Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Chief Executive, (copy enclosed).

The Council received the report of the Chief Executive providing an update on Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Greater Essex.

The report provided background information regarding Devolution, how Terms of Reference had been drafted and a nominating body was being set up to agree which representation for District Authorities on the Greater Essex Combined County Authority (GECCA), or any other Committee, sub-working group or scrutiny committee established by the GECCA. All Leaders would be members of the nominating body and each devolution priority programme area would be provided with investment funds from the Government to ensure they can start delivering on key local priorities and benefits ahead of the mayors taking office in 2028.

In respect of LGR, Officers continued to work with colleagues across Essex on programme structures for its delivery, focusing on gathering information as set out by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Essex-wide workstream activity input had been established, progress and updates from all workstreams would continue to be shared with the Devolution and LGR Working Group (the Working Group).

Councillor W Stamp, Chairperson of the Devolution and LGR Working Group, referred to the Director of Strategy and Improvement who was shortly leaving the Council and thanked her for her work on this project. These thanks were reiterated by other Members of the Council. Councillor Stamp then introduced the report highlighting the work of the Working Group and asked Members to receive the update and acknowledge progress and the work that had been undertaken. Since production of the report, she advised that the Council had responded to a request from the MHCLG seeking information that would help to progress the work of the structural change order.

The Director of Legal and Governance provided the Council with further details regarding the information requested from the MHCLG, including a view in relation to the formation of the joint committees and other information which would be used to draft the structural changes order once the government had announced its minded to decision. The Council’s response had been drafted in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Chairperson of the Working Group. She reassured Members that Officers were continuing to work with colleagues across Essex gathering information.

The Chairperson then moved the recommendation set out in the report and this was duly seconded.

In response to questions, the Chief Executive advised that there was no indication from the Government that Devolution and LGR would not happen, nor would there be a change to their direction of travel and at this time the Council had not been advised which Authorities it might join up with. The Council’s Director of Finance and Director of Legal and Governance were working on the case for the five unitary authority model supported by this Council. The Leader of the Council advised that he had recently attended an MHCLG webinar where it has been reiterated that the timetable remained unchanged.

The Chairperson put the recommendation, and this was duly agreed.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15