Report of the Chief Executive seeking agreement to the Memorandum of Understanding for the Board.

The Cabinet agreed to the Hertfordshire Growth Board Memorandum of Understanding.

Report of the Chief Executive seeking agreement to the Memorandum of Understanding setting out the objectives, principles and scope of the collaborative work being undertaken through the Board.

(1)       The Decision Taken

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet agrees to the Hertfordshire Growth Board Memorandum of Understanding, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report of the Chief Executive.

(2)       Reasons for the Decision

Hertfordshire County Council Leaders and Chief Executives agreed to develop a Memorandum of Understanding to signal their intent to work collaboratively on placed-based issues to central Government, partners and Hertfordshire residents to help set out the objectives of the work to be undertaken through the Hertfordshire Growth Board, the principles which the parties would apply to their work and to working with each other and what was and what was not within its scope.

The Growth Board Development Programme had allowed the Leaders to identify their key growth challenges, emerging programmes of work, and key features of an emerging proposition to Government.  Work was now taking place to move those programmes into implementation and to deepen ongoing collaborative ways of working and engagement with central Government.

The Leaders of the District Councils, County Councils, and the Local Enterprise Partnership agreed at the September Hertfordshire Growth Board meeting to develop a Memorandum of Understanding to be considered by the Hertfordshire Growth Board at its meeting on 15 October 2019.  The Memorandum of Understanding had now been considered by the Growth Board and was recommended for agreement by all the Hertfordshire Councils and the Local Enterprise Partnership Board.

(Note:  Councillor S.Boulton declared a non-pecuniary interest in this item as a Member of Hertfordshire County Council).