Agenda item - Orbis Joint Committee

Report of the Executive Lead, Strategy, Governance & Law

1)        Recommends to Full Council on 20^th July 2017 the establishment of the Orbis Joint Committee with effect from 1^st April 2017, details of which are set out in Appendix 1 of this report.

27.1      The Committee considered a report of the Executive Lead, Strategy, Governance & Law that sought endorsement of the planned governance arrangements for the Orbis Partnership, prior to the arrangements being presented to Full Council for approval.

27.2      Councillor Yates asked how far the other partners had progressed with approving the arrangements.

27.3      The Executive Lead, Strategy, Governance & Law clarified that Surrey County Council and East Sussex County Council were already members of the Orbis Joint Committee and their respective Cabinet meetings had approved that decision. This element of the process was to approve Brighton & Hove City Council join that partnership.

27.4      Councillor Wealls asked how the Chair of the Orbis Joint Committee would be appointed and how the agenda would be set.

27.5      The Executive Lead, Strategy, Governance & Law stated that the partnership was one of equals and the Terms of Reference set out that the Chair for each meeting would be a Member of the Council from where the meeting was being held with venues rotating between ESCC, SCC and BHCC. The Executive Director, Finance & Resource clarified that the agenda was underpinned by proposals from the three members of the Orbis Joint Management Board. A proposed agenda was sent to the Members of the Orbis Committee and feedback taken into account. In doing so, the founding principles of equal partnership are observed..

27.6      Councillor Mac Cafferty noted that the membership principles for the Orbis Joint Committee were similar to that of the Greater Brighton Economic Board whereby the council was represented by Members from the administration and official opposition group. Councillor Mac Cafferty noted that the Greater Brighton Economic Board had a call-in provision and asked if there was some oversight in the Terms of Reference for the Orbis Joint Committee as it did not detail the same.

27.7      The Executive Lead, Strategy, Governance & Law stated that whilst the Terms of Reference did not explicitly refer to a call-in function, paragraph 3.1 set out that the Orbis Joint Committee had a role of oversight and performance management and any key decisions would have to be considered by each authority separately. In the unlikely event that was necessary, any key decisions would be reported to the Policy, Resources & Growth Committee. The Executive Director, Finance & Resource supplemented that the next major decision to be taken by the Orbis Joint Committee would concern consideration and potential approval of the three year business plan and that would be reported to this committee for decision.

27.8      RESOLVED- That the Policy, Resources & Growth Committee recommends to Full Council on 20^th July 2017 the establishment of the Orbis Joint Committee with effect from 1^st April 2017, details of which are set out in Appendix 1 of this report.