Company Number: 10319743
North Essex Garden Communities Limited
(Company)
Minutes of a meeting of the board of directors of the Company held at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, Colchester CO4 5UP on 30thNovember 2017 at 2pm (Meeting).
PRESENT:
Cllr John Spence CBE (Chairman & Voting Director)Essex County Council
Cllr Graham Butland (Voting Director*)Braintree District Council
Cllr Paul Smith (Voting Director)Colchester Borough Council
Cllr Neil Stock OBE (Voting Director)Tendring District Council
Invited Attendees (non-voting and observers only)
Braintree DC: Cllr Lynette Bowers-Flint, Andy Wright, Jon Hayden
Colchester BC: Cllr Tim Young, Adrian Pritchard,Ian Vipond
Tendring DC: Ian Davidson, Ewan Green
Essex CC: Mark Carroll, Jamie Carswell,
University of Essex:Bryn Morris
NEGC:Chris Outtersides (minutes), Jon Phillips
*Chairman for recommendation 3 of Agenda Item 4
1NOTICE AND MEETING OF QUORUM / WELCOME & INTRODUCTIONS
1.1The Chairman announced that all those persons entitled to receive notice of and attend board meetings of the Company had been given notice of the Meeting and, a quorum being present, the Chairman declared the Meeting open.
1.2No declarations of interest were received.
2APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
2.1The Chairman noted apologies for absence from Cllr Carlo Guglielmi (Tendring District Council), Richard Bayley (NEGC) and Anita Thornberry (Haven Gateway Partnership).
3NOTES, ACTIONS AND ACTIONS LOG FROM MEETING ON 28 SEPTEMBER 2017
3.1The notes and actions from the Board meeting held on the 28September 2017 were agreed as a true record of that meeting.
3.2Chris Outtersides advised the Board that all actions from that meeting had either been addressed or would be dealt with as agenda items.
DECISION ITEMS
4NEGC GOVERNANCE
4.1Chris Outtersides presented the governance proposal for the NEGC Ltd Board for 2018 and the first quarter of 2019 noting that this included two separate away days per financial year.
4.2Ian Davidson suggested that there should be greater precision in the papers supporting future Board meetings clearly delineating between which decisions are for the NEGC Board to make and which are for the Councils. Following discussion, the Board RESOLVED to:
4.2.1Approve the Board Planner proposal for 2018 and the first quarter of 2019 as outlined in the submitted paper.
4.3Following further discussion, the Board did NOT agree to waive the requirement to hold Board meetings every three months. This was primarily due to the desire of the Directors to maintain the discipline of holding a Board meeting at least on a 3 monthly basis.
4.4In addition, the Board agreed to the following actions:
Ref / Action / Owner4.3.1 / Future Board papers to ensure that there is clear delineation between those decisions that are required for the NEGC Board and which are for the Councils. / Chris Outtersides
4.3.2 / First NEGC Board meeting of 2018 to be held on January 8th at 2pm. Calendar invites to be sent to all Board attendees. / Chris Outtersides
4.5(Graham Butland then assumed the role of Chairman for the purposes of recommendation 3).
4.6Following discussion, the Board RESOLVED to:
4.6.1Agree the appointment of Cllr John Spence CBE as Chairman of NEGC Ltduntil 31 March 2019, on the conditions that Cllr Spence remains an ECC Cabinet member, and that should a Development Corporation be established in North Essex prior to this date, this position should be reviewed; and
4.6.2Agree the appointment of Cllr Graham Butland as Vice Chairman of NEGC Ltd until 31 March 2019
5LOCALLY DEVOLVED DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION UPDATE
5.1Ian Vipond presented the Locally Devolved Development Corporation Update noting that DCLG was expecting to start consultation on the draft Regulations on Monday the 4th December for 6 weeks.
5.2Following discussion, the Board RESOLVED to:
5.2.1Prepare and submit co-ordinated responses to the draft Regulations from all four partner authorities as well as NEGC Ltd.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
6MD UPDATE
6.1Chris Outtersides presented the MD Update
6.2In relation to the Economic Strategy, Mark Carroll noted that it was important to draw out what will attract peopleaway from the M11 and Oxford – Cambridge corridor. Paul Smith also noted that it was important that this work looked at existing strengths across North Essex,including Bradwell and any knock on affects that this could have for the Garden Communities. Ian Vipond then referred to the need to balance long and short term aspirations and the importance of creating new employment opportunities for the Garden Communities.
6.3Bryn Morris went on to outline the University’s current strategic activity setting out that the University is currently preparing a Strategic Plan that will guide development across the University until 2015 and that this would likely include the establishment of two new academic departments, within which the criteria for establishing the departments will include their ability to engage with business. Bryn also outlined the University’s plans for the next phase of the Knowledge Gateway as well as considering speculative building within the campus.
6.4Graham Butland then emphasised the need to consider each of the three communities as unique places, and therefore the respective economic stories should be equally as unique with the economic strategies tailored to that community.
6.5John Spence concluded by outlining that the Board recognises the importance of the local economic proposition and that it was important that joint work on the economic strategy continued across all the partner authorities with NEGC to be part of that process with NEGCalso developing the specifics to enable the Garden Communities to deliver their employment policies.
7PROGRAMME PLAN & STRATEGIC RISK REGISTER
7.1Following consideration of the paper presented by Chris Outtersides, the Board RESOLVED to agree the following:
7.1.1To note the Strategic Programme Plan/Timeline and Risk Register.
8AOB
8.1John Spence noted that Melanie Dawes was visiting North Essex on the 12th January with the intention being for her to visit Jaywick Sands followed by NEGC. Bryn Morris agreed that the University would be happy to host the NEGC part of the visit.
8.2Following discussion, the Board agreed to the following action:
Ref / Action / Owner8.1 / David Hill to work with Council Directors to prepare a programme for Melanie Dawes visit. / David Hill
8.3John Spence noted that he was trying to coordinate a session with all local MP’s to brief them on the latest position on the project.
8.4Following discussion, the Board agreed to the following action:
Ref / Action / Owner8.2 / Jon Philips to follow up with John Spence’s office to assist in coordinating a date for the MPS / Jon Phillips
8.3 / Jon Phillips to draft briefing note to be sent to all MP’s / Jon Phillips
There being no further business, the Meeting was declared closed.
Chairman
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