Issue - meetings

Report No: CAB/WS/19/006

Portfolio Holder: Cllr John Griffiths           Lead Officer: David Collinson

RESOLVED:

That:-

1.           A Cabinet Taskforce be established to make recommendations on West Suffolk Council’s approach to supporting rural areas.

2.           The Terms of Reference for the Taskforce be approved, as set out in Appendix A to Report No: CAB/WS/19/006.

(Report No: CAB/WS/19/006)

The Cabinet received this report which proposed that a Rural Taskforce be established to review the qualitative and quantitative evidence base relating to rural areas and to identify the key issues, assets and challenges.

This review would encompass all of West Suffolk’s areas, in order to understand the issues and opportunities that all rural or all urban areas have in common, as well as those facing specific localities.  The review would draw on existing evidence and research produced by other bodies.  In response to this evidence review, the Taskforce would develop options both to directly address some of the issues identified and also to ensure rural considerations were taken into account in future Council processes and decision making.

The proposed outputs from the Taskforce were expected to be interim recommendations to Cabinet in September 2019 for how taking forward the lead options identified for addressing rural considerations in the Council’s ways of working.  The Taskforce would then make a final report to Cabinet in November 2019.

The proposed Terms of Reference for the West Suffolk Rural Taskforce were attached at Appendix A to the report.

Councillor John Griffiths, Leader of the Council, explained that the Terms of Reference stated that he would appoint the Chair and the Taskforce Members.  Councillor Griffiths indicated that he would wish to nominate Councillor Mike Chester as the Chair of the Taskforce.

RESOLVED:

That:-

1.           A Cabinet Taskforce be established to make recommendations on West Suffolk Council’s approach to supporting rural areas.

2.           The Terms of Reference for the Taskforce be approved, as set out in Appendix A to Report No: CAB/WS/19/006.