Agenda item

Improving Greater Cambridge Partnership Governance

 

To consider the attached report.

Decision:

 

The Joint Assembly RECOMMEND that the Executive Board:

 

a)    Agrees the Portfolios, the generic portfolio role description and their allocation between Board members (Appendix 1);

 

b)    Agrees to the creation of the five, portfolio-themed informal Board and Joint Assembly Working Groups to bring the energy and expertise of Joint Assembly members to strategy and project development earlier and agrees their membership and terms of reference (Appendix 2);

 

c)    Agrees Board meetings should be 2-monthly during 2018, with a review of frequency midway through the year;

 

d)    Agrees there should be a longer interval between the Assembly and Board of around 3 weeks as soon as practicable and notes the proposed reporting improvements of that advice at appendix 3;

 

e)    Agrees the principles for officer delegations and scheme of delegation for the Greater Cambridge Partnership in Appendix 4;

 

f)     Notes and endorses the principles for the setting of the Joint Assembly work programme in Appendix 5;

 

g)    Agrees to a review of governance arrangements commencing a year after implementation, to consider how effective the changes have been; and

 

h)    Notes other actions taken to improve public questions and ensure all Executive Board member declarations of interest are up to date.

 

The Joint Assembly AGREED that, subject to the Executive Board’s decision on the package of measures to strengthen governance and member involvement (as summarised in recommendations a – h above), to:

 

a)    Agree its nomination of members to the proposed Portfolio Working Groups as set out below:

 

Housing and Strategic Planning

 

Councillor Lewis Herbert *

Councillor Kevin Price

Councillor Tim Wotherspoon

Councillor John Williams

Andy Williams

 

Transport

 

Councillor Ian Bates *

Councillor Tim Bick

Councillor Noel Kavanagh

Sir Michael Marshall

Dr John Wells

Councillor Kevin Cuffley

Helen Valentine

Councillor Bridget Smith

Skills

 

Mark Reeve *

Councillor Bridget Smith

Sir Michael Marshall

Mark Robertson

Councillor Kevin Price

Councillor Kevin Cuffley

 

Smart Places

 

Councillor Francis Burkitt *

Claire Ruskin

Helen Valentine

Andy Williams

Councillor Tim Wotherspoon

Councillor John Williams

Councillor Dave Baigent

 

Economy and Environment

 

Professor Phil Allmendinger *

Councillor Tim Bick

Claire Ruskin

Dr John Wells

Councillor Noel Kavanagh

Councillor Grenville Chamberlain

Councillor Dave Baigent

 

* proposed Portfolio Holder/Executive Board Member;

 

b)    Agree the draft principles for setting its Work Programme (at appendix 5 to the report), which set it within the overall Greater Cambridge Partnership governance framework; and

 

c)    Agree to a Joint Assembly work shop on the work programme, to be scheduled around the turn of the year.

Minutes:

The Joint Assembly considered a report to be presented to the next Executive Board meeting seeking agreement of a package of proposals to strengthen governance arrangements of the GCP.  The aim was to make better use of the expertise of Joint Assembly members earlier in the project and programme development lifecycle; to strengthen pre-decision scrutiny and clarify roles and responsibilities.  The report also set out how the public questions process was being improved and stakeholder engagement strengthened. 

 

At this stage in the proceedings the Chairperson invited members of the public to ask questions relating to this item, which had been submitted in line with the provisions of Standing Orders.  He explained that a response to the questions asked had been included in the officer presentation on the report.  Details of the questions and answers are set out in Appendix A to the minutes.

 

The Chairperson reported that this was the last meeting Tanya Sheridan, Programme Director would attend.  He thanked Tanya for the support and advice she had provided to him during his time as Vice Chairman; sentiments he was sure would be shared by the former Chairman.  He also thanked Tanya on behalf of the Joint Assembly and wished her well for the future.

 

The Joint Assembly was invited to consider and comment on the recommendations being presented to the Executive Board.  The main points of discussion are summarised below:

 

·         Councillor Bridget Smith who had been involved in the Working Group commented that she would be abstaining on this matter as there had been an opportunity to do something far more radical.  Her main concern was that too much power was in too few hands . However, having said that she confirmed she was happy to do her best to make this work and help make it a success.  She was pleased to see plans for a review in 12 months time.  Councillor Smith also expressed her thanks to Tanya for her work over the past two years.

 

·         Councillor Tim Bick commented that there were some good things being proposed and he welcomed the move to a Portfolio Holder arrangement; although he had some reservations that the portfolios were very unequal in size.  He also welcomed plans for the Joint Assembly to control its own work programme. He was worried about the private nature of the proposed working groups; in particular the risk of driving underground the discussion of options.  Councillor Bick considered he and other members had a role to play in making sure this didn’t happen and to ensure that all the options were meaningfully debated in public.  He commented that there was a functional problem in that the public expected and deserved to see deliberative decision  making, which was not possible under current arrangements where the deliberation took place in one forum and the decision making happened in another.  Councillor Bick was of the opinion that Executive Board meetings were very sterile in nature and likened proceedings to a series of supreme court judges announcing pre packed decisions, with no discussion between them.  He saw no benefit in having the two separate bodies.  A more radical solution would have addressed this and hopefully this could be revisited in future. 

 

With 12 votes in favour and 1 abstention the Joint Assembly agreed to RECOMMEND that the Executive Board:

 

a)    Agrees the Portfolios, the generic portfolio role description and their allocation between Board members (Appendix 1);

 

b)    Agrees to the creation of the five, portfolio-themed informal Board and Joint Assembly Working Groups to bring the energy and expertise of Joint Assembly members to strategy and project development earlier and agrees their membership and terms of reference (Appendix 2);

 

c)    Agrees Board meetings should be 2-monthly during 2018, with a review of frequency midway through the year;

 

d)    Agrees there should be a longer interval between the Assembly and Board of around 3 weeks as soon as practicable and notes the proposed reporting improvements of that advice at appendix 3;

 

e)    Agrees the principles for officer delegations and scheme of delegation for the Greater Cambridge Partnership in Appendix 4;

 

f)     Notes and endorses the principles for the setting of the Joint Assembly work programme in Appendix 5;

 

g)    Agrees to a review of governance arrangements commencing a year after implementation, to consider how effective the changes have been; and

 

h)    Notes other actions taken to improve public questions and ensure all Executive Board member declarations of interest are up to date.

 

The Joint Assembly AGREED unanimously that, subject to the Executive Board’s decision on the package of measures to strengthen governance and member involvement (as summarised in recommendations a – h above), to:

 

a)    Agree its nomination of members to the proposed Portfolio Working Groups as set out below:

 

Housing and Strategic Planning

 

Councillor Lewis Herbert *

Councillor Kevin Price

Councillor Tim Wotherspoon

Councillor John Williams

Andy Williams

 

Transport

 

Councillor Ian Bates *

Councillor Tim Bick

Councillor Noel Kavanagh

Sir Michael Marshall

Dr John Wells

Councillor Kevin Cuffley

Helen Valentine

Councillor Bridget Smith

 

 

 

Skills

 

Mark Reeve *

Councillor Bridget Smith

Sir Michael Marshall

Mark Robertson

Councillor Kevin Price

Councillor Kevin Cuffley

 

Smart Places

 

Councillor Francis Burkitt *

Claire Ruskin

Helen Valentine

Andy Williams

Councillor Tim Wotherspoon

Councillor John Williams

Councillor Dave Baigent

 

Economy and Environment

 

Professor Phil Allmendinger *

Councillor Tim Bick

Claire Ruskin

Dr John Wells

Councillor Noel Kavanagh

Councillor Grenville Chamberlain

Councillor Dave Baigent

 

* proposed Portfolio Holder/Executive Board Member;

 

b)    Agree the draft principles for setting its Work Programme (at appendix 5 to the report), which set it within the overall Greater Cambridge Partnership governance framework; and

 

c)    Agree to a Joint Assembly work shop on the work programme, to be scheduled around the turn of the year.

Supporting documents: