Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE POLICY AND COMMUNITIES MANAGER

To review one of the Council’s current engagement structures – the non-statutory Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) which is currently known as the North Hertfordshire Partnership.

RESOLVED: That Cabinet supported and approved the dissolution of the LSP for the reasons set out in the report.

REASON FOR DECISION: North Hertfordshire Council widely engages with statutory and voluntary and community organisation in numerous ways. Much has changes since the establishment of the LSP in 2001. Due to a range of factors: the emergence of new thematic partnerships and networks, the complete allocation of the Performance Reward Grant (PRG) and the reduced attendance and engagement of external partners at the Partnership meeting, consideration must be made to dissolving the LSP.

The Executive Member for Community Engagement presented the report entitled Decommission of Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) and noted:

·         The Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) had started 20 years ago.

·         It became apparent that the LSP was not suited to Community Engagement in North Herts, despite the best efforts of local groups and partners.

·         While working groups, hubs and meetings were held, but these were never hugely successful as different people would attend each meeting and would often include representatives who did not have decision making authority.

·         Generally the benefits of the LSP were never seen and the Local Enterprise Partnerships came in as a replacement.

·         Attempts to rejuvenate the partnerships had been made but there seemed to be little interest in this from involved partners.

·         There was now an understanding that more could be achieved by focussing on groups with a common interest and who want to achieve a specific, shared goal.

Councillor Ian Albert advised that he had initially been sceptical about this proposal, but having heard the explanation it was clear the LSPs were not functioning as expected and the reality was that more could be achieved in other ways of partnership working, as had been demonstrated through schemes set up during the course of the pandemic.

Councillor Judi Billing proposed and Councillor Steve Jarvis seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED: That Cabinet supported and approved the dissolution of the LSP for the reasons set out in the report.

REASON FOR DECISION: North Hertfordshire Council widely engages with statutory and voluntary and community organisation in numerous ways. Much has changes since the establishment of the LSP in 2001. Due to a range of factors: the emergence of new thematic partnerships and networks, the complete allocation of the Performance Reward Grant (PRG) and the reduced attendance and engagement of external partners at the Partnership meeting, consideration must be made to dissolving the LSP.