Agenda and minutes

The Chair will read out the following statement:

“This meeting is being webcast live to our website (https://harlow.public-i.tv/core/portal/home) and will be available for repeated viewing after the meeting has ended.

By continuing to attend this meeting, you are consenting to being filmed and to appearing in the webcast.

I would like to remind all those participating in the meeting to use their microphones when they speak, and to turn them off once they have finished talking.”

The Chair said the meeting was being webcast live and would be available for repeated viewing after the meeting has ended. By continuing to attend the meeting, you were consenting to being filmed and to appearing in the webcast.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Joel Charles, Linda Clark, Jodi Dunne, Tony Durcan, Alastair Gunn, Michael Houlihan, Luke Howard, Stacy Seales and Clive Souter.

Councillors’ declarations of interest (if any) in relation to any items on the agenda.

The Chair said that Councillors, who were also members of Essex County Council had been granted a dispensation by the Monitoring Officer to consider the item on Local Government Reorganisation.

To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 9 July 2025.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 9 July 2025 are agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The questions, together with the answers, are appended to the minutes.

The questions, together with the answers, are appended to the minutes.

Cabinet recommended to Council that it endorses the proposed Business Case at Appendix A to the report, as the preferred model for Greater Essex Local Government Reorganisation.

Council received a referral from Cabinet on Local Government Reorganisation.

Proposed by Councillor Michael Hardware (seconded by Councillor Dan Swords) it was:

RESOLVED that Council endorses the proposed Business Case at Appendix A to the report, as the preferred model for Greater Essex Local Government Reorganisation.

Councillor Danielle Brown entered the meeting.

Cabinet recommended to Council that Council:

               i)         Endorses the vision and purpose for Harlow’s new constitution (Appendix A to the report).

              ii)         Endorses Appendix B to the report (Introduction, Table of Contents and Glossary) and Appendix C to the report (Our Council, Citizens and the Constitution) as approved emerging drafts.

            iii)         Adopts Appendix D to the report(How Decision Making Works), Appendix E to the report (The Executive) and Appendix F to the report (Officers) in place of the parts of the current constitution that deal with those matters, to come into force with immediate effect.

            iv)         Delegates to the Monitoring Officer authority to resolve any operational disparity that may arise between Appendices D, E and F and other parts of the current constitution, any such conflicts to be resolved in favour of the approach set out in Appendices D, E and F.

             v)         Notes that further draft sections of the new constitution (which may necessitate refinements to the sections approved or adopted here) will be presented to subsequent Cabinet and Council meetings with the intention that the new constitution, as a whole, is adopted at December Council.

Council received a referral from Cabinet on amendments to the Constitution.

Proposed by Councillor Dan Swords (seconded by Councillor James Leppard) it was:

RESOLVED that Council:

A     Endorsed the vision and purpose for Harlow’s new constitution (Appendix A to the report).

B     Endorsed Appendix B to the report (Introduction, Table of Contents and Glossary) and Appendix C to the report (Our Council, Citizens and the Constitution) as approved emerging drafts.

C     Adopted Appendix D to the report (How Decision Making Works), Appendix E to the report (The Executive) and Appendix F to the report (Officers) in place of the parts of the current constitution that deal with those matters, to come into force with immediate effect.

D     Delegated to the Monitoring Officer authority to resolve any operational disparity that may arise between Appendices D, E and F and other parts of the current constitution, any such conflicts to be resolved in favour of the approach set out in Appendices D, E and F.

E     Noted that further draft sections of the new constitution (which may necessitate refinements to the sections approved or adopted here) will be presented to subsequent Cabinet and Council meetings with the intention that the new constitution, as a whole, is adopted at December Council.

Cabinet recommended to Council that it pauses the implementation of the new Local Council Tax Scheme which was previously approved by Council on 12 December 2024.

Council received a referral from Cabinet on the Building Harlow’s Future – Delivery Update.

Proposed by Councillor Dan Swords (seconded by Councillor James Leppard) it was:

RESOLVED that Council paused the implementation of the new Local Council Tax Scheme which was previously approved by Council on 12 December 2024.

Cabinet recommended to Council that it:

      i)         Approves the Annual Treasury Management Report for 2024/25 (Appendix A to the report).

     ii)         Notes there were three indicators within the Treasury Management Strategy Statement that the council did not comply with during 2024/25 owing to the decisions of Full Council. However, the indicators were subsequently reviewed in Treasury Management Strategy 2025/26 to ensure future compliance.

Council received a referral from Cabinet on the Annual Treasury Management Report 2024/25.

Proposed by Councillor Dan Swords (seconded by Councillor James Leppard) it was:

RESOLVED that Council:

A    Approved the Annual Treasury Management Report for 2024/25 (Appendix A to the report).

B    Noted there were three indicators within the Treasury Management Strategy Statement that the council did not comply with during 2024/25 owing to the decisions of Full Council. However, the indicators were subsequently reviewed in Treasury Management Strategy 2025/26 to ensure future compliance.

The Audit and Standards Committee recommended to Full Council that the Annual Report of the Audit and Standards Committee for 2024/25 be approved.

Council received a referral from the Audit and Standards Committee and the Committee’s annual report.

Proposed by Councillor Matthew Saggers (seconded by Councillor Dr. Emma Ghaffari) it was:

RESOLVED that the Annual Report of the Audit and Standards Committee for 2024/25 be approved.

To note the following Cabinet and Committee minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the following meetings be noted.

Such other business which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be received as a matter of urgency by reason of special circumstances to be specified in the minutes.

None.