Issue - meetings

Members are asked to note that this item is due to be pre-scrutinised by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at a meeting scheduled to take place on 1^st February 2024.  Any recommendations on this subject arising from this meeting will be reported to the Executive Committee in a supplementary pack.

The Interim Executive Director presented a report which detailed proposals for the termination of the shared service for North Worcestershire Economic Development and Regeneration (NWeDR).

Members were informed that in the summer of 2023, the Leader of Wyre Forest District Council had approached the Leader of the Council as well as the Leader of Bromsgrove District Council, which also formed part of the shared service, to advise them of Wyre Forest District Council’s intention to ask to end the shared service agreement.  This shared service had been in place for over 10 years and had provided economic development and regeneration services in the north of the county during this time.  Officers had subsequently been attending meetings with representatives of Wyre Forest District Council to discuss this matter further and, subject to an exit agreement between all parties, the shared service would cease to operate on 30^th June 2024.  End of terms were still being negotiated and would need to address issues such as indemnity clauses.

RESOLVED

1)          to agree that the Collaboration Agreement relating to the Provision of Economic Development and Regeneration Services should be terminated mutually under clause 15.1 (Determination of this Agreement), with effect from 30^th June 2024 and that a new Exit Agreement be entered into;

2)          to delegate to the Executive Director (interim) and the Executive Director for Resources, following consultation with the Executive Member for Planning, Economic Development, Commercialism and Partnerships, authority to negotiate, finalise and approve the Exit Agreement and to take any other steps that arose from the termination process; and

RECOMMENDED that

3)     an additional budget of £72,836 be approved for the new structure.