Apologies were received from Jon Maxwell, David Spreadbury, John Bridge and Stephen Moir. 

None. 

None.

Horningsea Parish Council will present their Parish Plan and invite Partner input. 

Peter and Frank described the process of assembling their parish plan, which included prompting people to complete a questionnaires and appraising the returns. Where the views of groups of people living in the parish were under-represented in responses, additional work was carried out to include them. The final action plan looks at various options for improving life in the parish and is structured to include things that local people can do on their own, work with others and work that is dependent on outside agencies to deliver.

Some of the local actions in the plan included participating in a Speedwatch scheme and a Good Neighbour Scheme that prioritised the completion of small jobs for the elderly. Present issues included local transport (with the cutting of the bus service), high-speed broadband and appropriate small-scale development. The contribution of the LSP to the completion of the new cycleway was acknowledged.      

The Chair thanked Peter and Frank for the informative presentation and congratulated them on having prepared a plan that represented the vibrant community in Horningsea.

The Board NOTED the report.  

Please note that amendments have been suggested to the minutes after they were distributed. These suggested amendments are highlighted in the attached document, but need to be formally agreed by the Board. 

The amended minutes of the meeting held on 25 January 2011 were agreed as a correct record. 

Ray Manning will give an oral report about the recent discussion between Andrew Lansley MP and LSP members. The meeting was organised in response to concerns raised by Dr. Peter Bailey, representing CATCH, in a presentation to the Board at its last meeting.

The Chair gave an oral report on the content of the Special LSP Board meeting convened on 11 March to discuss the Secretary of State’s plans to reform the NHS. The meeting was organised in response to concerns raised in a presentation given to the Board on 25 January 2011.

It was said that the presentation outlined the principles of the proposed reforms, which helped guide the development of new structures and accountabilities, showed more straightforward commissioning arrangements, close to the front-line, and how administration would be reduced and around £1.7 bn saved.

The LSP Board said that it appreciated the time given by the Secretary of State and felt fortunate in having the opportunity to discuss the reforms with him. Members recognised that Cambridgeshire was well placed to take the reforms forward but welcomed the breathing space provided the consultation period (announced on the day of the LSP Board meeting) to look again at some of the more contentious areas.

The Board NOTED the oral report. 

Jonathan Barker will give an oral update on the developing proposal to establish a Community Fund for Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire.

Jonathan Barker gave an update on the developing proposal to establish a Community Fund to promote strategic giving by local companies in the South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge area. The fund would be used to support local projects that improved the quality of life for local people. Jonathan said that the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation would take the lead in managing the fund. A key component would be the recruitment of a fund raiser who, with a proven track record, could lever in a substantial amount of funding. Cambridgeshire Community Foundation were approaching local authorities to assess the best route for bidding for a grant to establish the post, which would be for an 18 month period.

The LSP Board thanked Jonathan for his work in moving the fund forward and asked to be kept informed about its progress.

The Board NOTED the oral report. 

Graham Saint will present a progress report on the spend and invite members to agree a process for using the remaining balance of the LPSA grant allocated to Cambridge City Council. 

Graham Saint presented a paper showing the progress of its projects (Cambridge) and highlighted some principles to help guide the distribution of an additional £23,000 that had been provided to Cambridge City Council by the County Council, as a consequence of the winding down of Cambridgeshire Together. South Cambridgeshire District Council’s portion had been used to offset it losses incurred as a consequence of the withholding of the LAA’s second wave payment. The paper had been written prior to the announcement that the government was releasing the LAA’s second wave payment.

It was proposed that the grant (£23,000 for Cambridge) be distributed to local community and voluntary sector groups, who are under immense pressure at present because of funding difficulties, as soon as practical and that the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation should administer the giving of the grant, in a similar way to the distribution of Cambridge City Council grants through Area Committees. Some members felt that there was insufficient detail in the report to allow a conclusion to be reached, especially about the value of existing projects. A consensus for the distribution of the grant (£23,000) could not be reached and a vote of Board members was called.

The LSP Board agreed the proposed distribution after a vote, with 9 in favour and 4 against.

The LSP Board welcomed the news that the government had released the second wave payment to Cambridgeshire County Council. It was appreciated that the method for its re-distribution was presently under discussion in the Public Service Board and that a proposal had not yet emerged. It was felt that any distribution would need to take into account the deficits incurred by some local authorities and the position some community and voluntary sector groups had been placed in – so that their was a level playing field between the local authorities for any new starting point. Appendix 1 of the paper showed that the LSP Board, for the Cambridge portion, might expect to receive £266,000 for local projects and £214,000 for local county led projects. It was said that because time has moved on, that different priorities might now be pressing, and that the distribution could be allocated in different way. It is expected that a decision will be made prior to the LSP’s next meeting.

The LSP Board agreed to extend its appreciation, to its local MP’s and other representatives, for their hard work in lobbying government to bring about the release of the second wave payment.

The LSP Board agreed to review its existing projects so that these can be taken into account when looking at the allocation of any future grant provided to the LSP Board from the second wave payment.   

Sian Reid will give an oral update on progress being made with the establishment of the LEP and the voice the locality can have within it. 

Sian Reid gave an oral update on the developing LEP. Members of the LEP’s Board had been advertised and recruitment was underway. The LEP covered a large area and there had been some concern that Cambridge’s significance, as the engine of economic growth in the region, might be diminished. Sian said that there would be an area panel to help represent the City’s interests and that the two bids to the Regional Growth Fund, Chesterton Station and the Low Carbon Hub, were in Cambridge. It was said that whilst the community and voluntary sector had only one representative in the new Board the person nominated had good local connections.

The Board NOTED the oral report. 

Members are invited to discuss the future role of the LSP and its structure.

Graham Saint presented a report setting out the new partnership environment that the LSP found itself in and invited members to help define the future role of the LSP (if any), what aspects of a new strategy it might focus on and how it might be structured in the future (numbers of meetings and the use of task and finish groups).

The Chair asked members whether the LSP should continue. The answer was “Yes”.

It was felt that the LSP had a role in:

·          Bringing together senior representatives from different sectors – it was though that     with the demise of the county-wide Stronger Partnership that community and voluntary       sector representatives had lost a forum where it’s voice was heard, the LSP had increased in importance to the sector because of this

·          Championing the interests of Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire with the       remaining 3 county-wide strategic partnerships

·          Delivering a small number of actions in priority areas, the gaps between public       agencies and partnerships, where coordinated efforts were required to make a       difference

·          Developing robust local projects that will utilise any future LPSA funding allocated – so that local people benefited

In terms of the structure of the LSP, some members said that they did not feel that the continuation of four meetings a year was justifiable, given the climate in which public agencies were working. Their preference was for the annual meeting and the use of task and finish groups to progress work. Other members felt that at least 3 meetings a year was required, to help coordinate work, maintain relationships within the LSP Board and to connect with other partnerships.

A consensus for the number of meetings could not be reached and a vote of Board members was called.

The LSP Board agreed that it will meet 3 times a year, after a vote, with 10 in favour and 3 against, but that this will be kept under review.

Board members are asked to agree topics for discussion at the next few meetings, to improve partnership working and help identify and resolve any performance issues. 

 The Board AGREED to meet on

• Monday 11 July 2011 at 2pm

The Forward Plan includes:

• Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman
• Agreeing the Sustainable Community Strategy
• Receiving a presentation about work to promote biodiversity in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire

Update on the distribution of LPSA grant to LSP’s and review of the LSP’s present projects

Possible Future Dates

9 or 16 November 2011 between 2 pm and 4.30 pm

and

12 or 13 March 2011 between 2 pm and 4.30 pm