Mersey Basin Campaign Council
CONSTITUTION AND COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP
STATUS
An unincorporated stakeholder partnership.PURPOSE
To be the governing body for the Mersey Basin Campaign within which key regional stakeholders give strategic direction and policy guidance to the Campaign in delivering its objectives of improved river basin quality and waterside regeneration.FUNCTIONS
- To guide Campaign policy and strategy.
- To consider, amend (if necessary) and approve the annual Corporate Plan and work programme.
- To appoint the Mersey Basin Campaign Chief Executive.
- To act as the final decision making body for the Campaign Centre.
- To ensure the Campaign has access to relevant expertise on key policy issues by setting up (and dissolving) Advisory Groups as appropriate.
- To ratify the appointment of Chairs of the Advisory Groups.
- To monitor the progress of the Campaign in all its aspects including receiving reports from Mersey Basin Business Foundation (MBBF), Healthy Waterways Trust (HWT) and the Advisory Groups.
- To provide a forum for discussion and debate by key regional partners on matters of strategic significance.
- To act as champions and ambassadors for the Campaign.
- To guide the Mersey Basin Business Foundation and the Healthy Waterways Trust in exercising their responsibilities to ensure that their operations contribute appropriately to the Campaign’s objectives. [Such guidance shall not interfere with the requirements of MBBF Directors to comply with company legislation and of HWT Trustees to comply with charity legislation.]
MEMBERSHIP
Chairpersonbeing the current, Government appointed, Chairperson of the Mersey Basin Campaign.Deputy Chairpersonbeing chosen from among its members by the Council to deputise for the Chair in the event of his or her absence from Council meetings.
The Council shall consist of two types of members. Partners, with voting rights and Advisors/Observers, without voting rights.
1. Partners
The following bodies shall each appoint 1 representative to the CouncilEnvironment AgencyRegional Environmental Protection
Manchester Ship Canal Company Committee (REPAC)
Northwest Development Agency NW Wildlife Trusts
United Utilities plc Liverpool City Council
River Valley Initiatives Chairs Group Manchester City Council
Healthy Waterways Trust Salford City Council
British Waterways Cheshire County Council
Countryside Agency Lancashire County Council
ENCAMS Northwest Tourist Board
English Nature Forestry Commission
Groundwork Northwest Sustainability Northwest Board
The following bodies shall each appoint 4 members to the Council
The Mersey Basin Business Foundation
The Mersey Basin Voluntary Sector Forum
The Council shall appoint 2 members from NW Universities
In addition, the Council shall have the authority to appoint 4 independent members, on the advice of the Chairperson and Chief Executive of the Mersey Basin Campaign. These directly appointed members shall have full voting rights.
A place on the Council as a full voting member shall be reserved for the current Regional Director of Public Health.
2. Advisers/Observers
The following organisations shall each appoint 1 member to act as adviser to the Council.The Mersey Basin Campaign Communications Advisory Group
The Mersey Basin Campaign International Advisory Group
The Mersey Basin Campaign Research/Science Advisory Group
The Mersey Basin Voluntary Sector Advisory Group
The Aquatic Litter Advisory Group
A representative from Government Office Northwest shall attend Council meetings as a participating observer.
The Council shall appoint an honorary legal advisor.
COUNCIL SECRETARIAT
The Chief Executive, Mersey Basin Campaign, will act as Council Secretary and will direct staff of the Mersey Basin Business Foundation to service the Council as necessary.QUORUM
In order to vote on any issue affecting the management or policy of the Mersey Basin Campaign, The Mersey Basin Campaign Council shall require the attendance of a minimum of 60% of eligible voting members with proxy votes acceptable.CONDUCT OF BUSINESS
The Council Secretary will draw up an agenda for each meeting. The agenda and accompanying papers to beagreed with Council Chairperson and circulated to Council members at least 10 days before a Council meeting. Unless in agreed exceptional circumstances, no vote shall be taken on an agenda item where relevant papers have not been circulated to members in accordance with this procedure.
‘Exceptional circumstances’ as described above shall be agreed by a simple majority of a quorate Council meeting. ‘Exceptional circumstances’ will not apply to the endorsement of the annual Corporate Plan.
Any issues to be decided by Council vote must be in the form of a resolution, the wording of which must be agreed by the Chairperson, and be proposed and seconded.
VOTING PROCEDURES
Each Council member, as defined above, will have a single vote. A simple majority in a quorate Council meeting will be sufficient to decide any resolution except for the annual endorsement of the Mersey Basin Corporate Plan. This must be approved by a minimum of 66% of eligible voting Council members.The Chairperson, or the Deputy Chairperson acting as chairperson, will not vote unless his/her vote is necessary to achieve a simple, or, in the case of the Corporate Plan, the required, majority.
FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS
The Mersey Basin Campaign Council will meet at least quarterly and on an extraordinary basis when requested by the Chairperson or by at least 10% of members.NEW COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP
Environment AgencyManchester Ship Canal
NWDA
United Utilities
RVI Chairs Group
RVA Partnership Board
HWT
British Waterways
Countryside Agency
Encams
English Nature
Groundwork Northwest
Health Sector
REPAC
Wildlife Trusts
Liverpool City Council
Manchester City Council
Salford City Council
Cheshire County Council
Lancashire County Council
NW Tourist Board
Forestry Commission
SNW
Universities x 2
MBBF Board x 4
Voluntary Sector Forum x4
Independents x4
ADVISORS/OBSERVERS
Communications Advisory GroupInternational Group
Research Group
Voluntary Sector Advisory Group
Aquatic Litter Group
GONW
Legal Advisor