Agenda item
Draft Ocean New Deal for Communities Delivery Plan 2008/9
Minutes:
The Chair outlined the Call-In procedure to the Committee.
In the absence of a representative from the Call-In Members, the Committee noted the reasons for the requisition and the main issues concerning the draft ONDC delivery plan for 2008/9 as detailed in the report.
Committee Members put detailed questions to the Lead Member for Regeneration, Localisation and Community Partnerships, Councillor Ohid Ahmed, and Ms Emma Peters, Corporate Director, Development and Renewal on a number of issues including governance of the Community Interest Company (CIC), RSL involvement, housing proposals and community centres and facilities
Councillor Ahmed and Ms Peters responded on behalf of the Cabinet in detail on the points raised stating that the issues that were the subject of this call-in were fully reported in April and June 07 when Cabinet made the decision to set up the Ocean Regeneration Trust (ORT). Those decisions were not being reviewed or revisited in the NDC delivery plan.
It had been previously agreed that the Board of the ORT would consist of 12 members comprising 3 residents, 2 councillors, 5 independent specialists and
2 RSL/developer representatives, and the recruitment process was already underway.
A priority task for the interim board was to set up the three sub-boards, which will include residents, selected on the basis of their interest, experience and expertise. A Housing Management and a Neighbourhood Renewal Board would include a significant proportion of residents and they would be in a majority on the Housing Management Board. The Neighbourhood Renewal Board would have delegated responsibility to manage the delivery of the non-housing element of the NDC programme. Residents would therefore be making decisions on priorities, identifying needs in the community and monitoring performance of the housing management team.
The ORT would be independent of the Council but would enter into service level agreements with the Council to deliver some services. The Council would remain as the Accountable Body for the NDC programme until it ended in March 2010 and would continue to monitor the ongoing programme management and financial/governance probity of the ORT.
The timescales required to retain the essential NDC grant had driven this approach and Ocean couldn’t afford any more lengthy delays in implementing the regeneration. The take-up of the NDC monies for the housing programme would depend upon being able to start refurbishment and infrastructure works immediately after the selection and appointment of the Council’s RSL partner later this year.
After responding to questions Councillor Ahmed left the meeting.
During discussion the Committee expressed concern with regard to the future governance arrangements of the CIC, and the fact that no key stakeholders were represented on the ORT Board. However in the absence of any representative from the Call-In Members and the possible loss of NDC monies if any further delays were incurred, the Committee considered that the decisions did not need to be referred back to the Cabinet.
Following the debate the Committee voted on whether to refer the item back to the Cabinet for further consideration and it was
RESOLVED:
That the alternative course of action proposed in the Call-In not be pursued and the decision of the Cabinet confirmed.
Supporting documents:
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Call in Cover Sheet Ocean NDC, item 7.2
PDF 78 KB
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Ocean New Deal Delivery Plan 2008 09 Final, item 7.2
PDF 116 KB