DEMOCRACY COMMITTEE			6 September 2017
Is the final decision on the recommendations in this report to be made at this meeting?				No

REVIEW OF OUTSIDE BODIES

Final Decision-Maker	Council
Lead Head of Service	Angela Woodhouse, Head of Policy, Communications and Governance
Lead Officer and Report Author	Caroline Matthews, Democratic Services Officer
Classification	Public
Wards affected	All

This report makes the following recommendations to this Committee: That it be recommended to Council that:-
1. The following outside bodies be retained and appointed by the Democracy Committee:- Allington Millennium Green Trust � Allington Ward Member Collis Millennium Green Trust � High Street Ward Member Headcorn Aerodrome Consultative Committee � Headcorn Ward Member Howard de Walden Centre � East Ward Member Hayle Park Nature Reserve � South Ward Member Kent Downs AONB Joint Advisory Committee � North Downs Member Maidstone Street Pastors � High Street Member Relief in Need Charity 2. The following outside bodies be retained but appointed by the relevant Committees as listed:- Action with Communities in Rural Kent � CHE Committee Age UK � CHE Committee �� Bentlif Wing Trust � HCL Committee �� Brenchley Charity Trust � HCL Committee �� Citizens Advice Bureau � CHE Committee �� Cutbush and Corrall � CHE Committee �� KCC Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee � CHE Committee (Chairman �� automatically appointed) �� Kent Community Rail Partnership � SPS&T Committee �� Kent and Medway Crime Panel � P&R Committee (Leader automatically �� appointed or a nominee to feed into the Crime and Disorder Committee) �� Kent and Medway Economic Partnership Board � P&R Committee (Leader � ��automatically appointed) �� Local Government Association General Assembly � P&R Committee (Leader �� automatically appointed plus another Non-Voting Member) �� Maidstone Area Arts Partnership � HCL Committee �� Maidstone Beauvais Twinning Association � HCL Committee �� Maidstone Cycling Forum � SPS&T Committee �� Maidstone Mediation � CHE Committee �� Maidstone Mind � CHE Committee �� Maidstone Sea Cadets � HCL Committee �� Medway Valley Line Steering Group � SPS&T Committee�� �� One Maidstone � P&R Committee �� PATROLAJC � SPS&T Committee �� Quality Bus Partnership � SPS&T Committee �� Relate West and Mid Kent � CHE Committee �� Rochester Bridge Trust � SPS&T Committee �� South East Employers � Employment Committee �� South East Rail Passenger Group � SPS&T Committee �� Upper Medway Internal Drainage Board � P&R Committee �� Vinters Valley Park Trust � CHE Committee �� West Kent Health and Wellbeing Board � P&R Committee (Leader automatically �� appointed or nominee) 3. Each outside body representative reports to the appointing Committee at least on an annual basis. 4. The following organisations be deleted from the Council�s list of outside bodies:- KCC Youth and Community KCC Youth and Community Management Committee Kent County Playing Fields Association Maidstone YMCA Mid Kent Downs Steering Group 5. That the Constitution be amended to reflect the changes in delegations.

This report relates to the following corporate priorities:
Securing a successful economy for Maidstone Borough � A lot of the work that the outside bodies carry out links to the Council�s priorities and it is therefore beneficial for the Council to have representation on these organisation�s boards or committees.

Timetable
*Meeting*		*Date*
Democracy Committee		6 September 2017
Council�		27 September 2017

REVIEW OF

REVIEW OF OUTSIDE BODIES

1. PURPOSE OF REPORT AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1 The report sets out the results of the Review of Outside Bodies carried out by the Outside Bodies Working Group and makes recommendations for the Council�s future representation on them.

2. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

2.1 At its meeting held on 16 November 2016 the Committee agreed that an Outside Bodies Working Group be set up to review the appointments in detail.

2.2 Members felt that Outside Bodies should be aligned to Service Committees where possible and this has been taken into account during the review.� It was also felt important that a mechanism should be put in for the representatives of the outside bodies to report back to their relevant Committee on at least an annual basis.

2.3 Members of the Outside Bodies Working Group met on 24 July 2017 to consider all the current outside bodies and made suggested recommendations for future representation by the Council on these organisations.� �

2.4 The Working Group put the organisations into four categories which are as follows:-

� Outside bodies to be retained and appointed by Democracy Committee

� Outside bodies to be retained and offered to Ward Members by Democracy Committee

� Outside bodies to be retained and appointed by the relevant Committee

� Outside bodies not to be retained and deleted

2.5 The list of outside bodies that were recommended for deletion and the reasoning behind their deletion are as follows:-

KCC Youth and Community Charity � this group has not met all the time the current appointee has been in post.

Kent County Playing Fields Association � the Council has not had any representation on this organisation for a year.� The role is purely observational.

KCC Youth and Community Management Committee � this Committee became the KCC Youth and Community Charity

Maidstone YMCA � the previous representatives do not believe that there is any beneficial interest to the Council to continue representation on this organisation.

Mid Kent Downs Steering Group � the Council has administered this Group for a number of years and in recent times it has had poor attendance with the average number of attendees being eight persons out of 50 invitees.� There is no formally adopted Constitution or Terms of Reference for this Group.� The Group receives updates from the Mid Kent Downs Countryside Project and discusses issues within the parishes of the Mid Kent Downs area.� Often there are no actions arising for the Council or other Authorities as a result of the meetings.

The Council withdrew its discretionary funding of �10,000 for this project after 16/17.� Other funding partners were Kent County Council and Swale Borough Council.�� The Group has not met for a year and there has not been any reaction from those that attended in the past.� It is therefore suggested that this Group is formally disbanded or if other Members wish to continue then the Council�s representation and administrative support be withdrawn.� It is suggested that the North Downs Ward Member continues to attend the AONB Joint Advisory Group to feedback to relevant Officers within the Council.

3. AVAILABLE OPTIONS

3.1 The Committee is asked to consider and agree the recommendations made for submission to Council. Appendix A to this report sets out information about each outside body, whether there is a legal requirement to appoint to an organisation, if the Council provides funding and whether there is a community interest.

3.2 The Committee could decide that no action be taken but this could be considered a backward step in view of the Committee�s commitment to review the Council�s representation on all the outside bodies.

4. PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1 The recommendations reflect the views of the Outside Bodies Working Group and it is therefore considered appropriate that the Committee should give consideration to the recommendations.�

5. CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

5.1 Appendix �A� to this report has been circulated to the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the relevant Committees for consideration where it has been indicated that those particular outside bodies should be appointed by them.� The comments received will be provided at the Committee meeting.

6. NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

6.1 After the Committee has considered and approved Appendix �A�, a report will be taken to Council for final decision.

7. CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

Issue	Implications	Sign-off
Impact on Corporate Priorities	The link to corporate priorities should be considered as part of reviewing the nominations.	Head of Policy, Communications and Governance
Risk Management	There is a reputational risk associated with any decision to cease support of an outside body.	Head of Policy, Communications and Governance
Financial	There are no financial implications arising out of this report.	[Section 151 Officer & Finance Team]
Staffing	There are no staffing implications arising out of this report	Head of Policy, Communications and Governance
Legal	A Councillor who is appointed to an Outside Body acts as a representative of the Council.� However, dependent on the nature of the arrangement, it is likely that their main responsibility would be to the organisation to which they have been appointed.
Equality Impact Needs Assessment	No detrimental impact on the protected characteristics of individuals identified.	Head of Policy, Communications and Governance
Environmental/Sustainable Development	Some of the appointments will be to organisations who have an impact in the borough.	Head of Policy, Communications and Governance
Community Safety	Some of the appointments will be to organisations who have an impact in the borough.	Head of Policy, Communications and Governance
Human Rights Act	No issues arising.	Head of Policy, Communications and Governance
Procurement	No issues arising.	Head of Policy, Communications and Governance
Asset Management	Some of the appointments will be to organisations who have an impact in the borough.	Head of Policy, Communications and Governance

8. REPORT APPENDICES

The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:

� Appendix A: List of the Proposals of the Outside Bodies Working Group

9. BACKGROUND PAPERS

None