The Constituency Manager introduced a report of the Director of Governance and Assurance (Monitoring Officer) which informed the Committee that following agreement at Council on 10 December 2018, endorsing the recommendation by Cabinet on 26 November 2018, a new model of community engagement commencing in the municipal year 2019/2020 would be implemented.  Appendix A to the report provided Ward Member Budget Allocations, Appendix B provided Guidance on Ward Member Budgets, Appendix C provided a copy of the ward Member Budget Application Form and Appendix D provided details of Officer Support by Ward.

The report set out the distribution of funding across wards, according to a weighting based upon 75% per head of population, 15% deprivation, 5% under 5 years population and 5% over 75 years population (as set out in Appendix A to the report), and allocations in respect of each Ward Member. The report set out the governance arrangements for the process of applications for Ward Member budget funding and annual review and evaluation and provided Member support arrangements to aid ward councillors.

In accordance with the recommendations approved by Council the deletion of the provisions of the Constitution relating to Constituency Committees determined that this meeting be the final convergence of the Constituency Committee.  The Constituency Manager suggested therefore that Members may also wish to consider arrangements for collaborative working outside of formal governance conditions. Members welcomed the new approach and sought clarity on how matters would be raised in areas such as Moreton which had no traders’ group or residents’ group to identify issues and priorities.  The Constituency Manager confirmed that it would be acceptable for the Ward Councillor to make requests for funding based on their local knowledge and area intelligence that would be shared with them in due course.

Resolved – That the process and criteria as set out in the appendices attached to the report and the necessary officer delegations to administer the Ward Member budgets be noted.