CONNECTED COAST TOWN DEAL BOARD

TERMS OF REFERENCE

20TH JANUARY 2022

 

  1. DUTIES AND TERMS OF REFERENCE

1.1 The Connected Coast Board is a strategic body created following Skegness and Mablethorpe being identified as Towns that may be benefit from the Towns Fund. The Connected Coast Board brings together private, public and voluntary sectors to provide strategic leadership to develop and deliver an Investment Plan and schedule of interventions to secure government funding, and which sets out a clear understanding of the areas, focussing on assets, opportunities and challenges. It will be the vehicle through which the vision and the Town Deal strategy for Skegness and Mablethorpe is defined.

1.2 Following agreement of the Skegness and Mablethorpe Town Deals with the Government, the Board will provide strategic direction and oversight to the delivery of the Town Deal projects.

1.3 The Connected Coast Board will provide strategic insight on the direction on the delivery of the Town Investment Plan by:

  1. Championing the Connected Coast Board economic vision and promote bold, deliverable interventions that will generate maximum economic and social benefits for Skegness and Mablethorpe;
  2. Using professional expertise and local knowledge to guide future decision making and governance to best deliver value for money across the full suite of Town Deal projects;
  3. Coordinate with investment in Skegness and Mablethorpe and the surrounding area, both current and proposed, to optimise the overall benefits to both towns;
  4. Ensuring that the delivery of the Town Deal Vision brings benefits which are fairly balanced across all social groups and demographics;
  5. Communicating with the business community and residents around economic growth and delivery of the interventions;
  6. Sharing knowledge practice and intelligence within the Connected Coast Board area and beyond, both regionally and nationally;
  7. Board members are responsible for positive communications of both the Connected Coast Board and Town Deal Projects.
  8. Being active ambassadors for Skegness and Mablethorpe to help realise their longer term development and prosperity.

The Board Shall:

  1. Develop and oversea the delivery of the Skegness and Mablethorpe Town Deal.
  2. Co-ordinate public, private and third sector activity to develop and deliver the interventions in using the framework of the Towns Fund Prospectus, Towns Fund Guidance and any further guidance that may be issued;
  3. Have regard to the three strands of the Prospectus and develop the interventions and maximise the impact of those interventions:
    1. Urban Regeneration, planning and land use
    2. Skills and Enterprise
  • Connectivity
  1. Support the delivery of the Town Deal Projects by attending Board meetings, sub group meetings and participating in other working arrangements as agreed, and reflecting the agreed view of the Board in discussions with partners and stakeholders.

Where appropriate, alongside East Lindsey District Council, the Board shall:

  1. Promote Skegness and Mablethorpe as a prime location for inward investment, international trade and proactively help more locally based companies export their goods and services; examples include East Lindsey District Council and the Board approved media interviews; attendance of events; attendance or set up of community groups or work streams or sub groups; PR; social media posts, research; response and attendance to webinars and virtual events.
  2. Actively promote equality, diversity and inclusion across all of its activities (see above for examples).
  3. Assist the Council in responding to opportunities that arise from government initiatives to support economic development within Skegness and Mablethorpe.
  4. Attend events to promote the Connected Coast Investment Plan and emerging projects

1.4 Members will bring their own perspectives and also represent their organisation, interest group or area. They will be recognised for their valuable contribution bringing ideas, knowledge and expertise to the process. Members will take a Borough wide perspective and develop consensus in the best interests of Skegness and Mablethorpe. Participants are required to adhere to these Terms of Reference.

1.5 Where matters cannot efficiently or thoroughly progressed through the Board meetings, members may be asked to engage in additional meetings and related tasks including thematic work streams, task and project focused sub groups or working with partners. Where this occurs, Members will be asked to report back to the subsequent Board Meeting(s).

  1. MEMBERSHIP

2.1 The members of the Board shall be appointed by the Board and may be removed at any time by the Board, including behaviour in or outside the Town Deal Board that can be considered as bringing the Town Deal Board into disrepute and failure to attend the majority of meetings over a rolling twelve month period, without appropriate apologies or unwilling to engage in promotion of the Town Deal.

2.2 The Connected Coast Board will consist of up to 33 members and shall comprise of representatives of:

  1. All tiers of local government
  2. The Member of Parliament for the constituency
  3. Local Business and investors
  4. Local Enterprise Partnerships
  5. Communities
  6. Universities and Further Education Colleges
  7. Academies and schools
  8. NHS
  9. Development Corporations
  10. Cultural and Creative Institutions
  11. Housing Sector, including developers and housing associations

2.3 The Connected Coast Board may also comprise of representatives from arm’s length bodies and other non-departmental agencies such as but not exhaustively:

  1. Homes England
  2. Environment Agency
  3. Historic England

The composition of the Board shall consist of up to:

  1. Twelve representatives from the Business Sector, EXCLUDING THE Chair and Vice Chair
  2. Six representatives from the public sector
  3. Eight representatives from stakeholder groups
  4. Five representatives from community groups.

2.4 The Connected Coast Board may comprise of other private sector representatives and developers who operate on a national and international platforms who understand the requirements for investment and can help identify the best use of private and public funds.

2.5 The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Board shall be from the private sector and shall be appointed by the Lead Council.

2.6 A Board Member shall cease to be a member of the Connected Coast Board in the following circumstances;

  1. Such Board Member gives written notice to the Chair of their notice of resignation;
  2. Such Board Members death
  3. Such Board Members bankruptcy making of any arrangement or composition with their creditors, or liquidation, or in the case of an organisation, winding up, liquidation, dissolution or administration or anything analogous to any foregoing occurring in relation to a Member in any jurisdiction;
  4. Such Board Member is removed from membership by a resolution of the Board that is in the best interest of the Board that the membership is terminated.
  5. Such Board Member may be asked to a meeting with the Chair (and/or) the Vice Chair in an attempt to resolve any dispute before this final stage.

3. CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON

3.1 The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Board shall be from the private sector and shall be appointed by the Lead Council.

3.2 In the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson will assume the responsibilities of the Chairperson.

3.3 In the absence of both the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson at a formal meeting of the Board, those present for the meeting of the Board will vote and appoint a Chairperson fro that meeting only.

3.4 If a Board member is unable to attend a meeting a member may send an appropriate substitute providing they have informed the Chairperson not less than 24 hours before that meeting and the Chairperson has agreed that the substitute may attend in place of the Board member.

3.5 The Chairperson may convene an informal meeting of some of the Board members to inform progress of a particular matter arising under the development of individual interventions.

3.6 The Chairperson may meet third parties and attend events on any matter pertaining to the Investment Plan and individual interventions to progress activity and outcomes.

3.7 If a meeting between a third party and the Chairperson has taken place, the Chairperson will report details of that meeting to the Lead Council on the next working day or sooner if appropriate.

  1. ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS

4.1 The Board will meet quarterly unless agreed otherwise by the Board. The Board may meet at other times during the year as agreed between the members of the Board and may approve recommendations via written procedure.

4.2 Members will endeavour to attend all meetings of the Town Deal Board, however if they are unable to attend any meeting then they should submit their apologies in advance of the meeting.

4.3 Other persons and external advisers may be invited to attend all or part of any meeting as and when appropriate as observers and shall be entitled to speak at the meeting with the prior permission of the Chair but shall not be entitled to vote.

4.4 With prior agreement of the Chairperson, any Board member may participate in a meeting via means of a conference call or similar communications equipment whereby all persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each other and participation in a meeting in this manner shall be deemed to constitute a presence in person at such meeting and shall be entitled to vote and be counted in a quorum accordingly.

  1. MEETINGS

5.1 Meetings of the Board shall be at least four times a year and, in any event, as frequently as is necessary for it to exercise its functions.

5.2 Notice of meetings will be given at least seven days prior to the meeting with an agenda and relevant papers provided.

5.3 Standing items on the agenda will include Apologies, declarations of interest or conflict, any named substitute and who they represent, risk register review and project update chart.

5.4 The Board may make provision for sub committees where there is a requirement to deliver specific work programme outcomes.

5.5 The Quorum for the Board Meetings shall be fifty percent of private sector members and fifty percent of other membership.

5.6 Decisions of the Board shall be made by a majority vote with the Chairperson having a casting vote when necessary.

5.7 Members of the Board are expected to provide apologies for non-attendance at least twenty four hours prior to the meeting where possible. Their absence, but not the reason, will be minuted.

5.8 Other meetings may be arranged from time to time as deemed necessary.

5.9 The agenda and reports (that are not exempt under legislative arrangement) shall be published on the connected Coast Website.

5.10 There may be occasions when the business of the meeting will be subject to confidentiality for reasons of commercial confidentiality or sensitivity information provided by government in confidence, information pertaining to individuals or third party information that is subject to common law duty of confidentiality. This is not exhaustive. On such occasions, the notice of the meeting will highlight the reason for confidentiality pertaining to a particular agenda item. At the appropriate time of the meeting, in the event of there being a public present, the Chairperson will request those members of the public to leave the meeting before the item is discussed and voted upon.

  1. MINUTES AND REPORTING

6.1 Draft minutes shall be circulated to the Chairperson of the Board within five working days and minutes circulated to the whole Board within ten. Minutes shall remain in draft until approval at the next Board Meeting.

6.2 There will be reporting to the Lead Council’s Executive Board by way of the District Council Board Representatives.

6.3 Minutes of the meetings, including details of those in attendance will be published on the Connected Coast Website.

6.4 The Board will review theses Terms of Reference on an annual basis.

  1. DATA PROTECTION AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

7.1 Where the Board is processing personal data it must adhere to the principles in the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 and where necessary consult the Councils Data Protection Officer for advice and assistance in meeting its requirements under relevant legislation including seeking advice before any project commences on whether it should complete a Data Protection Impact Assessment.

7.2 If the Board receives a Freedom of Information or Environmental Information Regulations or Subject Access Request for Information it shall be immediately passed on to the Council’s Information Governance Officer for processing.

  1. REGISTER OF GIFTS AND HOSPITALITY

8.1 The Lead Council shall maintain a register of gifts and hospitality where the value received by any Board Member exceeds £25.

8.2 Any Board member accepting any gift or hospitality should declare this to the Chairperson and Lead Council within seven days.

  1. THE BOARD’S RELATIONSHIP WITH EAST LINDSEY DISTRICT COUNCIL

9.1 The Board is responsible for developing and agreeing a clear programme of interventions and coordinating resources and including stakeholders.

9.2 East Lindsey District Council remains the accountable body for all monies received through capacity funding and any other funding that will be allocated throughout the Town Fund.

9.3 East Lindsey District Council will be represented on the Board by various Councillors and Council Officials, with the Leader of the Council providing the formal link between the two bodies in the development of outcomes under those functions set out in 9.1.

9.4 The Board will be supported by East Lindsey Town Deal Board Delivery Team, which will be in employment of East Lindsey District Council.

9.5 The Board may from time to time attend both formal and informal Cabinet of East Lindsey District Council and attend as required meetings of East Lindsey District Council‘s Scrutiny Committee to provide updates and information pertaining to the development of the Town Investment Plan, programme of interventions and stakeholder engagement.

9.6 East Lindsey District Council’s Cabinet will receive reports on the progress of activities through its established performance monitoring.

  1. GENERAL MATTERS

10.1 Board members should make themselves available from time to time to meet the Cabinet of East Lindsey District Council both formally and informally, and to attend meetings of the Council’s Scrutiny Committee as and when required.

10.2 Board Members shall duly sign and return the Connected Coast Board Code of Conduct and Declaration of interest on an annual basis.

10.3 The Board may be provided with appropriate and timely training, both in the form of an induction programme for new members and on an ongoing basis.

10.4 The Board will have access to officer resources in order to carry out its duties through the East Lindsey Town Deal Delivery Team.

10.5 The Board shall give due consideration to all laws and regulations as appropriate.

10.6 Members of the public may wish to contact the Connected Coast Board. Any such contact details will be published on the Connected Coast Website. The Delivery Team may where appropriate, engage with the Chair and/or wider Board.

  1. DOCUMENTATION TO BE KEPT

11.1 The Board shall be responsible for completing, reviewing and updating the following documents:

  • Agenda and minutes
  • Risk and Milestone Registers
  • Decision Logs
  • Project Logs
  • Equality Impact Assessments (where required)
  • Task Lists

  1. TRANSPARENCY

12.1 The Board and Lead Council shall ensure that the following documents and information are made available to the public via the Connected Coast Website:

  • Terms of Reference
  • Agenda and Minutes
  • Code of Conduct

  1. REVIEW AND REVISION

13.1 These Terms of Reference shall be reviewed at least annually by the Board and revised as necessary to take into account any updated guidance issued to the Town Fund areas.