Agenda item - Greater Brighton Economic Board 2017/18 Operational Arrangements

Report of the Chair, Greater Brighton Officer Programme Board (copy attached).

1)           That the Board:

(1)  Agree and secure the budgetary contributions sought to fund the cost of running the Board and delivering its workplan in 2017/18;

(1)  Note the current workplan and agree the projects/activities prioritised for funding;

(2)  Agree that Brighton & Hove City Council shall continue to act as Lead Authority for the Board in 2017/18;

(3)  Agree to formally invite Crawley Borough Council and Gatwick Airport Limited to become constituent members of the Board, joining the Greater Brighton Joint Committee and the Greater Brighton Business Partnership respectively, subject to both their agreement and formal ratification from the Board’s member organisations;

(4)  Agree the process by which the Chair of the Board shall be nominated for 2017/18;

(5)  Note the date by which the Lead Authority must be notified of all named substitutes and instruct any necessary actions within their respective organisations;

(6)  Note the date by which the lead authority must be notified of all nominations to the Greater Brighton Call-In Panel and instruct any necessary actions within their respective organisations, and;

(7)  Note that the Annual Report will be drafted for presentation to the Board at its first meeting in the new municipal year.

38.1      The Board considered a report of the Chair, Greater Brighton Officer Programme Board that set out its Operational Arrangements for 2017/18.

38.2      Councillor Morgan stated that at one of his first meetings attending the Board, expansion and next steps had been extensively discussed and he was pleased that the Board had reached a position to begin discussions to invite Crawley Borough Council and Gatwick Airport Limited to formally join. As a major international airport and and the base of an economic powerhouse in Crawley, both would be a major asset to the Board and was a testament to the increasing importance the Board had. Councillor Morgan stated that he was very pleased to endorse the two invitations.

38.3      Andrew Swayne concurred with the comments made by Councillor Morgan adding that it demonstrated the economic evolution of the Board.

38.4      Prof Humphris welcomed the invitations to Crawley Borough Council and Gatwick Airport Limited that would be an enormous positive for the Board.

38.5      Councillor Wall welcomed the proposals that demonstrated the scale of the ambition of the Board and how far it had come since its inception. Councillor Wall cautioned that expansion sometimes could bring unintended consequences and he was pleased that this issue had been considered in the report. Councillor Wall supplemented that he would like to see the new Chair of the Board take the case for Greater Brighton to central government that would require skilful and careful management and common unity and purpose from the wider Board membership.

38.6      RESOLVED-

That the Board:

(1)       Agree and secure the budgetary contributions sought to fund the cost of running the Board and delivering its workplan in 2017/18;

(2)       Note the current workplan and agree the projects/activities prioritised for funding;

(3)       Agree that Brighton & Hove City Council shall continue to act as Lead Authority for the Board in 2017/18;

(4)       Agree to formally invite Crawley Borough Council and Gatwick Airport Limited to become constituent members of the Board, joining the Greater Brighton Joint Committee and the Greater Brighton Business Partnership respectively, subject to both their agreement and formal ratification from the Board’s member organisations;

(5)       Agree the process by which the Chair of the Board shall be nominated for 2017/18;

(6)       Note the date by which the Lead Authority must be notified of all named substitutes and instruct any necessary actions within their respective organisations;

(7)       Note the date by which the lead authority must be notified of all nominations to the Greater Brighton Call-In Panel and instruct any necessary actions within their respective organisations, and;

(8)       Note that the Annual Report will be drafted for presentation to the Board at its first meeting in the new municipal year.