Agenda item

Mr A J King, Deputy Leader, and Mr W Farmer, Community Liaison Manager (Gravesham), will attend the meeting from 11.00 am to 11.45 am to answer Members’ questions on this item.

The Chairman welcomed Mr A H T Bowles, Lead Member and Mr W Farmer, Community Liaison Manager to the meeting.

Mr Christie began the discussion by stating that he had been involved in some of the negotiations about the pilot and that he welcomed the concept of neighbourhood forums. He questioned the governance arrangements, stating that it was difficult to ensure that the membership of the forums reflected the political balance of both the County Council and Gravesham Borough Council in each area. He added that he believed that the Urban Forums should be chaired by KCC in the first year because of their experience in running the local boards and he also remarked that the Parish Councils did not wish to take on the chairmanship of the rural forum in year one. Finally, he stated that the chairmen of the forums should be selected by the members of each relevant forum, not the respective group leaders.

Mr Bowles began by stating that those involved in negotiating the arrangements for the Gravesham pilots had sought to learn from the Dover experience and, in particular, to seek to add clarity to the issue of chairmanship, which wasn’t made clear in the Dover pilot. He added, however, that it was important for the final decision on membership and chairmen to be made at a local level, which of course would be reviewed at the end of the pilot phase.

Mr Cowan echoed the comments of Mr Christie with regard to the chairmen being selected by the forum members, not the group leaders. Mr Bowles stated that the arrangements were agreed by Gravesham Borough Council. Mr Farmer stated that a report was made to the Cabinet at Gravesham Borough Council in July. Mr Christie stated that the position had changed after the report to the July Cabinet and asked for further clarification on how the changes had been made, which Mr Farmer undertook to provide outside the meeting.

Mrs Stockell stated that it shouldn’t matter who the Chairman was, as a vote was not usually required.

Mr Harrison expressed his concern about the funding for localism in the County and asked for an assurance that appropriate resources will be provided as required, particularly for publicising the meetings. Mr Bowles stated that he welcomed Mr Harrison’s support for localism being funded properly and the Leader of KCC had undertaken to provide appropriate resources. He also stated that arrangements were currently in hand to appoint additional staff for the localism team, to provide necessary support for the pilot phase.

Mrs Law asked whether the localism arrangements were seeking to address a government priority and a priority of KCC. Mr Bowles agreed.

RESOLVED: That (1) our Committee notes the development of joint neighbourhood forums for Gravesham for a one year pilot and wishes the individuals involved every success;

(2) the final timetable of meetings for the 3 forums be circulated to Members of our Committee as soon as it is available;

(3) our Committee was pleased to be advised that appropriate resources will be provided to meet the demands of the review of localism across Kent, which we regard as essential. In particular, we would ask that the Council’s Communication and Media Centre provide greater publicity for local board/neighbourhood forum meetings; and

(4) our Committee wishes to receive a full report on the outcome of the various localism pilots taking place across the County in September 2009