Agenda item

1.       To recommend to County Council the establishment of a Woking Joint Committee to deal with both executive and non-executive functions from 1 June 2014 in place of the current Local Committee in Woking which will cease to function from that date.

2.       To agree (as set out in Annex A of the submitted report):

·         that the current Local Committee executive functions be delegated to the Woking Joint Committee

·         that the Surrey County Council element of the new joint SCC/WBC executive functions be delegated to the Joint Committee

·         to recommend to Council that the current non-executive functions delegated to the Local Committee be delegated to the Woking Joint Committee

·         that the advisory functions that will come under the remit of the Woking Joint Committee be agreed.

3.       That the functions that Woking Borough Council has delegated to the Woking           Joint Committee, as set out in Annex A of the submitted report, be noted.

4.       That the Woking Joint Committee Constitution, including the Standing Orders under which it will operate, as set out in Annex A of the submitted report be agreed, and  authority be delegated to the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to agree to any minor amendments to the Constitution which may be required.

5.       To recommend that Council agrees to the relevant changes to the County Council’s Constitution to enable the Joint Committee to be established and become operational, as set out in Annex B of the submitted report.

Reasons for Decisions:

Cabinet and Full Council agreement is required to establish a Woking Joint Committee in place of the current Local Committee arrangements; to delegate recommended executive functions to the newly formed Woking Joint Committee; and to agree the new Constitution and Standing Orders under which the newly formed committee will operate.

The new Joint Committee will simplify and speed-up local decision making processes, enabling for the first time, all functions and budgets delegated to it by both authorities to be jointly decided upon.

The Cabinet Member for Community Services said that she was delighted to present the report for the proposal of a Joint Committee of Surrey County Council (SCC) and Woking Borough Council (WBC) which would be the first of its kind to be established in Surrey. 

Both Surrey County Council’s Cabinet and County Council approval was needed to establish the Joint Committee, to agree to delegate recommended functions to the committee and to agree the Constitution and Standing Orders under which this committee would operate.  Woking Borough Council had sought approval from its own Executive and Full Council earlier in February.

She highlighted the possibility of deciding that representatives from the voluntary sector may be co-opted onto the joint committee. She also said that the Chairmanship of the committee would be a County Council appointment but the Vice-Chairmanship would be a Borough appointment.

Functions jointly delegated by Surrey County Council and Woking Borough Council were also set out within the report.

Cabinet Members made the following points:

·         It was a good example of partnership in practice and a good template to take forward

·         Other Districts and Boroughs should be encouraged to follow and establish joint committees

·         The joint committee would enable greater local accountability and residents would be more involved in decision making

·         Encourage Woking to act as its local Health and Well Being Board and oversee and set priorities for general health and wellbeing matters within the framework of Surrey’s Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy

·         The joint committee had the full support of Woking Borough Council

·         No substitutes would be permitted for both County and Borough Members

·         A belief that this could be a template that could be used throughout two-tier Government

Cabinet Members publically thanked the Programme Manager and Lead Manager for Community Safety and Partnership and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services and their teams for their hard work in formulating the arrangements for the Woking Joint Committee. They also acknowledged the role that the Leader of Woking Borough Council had played in supporting the proposals.

In putting the recommendations to the vote, the Leader of the Council said that he hoped for all-party support for these proposals when the item was considered at County Council on 18 March 2014.

RESOLVED:     

1.       To recommend to County Council the establishment of a Woking Joint Committee to deal with both executive and non-executive functions from 1 June 2014 in place of the current Local Committee in Woking which will cease to function from that date.

2.       To agree (as set out in Annex A of the submitted report):

·         that the current Local Committee executive functions be delegated to the Woking Joint Committee

·         that the Surrey County Council element of the new joint SCC/WBC executive functions be delegated to the Joint Committee

·         to recommend to Council that the current non-executive functions delegated to the Local Committee be delegated to the Woking Joint Committee

·         that the advisory functions that will come under the remit of the Woking Joint Committee be agreed.

3.       That the functions that Woking Borough Council has delegated to the Woking           Joint Committee, as set out in Annex A of the submitted report, be noted.

4.       That the Woking Joint Committee Constitution, including the Standing Orders under which it will operate, as set out in Annex A of the submitted report be agreed, and  authority be delegated to the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to agree to any minor amendments to the Constitution which may be required.

5.       To recommend that Council agrees to the relevant changes to the County Council’s Constitution to enable the Joint Committee to be established and become operational, as set out in Annex B of the submitted report.

Reasons for Decisions:

Cabinet and Full Council agreement is required to establish a Woking Joint Committee in place of the current Local Committee arrangements; to delegate recommended executive functions to the newly formed Woking Joint Committee; and to agree the new Constitution and Standing Orders under which the newly formed committee will operate.

The new Joint Committee will simplify and speed-up local decision making processes, enabling for the first time, all functions and budgets delegated to it by both authorities to be jointly decided upon.