Meeting documents

To agree the minutes of the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 13 February 2012.

The minutes of the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 13 February 2012 were agreed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

The Planning Advisory Service (PAS) is part of the Local Government Association and uses Department of Communities and Local Government funding to provide consultancy, peer support programmes and similar to Local Planning Authorities. The support provided by PAS was free.

SBDC and CDC have not previously used PAS for tailored support and the Joint Committee considered a report setting out a proposal for both Councils to undertake a joint working initiative using the services of PAS.

The report went on to explain that under the proposal PAS would be invited in the first instance to look at both authorities Local Development Frameworks with a view to identifying the potential for closer joint working and the Joint Committee noted that the potential for joint working in other areas e.g. Development Plan Documents/Supplementary Planning Documents could be the subject of a subsequent piece of work.

After noting how and when PAS should be asked to undertake the work and the risks in delaying commencing the work the Joint Committee indicated its support for the proposal and accordingly

RESOLVED that the proposal to use the services of the Planning Advisory Service to work with the respective Planning Policy teams as set out in the report be endorsed.

To consider report of the Chief Executive.

The Joint Committee considered a report setting out the results of the procurement exercise to secure support for the transformation work that needed to be carried out for Phase 1 - the change programme involving Members and Officers.

The report, after providing details of what the Consultants were asked to demonstrate, explained that bids had been received from the following four firms:

• Telios
• AHA Consulting
• Solace Enterprises
• Penna

Details of each of the bids were given in Part II of the agenda and an additional appendix also in Part II provided an evaluation of the bids in terms of their strengths and weaknesses.

Following a discussion the Joint Committee agreed that the bid from AHA Consulting best met the requirements for delivering the support for phase 1 of the change programme and accordingly

RESOLVED that the bid from AHA Consulting for providing support for phase 1 of the change programme be accepted and arrangements be made for the Leaders of both Councils to meet with the firm to discuss its proposals in more detail.

The Joint Committee received the Programme Report setting out:

·        progress on completing the milestones;

·        spend from the budget; and

·        risks

Members were particularly pleased to note that the milestones for the current period had been completed.

With regard to the next period, the Joint Committee, after recognising that completion of the milestones was dependent upon getting the Senior Management Team in place at the earliest opportunity, noted that details were due to be submitted to the meeting of the Joint Appointments and Implementation Committee on 4 April 2012.

After noting the spend to date and the risks the Joint Committee

RESOLVED - that the report be noted.

The Chairman to move the following resolution:-

“That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.”

RESOLVED - that under section 100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

To consider the following Part II appendices referred to in paragraph 3 of item 4.

Appendix 1 - Teleios

Appendix 2 - AHA Consultancy

Appendix 3 - SOLACE

Appendix 4 - Penna

Arising from minute 15, the Joint Committee received a report setting our details of the four bids that had been submitted together with a supplementary report providing an evaluation of the bids.