Agenda item

Consider report by Service Director Customer and Communities.  (Copy attached.)

With reference to paragraph 6 of the Minute of 28 September 2017, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Service Director Customer and Communities containing proposals on the functions, framework and initial core membership, and future operation of Area Partnerships.  The report explained that at its meeting on 28 September 2017, the Council considered proposals to amend the current Locality Committees to become Area Partnerships as part of the review of the Council’s Scheme of Administration.  Members agreed to defer a decision on changes to the Locality Committees until there had been further political discussion.  Subsequently the Members Sounding Board: Political Management Arrangements met on 3 occasions to consider proposals for the new Area Partnerships.   To reflect the new statutory duties under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, it was proposed that the Locality Committees change their constitution, remit and focus to one of community engagement and involvement; at the same time it was proposed that they change their name to that of Area Partnerships to reflect this.  With the greater emphasis on community empowerment, participative budgeting, and locality planning – not just for the Council, but for other public authorities/services - their main aim would be to form a community engagement platform to develop priorities and outcomes for the area.  They would act as a community consultation body, not just for the Council but other service providers in the area, becoming a strong voice for their own area.  A number of options were considered in terms of core membership for the new Area Partnerships, with proposals being recommended to have the relevant SBC Ward members (voting) and 4 Community Council representatives (non-voting) as core members, with invitations to wider representatives – including the Community Planning partners and representatives from communities of interest - to attend and consider matters on a meeting by meeting basis.  Each Area Partnership could increase its core membership up to a maximum of 20.  It was also suggested that locality Community Council networks were set up in each of the 5 areas, but this would be for the Community Councils themselves to agree and manage.  It was important that any change to the focus of Area Partnerships should be reflected in their future operation.  The basis and format of meetings would need to change to move away from the report-driven/officer presentation style of current meetings.  Meetings of Area Partnerships would be structured around the Locality Plan, with an open forum section, a themed section (from the Locality Plan), a progress update on the Locality Plan, and the final section on any decisions required by Councillors on Small Schemes, Quality of Life, or Pay Parking funding.  The membership framework and functions of Area Partnerships were detailed in the Appendix to the report.  There were 2 functions from Locality Committees which would be considered in future by the Executive Committee, after consultation with local Members, and 2 functions which would be delegated to the Service Director Assets & Infrastructure in the Scheme of Delegation.  It was further proposed that Area Partnerships were reviewed after 18 months in operation.  Members welcomed the proposals.

DECISION

AGREED to:-

(a)     amend the Scheme of Administration and replace Locality Committees with Area Partnerships, as detailed in the Appendix to this report, with effect from 1 January 2018;

(b)     include within the Executive Committee functions in the Scheme of Administration “Approve all matters relating to street naming and numbering (where not already delegated to officers), after consultation with the relevant local Members”;

(c)     include within the Scottish Borders Council functions in the Scheme of Administration “Consider and make recommendations for Local Byelaws and Management Rules, after consultation with the relevant local Members”;  

(d)     include in the Scheme of Delegation the following authority to the Service Director Assets & Infrastructure:

(i)      Approve local traffic management schemes after consultation with local Members, or consultation with Area Partnerships for major changes;

(ii)     Approve the making of temporary, permanent or experimental orders for the regulation of traffic, including stopping-up orders, after consultation with local Members, or consultation with Area Partnerships for major changes; and

(e)     review Area Partnerships after 18 months in operation.