Jarrow Town Board Terms of Reference

Overview

The Long Term Plan for Towns was announced by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in October 2023 with the aim of providing long-term investment into a number of towns across the UK, including Jarrow.

The focus of the Long Term Plan for Towns is upon three key themes: Safety and Security; High Streets, Heritage and Regeneration; and Transport and Connectivity. As a result, each town will:

Receive a 10 year £20 million endowment-style fund to be spent on local people's priorities, like regenerating local high streets and town centres or securing public safety.
Set up a Town Board to bring together community leaders, employers, local authorities, and the local MP, to deliver the Long-Term Plan for their town and put it to local people for consultation.
Have, subject to legislation, the ability to use a suite of regeneration powers to unlock more private sector investment by auctioning empty high street shops, reforming licensing rules on shops and restaurants, and supporting more housing in town centres.

The Long-Term Plan for Towns will require town boards to develop their own long-term plan for their town, with funding over 10 years and aligned to the issues that research and engagement shows people want the most, including (but not limited to):

improving transport and connections to make travel easier for residents and increase visitor numbers in centres to boost opportunities for small businesses and create jobs;
tackling crime and anti-social behaviour to keep residents safe and encourage visitors through better security measures and hotspot policing;
enhancing town centres to make high streets more attractive and accessible, including repurposing empty shops for new housing, creating more green spaces, cleaning up streets or running market days.

It is Jarrow Town Board's role to engage with the local community and develop, implement and monitor progress of a three year investment plan and ten year vision for Jarrow. The Council will act as the accountable body for the Jarrow Town Board under Section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972 and shall receive the funding allocated by DLUHC. These terms of reference are intended to govern the activities of Jarrow Town Board.

Accountability and legal status

The Jarrow Town Board is established to further the regeneration of Jarrow through investment through the Long Term Plan for Towns, to be influenced, developed by and appropriate to those who live and / or work in Jarrow.

The Jarrow Town Board is not a separate legal entity and as such it shall have no power to acquire property, hold assets or liabilities or to enter into contracts in its own name.

The Jarrow Town Board is an independent Board, accountable to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLHUC), the South Tyneside Partnership Board and to the Council (via the Lead Member for Economic Growth and Transport).

The Council is the accountable body for the funding and contractual arrangements and shall enter into any relevant funding agreements with DLUHC in support of the Jarrow Town Board. The Council shall enter into any contracts, acquire property and / or hold assets or liabilities in support of the Jarrow Town Board.

Purpose of the Board

The purpose of the Jarrow Town Board is to act as a vehicle through which a vision and strategy for investment in Jarrow through the Long-Term Plan for Towns. The Jarrow Town Board will:

Develop, implement and monitor progress of a three year investment plan and ten year vision for Jarrow, covering the three broad investment themes of Safety and Security, Transport and Connectivity, and High streets, Heritage and Regeneration.
Provide strong and effective oversight and direction for the delivery of the Long Term Plan for Towns funding in Jarrow.
Ensure Long Term Plan for Towns resources are delivered effectively to maximise the benefits to South Tyneside, considering ways to lever in further funding.
Ensure that Long Term Plan for Towns funding is delivered appropriately and in line with Government guidance.

Key responsibilities

The Jarrow Town Board (and its Executive Group) will be responsible for:

Providing overall strategic direction and guidance for the Long Term Plan for Towns delivery in Jarrow, including the approach to community engagement and the development of a three year investment plan and ten year vision for Jarrow.
Ensuring appropriate programme and project management systems, processes and procedures are established and implemented, including a priority framework for projects.
Ensuring the overall success of the programme (i.e. delivery of programme and project outputs and outcomes) and monitoring the delivery of the three year investment plan.
Reviewing and approving changes to the investment plan and relevant programmes and projects.
Ensuring that the programme aligns with the South Tyneside Vision, Ambitions and Strategy.
Approving and signing off all project reports, prior to formal submission to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).
Ensuring that evaluation of the programme is delivered in line with Government requirements.

Roles and membership

The operational delivery and administrative support to the Board will be led by the Jarrow Town Board Partnership Manager. The Manager will be supported by a small Executive Group.

Other sub-groups or working groups may be established at the Board's discretion.

A ward member from each of the four wards comprising the Board will sit on the ward and they will be nominated from amongst the members in that ward. The Lead Member for Economic Growth and Transport will be consulted on the work of the Board.

It is required that formal reports, prior to submission to DLUHC are signed off by the Section 151 Officer or a relevant delegated senior Council officer.

A number of observers (Council senior officers and others to be determined) will also attend the Board and Council officers and others may attend to present particular items. For the avoidance of doubt, observers shall not have a vote on any matters to be determined by the Jarrow Town Board.

Members will comply with the Code of Conduct and Conflicts of Interest policies and reporting procedures.

Appointment and removal of Board members will be decided by the Chair and Vice Chair in consultation with the Board and be reviewed every three years. The Chair and Vice Chair roles will also be reviewed every three years.

Any Board member shall immediately cease to be a member of the Jarrow Town Board if:

they submit their resignation in writing to The Jarrow Town Board, South Tyneside Council, Westoe Road, South Shields, NE33 2RL
the organisation, business or body from which they were appointed is wound up or otherwise ceases to carry on business, or ceases to carry on business within the geographical boundary of Jarrow;
they are absent without good cause from three consecutive meetings of the Jarrow Town Board; and / or
their conduct is such that it is reasonably considered to bring the activities of the Jarrow Town Board into disrepute, provided that any member to be removed under this provision shall have a reasonable opportunity to make representations to Chair and Vice Chair before any decision to remove their membership is finalised. The Chair and Vice Chair shall also consult the accountable body prior to finalising any decision to remove membership under this provision; and / or
they are made bankrupt or are disqualified as a director, fail to submit a register of interests form or are convicted of a criminal offence.

Rule 3 shall not apply to any individual member of the Jarrow Town Board where guidance from DLUHC on Town Board Membership provides that they must take up membership of the Jarrow Town Board.

The Chair and Vice Chair, in consultation with the accountable body, shall determine whether any member who has been absent from three consecutive meetings has good cause for their absence.

The Council will provide the secretariat for the Board.

No meeting of the Board shall proceed unless a quorum is present. A quorum shall be 25% of the membership of the Jarrow Town Board.

Chair and Vice Chair

The initial Chair and Vice Chair of the Jarrow Town Board shall be appointed by the Council in consultation with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

In accordance with guidance from DLUHC on Town Board membership the Jarrow Town Board shall be chaired by a local community leader or local businessperson, who will act as a champion for Jarrow and provide leadership of the Jarrow Town Board.

Any member of the Jarrow Town Board who is appointed in connection with their role as an elected representative may not hold the position of Chair or Vice Chair.

The Chair shall preside over any meeting of the Jarrow Town Board. If the Chair is unable to attend a meeting of the Jarrow Town Board, or if they are absent fifteen minutes after the time set for the commencement of the meeting, the Vice Chair shall preside for that meeting.

If the Vice Chair is unable to attend a meeting of the Jarrow Town Board or is absent fifteen minutes after the time set for commencement of the meeting, then the members present shall choose a representative from among them to preside. Any power or duty of the Chair in relation to the conduct of the meeting may be exercised by the person presiding.

Decision making

The Jarrow Town Board will always aim to make decisions based on consensus within the spirit of the Long-Term Plan for Towns funding guidelines and in alignment with the South Tyneside Vision, Ambitions and Strategy.

This includes ensuring that there is at least one representative from the public, private and voluntary / community sectors at every Board meeting.

The Board will aim to make decisions collectively, by consensus among those members in attendance at any meeting of the Town Board. In those situations where it is not possible to reach a consensus, matters shall be decided by a majority of votes of the members of the Board present and voting.

In the case of an equality of votes the Chair of the meeting shall not have a second or casting vote and the resolution shall be deemed to fall.

Executive Group

The Jarrow Town Board, as described above, is a strategic board that will meet quarterly to oversee the development and agreement of the ten-year vision and three-year investment plan.

The Executive Group will ensure that the Board's strategies and priorities are delivered.

The Executive Group will meet more regularly (in-between Board meetings) to ensure decisions are taken to progress actions and to ensure actions are carried out according to the agreed Vision and Plan in a timely manner.

Any decisions taken will be reported to the Jarrow Town Board. Should there be a matter requiring the input of all members, an emergency meeting would be called.

Membership of the Executive Group would be comprised of the Jarrow Town Board Chair, Vice Chair, the Member of Parliament for Jarrow and one representative for each of the following sectors (to be determined by the Board):

Voluntary and community sector
Public sector
Business / private sector
Local authority

Meetings of the Board

Meetings of the Jarrow Town Board will be held quarterly with agendas and minutes published on the Council website.

The Council as accountable body shall provide the secretariat function for the Jarrow Town Board.

All agendas, reports and other supporting documentation will be circulated electronically to members no later than 5 working days before any scheduled meeting of the Jarrow Town Board. The Council shall arrange for the publication and preservation of agendas, reports and minutes to the extent required by law or prescribed in relevant guidance issued by DLUHC on the governance and administration of Town Boards from time to time.

An extraordinary meeting of the Jarrow Town Board may be called at any time by at least a quarter of the Board members where a signed requisition for that purpose and specifying the business to be considered at the extraordinary meeting has been presented to the Chair and the accountable body.

The Jarrow Town Board shall endeavour to hold any meeting called pursuant to rule 34 within 7 working days and only the business so specified in the requisition shall be considered at that meeting.

Operational matters

The Jarrow Town Board may make such additional rules and protocols as they consider necessary or convenient for the proper conduct and management of the Jarrow Town Board and the delivery of the Long-Term Plan for Towns. This may include delegation of their powers and the creation of appropriate sub-groups or task and finish groups.

Nothing in rule 36 permits the Jarrow Town Board to make any rules which are inconsistent with or affect or repeal anything in these Terms of Reference or the Code of Conduct; or regarding any rights or obligations of the members of the Jarrow Town Board, save where the proposals are unanimously agreed by all members.