Agenda item

The Report of the Director - Development and Economic Growth is attached.

It was RESOLVED that:

a)               the new structure for the Boards be approved; and

b)               the proposed terms of reference template included as Appendix A and Appendix B in the report be agreed, and the Director – Development and Economic Growth be granted delegated authority to adapt as necessary.

The Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Growth and Development, Councillor Brennan, presented the report of the Director – Development and Economic Growth, which outlined the new structure and terms of reference for the Growth Boards. 

Councillor Brennan stated that this report followed on from reports submitted to Cabinet and the Growth and Development Scrutiny Group in June and October respectively this year and reflected the outcome of those discussions and the extensive review work undertaken by officers, with the new structure for the Boards detailed in Paragraph 4 of the report.  Cabinet was advised that the current Strategic Growth Board would continue, but with new objectives, with the proposed terms of reference for the Board set out in Appendix A to the report.  Councillor Brennan advised that the local Growth Boards as were would be replaced by Development and Community Boards, alongside those would be Task and Finish Groups, established to look at specific topics, together with meetings with the six largest town/parish councils and the West Bridgford Local Area Forum, as detailed in Paragraph 4.3, with a summary of the changes in Paragraph 4.4.  Councillor Brennan advised that an important new role for the Strategic Growth Board would be the development of an Economic Growth Strategy for the Borough, which would oversee the development and delivery of the work programmes for the Task and Finish Groups.  Cabinet was advised that the process for establishing the terms of reference for those groups, together with the list of key questions to be asked when new groups were proposed was detailed in Paragraph 4.8, with the new structures continuing to be supported by officers. Councillor Brennan concluded by advising that considerable work had taken place to undertake this review, the current Boards had served their purpose and it was the correct time to consider their relevance, if they were tackling the right issues and involving the right people. The new structure would be fit for purpose and help to deliver the Council’s corporate objectives.

In seconding the recommendation, Councillor Upton stated that he was speaking with some experience, having chaired the West Bridgford Growth Board for several years and currently being a member of the Radcliffe on Trent Growth Board.  Given that it was eight years since the Boards were established Councillor Upton considered that it had been timely to review them and that a new structure was required and applauded the flexibility in this new structure, and he noted that the report had been endorsed by the Growth and Development Scrutiny Group.

Councillor Clarke agreed that when the Boards were set up they were appropriate for the time and served a useful purpose; however, things evolved, and it was right to review and ensure that the operation was fit for purpose.

Having chaired the Bingham Growth Board, Councillor Inglis concurred with Councillor Upton’s comments and noted the many projects that had been delivered and was pleased to see that they would be more inclusive.

It was RESOLVED that:

a)               the new structure for the Boards be approved; and

b)               the proposed terms of reference template included as Appendix A and Appendix B in the report be agreed, and the Director – Development and Economic Growth be granted delegated authority to adapt as necessary.