Agenda item - Greater Brighton Economic Board – Admission of New Member to the Board

Report of the Executive Lead, Strategy, Governance & Law

That Policy, Resources & Growth Committee:

1)            Recommends to Full Council on 14 December 2017 that Crawley Borough Council joins the GBEJC and that Gatwick Airport Ltd join the GBBP.

2)            Notes that these changes to the membership are dependent on the decision of Full Council, all the local authorities represented on the Board agreeing that the new members be appointed, and the Board taking a formal decision that the new members are appointed.

3)            Recommends to Full Council that it agrees to amend the Board’s Heads of Terms and that it instructs the Monitoring Officer to amend the Council’s constitution to reflect these amendments once they have been formally approved by all the constituent authorities and the Greater Brighton Economic Board.

74.1      The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture that sought approval to enable Crawley Borough Council to become a member of the Greater Brighton Economic Board (GBEB). Each local authority member of the joint committee was seeking equivalent approvals from their decision-making bodies to enable Crawley Borough Council to become a member.

74.2      The Chair stated that upon his appointment to the GBEB, one of the first issues discussed was the potential expansion of the Board membership and he had volunteered to begin discussions with Crawley Borough Council and Gatwick to that end. Whilst those discussions had taken some time to come to fruition, it was a huge step for the Board and would strengthen the region’s voice to central government and wider influence of the region.

74.3      Councillor Yates stated that as a key part of the region’s economy and as a key link to London, the appointment of Crawley and Gatwick made a great deal of sense.

74.4      RESOLVEDTO RECOMMEND- That Policy, Resources & Growth Committee:

1)            Recommends to Full Council on 14 December 2017 that Crawley Borough Council joins the GBEJC and that Gatwick Airport Ltd join the GBBP.

2)            Notes that these changes to the membership are dependent on the decision of Full Council, all the local authorities represented on the Board agreeing that the new members be appointed, and the Board taking a formal decision that the new members are appointed.

3)            Recommends to Full Council that it agrees to amend the Board’s Heads of Terms and that it instructs the Monitoring Officer to amend the Council’s constitution to reflect these amendments once they have been formally approved by all the constituent authorities and the Greater Brighton Economic Board.