Agenda and minutes

Mayor Sir Steve Bullock (Lewisham Council) declared a personal non-prejudicial interest in Item 9 as he is a Director of AMA Properties Board.

Cllrs Neil Clarke MBE and Sharon Taylor OBE each declared a personal non-prejudicial interest in Item 11 as the Chair and Vice-Chair of the District Councils Network.

Decision

The LGA Leadership Board agreed its Terms of Reference for the 2014/2015 meeting year. 

Action

Officers to update the Board’s Terms of Reference.

Decision

The Leadership Board agreed Terms of Reference for the Commercial Advisory Board for the 2014/15 meeting year.

Action

Officers to inform the Commercial Advisory Board.

The Leadership Board received the Chief Executive’s report for September 2014.

Mayor Dorothy Thornhill MBE (Watford Borough Council) raised the issue of the shortage of school places in some parts of the country.  Carolyn Downs, Chief Executive, undertook to seek a report from the Children & Young Board on school places in England and related costs to be brought to a future meeting of the Board and the LGA Executive.

Decision

The Leadership Board

• noted the Chief Executive’s report for September;
• requested that a report on school places in England be brought to a future meeting of the Board by the Children & Young People Board;

Action

Officers to provide a report on school places in England to a future meeting of the Board.

Decision

The Leadership Board noted the Executive agenda for the following day.

Members received the Forward Plan for the Leadership Board, LGA Executive and Councillors’ Forum. The Board discussed briefly the potential implications for local government of the forthcoming Scottish Independence Referendum and stressed the need for the LGA to move quickly to develop a position for local government once the results of the Referendum are known.

Carolyn Downs, Chief Executive, informed the Board that work had already begun to assess the implications of a ‘Yes’ and a ‘No’ vote for local government.  Group Leaders would meet virtually following the referendum to agree draft LGA position paper

Decision

The Leadership Board endorsed the Forward Plan and of the LGA Executive, Leadership Board and Councillors’ Forum.

Jessica Crowe, Executive Director, of CfPS presented the Centre’s Annual Report. Jessica set out the Centre’s activities in 2013/14 arising from its partnership with the LGA and its planned work programme for 2014/15 which had been discussed and agreed with LGA’s representatives. 

Jessica highlighted in particular,

• the support the Centre had provided for on-line networks for scrutiny officers and members;
• work with the LGA to develop a ‘thinking toolkit’ to help councils think through issues involved in changing governance;  and
• induction and training provided to help councils improve governance and scrutiny practice.

Concluding her presentation, Jessica thanked the Leadership for the LGA’s continued support and contribution to the work of CfPS.

Councillor Marianne Overton MBE expressed her appreciation of  CfPS’S work and suggested that the Centre provide regular updates to the LGA’s political groups to raise the profile of their work.

Decision

The Leadership Board noted the performance of the Centre for Public Scrutiny in 2013/14.

Judith Armitt, Chief Executive of Local Partnerships presented the Annual Report of Local Partnerships, on behalf of Alderman Sir David Wootton who had sent his apologies.

Judith Armitt was pleased to report that this had been Local Partnership’s third consecutive year of successful achievement, enabling local authorities to make significant savings in private finance initiative (PFI) contracts and securing a significant return for the LGA in its investment.   For the 4^th year LPs local partnerships has held its fee rates. 

Local Partnerships is currently engaging with the Department for Transport with a view to supporting local authorities with responsibility for transport and Judith Armitt undertook to keep the LGA informed of developments.  

Members congratulated Judith Armitt on the performance of Local Partnerships over the past year compared with a year ago and made a number of detailed comments which were noted by officers

Decision

The Leadership Board

• noted the performance of Local Partnerships in 2013/14;

• agreed to continued future working between the LGA and Local Partnerships to their mutual benefit.

The Leadership Board agreed the note of the last meeting.

The Leadership Board agreed the recommendation of the Local Government Management Board.

The Leadership Board discussed the report and agreed the recommendation.

The Leadership Board discussed the current situation in Rotherham and its wider implications for local government.