I welcome everybody to the inaugural meeting of the Harlow
and Gilston Garden Town Joint Committee.
As this is our first meeting, I will be chairing as Director
of the Garden Town until we conclude the election
of the chair from the committee members present today.
So I must begin with reading out the webcast notice as follows.
I would like to remind everyone present
that this meeting will be broadcast live
to the internet and filmed.
It will be capable of repeated viewing
or other such use by third parties.
Therefore, by participating in this meeting, you are consenting
to being filmed and to the possible use of those images
and sound recordings for webcasting
and/or training purposes.
Please be aware if there are technical difficulties
that interrupt the meeting that cannot be overcome,
we may need to adjourn the meeting.
Members are reminded
to activate their microphones before speaking.
Okay. So I shall turn to the agenda.
Second item on the agenda, apologies for absence.
Have we received any apologies?
We have no apologies, but we have Councilor Lee-Scott
substituting for Leslie Wagland.
Thank you.
[ Inaudible ]
Okay. All right.
Thank you.
Okay. We're going to commence by going
around the committee room table in order to do introductions.
So we've got a list of everybody.
Okay. Thank you.
Could I start with Councillor Crystal?
Councillor Ben Crystal,
leader of East Harts District Council.
Richard Cassidy, chief executive at East Harts Council.
Thank you.
Nigel Bedford, deputy leader up in Forest District Council.
Thank you.
Jennifer Gore, chief operating officer
at Epping Forest District Council.
Thanks, Jen.
Jonathan?
Jonathan Shiffers, head of housing
and garden communities at Essex County Council.
Thank you.
Councillor Lee-Scott, cabinet member for planning
of growing economy, Essex County Council.
Yvonne Reese, chief exec at Harlow Council.
Councillor Dan Swords, leader of Harlow Council.
Colin Haig, director of growth,
Harfordshire County Council.
And Steven Bolton, portfolio holder
for sustainable economic growth at Harfordshire County Council.
Thank you.
Therese Larson, Epping Forest Council, Democratic Services.
And I'm Gary Woodhall.
I'm the manager for Democratic Services, electoral services
and member services at Epping Forest District Council.
Thank you.
And I'm Naysha Plain, director of the Harlow
and Gilston Garden Town.
Is that okay?
Yeah.
Yeah, apologies for that.
Thank you.
Right, let's start again.
Item two, apologies for absence.
We have apologies from Councillor Lee-Scott
and Councillor Leslie Wagland is substituting for him.
Other way.
Other way around.
Sorry, other way around.
Councillor Lee-Scott.
There's apologies from Leslie.
Yeah, apologies from Leslie-Scott and--
Apologies from Leslie-- Councillor,
County Councillor Leslie Wagland.
Thank you.
And item three, substitute members.
We have County Councillor Lee-Scott substituting
for County Councillor Leslie Wagland tonight.
Thank you.
Are there any declarations of interest that need to be made?
Thank you.
Item five is minutes of the last meeting.
This is the first meeting of the Harlow
and Gilston Garden Town, so as such, there are no minutes
of the previous meeting.
Item six is matters arising and outstanding actions.
And likewise, as the first meeting,
there are no matters arising or outstanding actions
for the joint committee.
Item seven, request to address the joint committee.
There have been no requests to address the joint committee.
Is that correct, Rose?
That's correct.
Thank you.
I'm now going to hand over to Gary Woodall in order
to conduct the election of the chair of the joint committee.
Thank you.
So we have five of you here tonight.
So is there a nomination for chairman
for the joint committee?
Can I nominate Councillor Dan Swords?
Does Councillor Swords have a seconder?
Are there any other nominations?
Are we all agreed?
Congratulations, Councillor Swords.
Thanks.
Councillor Swords, if you'd like to join us as the chair, please.
[ Pause ]
Very good.
Well, thank you for the great honour you have just done me.
We have plenty of work to get on with, so I shan't dwell on that.
It takes us to item nine, which is election
of the deputy chairman of the committee.
Is there a nomination for that?
In which case, I shall make a nomination
of Councillor Stephen Bolton as the deputy chairman.
Is there a seconder to that?
Yeah, Councillor Crystal.
Is that agreed by the committee?
Very good.
Congratulations, Councillor Bolton.
Which takes us on to item 10, which is the introduction
to the Harlan and Gilston Garden Town Joint Committee,
which is pages 4 to 33 in your pack, for which I'll hand
over to Naysha to introduce the item.
Thank you, chair.
This report introduced the Harlan
and Gilston Garden Town Joint Committee as established
by the five council partners represented here this evening.
It notes that the purpose of the joint committee is twofold,
to provide accountable and cross-boundary leadership
to deliver the spatial growth proposals as set
out in the local plans of the three district councils
and supported by the two county councils.
And secondly, to coordinate and maximise the opportunities
for new and existing residents and communities.
The report reiterates the key processes
and procedures established and agreed by the five councils
with the terms of reference set out at appendix A
and the functions of the joint committee at appendix B.
I would draw members' attention
to some key points in the report.
At paragraph 3.2, it sets out the terms of reference
for the joint committee.
In particular, paragraph 3.2.9 notes the arrangements
for public access to the joint committee and a revised protocol
for public engagement is provided at appendix C,
which sets out further clarity for the public
on these arrangements.
At paragraph 3.2.3, the committee is reminded
that they have provision to appoint an independent
facilitator to assist the work of the joint committee.
And at paragraph 3.3, the functions
of the joint committee are set out and are further detailed
in appendix P, including the decisions this joint committee
may make.
It is specifically noted
that the planning development management decisions
and the transport and highway powers remain with the approval
of the respective partner authorities.
So turning to the recommendations,
members are asked to note the processes and functions
of the joint committee as set out in the report,
to agree the requirement
of the independent facilitator role is reviewed
at a future joint committee.
And lastly, to approve the revised protocol
for public access to the Garden Town joint committee.
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you, Nisha.
Does anyone have any questions on the report
or recommendations of government?
No? Any comments?
No? In which case, we will go to the vote
on the recommendations, A to C on pages 4.
Are they agreed by the committee?
Yeah. Which takes us on to item 11,
which is the Harlow-Gilston Garden Town 2024-25 budget
and program, pages 34 to 41 of your pack.
And that's back to you, Nisha.
Thank you, Chair.
So this report presents the 2024 Garden Town budget and program
of work for the Garden Town team.
It also sets out the key delivery aims and priorities
for the work of the joint committee
for this financial year.
Members will note that this program was previously agreed
by the Garden Town board in March 24
to allow business continuity
and contractual obligations to be met.
And it's presented today for formal ratification
by this joint committee.
The program you will find at appendix B is a combination
of work that commenced in previous years
and new commissions to continue
to progress the joint committee's key objectives,
which is set out in paragraph 2.2.
The budget at appendix A provides the breakdown
of funding contributions from central government
and Garden Town partners
which fund the capacity building work of the Garden Town.
Members are asked to approve the budget and work program
for 2024-25 and to allow delegated authority
to the Garden Town director in conjunction with the chair
to make minor changes if required and for those
to be reported to the joint committee in due course.
And lastly, it's noted that a three-year business plan
will be presented to the joint committee during 2024-25.
Thank you, Chair.
- Very good.
Any questions on the report, recommendations?
No, any comments?
No, in which case are recommendations A to C on page 34
agreed by the committee?
Very good, this is easy, which takes us to item 12.
Any other business?
I have not been notified of any, not aware of any.
Which takes us to item 13, I believe,
which is the date of the next meeting.
The next meeting of the joint committee will be held
on Tuesday, the 22nd of July, 2024.
So with that, as Naysha said at the start,
this is the inaugural meeting
of the Harlow, Gilson, Garden Town joint committee.
It's a significant moment in the future of not just Harlow
but the areas that currently surround Harlow.
We've got an enormous job to do as a committee
to genuinely change the future
for tens of thousands of people that live in this place
and will come to live in this place over the next 10 years.
So it gives me great pleasure at that point
to close this first meeting.
Thank you.
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