To consider the submitted report on the above.

Following the decision of the Council meeting in February 2017 to establish ‘in principle’ a Heart of the South West Joint Committee, the Council considered the submitted report providing documentation to enable the Joint Committee to be formally established.

Elected Mayor Oliver proposed and Councillor Mills seconded a motion as set out below:

(i)         that the recommendation of the Heart of the South West’s Leaders (meeting as a shadow Joint Committee) to form a Joint Committee for the Heart of the South West be approved;

(ii)        that the Arrangements and Inter-Authority Agreement documents set out in appendices 1 and 2 to the submitted report for the establishment of the Joint Committee with the commencement date of Monday 22 January 2018 be approved;

(iii)       that the Elected Mayor (Gordon Oliver) and the Leader of the Conservative Group (Councillor David Thomas) be appointed as Torbay Council’s named representative and substitute named representative on the Joint Committee;

(iv)       that Somerset County Council be appointed as the Administering Authority for the Joint Committee for a 2 year period commencing 22 January 2018;

(v)        that the transfer of the remaining joint devolution budget to meet the support costs of the Joint Committee for the remainder of 2017/18 financial year subject to approval of any expenditure by the Administering Authority be approved;

(vi)       that an initial contribution of £4000 for 2018/19 to fund the administration and the work programme of the Joint Committee, noting that any expenditure will be subject to the approval of the Administering Authority, be approved;

(vii)      that it be agreed that the key function of the Joint Committee is to approve the Productivity Strategy;

(viii)     that the initial work programme of the Joint Committee aimed at the successful delivery of the Productivity Strategy be authorised; and

(ix)       that the proposed meeting arrangements for the Joint Committee including the timetable of meetings for the Joint Committee as proposed in section 1 of the Background Information set out in the submitted report be agreed.

During the debate Councillor Thomas (J) proposed and Councillor Robson seconded an amendment to the motion as follows:

(iii)       that the Leader of the majority party (currently Councillor David Thomas) Elected Mayor (Gordon Oliver) and the Deputy Leader of the majority party (currently Councillor Alan Tyerman) Deputy Mayor (Councillor Derek Mills) be appointed as Torbay Council’s named representative and substitute named representative on the Joint Committee;

A recorded vote was taken on the amendment.  The voting was taken by roll call as follows:  For:  Councillors Bent, Bye, Hill, Kingscote, Lewis (B), Lewis (C), Manning, Morey, Morris, O’Dwyer, Robson, Sykes, Thomas (D), Thomas (J), Tolchard, Tyerman and Winfield (17);  Against:  Elected Mayor Oliver, Councillors Amil, Carter, Darling (M), Darling (S), Doggett, Ellery, Excell, Mills, Parrott, Pentney, Sanders and Stockman (13);  Abstain:  Councillors Brooks and Haddock (2);  and Absent:  Councillors Barnby, King, Stocks and Stubley (4).  Therefore, the amendment was declared carried.

During the debate Councillor Mills proposed and Councillor Parrott seconded a further amendment to the motion as follows:

(iii)       that the Elected Mayor (Gordon Oliver) and Leader of the majority party (currently Councillor David Thomas) and the Deputy Leader of the majority party (currently Councillor Alan Tyerman) be appointed as Torbay Council’s jointly named representatives and alternate their attendance at the meetings and substitute named representative on the Joint Committee;

A recorded vote was taken on the amendment.  The voting was taken by roll call as follows:  For:  Elected Mayor Oliver, Councillors Amil, Excell, Mills, Parrott and Stockman (6);  Against:  Councillors Bent, Bye, Hill, Kingscote, Lewis (B), Lewis (C), Manning, Morris, O’Dwyer, Robson, Sykes, Thomas (D), Thomas (J), Tolchard, Tyerman and Winfield (16);  Abstain:  Councillors Brooks, Carter, Darling (M), Darling (S), Doggett, Ellery, Haddock, Morey Pentney and Sanders (10);  and Absent:  Councillors Barnby, King, Stocks and Stubley (4).  Therefore, the amendment was declared lost.

The amended (substantive) motion was then considered by members, which was agreed by the Council as follows:

(i)         that the recommendation of the Heart of the South West’s Leaders (meeting as a shadow Joint Committee) to form a Joint Committee for the Heart of the South West be approved;

(ii)        that the Arrangements and Inter-Authority Agreement documents set out in appendices 1 and 2 to the submitted report for the establishment of the Joint Committee with the commencement date of Monday 22 January 2018 be approved;

(iii)       that the Leader of the majority party (currently Councillor David Thomas) and the Deputy Leader of the majority party (currently Councillor Alan Tyerman) be appointed as Torbay Council’s named representative and substitute named representative on the Joint Committee;

(iv)      that Somerset County Council be appointed as the Administering Authority for the Joint Committee for a 2 year period commencing 22 January 2018;

(v)       that the transfer of the remaining joint devolution budget to meet the support costs of the Joint Committee for the remainder of 2017/18 financial year subject to approval of any expenditure by the Administering Authority be approved;

(vi)      that an initial contribution of £4000 for 2018/19 to fund the administration and the work programme of the Joint Committee, noting that any expenditure will be subject to the approval of the Administering Authority, be approved;

(vii)     that it be agreed that the key function of the Joint Committee is to approve the Productivity Strategy;

(viii)    that the initial work programme of the Joint Committee aimed at the successful delivery of the Productivity Strategy be authorised; and

(ix)      that the proposed meeting arrangements for the Joint Committee including the timetable of meetings for the Joint Committee as proposed in section 1 of the Background Information set out in the submitted report be agreed.