conservative and Labour Group Offices (inspection copy) Date: 07 September 2021 Non-Key Decision request Form D Environmental & Recreational Initiatives 2021/22: School Pollution Screening Works Phase 4 Dear Cabinet Member Attached is a report requesting that a decision be made by you as an individual Cabinet Member. Democratic Services confirm that this is not a key decision, as such the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 notice period does not apply. You should take a decision on or after Wednesday, 15 September 2021 in order to meet Constitutional requirements about publication of decisions that are to be made. You may wish to discuss the report with the Corporate Director before it is made. Please indicate your decision on the duplicate memo supplied, and return it to me when you have made your decision. I will then arrange for the formal notice of decision to be published. Jack Roberts Democratic Services Apprentice Title of Report: Council Housing Home Release Reward Scheme Decision made: Reasons for your decision: (e.g. as stated in report) Alternatives considered and rejected: (e.g. as stated in report) Signed ………………………………………………………Date…………………….. Cabinet Member for Property and Infrastructure, Cabinet Member for Finance, Cabinet Member for Families, Education and Wellbeing, Cabinet Member for Environment, Housing and Regeneration Capital Release Report – 07 September 2021 Page 1 Part 1 - Public CAPITAL RELEASE REPORT (September 2021) SERVICE AREA / PROGRAMME: Environmental & Recreational Initiatives 2021/22: School Pollution Screening Works Phase 4 RELEASE NO: 1 Cabinet Members Councillor Jonathan Bianco Councillor Eddie Lavery Councillor Susan O’Brien Councillor Martin Goddard Cabinet Portfolios Property & Infrastructure Environment, Housing & Regeneration Families, Education & Wellbeing Finance Officer Contact Peter Elliott-Smith, Infrastructure, Transport and Building Services Papers with report Appendix A with capital release requests for approval HEADLINES Summary This report seeks the release of capital funds for the procurement of pollution screening works through Green Spaces and appointed contractors in relation to anti -pollution measures at 15 Schools across the Borough. Putting our Residents First This report supports the following Council objectives of: Our People; Our Natural Environment; Our Built Environment; and Strong financial management. Financial Cost This report seeks the release of £179k from the Environmental and Recreational Initiatives pollution screening capital budget for the construction works, fees and contingency costs. The Capital Programme Works Service will manage the project. The project will commence upon release of the capital funds and works are due to be completed before March 2022. Relevant Select Committee Housing, Environment and Regeneration Select Committee Ward(s) affected All Capital Release Report – 07 September 2021 Page 2 Part 1 - Public RECOMMENDATION That the Cabinet Member for Finance , Cabinet Member for the Environment, Housing & Regeneration, Cabinet Member for Property & Infrastructure and the Cabinet Member for Families, Education & Wellbeing approve the release of funds of £1 79k from the Environmental and Recreational Initiatives 2021/22 capital budget to carry out the phase 4 construction works associated with pollution screening works at 1 5 schools across the Borough (Appendix A). Reasons for recommendation The proposed anti-pollution measures at schools related to the Schools Environmental Audit aim to reduce exposure of air pollution levels at schools to children for proven health benefits. Alternative options considered Failure to proceed with these works will risk pupils' exposure to potential pollution levels. Select Committee comments None at this stage. SUPPORTING INFORMATION Background Information The ‘Right green infrastructure, right place guideline’ published by the Greater London Authority provides best practice on using green infrastructure to protect people from air pollution (April 2019). The key guidelines are: • A hedge or green wall betwee n vehicles and people can as much as halve pollution in their immediate wake; • A dense avenue of trees can provide effective protection from polluted air above and create a clean corridor for travellers; and • A combination of hedge and dense line of trees can provide a taller vegetation barrier, offering protection over a greater distance downwind. Following completion of phase 3, it was agreed that the program should be offered to a wider selection of schools across the B orough, some amendments were made to the identification of schools which allows us to hit a given target. A new criteria for identifying schools was based on the following: • A review of pollution levels in the locality of the school, based upon information from the Mayor of London; Capital Release Report – 07 September 2021 Page 3 Part 1 - Public • A Geographic Information System ( GIS) review took place to assess whether there is close proximity to a road, is there any existing screening protection, is it adequate, is there scope for further screening • Type of school e.g. community school, academy, voluntary aided etc. • Then, undertake augmentation works at every school that falls within the criteria above where air N02 average levels exceed 32 µg/m 3 The Council’s Environmental Team identified 25 more schools that fall within the criteria above and where pollution screening measures would be beneficial. It is agreed that the works could be staggered over two phases, 4 & 5. This will mean every community school and special school in the Borough would have had augmentation works to reduce the 32 µg/m 3 No2 levels previously measured. Proposed Works Phase 4, the purpose of this report, will target works at 15 of the identified schools. Works include the planting of trees, hedges, fencing, groundworks and screening augmentation at the following schools: Establishment Name Age Group Type of Establishment Heathrow Primary School Primary Community Harmondsworth Primary Primary Community Hermitage Primary Primary Community The Willows Special Primary Academy William Byrd Primary Primary Academy Cranford Park Primary Academy Hillingdon Primary Primary Academy Pinkwell Primary Primary Academy Green Corridor Special Primary Special Institution Hillingdon Manor Special Primary Independent Botwell House Catholic Primary Primary Voluntary Aided Hewens Primary School Primary Free school Brookside Primary Primary Academy St Mary's Catholic Primary Primary Voluntary Aided West Drayton Academy Primary Academy Works are to be undertaken predominantly utilising council resources with the Green Spaces team, the highways framework and term fencing contractor. Programme Target completion for phase 4 of the works will be Winter 2021. All green and willow screening works can commence on capital release approval however due to planting seasons the planting of vegetation cannot take place until the Autumn of 2021. Capital Release Report – 07 September 2021 Page 4 Part 1 - Public Costs The estimated costs can be found in Table 1. Table 1: Estimated costs for phase 4 pollution screening works Description Estimated Costs (£) Construction Costs at 15 schools £145,000 Planning and Site Surveys £5,000 Capital Programme Fees £14,500 Contingency (10%) £14,500 Total £179,000 Financial Implications Environmental & Recreational Initiatives Programme 2021/22 Revised Budget £ 823k, Previously Released £220k, Capital Release Requested £179k – Appendix A The 2021/22 revised programme budget for the Environmental and Recreational Initiatives (ERI) programme totals £823k, including £248k rephasing from 2020/21 budget for schemes completing this year, funded from a combination of Council resources, grants and S106. From the £823k ERI budget, an amount of £557k has been earmarked for the School Pollutions Screening, from which £57k was released in the previous financial year. The report requests the release of £179k from the Environmental & Recreational Initiatives budget to enable the progress of the pollution screening works 15 schools. The cost plan for the school pollution screening includes construction works and additional screen works which are based on scheduled rates within the approved highways term contract, quoted costs from the Council’s term contractor D rayton Fencing, s urveys and planning fees. Internal fees and project contingency are also included at 10% each of the construction costs. RESIDENT BENEFIT & CONSULTATION The benefit or impact upon residents, service users and communities Reducing exposure of pollution levels of schools to children for proven health benefits. Consultation carried out or required Consultation and agreement of works with the schools. Capital Release Report – 07 September 2021 Page 5 Part 1 - Public CORPORATE CONSIDERATIONS Corporate Finance Corporate Finance concurs with the financial implications above, confirming that an amount of £557k is earmarked towards pollution screening from the revised 2021/22 Environmental and Recreational Initiatives capital budget. Legal The Borough Solicitor confirms that the Council is responsible for carrying out this function pursuant to Section 16 of the Education Act 1996. Thus there are no legal impediments to the capital release being authorised, although any contract that is entered into must comply wi th the Council's Procurement and Contract Standing Orders. Infrastructure / Asset Management Asset management authored this report. Capital Release Protocol The release of all capital funds, and certain revenue funds, held by the Council is to be made by a formal democratic decision. No expenditure can be placed or committed by officers until this formal approval is given by Democratic Services. Release of funds must be for identified projects only and strictly not for the general release of funds for projects to be identified at a later date. No block releases of capital or funding will be allowed, except if authorised by the Leader of the Council in advance t o Corporate Finance. The release of funds will only be made if previous Council, Cabinet or Cabinet Member agreement has been given to the project and only if there is an approved budget. BACKGROUND PAPERS NIL. Capital Release Report – 07 September 2021 Page 6 Part 1 - Public APPENDIX A Environmental & Recreational Initiatives Budget (2021/22) Location Project / Expenditure Title Information Funds Release Sought £000’s Approve Hold More Information Required 15 Schools as identified in report Environmental & Recreational Initiatives 2021/22- Provision of Pollution Reduction Screening Phase 4 Construction costs, planning, site surveys, internal fees and project contingency 179 Total seeking release 179 Previously released 220 Budget 823 Remaining budget 424
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Executive Decision Notice – 16 September 2021 Page 1 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk OFFICIAL EXECUTIVE DECISION NOTICE PUBLISHED BY DEMOCRATIC SERVICES Notice is hereby given that the following decision has been made today by Cabinet Members at the London Borough of Hillingdon: Title of decision Environmental & Recreat ional Initiatives 2021/22: School Pollution Screening Works Phase 4 Reference No. 271 Date of decision 16 September 2021 Call-in expiry date 5pm, on 23 September 2021 Relevant Select Committee Environment, Housing and Regeneration Select Committee Relevant Wards All wards Decision made Cabinet Members making the decision Councillor Eddie Lavery – Cabinet Member for Environment, Housing and Regeneration Councillor Jonathon Bianco – Cabinet Member for Property and Infrastructure Councillor Martin Goddard – Cabinet Member for Finance Councillor Susan O’Brien – Cabinet Member for Families, Education and Wellbeing DECISION APPROVED That the Cabinet Member for Finance, Cabinet Member for the Environment, Housing & Regeneration, Cabinet Member for Property & Infrastructure and the Cabinet Member for Families, Education & Wellbeing approved the release of funds of £179k from the Environ mental and Recreational Initiatives 2021/22 capital budget to carry out the phase 4 construction works associated with pollution screening works at 15 schools across the Borough (Appendix A). Reasons for decision The proposed anti-pollution measures at schools related to the Sc hools Environmental Audit aim to reduce exposure of air pollution levels at schools to children for proven health benefits. Alternative options considered and rejected Failure to proceed with these works will risk pupils' exposure to potential pollution levels. Classification Part I - Public Executive Decision Notice – 16 September 2021 Page 2 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk Link to associated report Link to report. Relevant Officer contact & Directorate Peter Elliott-Smith, Infrastructure, Transport and Building Services Any interest declared by the Cabinet Member(s) / dispensation granted N/A Implementation of decision & scrutiny call-in [Internal Use only] When can this decision be implemented by officers? Officers can implement Cabinet Member decision in this notice only from the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period which is: 5pm, on 23 September 2021 However, this is subject to the decision not being called in by Councillors on the relevant Select Committee. Upon receipt of a valid call-in request, Democratic Services will immediately advise the relevant officer(s) and the decision must then be put on hold. Councillor scrutiny call- in of this decision Councillors on the relevant Select Committee shown in this notice may request to call-in this decision. The request must be before the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period above. Councillors should use the Scrutiny Call-in App (link below) on their devices to initiate any call-in request. Further advice can be sought from Democratic Services if required: Scrutiny Call-In - Power Apps (secure) Further information These decisions, where applicable, have been taken under The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012. This is the formal notice by the Council of the above executive decision, including links to the reports where applicable. If you would like more information on this decision, please contact Democratic Services on 01895 250636 or email: democratic@hillingdon.gov.uk. Circulation of this decision notice is to a variety of people including Members of the Council, Corporate Directors, Officers, Group Secretariats and the Public. Copies are also placed on the Council’s website. Democratic Services London Borough of Hillingdon Civic Centre High Street Uxbridge UB8 1UW Executive Decision Notice – 16 September 2021 Page 3 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk