Issue - meetings

Report by Laurie Bell, Associate Director – Communications and Communities

Councillor Jonathan Seed presented a report which updated Cabinet on the review of area boards together with an action plan for evolving these to build on community working and engagement initiatives in the Council’s business and services; these included:

·Assisting area boards in their role to help create more resilient communities

• Building on the community working and the engagement of local communities in the work of the council (and other public sector partners)

• Devolving more services and decisions at local level

• Increasing the level of influence in decision making in local areas

• Raise awareness of what’s happening in local communities

• Provide opportunities for communities to come together and do more together

The central purpose of the report had been to provide more opportunities and help build more resilient communities.

Councillor Hubbard raised concern over the lack of safeguarding and public health implications within the report and noted that awareness needed to be raised across the board. Cllr Seed agreed that the safeguarding and public health roles although taken into account, should be made more explicit and suggested that this be incorporated into the recommendations and this was agreed by Cabinet.

It was noted that the review of area boards had been considered by a Scrutiny Task Group and that its recommendations as agreed by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee had been incorporated in the action plan presented. It was noted that the report of the Scrutiny Task Group although taken into account in the action plan was not presented to this meeting and Cabinet requested that such reports should in future be made available to Cabinet.

Resolved that Cabinet:

1.            Note the actions (as set out in the attached action plan – appendix 1 to the report presented) to evolve the area boards and to improve community working - incorporating the feedback and views of all those involved in the review.

2.            Note that the role of the community area manager has also been considered as part of the review to reflect what’s required to deliver the actions and to meet future needs and the differing ways that local communities work.

3.            Note the opening of the campus in Corsham in June 2014 and agree to a pilot aligning the campus to community area working.

4.            Note the importance of safeguarding and public health in the future role of area boards.

Reason for decision:

To take appropriate action – based on feedback - to build on the good work of the area boards to improve community working and engagement in the council’s business and services. The action plan reflects the feedback received and focuses on;

• Increasing the level of influence in local decision making
• Raising awareness of what’s happening in local communities
• Improving community engagement to create and strengthen community resilience.