Agenda and draft minutes

There were no apologies for absence

If a Councillor has a disclosable pecuniary interest in a particular item, whether or not it is entered in the Authority’s register of interests, or any other significant interest which they consider should be declared in the public interest, they should declare the existence and, unless it is a sensitive interest as defined in the Member Code of Conduct, the nature of the interest at the commencement of the consideration of that item or as soon as it becomes apparent.

At meetings where members of the public are allowed to be in attendance and speak, any Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest or other significant interest may also make representations, give evidence or answer questions about the matter.  The Councillor must then withdraw immediately from the meeting before the matter is discussed and any vote taken.

Where Members of the public are not allowed to be in attendance and speak, then the Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest should withdraw from the meeting whilst the matter is under consideration. Councillors who have declared other significant interests should also withdraw from the meeting if they consider their continued participation in the matter would not be reasonable in the circumstances and may give rise to a perception of a conflict of interest.

Councillors are not obliged to withdraw from the meeting where a dispensation to that effect has been obtained from the Audit, Pensions and Standards Committee.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 24^th September 2025 as an accurate record.

Stephen Waley?Cohen (Co?opted Member) asked for an update on the closure of Old Oak Common Lane. Mark Raisbeck (Advisor to the Trust) explained that there were no further updates at this stage. He noted that the overall programme for HS2 was currently being reassessed, and once that process was complete there would be further clarity on delivery timescales.

Stephen Waley?Cohen also requested a progress update on the renewal of the Ideverde contract. Mark Raisbeck confirmed that the contract had been issued for tender and combined with the Highways and Maintenance contract. The evaluation process remained underway, with an outcome expected around Summer 2026. He also confirmed that Wormwood Scrubs would remain an independent unit within the wider contract tender.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 18 June 2025 were agreed as an accurate record.

To note and approve all matters in the report.

WSCT Annual Report and Financial Statements – 2024/25

Nicholas Falcone (Advisor to the Trust) noted that the Trust delivered a surplus for the year of £713,601. This surplus was substantially underpinned by the additional income from the Kensington Aldridge Academy’s occupation of the parade ground which concluded in December 2025. Deferred capital expenditure of some projects to 2025/26 also contributed to this position. 

Further financial details were provided in the Statement of Accounts and Trustee’s Annual Report, circulated to Committee Members in December 2025 and approved electronically in January 2026. MHA were reappointed as auditors for 2024/25 and carried out most audit work in November 2025. Their Audit Findings Report was shared with Members alongside the Trustee’s Annual Report, and an unqualified audit opinion was issued following approval in January 2026. The 2024/25 Annual Report and Accounts were submitted to the Charity Commission as part of the 2025 annual return, ahead of the 31 January 2026 deadline.

Stephen Waley?Cohen (Co-opted Member) requested that the final version of the accounts be circulated to the Committee. Nicholas Falcone noted that they had already been shared and are available on the Charity Commission website.

The Committee unanimously agreed the recommendations.

AEM Masterplan Procurement

The AEM Masterplan tender launched on 7 August 2025, closing on 4 September, with four bids received and assessed for technical quality and pricing. All bids exceeded the budget but were consistent with market rates, triggering clause 8 of the 2016 AEM Agreement, which required HS2 to raise the funding cap if value for money was demonstrated. Officers had shared costs with HS2 under an NDA, and with the contract start planned for February 2026, the Committee was asked to delegate authority to the Chair to finalise the decision. An update would follow in March 2026.

Councillor Dominic Stanton asked whether the bid was significantly higher than expected. Osama El?Amin (Trust Manager) confirmed that, while commercially sensitive details could not be disclosed, the bid fell within the expected market range.

Stephen Waley?Cohen (Co?opted Member) queried whether works could be delayed avoiding starting while the ground remained wet, as this could cause damage. Osama El?Amin explained that works were unlikely to begin before Summer and given the wide scope of activities on the Scrubs, the programme would be prioritised so that tasks began in an order appropriate to weather conditions.

The Chair emphasised that the priority was to ensure the project enhanced the Scrubs and avoided any potential damage.

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The Committee unanimously agreed the recommendation

Kensington Aldridge Academy (KAA2) Site re-instatement

Osama El-Amin (Trust Manager) noted that the DfE’s reinstatement plan ran from June to December 2025, with the Trust negotiating continued rent after the licence expired. Works were completed on time, and an extra week’s rent funded new railings to prevent vehicle access. The Trust Manager was also working with Woodman’s Mews residents on communal improvements to their estate, in recognition of the disruption caused.

Due to the site’s Metropolitan Open Land designation,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The next meeting will take place on 17^th March 2026.

It was noted that the next meeting will take on 24^th March 2026.