Terms of Reference - Communities and funding advisory panel

Terms of reference – May 2019

Purpose

To provide the Executive Board with advice and policy development support on community leadership and engagement, community funding issues and the community rights contained within the Localism Act 2011.

Membership

• Six district councillors with representation from more than one political party on the council.  In addition, the panel can appoint up to three community representatives, who are not district councillors.
• Panel members will be appointed on an annual basis.
• The panel is not required to be politically balanced.
• The chair of the panel will be appointed by the Executive Board.
• The Executive Board member for community engagement, culture and sport will attend panel meetings and provide a link to and from the Board.
• The panel will be supported by senior and service managers and other officers as appropriate.
• Any co-opted members will be appointed by means of external advertisement for an initial period of two years and, if required, may serve for a maximum of four years. 

Responsibilities

1. To advise the Executive Board and council on community leadership and engagement issues, including emerging government policy and guidance.
2. To oversee the delivery of relevant council promises as directed by the Board.
3. To consider, assess and advise on New Homes Bonus and Community Legacy Grant funding applications from parish and town parish councils and to make recommendations to the Executive Board in accordance with the Wychavon New Homes Bonus Protocol.
4. To consider Wychavon community grant applications and make recommendations to the Board.
5. To consider requests to allocate Section 106 contributions and Community Infrastructure Levy contributions and to make recommendations to the Executive Board.
6. To advise and make recommendations on any approaches in relation to the community rights contained within the Localism Act 2011 including the community rights to bid and challenge.
7. To oversee the Meet Your Council programme and other corporate community engagement initiatives.
8. To develop stronger working relationships across all three local government tiers and to actively engage with parish and town councils.
9. To develop an annual work plan aligned to the council’s strategic priorities and contribute to the development of new promises.
10. From time to time, to organise panel sponsored events on behalf of the Executive Board including Partners Together and parish council events.
11. To report annually to the Board.

Arrangements for meetings of the panel

• The panel will meet approximately every two to three months with a programme of dates agreed and published in advance.
• The panel may meet at the Civic Centre or at any other venue which the panel considers is most appropriate for carrying out its work.
• Meetings are not required to be open to the public but it is expected that the panel will normally meet in public and minutes of its meetings will be published on the council’s website.
• Other councillors and members of the public may attend as observers.
• The panel performs an advisory role.  It will make recommendations to the Executive Board as appropriate, but it cannot make decisions on behalf of the Executive Board.
• Meetings are intended to be informal and to operate by consensus.  However, if a vote is necessary the chair will conduct this as if the council’s procedure rules on voting applied.  Non-councillor representatives will not be eligible to vote.
• The panel may set up task and finish groups to progress specific activities between panel meetings, including joint task and finish groups where issues cross the remits of more than one panel. 

In accordance with the council’s members’ allowances scheme, community representatives may be reimbursed for expenses incurred from being part of the panel