Agenda item

Derbyshire Strategic Leadership Board

Decision:

*RESOLVED –

That it be recommended that Council;

1. Approves the proposals for the establishment of the D2 Strategic Leadership Board and delegates functions to this Joint Committee in line with the Functions and Responsibilities document attached at Appendix 2 of the officer’s report.

2. Notes the draft Terms of Reference, including the Introduction and Context, Functions and Responsibilities, Procedural Rules and Information Procedure Rules for the Strategic Leadership Board as set out in Appendix 2 of the officer’s report and the position detailed in those documents regarding scrutiny and co-option.

3. Appoints the Leader of the Council as the Council’s representative on the D2 Strategic Leadership Board and the Deputy Leader of the Council as substitute.

4. Notes the intention for the D2 Strategic Leadership Board to be the body for the nomination of district and borough representatives to the East Midlands Combined County Authority (CCA), when established, further noting that this is subject to the CCA’s agreement that this be the mechanism.

5. Agrees that Derbyshire County Council will act as the host authority for the Joint Committee.

6. Notes the dissolution of the D2 Joint Committee for Economic Prosperity, the enactment of which is subject to the establishment of the D2 Strategic Leadership Board and recommends to Council that the Constitution is amended accordingly.

7. Notes the dissolution of the Vision Derbyshire Joint Committee, the enactment of which is subject to the establishment of the D2 Strategic Leadership Board and recommends to Council that the Constitution is amended accordingly.

8. Approves the Council’s active participation in the D2 Strategic Leadership Board and the associated costs of taking forward the programme of work.

9. Notes that as the functions of the Joint Committee are executive functions, Chesterfield Borough Council will not have the opportunity to co-opt additional members onto the Joint Committee and the ability to co-opt is restricted within the Terms of Reference.

10. Notes that, in accordance with section 9F of the Local Government Act 2000, constituent authorities who operate executive arrangements will need to make formal scrutiny arrangements to review or scrutinise decisions made in connection with the exercise of the functions of the D2 Strategic Leadership Board, and that the Council’s existing scrutiny arrangements will apply.

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

1. To establish the D2 Strategic Leadership Board with robust governance arrangements in place and secure the Council’s future involvement and participation in the new governance arrangements as they develop and emerge.

2. To enable the Council to commit the financial resources required to support the D2 Strategic Leadership Board and its work activities.

3. To enable the Council to participate fully in all decision making and programme activity that will take place under the remit of the D2 Strategic Leadership Board.

4. To ensure the Council has appropriate lead Elected Member representation on the proposed D2 Strategic Leadership Board.

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council presented a report setting out the work that the Council had recently been engaged in with Derby City Council and other Derbyshire Councils on a revised approach to collaborative and partnership working, and seeking approval for the Council to participate in a new Joint Committee of Derby and Derbyshire councils, the D2 Strategic Leadership Board (D2 SLB).

Work was progressing at pace towards the establishment of the new East Midlands Mayoral Combined County Authority (EMMCCA), which would bring new powers and funding opportunities to improve outcomes for people and places. It was important that Chesterfield Borough Council had a voice in these new governance structures, which would be enabled by its members and officers being able to actively participate in the proposed D2 SLB.

The case for a new single leadership board for Derby and Derbyshire, where the 10no. councils could come together to work collectively to tackle the city’s and county’s challenges and speak with one voice, had been further strengthened by the challenging financial circumstances that many were facing. There was a pressing need to collaborate, to create new ways of working, and to be more cost effective in delivering services for people and places.

The D2 SLB was proposed as a successor body to the two existing joint committees, the Vision Derbyshire Joint Committee and the D2 Joint Committee for Economic Prosperity, which would be dissolved on establishment of the new Board.

The proposed structure for the new Board was attached at Appendix 1 of the officer’s report, and the draft Terms of Reference, including the Articles, Procedure Rules and Access to Information Procedure Rules attached at Appendix 2.

A short guide to the D2 SLB was attached at Appendix 3 of the officer’s report, providing a simple, accessible description of both the D2 SLB’s vision and functions, and how it would work in practice.

It was proposed that membership would be open to all 10no. Derbyshire councils, including Derby City Council.

It was also proposed that following establishment of the EMMCCA, the D2 SLB would be the formal nominating body for making district and borough council appointments to the EMMCCA Board. Derbyshire’s district and borough councils would be entitled to two seats on the EMMCCA Board, with Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council each having one seat by virtue of being constituent councils. It would be for the districts and boroughs to determine their two nominations via the D2 SLB.

Under the proposals, Derbyshire County Council would act as the host authority and would establish a programme team to support the D2 SLB. The Programme Team would be responsible for:

· Overseeing and managing the new body – including servicing meetings of the Board and its advisory committees.

· Working with thematic delivery leads to identify, develop, and deliver programmes and projects in line with the Board’s proposed vision and functions.

· Shaping the Board’s future programme and ensuring alignment with the proposed EMMCCA, when established, to optimise the outcomes for people and places.

All 10no. Derby and Derbyshire Councils were now being asked to become members of the D2 SLB. It was felt to be important for the Council to become a member of the D2 SLB and for it to engaged in the development of the Board’s work programme over the coming months. Accordingly, it was recommended that the Leader be nominated to represent Chesterfield Borough Council on the D2 SLB and that the Deputy Leader be nominated as substitute.