Decision

Decision:

Cabinet considered the referral from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to reconsider the Cabinet decision of 15 September 2026 concerning the Community Neighbourhoods Model and the following Executive Responses were agreed:

Recommendation 1 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Disenfranchisement:

That the lead members for each community neighbourhood be democratically selected by ward councillors within that neighbourhood, rather than appointed, to strengthen transparency, local democratic accountability and legitimacy, and to ensure that the lead member has the confidence of the elected ward councillors with whom they will work, and the residents of that neighbourhood.

This should be done within one month and reported back to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as completed at the December 2026 meeting.

Executive Response:

The substantive recommendation is accepted. The appointment of Community Neighbourhood Lead Members will remain a Mayoral responsibility.

The Mayor advised that he would appoint opposition Councillors as Lead Members for community neighbourhoods, details would be provided in the next few weeks.

Recommendation 2 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee -

Governance and accountability:

That Cabinet publish clear governance arrangements, setting out the respective roles, responsibilities and accountability of lead members, ward councillors and community neighbourhood managers, including how disagreements will be resolved and how lead members will be held accountable.

This should be done within one month and reported back to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as completed at the December 2026 meeting.

Executive Response:

The substantive recommendation is accepted, the proposed timeframe is unworkable as the development of the Terms of Reference and supporting arrangements is a detailed piece of work that requires careful consideration and engagement with those involved to ensure roles, responsibilities and accountability are clearly defined and effective in practice.

This process must be undertaken thoroughly to establish a robust and sustainable framework for neighbourhood working, rather than rushed to meet an arbitrary deadline. The Terms of Reference and governance arrangements will be published by the end of January 2027. 

Recommendation 3 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Resident participation and transparency:

That Cabinet establish clear and consistent arrangements for regular and meaningful resident participation and transparency, and provision for public meetings, including publication of neighbourhood priorities, meeting information, actions and outcomes.

This should be done within one month and reported back to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as completed at the December 2026 meeting.

Executive Response:

The Cabinet-approved framework does not establish formal public Community Neighbourhood meetings as part of its governance arrangements.

Instead, residents will be able to contribute through engagement sessions, existing local forums and online activity. Public meetings may also be arranged where appropriate to discuss neighbourhood priorities or significant local issues, without creating additional formal decision-making structures.

Developing Community Neighbourhood Plans will take time to ensure that engagement is meaningful, inclusive and informs clear, achievable priorities. Sufficient time must be allowed to establish effective processes, consider residents’ feedback and ensure plans are realistic and deliverable. This work will therefore need to be undertaken in a phased way.

Arrangements for regular and meaningful resident participation and transparency, and provision for public meetings, publication of neighbourhood priorities, meeting information, actions and outcomes will be shared with Overview and Scrutiny Committee by the end of January 2027.

Recommendation 4 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Performance measures and success criteria for the Community Neighbourhoods Model:

That Cabinet establish clear baseline data, performance measures and measurable success criteria against which the effectiveness, value for money and additional impact of the Community Neighbourhoods Model can be objectively and regularly assessed, or a clear, detailed and feasible way in which this would be developed through co-production with residents and ward councillors.

This should be done within one month and reported back to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as completed at the December 2026 meeting.

Executive Response:

Developing a meaningful performance framework will require time to identify appropriate measures, establish reliable baselines and agree realistic targets that reflect the differing priorities of each neighbourhood. Engagement with residents, ward councillors and partners will be essential to ensure the scorecard is robust, proportionate and capable of demonstrating genuine progress and value for money.

This information will be shared with Overview and Scrutiny by the end of January 2027.

Alternatives Considered

Not applicable