The Hillfields Objective 2 Action Plan Partnership Board

Terms of Reference

  Board Members

Peter Shearing

Cllr Gary Ridley

Cllr Rob Windsor

Frank Jenkins

Sheila Martin

Farid Noor

Pat Walsh

Brian Tidman

Advisors to the Board

Liz Kantor

Phil Dunn

Adrian Coles

Rose Anne Doggett

Adrian Jones

Simon Batten

Chris Barnes

 

Former Board Members

Cllr Kevin Foster

Cllr David Arrowsmith

Cllr Dave Batten

Cllr Karen McKay

Insp Nick Clarke

Jarina Rashid Porter

Sue Darling

Howard Anderson

 

Former Advisors to the Board

Rebecca Young

Wayne Brewster

John Payne

Colin Scott

Chris Thomas

Bill Hall

Jo Sandford

Clare Ronwtree

Leigh Blount

 

 

The Hillfields Partnership Board (HPB) was established to secure the efficient and effective use of grant under the European Union's European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and European Social Fund (ESF) Objective 2, with the aim of securing the economic, social and physical regeneration of the Hillfields area of the City of Coventry.

The Board sought to do this by carrying out the following roles:

  • Ensuring that there was widespread community involvement and support for the HPB and providing evidence of this
  • Specifying clear and transparent arrangements for financial management and administration including: Nominating specific individuals to be responsible for the management of public funds provided to it and for reporting to the HPB
  • Drawing up the Objective 2 Action Plan
  • Implementing the Objective 2 Action Plan
  • Securing matching funding for the Objective 2 Action Plan
  • Proposing arrangements for the promotion and publicity of the programme
  • Developing capacity building actions to enable the local community to contribute to the development of the area
  • Considering project applications which have been assessed and appraised in accordance with the agreed criteria and to endorsing those for which an offer of grant is made
  • Reviewing the effectiveness of regeneration projects within Hillfields, with particular emphasis on environmental sustainability, equality of opportunity and innovation
  • Seeking to co-ordinate the actions of, and promoting communications and partnership between, other organisations whose actions or objects impinge upon the objects of the Board. Membership  

 Membership

The membership of the HPB was as follows:

  • 2 representatives of Coventry City Council (a Ward Councillor and a Cabinet Member);
  • 6 Community representatives (nominated by WATCH)
  • 1 representative of the Learning Skills Council; 
  • 1 representative of the Hillfields Business Forum;
  • 1 representative from the Chamber of Commerce;
  • 1 representative of the West Midlands Police;
  • 1 representative of Coventry Primary Care Trust;
  • 1 representative of Registered Social Landlords.

The Board may co-opt additional members as and when necessary (for example to address issues of race and gender balance).  

The group was chaired by one of the local partners.  

An officer from the City Council's Regeneration Team, the Area Co-ordinator, the Agenda 21 Manager and the WATCH general manager acted as advisers to the board, but did not have voting rights.  

Meetings

  • The HPB will meet at least 6 times a year. 
  • Wherever possible the HPB will meet in the Programme Area.
  • Agendas for meetings will be agreed by the Chair in advance.
  • At least 20 working days formal notice of meetings will normally be given.
  • However the Chair may convene meetings at shorter notice or request a response by written procedure in the event of unavoidably urgent business.
  • Papers will normally be issued at least 5 working days before the meeting.
  • Where this is not possible or where there are other exceptional circumstances the Chair may waive this requirement.
  • Minutes shall be kept of all meetings of the HPB.

Voting

  • The HPB's decisions on matters coming before were achieved by consensus wherever possible.
  • In the event of a vote, each member of the HPB had one vote.
  • Co-opted members had full voting rights.
  • In the event of an equality of votes on any issue the Chair had the casting vote in addition to any other vote he or she may cast.  

Quorum  

  • The Quorum at HPB meetings was five (including at least one nominee of Coventry City Council as the Accountable Body).  

Declarations of Interest

  • When a member had an interest in any item of business under consideration at a HPB meeting (whether in a personal capacity or as a member of any organisation that he or she is a nominated representative of or employed by or serves on the Board of) then that member declared their interest before the consideration of that item by the HPB.  
  • Where such an interest is of a pecuniary nature the member declaring it did not take part in the consideration or discussion of the item or vote on any matter with respect to it.  

Accountability

  • The HPB acted in accordance with established principles of reasonableness and fairness.
  • In acting as the Accountable Body, Coventry City Council acted in accordance with European regulations, Local Government laws and its own Standing Orders and Corporate Standards.