Agenda item - Annual Review and Appointment of the Cabinet's Working Parties, Joint Committees/Panels and Other Groups

Report No: CAB/SE/17/027

Portfolio Holder: John Griffiths

Lead Officers: Karen Points and Leah Mickleborough

RESOLVED:

That:

(1) the Grant Working Party continues to operate in accordance with its Terms of Reference, as detailed in Appendix A of Report No: CAB/SE/17/027.

(2) Given the diminished workload of the Sustainable Development Working Party in 2016/2017 and the continuing significance of the West Suffolk Joint Growth Steering Group (WSJGSG) in the context of its close association with the West Suffolk strategic priorities, the Sustainable Development Working Party be disbanded, and its responsibilities set out in its Terms of Reference (ToR) at Appendix B, be incorporated into the ToR for the WSJGSG.

(3) The West Suffolk Joint Growth Steering Group continues to operate in accordance with its amended Terms of Reference contained in Appendix C.

(4)

(a) the West Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Panel, be disbanded; but

(b) relevant updates be provided to all councillors on emergency planning matters via the intranet and email as required, and to use normal Cabinet or scrutiny mechanisms to input to, and adopt, any work by the Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Policy Panel.

(5)

(a) The West Suffolk Joint Health and Safety Panel and the West Suffolk Joint Staff Consultative Panel continue to operate in accordance with their current Terms of Reference contained in Appendices E and F respectively; and

(b) periodical meetings of the Joint Panels continue to be scheduled as and when required but with regard to the discussion outlined in Section 1.3.15.

(6)

(a) The Service Manager (Democratic Services) be requested to exercise their existing delegated authority to re-appoint or appoint as applicable, Members and substitute Members to the Grant Working Party, West Suffolk Joint Growth Steering Group, West Suffolk Joint Health and Safety Panel and the West Suffolk Joint Staff Consultative Panel for 2017/2018, on the nominations of Group Leaders; and

(b) such re-appointments/appointments be made on the basis of political balance requirements, where applicable and identified in Report No: CAB/SE/17/027.

(7) The Service Manager (Democratic Services) be requested to exercise their existing delegated authority to re-appoint or appoint as applicable, one full Cabinet Member and two substitute Cabinet Members to the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee for 2017/2018, on the nomination of the Leader of the Council.

(8)

(a) The Cabinet’s existing informal Working Groups be retained as indicated in Section 1.6.2; and

(b) provided that resources are available to support them, further informal task-and-finish working groups continue to be established to consider specific issues as required throughout 2017/2018.

(9) The Members stated in Section 1.7.2 be re-appointed as observers to the respective outside bodies listed, and to NOTE the Leader or ex-officio appointments to the project or partnership groups listed in Section 1.7.3 and 1.7.4.

The Cabinet considered Report No: CAB/SE/17/027, which presented the annual review and appointment of Cabinet Working Parties, Joint Committee/Panels and Other Groups: 2017/2018.

Councillor John Griffiths, Leader of the Council, drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet, including that the Cabinet was required to review the membership and Terms of Reference of its Working Parties, Joint Committees/Panels and Other Groups for 2017/2018.

The existing Terms of Reference for the relevant bodies were attached as Appendix A to F inclusive.

No changes were recommended to the majority of the existing arrangements, with the exception of the following:

(a) The Sustainable Development Working Party was proposed to be disbanded as its responsibilities would be incorporated into the work of the West Suffolk Joint Growth Steering Group, which would include the development of a new local plan for West Suffolk. Forest Heath District Council’s equivalent Local Plan Working Group would be disbanded upon adoption of its local plan later this year.

(b) The Terms of Reference for the West Suffolk Joint Growth Steering Group had been proposed to be widened to cover the consideration of a range of strategic matters that would contribute towards the growth of West Suffolk, as shown in Appendix C. As a non-decision making body, it would continue to make recommendations on such issues to Cabinet, as appropriate.

(c) The West Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Panel was proposed to be disbanded as its principal work was already covered by the Suffolk-wide Joint Emergency Planning Unit. Further details regarding this proposal was provided in 1.3.8 to 1.3.10 of the report.

Together with the other recommendations contained in the report, the Cabinet supported the above proposals. The Grant Working Party was particularly acknowledged for its sterling work in considering applications for grant funding under the Rural Initiatives Grant Scheme and for bringing forward its recommendations to Cabinet for Community Chest funding each autumn. The late Councillor Angela Rushen was commended for her excellent chairmanship of this Working Party, a role she had successfully undertaken for a number of years.

Appointments and re-appointments of Members to the various bodies would be made under delegated authority on the basis of political balance requirements, where applicable.