(if any) - receive.

Apologies were received from the Chairman (Councillor Laurance Garrard) and Councillor Bryan Vincent.

Members are invited to disclose any interest in any of the items on the agenda at this point of the meeting.

Members may still disclose any interest in an item at any time prior to the consideration of the matter.

There were no disclosures of interest.

Report and grounds of requisition attached. Response to grounds of requisition to follow when available.

The Cabinet decision dated 10 December 2025 on Future Proposals for Former Library Premises had, as required under paragraph 17 of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, been requisitioned by at least six Members representing more than one Group (Councillors Keith Darvill, Judith Holt, Dilip Patel, Nisha Patel, Viddy Persaud, Keith Prince, Tim Ryan, David Taylor, Christine Vickery and Michael White). The Overview and Scrutiny Board was asked to consider the requisition of the Key Executive Decision and decide whether to uphold it.

Officers explained that discussions were ongoing with the Harold Wood Foundation about their taking over the service and that planning and procurement processes for this were under way. The site of the former Gidea Park library was the preferred site for a respite centre as this would be adjacent to the planned SEND School. It was not felt that there would be undue disruption to neighbouring properties during the construction process. An additional capital budget had been requested to cover demolition costs.

Alternative proposals for the South Hornchurch site had not been reviewed at this stage. Proposals to redevelop the entire site had been considered to be too expensive. A separate Cabinet decision on upgrading the South Hornchurch Community Centre could be taken in due course.

A study undertaken in 2022 had looked at reproviding the library sites with flats above but none of these proposals had reached the planning application stage. As regards developing social housing on the sites, officers wished to locate the respite centre at Gidea Park to gain synergy with the SEND school at the site. It was felt that the South Hornchurch site gave an opportunity to generate capital receipt from its disposal rather than the Council developing it. There had been no final decision taken as yet on the level of residential development on the Harold Wood site.

The special needs accommodation at Gidea Park would attempt to mirror family settings with space for four children on short breaks as well two children on longer term stays. Two carers would also be present on site. This was felt to be sufficient to meet demand levels in Havering. The precise nature of the provision would have to be agreed by OFSTED but the highest demand for respite care was for children with learning and physical disabilities.

It was confirmed that the Council’s long term ambition was to build housing on the Harold Wood library site and there was no plan beyond the submission by the Harold Wood Foundation to reprovide library services on the site. Officer delegation to take this decision was in the Constitution. It would depend on the value of capital receipt received as to whether the matter would need to be referred back to Cabinet.

A Member asked if the large number of vehicle movements at the Gidea Park site made it an appropriate location for respite. Officers responded that vehicle access to the nearby school was not adjacent to the respite site and that the same architects were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.