Issue - meetings

Council is asked to:

1.    Agree to respond to the Combined Foundation Strategic Authority Consultation; and

2.    Agree the Council’s response and authorise the Interim Chief Executive to submit the consultation response on behalf Spelthorne Borough Council.

Council considered whether they wanted the Council to provide a response to the Combined Foundation Strategic Authority Consultation.

For – 27

Abstain – 1

The Council resolved to agree that the Council should provide a response to the Combine Foundation Strategic Authority Consultation.

The meeting adjourned 20.36

Meeting reconvened 20.45

Councillor Beecher left the meeting

Council considered the Council’s response to Question 1 of the Consultation which was:

‘to what extent do you agree or disagree that working across the proposed geography through a Surrey Combined Foundation Strategic Authority will support the delivery of effective outcomes and services in the following areas:

a)    Transport and local infrastructure

b)    Skills and employment support

c)    Housing and strategic planning

d)    Economic development and regeneration

e)    The environment and climate change

f)     Health, well-being and public service reform

g)    Public safety

h)    Culture

i)     Rural affairs and coastal communities

During the debate the members requested that when submitting a response, the Chief Executive added additional text to advise that Council had only been considering a-e when deciding on the response to be submitted. It was also agreed that the response should state that the Council wanted rivers and lakes to be added.

A vote was taken on which response would be submitted out of the following:

1.    Strongly agree

2.    Agree

3.    Neither agree nor disagree

4.    Disagree

5.    Strongly disagree

Council resolved to submit agree as the response.

Council considered the Council’s response to Question 2 of the Consultation which was:

To what extend do you agree or disagree with the proposed governance arrangements for the Surrey Combined Foundation Strategic Authority?

A vote was taken on which response would be submitted out of the following:

1.    Strongly agree

2.    Agree

3.    Neither agree nor disagree

4.    Disagree

5.    Strongly disagree

There was no overall majority in favour of any of the responses so options 4 and 5 were eliminated as the lowest scoring options.

A second vote was taken with only options 1-3 available to members.

Council resolved that the Council’s response to Question 2 would be ‘Neither agree nor disagree.

Council resolved to:

1.    agree to respond to the Combined Foundation Strategic Authority Consultation; and

2.    agree the Council’s response and authorise the Interim Chief Executive to submit the consultation response on behalf of Spelthorne Borough Council.