Issue - meetings

Gloucestershire City Region Board

Meeting: 07/03/2024 - Cabinet (Item 253)

Webcast for 07/03/2024 - Cabinet

253 Gloucestershire City Regions Board PDF 126 KB

Purpose

To consider the emerging form and function of the Gloucestershire City Region Board, the nature of its authority, terms of reference, membership, and joint scrutiny arrangements.

To enable the Council to play an active part in the formalisation of a new Gloucestershire Region Board to support the delivery of developing a vision for the future growth of the economic success for the whole of the Gloucestershire economic area.

Recommendations

That Cabinet resolves to:

1. Agree to the establishment of the Gloucestershire City Region Board (GCRB);

2. Delegate authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Economy and Council Transformation, to finalise and complete the Inter-Authority Agreement (including the Constitution) and other key documentation and to take all necessary steps to create the GCRB, including finalising the terms of reference for the GCRB;

3. Agree that the above recommendations will not be effective until all Gloucestershire Councils pass equivalent resolutions;

4. Agree upon the establishment of the GCRB to;

4.1 Delegate this Council’s functions as are necessary for the delivery of the functions identified in the Terms of Reference at Annexe A to this report to the GCRB;

4.2 Confirm the appointment of Gloucestershire County Council as the Administering Authority;

4.3 Appoint the Cabinet member for Economy and Council Transformation of Cotswold District Council to the GCRB as the nominated member of the Board and to nominate a deputy to be agreed.

Additional documents:

Decision:

The purpose of the report was to consider the emerging form and function of the Gloucestershire City Region Board, the nature of its authority, terms of reference, membership, and joint scrutiny arrangements. It was also to enable the Council to play an active part in the formalisation of a new Gloucestershire Region Board to support the delivery of developing a vision for the future growth of the economic success for the whole of the Gloucestershire economic area.

Councillor Dale introduced the report and outlined its contents.

Cabinet commented on the report and asked questions of the Cabinet Member.

Councillor Dale proposed the recommendations and Councillor Bloomer seconded.

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:

1. AGREED to the establishment of the Gloucestershire City Region Board (GCRB);

2. DELEGATED AUTHORITY to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Economy and Council Transformation, to finalise and complete the Inter-Authority Agreement (including the Constitution) and other key documentation and to take all necessary steps to create the GCRB, including finalising the terms of reference for the GCRB;

3. AGREED that the above recommendations will not be effective until all Gloucestershire Councils pass equivalent resolutions;

4. AGREED upon the establishment of the GCRB to;

4.1 Delegate this Council’s functions as are necessary for the delivery of the

functions identified in the Terms of Reference at Annexe A to this report to

the GCRB;

4.2 Confirm the appointment of Gloucestershire County Council as the

Administering Authority;

4.3 Appoint the Cabinet member for Economy and Council Transformation of Cotswold District Council to the GCRB as the nominated member of the

Board and to nominate a deputy to be agreed.

Voting Record

5 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstention, 3 Absent/Did not vote

Minutes:

The purpose of the report was to consider the emerging form and function of the Gloucestershire City Region Board, the nature of its authority, terms of reference, membership, and joint scrutiny arrangements. It was also to enable the Council to play an active part in the formalisation of a new Gloucestershire Region Board to support the development of a vision for the future growth and economic success of the whole of the Gloucestershire economic area.

Councillor Dale as Cabinet Member for Economy and Council Transformation introduced the report and made the following points:

The proposal was designed to support economic growth within Gloucestershire and to enable further participation by the Council in decisions taken across the region.
The City Region Board would replace many of the separate boards in existence through a new Inter-Authority Agreement but would be based on ‘1 representative 1 vote’ from the existing Gloucestershire Economic Growth Joint Committee.
The agreement would be subject to the agreement of the other Councils.

Cabinet asked if there would be any cost saving from the proposal. Councillor Dale noted that Gloucestershire County Council would have fewer meetings to administer but the focus would be on the clarity of approach to supporting economic growth.