Agenda item

To consider a report updating the Advisory Panel Performance and Capacity on the

progress made in relation to each of the seven Task Groups that were established by

the Panel.

Consideration was given to a report, updating the Panel on progress made in relation to each of the seven Task Groups, which were established by the Panel.

Parish/Town Council’s

With regard to the Task Group relating to Parish/Town Councils, it was noted that a Cross Party Member Working Group had been established, during the summer, to steer and support activity developed through the Partnership’s Workstream (the Area and Neighbourhood Task Group). It was suggested that it might be appropriate to include Parish and Town Councils within the remit of this Task Group, rather than establishing a separate Task Group.               It was agreed that the Area and Neighbourhood Task Group should continue   

              as a stand alone Advisory Panel in its own right and that Parish and Town

              Councils be included within its Terms of Reference.

Branding

A separate report was submitted to the Panel in respect of progress made in respect of brand implementation. The Panel was requested to note the implementation priority listing set out in Appendix 1 of the report, as recommended by the Members Logo Task Group, subject to budgetary approval and confirmation from contractors regarding feasibility. The Panel was also requested to ensure support and ownership from complementary Workstreams such as web, customer access, procurement, facilities and the operational services to implement the brand effectively and consistently.

A sample of a proposed Member poster was circulated to the Panel and Members were requested to consider whether this should include reference to the political party of the Member.  It was agreed that this information should not be included.

With reference to the implementation priority listing, set out in Appendix 1 of the report, it was noted that some of these areas would be dealt with by Town and Parish Councils and that this needed to be taken into account.

In considering the brand implementation update Members raised a number of issues. Concern was expressed that a number of new bus shelters had been erected, which included the Cheshire County Council logo. It queried whether there would be an opportunity of providing some of the branding work to local suppliers and it was noted that a national tendering process was in place and efforts were in place to make sure local suppliers could be used, subject to economies of scale.  To date, approximately 80 responses had been received and a number of these were local suppliers.

              Finance

With regard to the Finance Task Group, it was suggested that it might be appropriate to include the budget setting within the remit of the Corporate Development Task Group, due to its link with the Corporate Plan.

Corporate Development

With regard to the Corporate Development Task Group, it was noted that a  

process was currently taking place to merge all the existing Corporate

Strategies and it was agreed that the Task Group should consider the

Corporate Plan at its next meeting, with a link to the Medium Term Financial  

Strategy, the date of the meeting to be agreed.  It was also agreed that

Councillors M Hardy and J Narraway should be added to the membership of

the Task Group. It was also suggested that consideration be given to forming  

a sub-group to consider all corporate documents as they emerge.

Future Policy Development

Discussion took place in respect of the future arrangements for Policy Development, after 1 April and when the Task Groups ceased to exist.  It was noted that the existing Authorities dealt with policy development in various ways and it was considered that policy development should continue to take place within the new Authority and should either be included within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee or that separate Policy Development Committees should be established.

RESOLVED

1       That the Task Groups relating to ICT, Customer Access, Branding, Finance and Corporate Development should continue in their current form.

2       That the Area and Neighbourhood Task Group should continue as a “stand alone” Advisory Panel and that Parish and Town Councils be included within its Terms of Reference.

3       That the Corporate Development Task Group give consideration to the Corporate Plan at its next meeting, together with the Medium Term Financial Strategy, the date to be agreed; that Councillors M Hardy and J Narraway be added to the Task Group membership; and that consideration be given to forming a sub-group to consider all corporate documents as they emerge.

4       That the Panel recommends that policy development should continue in the new Cheshire East Authority, after 1 April and that this should either fall within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee or that separate policy development committees should be established.