Agenda item

The Select Committee will review the progress of work on implementation of recommendations made in the Community Board review report which was presented to Cabinet on 10th May 2022.

Contributors:

Cllr Steve Bowles, Cabinet Member for Communities

Roger Goodes, Service Director – Policy and Communications

Wendy Morgan-Brown, Head of Community Boards

The Chairman welcomed Councillor Steve Bowles, Cabinet Member for Communities; Roger Goodes, Service Director, Policy and Communications and Wendy Morgan-Brown, Head of Community Boards, to the meeting.

The Chairman explained that the purpose of this item was to receive an update following the Select Committee’s review of the operation of the community boards. The review report, including recommendations, had been presented to Cabinet in May 2022.

During the presentation, the following key points were raised:

·       Since the Select Committee’s review there had been a demonstrable change in how Community Boards operated, in particular in terms of value for money. Community Boards had also been subject to a member task and finish group review and a review as part of the Better Buckinghamshire programme.

·       Community Boards were not simply grant giving bodies. Community Boards played an important part in facilitating activity and engaging local partners to improve the local community. Examples included a repair café, tree planting schemes and the establishment of a community hub.

·       Since their inception, Community Boards had delivered over 840 local projects, with a financial value of over £9 million, nearly half of which was provided by partners. Over the next financial year, there would be an increased focus on delivering further improvements, increasing contributory funding, reducing overheads and considering changes to the Boards in line with the Electoral Boundary Review which would be published shortly.

·       It was noted that the forthcoming change of Highways Contract had led to some delays in transport related Community Board projects.

The following points were noted during the Committee’s discussion:

·       A Member noted that the new electoral boundaries would be implemented for the 2025 elections therefore if Community Boards were revised in light of boundary changes, this would need to be operational for 2025. The Cabinet Member commented that boundary changes would be taken into account as part of this year’s Community Board review and it could be that the number of Boards would be slightly reduced. 

·       Members expressed concern that changes could lead to a further reduction in the Community Board budget and it was important that Community Boards were well-funded.  The Cabinet Member explained that whilst the Community Board budget was being reduced for the coming financial year, there was a small underspend from 2022-23, where some projects had been delayed and reviewed and this would be carried forward to offset the reduction. 

·       In response to a question on improving community engagement with Community Boards, it was noted that some Community Board managers now worked in Parish Council offices and out in the community, which was encouraging more collaborative working. In addition, over the summer, there had been various Community Board events, which saw members of the public finding out more about the role of the Boards, helping to create a more positive image.

·       A Member asked for examples of how the Community Boards had positively reinforced Council campaigns as this could be another way of providing value in addition to funding community projects.  It was reported that successes were being collated into an Annual Report, but one example was how a number of Community Boards had organised coffee mornings to support Ukranian guests in the county.

·       In connection with increasing community engagement, a Member suggested that Community Board meetings should include an item on the agenda to provide an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions.  The Cabinet Member suggested that a bi-monthly newsletter might be useful to promote the work of the Community Boards and it was also suggested that a mechanism for sharing project ideas across the Community Boards would be useful.

·       The Community Board roadmap which the Select Committee review recommended had not yet been completed, but this would be built into the upcoming review. The focus to date had been on operational improvements and the staffing restructure, but now these had been implemented the road map could be developed

·       It was noted that highways schemes took up a large amount of Community Board funding. Cllr Bowles advised that the new highways contract provided an opportunity for significant cost reduction compared to the TfB contract. Some Community Board schemes would also be repriced moving forward.

·       A Member asked about the support given to Community Boards which were not reaching their objectives as well as others, highlighting the significant difference in performance between some Boards in terms of attracting contributory funding and delivering projects which had a real impact for residents. On average Community Boards were achieving 87p per pound spent by the Council in contributory funding, but some Boards were attracting as much as £2.  Mr Goodes advised that the management team attended Community Board meetings and regularly talk to Chairmen and Board Managers to identify areas of support. Some lessons were also taken from other councils running a similar model.

·       It was noted that whilst it was not possible for Community Boards to change Council policy, it was possible to arrange for specialist officers to attend meetings if the public wished to discuss a specific issue with Council services in their area.

·       The role of the unitary councillors on the Community Boards was discussed. It was emphasised that unitary councillors play an active role within their Community Board, particularly with regard to agreeing funding for projects. Whilst town and parish councillors did not have the ability to vote, they were still able to bring their views about projects forward and played a key role in contributing to the effectiveness of the Boards.

·       Members noted that Community Boards received £3 million of funding, with £2 million being spent on projects and £1 million on overheads and questioned the value for money of the model. As part of the review, there was an aim to reduce overheads and increase contributory funding. However, it was highlighted that the importance of contributory funding should not be seen as a measure of a Community Board’s success in isolation, as some communities would inevitably find it more difficult to raise funding but this didn’t mean they had any less value as a community.

·       A Member emphasised the importance of good chairmanship for the success of Community Boards and encouraging engagement from parish councillors. The Cabinet Member agreed and suggested that training could be considered as part of the review.

The Chairman thanked the Cabinet Member and Officers for their attendance and contribution to the meeting and re-emphasised the importance of effective engagement with the public. A further update around Community Boards would be provided to the Committee in the autumn.