Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from:

·         Cllr Keith Wakefield OBE

·         Cllr Philippa Roe

·         Cllr Anne Western

Declarations of interest in item 6 ‘LGA Consolidated Accounts’ were made by Cllr Gary Porter, Cllr Gerald Vernon Jackson and Mayor Sir Steve Bullock as Directors of the IDeA Company Board.

Mark Lloyd (Chief Executive) introduced the report which set out the revised LGA proportionality for the 2016-17 meeting year and its implications for the distribution of seats amongst the political groups on the LGA’s governance structure.

The Board noted the agreed proportionality arrangements for the 2016/17 meeting year and endorsed the proportionality figures.

Decision

The LGA Leadership Board endorsed the proportionality figures for 2016/2017 meeting year.

David Holdstock (Director of Communications) summarised the report which set out the key legislation affecting local government in the 2016 Queen’s Speech and sought Leadership Board’s view on Bills the LGA should prioritise.

In the following discussion, Members made the following comments:

·         The Board endorsed the prioritisation of Bills as outlined in the report and emphasised the importance of timely information sharing with the wider LGA membership as the legislative timetable evolved. 

·         Members commented on specific aspects of the following Bills: Children and Social Work Bill; Neighbourhood Planning and Infrastructure; Policing and Crime; Counter-Extremism and Safeguarding; and the Wales Bill.  Particular reference was made to lobbying for changes to require developers to pay a proportion of council tax, should development not have commenced after a fixed period of time. 

·         It was suggested that a piece of work be undertaken to assess the cumulative impact of the potential burdens on local authorities of the new duties proposed in the Government’s legislative programme.

Decision

That the LGA Leadership Board approved the suggested priority Bills for the LGA in the 2016/17 parliamentary session.

David Holdstock introduced the report which outlined communications performance against the LGA’s three-year strategy and communications activity for the period April 2015 to March 2016.

In the following discussion, Members’ comments included:

·         The Board commended the high performance and impact of the LGA’s communications activity, with particular reference to the success of ‘#Our Day’ and the LGA’s digital presence.

·         Members suggested a number of areas for further focus to build on this positive trajectory. These included: promoting the value of and learning from Communication Peer Reviews; greater spread of political representation in the LGA media appearances; and increasing the profile of local government outside of the sector to increase public awareness.  

·         The Board asked that future reports categorise by Department the Parliamentary inquires which the LGA has submitted evidence to and that the readership numbers for the print and media outlets referenced in the report be included.

Decision

The LGA Leadership Board commended and noted the communications performance against the LGA’s three-year strategy and communications activity for the period April 2015 to March 2016.

David Holdstock introduced the report which set out an action plan to address those issues identified through the LGA’s 2015-16 Perception Survey where the LGA could further improve.

The Board endorsed the action plan and asked for work be undertaken to scope out what a ‘discounted annual conference attendance offer’ might look like - and what the cost implications would be - to incentivise newly elected councillors and authorities that have not before sent elected members to attend Annual conference.  

Decision

The LGA Leadership Board endorsed the LGA Perceptions Survey 2015-16 Action Plan.

Claire Holloway (Head of Corporate Services) introduced the report which set out the LGA’s performance against its Business Plan and internal priorities over the period from 1 October 2015 to 31 March 2016.

In the following discussion, Members questioned the potential to expand the National Graduate Development Scheme (NGDP) and highlighted the need to remove reference in the Business Plan to work on ‘the potential transfer of attendance allowance to councils’ so as to reflect the current LGA position as previously agreed by the Leadership Board. 

Decision

The LGA Leadership Board approved the 6 month monitoring report subject to the removal of the ‘attendance allowance’ priority from the LGA’s Business Plan and associated monitoring documentation. 

Paul Brack (Strategic Finance Manager) introduced the report which set out the LGA’s consolidated financial statements for Leadership Board’s agreement prior to the accounts being submitted to the LGA General Assembly for adoption.

In the discussion that followed, a number of detailed questions were asked, which it was agreed would be taken forward individually outside of the formal Board meeting.

Decision

The LGA Leadership Board agreed the financial statements for 2015/16 prior to their adoption at the LGA General Assembly on 5July 2016.

Claire Holloway introduced the report which recommended a series of amendments to the LGA Constitution to provide clarification and sought the Board’s endorsement to commission a Councillor-led review of the Constitution, with proposals for change to be presented to the 2017 General Assembly.

The report was agreed without further comment.

Decisions

The LGA Leadership Board:

1.    commended to the General Assembly the amendments to the LGA Constitution and political conventions highlighted on pages 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 18, 19,  20, 24 , 28, 30 and 34 of the Constitution; and

2.    agreed to commission a Councillor-led review of the Constitution of the Association, with any proposals for change made to the General Assembly in July 2017.

Claire Holloway introduced the report which set out the three Motions that had been submitted by local authorities as potential items for debate at the 5 July 2016 General Assembly.  The Leadership Board were asked to make a recommendation to the LGA Executive as to which Motions be submitted to the General Assembly for debate.

The report recommendations were agreed without further comment. 

Decisions

The LGA Leadership Board recommended to the LGA Executive that:

       i.        the ‘Public Health’ Motion be referred to the LGA General Assembly for discussion;

      ii.        the Motion on ‘Duty to keep land and highways clear of litter’ be referred to the Environment, Economy, Housing & Transport Board; and

     iii.        the ‘Action on low pay’ Motion be referred to the Resources Portfolio.

Lee Bruce (Public Affairs Manager) introduced the report which listed those Members of the House of Commons, House of Lords and European Parliament that the LGA’s Political Groups would be inviting to be Vice-Presidents for 2016-17.

The report was agreed without further comment.

Decision

The LGA Leadership Board noted and endorsed the appointments made by the Political Groups.

Claire Holloway introduced the report which summarised the work undertaken by the Audit Committee in 2015/16.  In doing so she relayed the Committee’s comments from its meeting on 6 June to the Leadership Board.

The report was agreed without further comment.

Decision

The Leadership Board agreed the annual report of the Audit Committee be presented to the General Assembly on 5 July 2016.

Mark Lloyd (Chief Executive) introduced the report which set out the LGA’s main achievements against the business plan priorities since the last meeting in April. 

The report was agreed without further comment.

Decision

The LGA Leadership Board noted the Chief Executive’s report for June 2016.

The Forward Plan was moved by the Chairman without further comment.

Decision

The LGA Leadership Board agreed the forward plan.

See LGA Executive agenda.

With reference to the LGA Executive agenda for 9 June, the Board asked that in future there be substantive items for debate in the public section of the agenda.

Decision

The LGA Leadership Board noted the LGA Executive agenda. 

Decision

The Leadership Board agreed the minutes of the previous meeting held on 6 April 2016.

David Holdstock introduced the report which updated on latest arrangements for the 2016 LGA Annual Conference and sought the Board’s agreement on future delegate fees and the 2020 conference venue destination.

The Board noted the 2016 Conference Programme and agreed the delegate fee and future conference venue locations as set out in the report.  

Decisions

The LGA Leadership Board agreed:

      i.        the final programme & activities for Annual Conference 2016;

     ii.        that from 2017 annual conference delegate fees be increased to £545+VAT and non-delegate fees increased to £695+VAT; and

    iii.        that the annual conference and exhibition venue for 2020 would be Harrogate.

Cllr David Simmonds CBE (Chairman on the Governance Task Group) introduced the recommendations of the Member Task Group following its review of the Portfolio Holder style governance model which had been operating since 1 September in the areas of Resources and Community Wellbeing. 

There followed a confidential discussion in which a number of different views were expressed.  

Decisions

The LGA Leadership Board agreed:

      i.        that the Portfolio model not be continued; and

     ii.        to revert to the Board mode of operating, with a strong recommendation that each policy Board utilise the existing flexibilities to develop bespoke approaches to broaden member engagement and sharing of responsibilities beyond Lead Member roles.

Action

That a report be brought to the July Leadership Board setting out the cost implications of Boards having the option of holding up to 5, as opposed to 4, meetings per cycle.

Sir Steve Bullock (Commercial Advisory Board Chair) introduced the report which summarised the Commercial Advisory Board’s discussions and work regarding a potential commercial opportunity.

Decision

The LGA Leadership Board agreed the recommendations as set out in the report. 

Ian Hughes (Head of Policy – People) introduced the report which set out the LGA’s draft publication to be launched at Annual Conference in July.

There followed a confidential discussion in which Members made a number of comments on the current draft and agreed that LGA Group Leaders approve the final version prior to launch at LGA Annual Conference.

Decisions

The LGA Leadership Board agreed:

      i.        that Members’ comments inform the development of the LGA’s Devolution Green Paper; and

     ii.        that clearance of the final version of the publication for launch at Annual Conference be delegated to LGA Group Leaders.

Sarah Pickup (Deputy Chief Executive) introduced the report which updated on joint working between the LGA and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) on localisation of business rates.

The report was noted without further comment.

Decision

The LGA Leadership Board noted the report.

Claire Hollowayintroduced the report which provided the latest position in relation to the Local Government House and Layden House refurbishment projects.

The Board emphasised the importance of reaching agreement with ACC (Properties) Ltd and AMA (Properties) Ltd prior to embarking on the refurbishment.

Decision

The Leadership Board agreed the recommendations as set out in the report.

Sarah Pickup introduce the report which proposed changes to the structure of the LGA and its associated companies.

In the confidential discussion that followed, Member agreed to establish a 4 member Task and Finish Group to consider the issues outlined in the paper and report back to Leadership Board.

Decision

The LGA Leadership Board agreed to establish a 4 member Task and Finish Group to explore further the proposal sets out in the report.