The Terms of Reference contains information such as responsibilities, support, meeting frequency, conduct and meeting minutes.

Wisbech Town Board Terms of Reference

Responsibilities of the Board:

To work together to shape and manage the investment of the Long-Term Plan for Towns Funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities through the development of a 10-year Vision document and the development of a 3 year delivery plan.

To explore new ways of working to maximise the impact of resource deployment within core organisations to address the priorities for the community identified in the Vision document.

To seek to add social value to the Wisbech Long Term Plan for Towns project by considering wider socioeconomic, environmental and health impacts through the Vision document and the 3-year Delivery Plan.

To work together to deliver a collaborative approach towards strategic interventions which improve the long-term opportunities for the community.

To explore and progress opportunities to deliver against the Vision for Wisbech town.

To provide support and advice to the accountable body (Fenland District Council) in developing and managing the Vision plans in accordance with Government requirements.

To explore and maximise synergy of the Vision with other projects that are already underway or planned within the town.

To maintain strategic oversight of the Vision document.

To approve the 3 year Delivery Plan and monitor delivery performance against that Plan.

To ensure that the project team has sufficient resource, knowledge and capacity available to deliver the objectives of the Delivery Plan.

To ensure the necessary liaison arrangements are in place to maximise capacity and resources across a range of potential partners within the town and regionally and nationally, and to work collaboratively to deliver the shared objectives of the Vision.

To ensure the views of the community are represented and considered through the development of the 10-year Vision and 3-year delivery plan and communicated effectively to the local community through the development of a communications plan.

Professional and Administrative Support:

Fenland District Council (FDC) shall act as the accountable body and FDC's governance and financial procedures will apply when developing and delivering Town Board recommended projects and initiatives.

Advice, Board management and administrative support to the Board will be provided by professional Fenland District Council officers.

Quorum:

The quorum for meetings in terms of voting Members of the Board will be determined at the inaugural meeting in May 2024.

Where applicable, FDC may have a number of supporting officers in attendance, however officers cannot vote.

If there is no quorum at the published start time for the meeting, the meeting can proceed and if the meeting becomes quorate within 30 minutes of the published start time, decisions can be made at the meeting so long as sufficient members are present for it to remain quorate when the decisions are made.

No decisions taken by the Board will be binding upon individual partner organisations - each organisation will be subject to their normal governance processes and expected to seek appropriate authority where relevant, as a result of any decisions / recommended actions determined by the Board.

Frequency of Meetings:

Meetings will be held monthly. The frequency of meetings can be varied following a discussion and vote of the Board, at the discretion of the Chair.

Conduct:

Board members shall be bound by the Code of Conduct Document.

Notice of and invitations to meetings:

At least five clear working days before a meeting, a copy of the agenda and associated papers will be sent to every member of the Board.

The agenda will give the date, time and place of each meeting and specify the business to be transacted and will be accompanied by such details as are available.

The meeting dates, agenda and accompanying documents will be made publicly available.

Voting:

Board members commit to seek, where possible, to operate on the basis of consensus.

Should it not be possible in a specific instance to find a consensus, the decision will be made on the basis of a simple majority. Where there is an equality of votes cast the Chair will have a second and casting vote.

Matters which are the responsibility of the Accountable Body, (for externally secured funding) will be referred to Fenland District Council. This includes taking responsibility for the appropriate defrayal of all funding.

The Council will not be bound by decisions of the Board as this would potentially compromise the Council's position as accountable body.

Declaration of Interests:

Board Members will be required to declare any interests in line with the Code of Conduct Document at the relevant time outlined by the agenda for each meeting. A register of interests declared will be held by the Board Secretary and will be available publicly.

Minutes:

The Chair will move that the minutes of the previous meeting be signed as a correct record. Once approved the Chair will sign the minutes of the prior meetings proceedings at the next suitable meeting.

The minutes will be accompanied by a list of agreed action points, which may be discussed in considering the minutes of the previous meeting. Minutes will be made available to the public.