Agenda and minutes

To receive Apologies for Absence from Committee members. 

Apologies were received from Councillors Douglas de Lacey and David McCraith. Councillors Nigel Cathcart and Charlie Nightingale were the respective substitutes.

None.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 27 June 2014 as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on 27 June 2014 were agreed as a correct record.

The Chairman introduced this item which considered the emerging proposals to establish an integrated governance framework for the Greater Cambridge City Deal.

He stressed that the purpose of the meeting was not to take any decisions or make any formal recommendations, but just to review and comment on the emerging thoughts, in the hope that the Committee’s feedback would aid those who were drawing-up the proposed governance framework.

He mentioned that City and County Councillors, and representatives of Cambridge University and the Local Enterprise Partnership, has been invited to join the meeting, but were unable to attend. He said that they will be sent the minutes.

Councillor Ray Manning explained that there was considerable flexibility in the proposed governance arrangements. He added that all five authorities had enthusiastically agreed the City Deal and as all decisions would be intended to be by consensus, goodwill from all five participating organisations would be required to make it work. It was noted that the Government were supportive of the City Deal as it was expected to deliver more homes, jobs and economic development.

Setting up the Executive Board

It was noted that the full Councils of the three local authorities were due to meet (individually) in November or December to formulise an interim Executive Board as a joint committee under Section 102(1)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972. This was already currently operational in shadow form. The alternative of setting up a Section 29 Committee had been rejected as it would require Government permission to create and disestablish. Legislation would be required to create a Combined Authority which could take a number of years but this was considered the most appropriate model of governance to enable three Councils, in partnership with Cambridge University and the Local Enterprise Partnership, to deliver the City Deal:

·         The Committee stressed that references to a “Combined Authority”, should make it clear that that phrase was very different from a Unitary Authority to avoid any unnecessary confusion. It was noted that certain “authorities” of the three councils were being pooled; it was not the case that the entirety of the three councils were being merged into one.

·         The new joint arrangements would be similar to the joint committees that have been set up to consider development control.

·         The Committee expected that these new arrangements would lead to the abolition of joint committees such as the Joint Strategic Transport and Strategic Planning Group, to avoid duplication.

Governance arrangements of the Executive Board

It was noted that the three respective councils would appoint a single representative to the Executive Board and this was expected to be the Leader of each, as being the individual with the greatest experience. Each Leader would also appoint a Deputy. The University and the Local Enterprise Partnership would appoint a representative to the Board, but unlike the council’s members, these representatives would not have voting rights, as legislation does not permit that. The Committee made the following points:

·         Appointments to the Board should be made by  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

None.

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Friday 26 September at 9am.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Committee will be held on:

·         Friday 26 September at 9am