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Test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test test 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 Councillor Lee Scott substituting for Leslie Wagland. 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. Hello, Richard Cassidy, chief executive at East Harts Council. Thank you. Nigel Bedford, deputy leader of Epping Forest District Council. Thank you. Jennifer Gore, chief operating officer at Epping Forest District Council. Thanks, Jen. Jonathan? Jonathan Schiffers, head of housing and garden communities at Essex County Council. Thank you. Councillor Lee Scott, cabinet member for Planning a Growing Economy, Essex County Council. Yvonne Reese, chief exec at Harlow Council. Councillor Dan Sords, leader of Harlow Council. Colin Haag, director of growth, Hertfordshire County Council. And Stephen Bolton, portfolio holder for sustainable economic growth at Harfordshire County Council. Thank you. Therese? 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 Nisha Plaine, director of the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town. Is that okay? Yeah. Yeah, apologies for that. Thank you. Right, let's start again. Apologies for absence. We have apologies from Councillor Lee Scott, and Councillor Leslie Wagland is substituting for him. Other way. Other way round. Sorry, other way round. Councillor Lee Scott. Apologies from Leslie. Yeah, apologies from Leslie Scott and ... Apologies from Councillor, County Councillor Leslie Wagland. Thank you. 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. Very good. 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? Yes, Councillor Crystal. Is that agreed? Very good. Congratulations, Councillor Bolton, which takes us on to item 10, which is the introduction to the Harlow 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 Harlow 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 on 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. Does anyone have any questions on the report or recommendations of the 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? Yep. Which takes us on to item 11, which is the Harlow-Gilston Garden Town 2024-25 budget and programme, pages 34 to 41 of your packet, and that's back to you, Neisha. Thank you, Chair. So this report presents the 2024 Garden Town budget and programme 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 programme 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 programme 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 programme 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. 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. [BLANK_AUDIO]

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