Issue - meetings

The Leader said that the Hertfordshire Growth had been established in an informal way for the last couple of years, in order to coordinate growth across Hertfordshire. She said that the growth board had worked very closely with all 10 District and Borough leaders, the County Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Councillor Haysey said that the time had come where the growth board should be set up to allow for more transparency and greater public engagement, as well as securing a tighter legal footing. She said that Stevenage Borough Council were also voting on this matter this evening at Full Council and all the other Hertfordshire District and Borough Councils had voted on this proposal.

Councillor Haysey proposed the recommendation made by the Executive, as referred to in the Executive report of 24 November 2020, in respect of the Hertfordshire Growth Board – joint Committee proposal. Councillor Curtis seconded the motion and commented on the very important work of the Hertfordshire Growth Board.

Councillor Crystall said that this proposal sounded very interesting and positive. He asked how the agendas and minutes were available to Councillors who were not Members of the Growth Board. Councillor Goldspink said that the Liberal Democrat group was very happy to support these proposals.

Councillor Haysey said that there was a Hertfordshire Growth Board meeting tomorrow where the detailed governance arrangements would be agreed and she said that there would be a public ability to see the agendas and minutes.

A motion to support the recommendation having been proposed and seconded, was put to the meeting and a vote taken. The motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that (A) Council endorses the establishment of the Hertfordshire Growth Board Joint Committee and Hertfordshire Growth Board Scrutiny Joint Committee (to hold their inaugural meetings in January/February 2021 and then HGB Scrutiny aligned to confirmation of securing Government funding in 2021) and that the Council becomes a member of both;

(B)   Council adopts the Growth Board Integrated Governance Framework into its own constitutional framework.

(C)   Council nominates a Member and substitute Member as the Council’s representative on the Hertfordshire Growth Board Scrutiny Joint Committee (note that nominees must not be members of the Executive); and

(D)   Council notes that, subject to approval of Recommendation (A), the Leader is nominated as the council’s representative on the Hertfordshire Growth Board Joint Committee with delegated authority to appoint a substitute representative as required.

(A)           Notes the content of this report and attached joint cover report at Appendix A: “Hertfordshire Growth Board Integrated Governance Framework”;

(B) Agrees to recommend to Council endorsement of the establishment of the Hertfordshire Growth Board Joint Committee and Hertfordshire Growth Board Scrutiny Joint Committee as Joint Committees

(C) Nominates the Leader as the Council’s representative on the Hertfordshire Growth Board Joint Committee, should Council endorse the establishment of the joint committee and the council’s membership, with delegated authority to appoint a substitute representative as required.

The Leader of the Council submitted a report on proposals to establish the Hertfordshire Growth Board and Hertfordshire Growth Board Scrutiny Committee as formal joint committees under the Local Government Act 1972 and Local Government Act 2000 and to set out the actions required. 

The Leader referred to a briefing given on 11 November 2020 to all Members by the Chairman of the Growth Board, Patsy Dell which Members had found very interesting.  She said that it had been in existence for a couple of years and comprised the 11 Leaders of the Hertfordshire Authorities who worked very well together. The aim of the Board was to make sure that growth now and in the future was “smart growth” and “good and well, co-ordinated growth” and that the projects to be submitted for funding to the Government would be important to all residents. The Leader explained that we now needed to ensure transparency and good governance of the growth board and that this report was the first step in the process to set up under Sections 101 (LGA 1972) joint committees.

The Leader said that the HGB had many projects at the moment for submission when funding became available. 

There being no comments, the Leader proposed and Councillor Goodeve seconded a motion supporting the recommendation in the report. On being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED –that (A) the content of the report and attached joint cover report at Appendix A: “Hertfordshire Growth Board Integrated Governance Framework” be noted;

(B) the Executive agrees to recommend to Council endorsement of the establishment of the Hertfordshire Growth Board Joint Committee and Hertfordshire Growth Board Scrutiny Joint Committee as Joint Committees;

(C) the Leader be nominated as the Council’s representative on the Hertfordshire Growth Board Joint Committee, should Council endorse the establishment of the joint committee and the council’s membership, with delegated authority to appoint a substitute representative as required.

RESOLVED – to recommend to Council that:

(D)   it endorses the establishment of the Hertfordshire Growth Board Joint Committee and Hertfordshire Growth Board Scrutiny Joint Committee (to hold their inaugural meetings in January/February 2021 and then HGB Scrutiny aligned to confirmation of securing Government funding in 2021) and that the council becomes a member of both.

(E)        adopts the Growth Board Integrated Governance Framework into its own constitutional framework.

(F)        nominates a member and substitute member as the Council’s representative on the Hertfordshire Growth Board Scrutiny Joint Committee (note that nominees must not be members of the Executive) and

(G)       to note that, subject to approval of Recommendation (d), the Leader is nominated as the council’s representative on the Hertfordshire Growth Board Joint Committee with delegated authority to appoint a substitute representative as required.