Agenda item

Minutes:

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The Assistant Director, Property and Projects provided a verbal update, a summary of the key points are set out below:

 

Member Major Projects Board (MMPB) 10th Nov 2021

 

           New Terms of Reference

           Draft Cabinet Report

           Revised List: Proposed “Major Projects”

 

Cabinet 16th November 2021

 

“Member Major Projects Board – Review of Terms of Reference” – Portfolio Holder: Cllr Dark [Council Leader], Lead Officer: Matthew Henry [Assistant Director Property & Projects]; Legal input: Alexa Baker [Monitoring Officer]

 

           Clarifies role and function of the MMPB

           Not policy making

           Not scrutiny function

           Acts as a “sub-committee” of Cabinet

           Chairs of scrutiny panels cannot be part of the MMPB – otherwise their scrutiny function is potentially compromised

           [Note: if MMPB were a scrutiny function – Cabinet Members could not be on the MMPB

 

MMPB 3rd December 2022

 

           Set up Briefing Sessions [all Cllrs – recorded]

           MMPB meetings to be rearranged to 2 monthly

           MMPB to prioritise work programme – more detailed presentations [MMPB only] – Q&A’s may need to be Exempt (see below)

           Project Monitoring Template [to include MMPB queries]

 

Briefing Sessions – All Members invited to attend and recorded

 

Session 1:  4th February 2022

 

           South Gate Regeneration

           West Winch Housing Allocation

           3G pitch

           RE-fit project

           NORA Enterprise Zone

 

Session 2: 11th February 2022

 

Town Deal Projects                                          :            

 

           Multi-user community hub

           Youth and retraining pledge

           St George’s Guildhall Complex

           School of Nursing

           Active and clean connectivity

           Riverfront regeneration

           Town centre repurposing

           Public realm

 

Session 3: 21 February 2022

 

Major Housing Projects                                 :              

 

           Nar Ouse Regeneration Area (Nora) 4

           Parkway

           Salters Road

           Bus Station, Library site, Hun Stanton

           Southend Road Site, Hun Stanton

 

The Committee was advised that following Briefing Sessions the MMPB will identify its Work Programme and Project Officer Leads will attend MMPB to provide greater detail about specific projects.

 

Member Briefing: 2 March 2022

 

Towns Fund: Board, Governance Arrangements and processes:               

 

The Assistant Director, Property and Projects provided feedback from the MMPB held at 9.30 am, 11 April 2022.

 

In response to questions from Councillor Morley in relation to the audit perspective and seeing how the process was more defined, the Annual Governance Statement and the relevant Risk Registers, the Assistant Director explained that the idea was for the MMPB to be brought up to date with projects which would enable MMPB to identify projects to go through in detail in public session, for example, risk register, risks, budget, key milestones, etc. and monitor projects as they evolved.

 

In response to further questions from Councillor Morley in relation to Annual Governance Statements signed off by Cabinet supporting the authority taking risks, the Assistant Director explained that the governance of the MMPB did fit in with the overall approach the Borough Council was taking to try to set up a better more systemised process in the way it reported its projects and as part of process would report to MMPB which would allay the fears being expressed how projects were handled.

 

Councillor Moriarty commented that he had emailed the Corporate Performance Manager asking where the entry appeared for the Guildhall in the risk register and the answer received was that the corporate risk register had an entry covering major projects and individual projects risk registers fell in the oversight of the Officer Major Projects Board and the OMPB.  The project manager for the Guildhall had confirmed that there was not yet a risk register in place.  The Assistant Director confirmed that a business case was being developed to be signed off by the Town Deal Board to allocate money to that project.

 

In response to questions from Councillor Rust in relation to capital project risks, scrutinising decisions/reviewing actions from the Town Deal Board, the governance of projects, risk register, Guildhall project, 11.4 of the Risk Management Policy etc., the Assistant Director explained he was attending this evening’s meeting to provide an update on the MMPB and governance.  The Assistant Director, Housing,,,,, and Monitoring Officer gave a presentation to all Councillors on 2 March regarding the Towns Fund - Board, Governance Arrangements and processes.              

 

The Assistant Director, Property and Projects responded to further comments and questions in relation to:

 

·         Governance

·         Strategic Corporate Risk Register reviewed by Ex D on 6 monthly basis.

·         Town Deals Board projects.

·         Borough Council projects.

·         Governance arranged for MMPB.

·         Role of MMPB.

·         Role of Policy Development Panels to scrutinise decisions.

·         Processes in place to enable the Audit Committee to monitor risk.

 

Councillor Morley explained his reasons why he could not support the draft Risk Management Policy and Strategy Review.

 

Councillor Collingham commented that it would be useful for the Committee to be provided with a simple summary sheet setting out the scope of the project, outcomes, responsibility, etc.

 

The Internal Audit Manager explained that the Internal Audit Plans looked at the governance framework.

 

The Chair thanked the Assistant Director for the quarterly update report.

 

RESOLVED:  That the update report be noted.