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Agenda Item No.

 

THE VALE OF GLAMORGAN COUNCIL

 

COUNCIL MEETING: 26 APRIL 2017

 

REFERENCE FROM CABINET:  24 APRIL 2017

 

C3550        SHARED REGULATORY SERVICES – REVIEW OF JOINT WORKING AGREEMENT (VLRS) (SCRUTINY COMMITTEE – ENVIRONMENT AND REGENERATION) -

 

Changes to the Joint Working Agreement between the participant Councils for the provision of Regulatory Services were recommended.

 

In April 2015, Bridgend County Borough Council, the City Council of Cardiff, and the Vale of Glamorgan County Borough Council signed a Joint Working Agreement for the provision of regulatory services across the three Council areas. The document created the Shared Regulatory Service (SRS) and the Shared Regulatory Services Joint Committee.

 

At the time of creating the Joint Working Agreement, some of its provisions were conceptual in nature and over the last 18 months, it was evident that some aspects of the agreement required amending to allow the more effective operation and management of the service. Some of the changes proposed in the report were administrative in nature, while others advocated a change in the current operating practices. The changes had been considered by the officer Management Board for the Shared Service, all three Section 151 officers, and agreed as appropriate by the Joint Committee. The proposed changes were set out in paragraphs 7-11 of the report.

 

Given the size of the Deed of Variation which included as a schedule the Conformed Agreement (i.e. the JWA with the track-changed amendments in line with the Deed of Variation), the Deed of Variation excluding the Conformed Agreement was attached at Appendix A to the report, with a complete copy of the Deed of Variation including the Conformed Agreement being available in the Members Room for consideration.

 

This was a matter for Executive and Council decision

 

Cabinet, having considered the report and all the issues and implications contained therein

 

RESOLVED –

 

(1)       T H A T the proposed changes to the Joint Working Agreement between the partner councils for the provision of Regulatory Services as set out in the Deed of Variation be approved and recommended to Council for approval.

 

(2)       T H A T delegated authority be granted to the Head of Legal Services in consultation with the Senior Responsible Officer with responsibility for the Shared Regulatory Service to approve administrative changes to the Joint Working Agreement in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Visible, Leisure and Regulatory Services as long as there is no extension of delegations to the Shared Service or additional financial implications.

 

(3)       T H A T the Head of Legal Services be authorised to execute the required Deed of Variation reflecting changes when approved by Council.

 

Reasons for decisions

 

(1)       Amendments to the Joint Working Agreement would improve the functioning and governance of the Shared Regulatory service. Such changes required ratification by each Council.

 

(2)       To authorise minor administrative changes to the Joint Working Agreement without seeking ratification by Cabinet and Full Council.

 

(3)       To formally document the approved changes.