Inception Report - Annex A

Inception Report - Terms of Reference

Composition

1. The City of Preston Town Board shall comprise the following Members. The Board shall remain open for further nominations, which shall be agreed by the Chair.

Type of Organisation	Name of Organisation	Name of Representative	Job Title
Business	Harrison Drury	John Chesworth (chair)	Managing Partner
Business	Cotton Court	Rob Binns	Director
Lead Council	Preston City Council	Cllr Matthew Brown	Leader
Lead Council	Preston City Council	Cllr Peter Moss	Deputy Leader
Lead Council	Preston City Council	Adrian Phillips	Chief Executive
MP	Parliament	Mark Hendrick	MP
Upper Tier Council	Lancashire County Council	Phil Green	Director of Growth, Planning and Estates
Community	Disability Equality North West	Melanie Close	CEO DENW
Education and Skills	UCLan	Ruth Connor	Chief Marketing Officer
Education and Skills	Prestons College	Lis Smith	Principal and Chief Executive
LocalEnterprise Partnership	Lancashire Enterprise Partnership	Anne-Marie Parkinson	Investment Programme Manager
Cultural	The Harris	Rachel Mulhearn	Interim Head of Culture

Chair and Deputy Chair

2. The Chair shall be for a maximum 3 year term. The Chair is John Chesworth. The Deputy Chair will be confirmed. If the Chair and Deputy Chair are not in attendance a nominee / substitute may be made.

3. The Chair shall not have a casting vote.

Quorum

4. The quorum for meetings shall be 6. No meeting shall be quorate unless the following Members (or their nominees) are present:

i) The Chair / Deputy Chair / nominee or substitute; and the Leader or Deputy Leader of the Council

5. If within fifteen minutes from the time appointed for the holding of a Town Deal Board meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting shall be adjourned.

The Secretary shall arrange for the meeting to take place within two weeks and if at that meeting a quorum is not present within fifteen minutes from the time appointed for holding the meeting the Members present shall be a quorum.

6. Any Member may validly participate in a meeting of the Town Deal Board by conference telephone or other form of communication equipment if all persons participating in meeting can hear and speak to each other throughout the meeting.

Secretary

7. The office of the Chief Executive of the City Council shall serve as the Secretary ("The Secretary") to the Town Deal Board.

8. The Secretary shall produce minutes of all meetings of the Town Deal Board.

Meeting Frequency

9. The Town Deal Board shall meet quarterly or according to operational need.

Decisions in Writing

10. A resolution in writing signed by all of the members of the Town Deal Board shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Town Deal Board.

Powers and Functions

11. The Town Deal Board's primary responsibility is to oversee the preparation and implementation of the Town Investment Plan.

12. The Town Deal Board shall:

i) Develop and agree an evidenced based Town Investment Plan;

ii) Develop a clear programme of interventions;

iii) Approve a capacity funding expenditure plan, and receive regular progress reports on the implementation of the same;

iv) Approve an annual Town Deal Communications and Marketing Plan, and receive regular progress reports on the implementation of the same;

13. The Town Deal Board will employ no staff, hold no assets, nor enter into any contractual arrangements. All delivery and operational matters will continue to rest with the City Council as Accountable Body.

Governance Relationship with the Preston Partnership

14. The Preston Partnership shall be asked to agree the Terms of Reference of the Town Deal Board.

15. The Town Deal Board shall review its Terms of Reference from time to time as necessary.

16. The Chair shall provide update reports to the Preston Partnership at the Preston Partnership's request.

Relationship with Preston City Council Council as Accountable Body

17. Preston City Council shall act as Accountable Body for the Town Deal Board.

18. Preston City Council shall hold the capacity funding and any investment funding and shall ensure these funds remain separate and identifiable from the Accountable Body's own funds, and shall provide financial reports to the Town Deal Board.

19. Preston City Council shall provide administrative, financial and legal support to the Town Deal Board.

20. Preston City Council shall maintain an official record of the Town Deal Board proceedings and a library of all formal Town Deal documents.

Publication of Papers

21. The agendas and papers for the Town Deal Board will be published on the Preston Partnership's website.

Nolan Principles

22.The Town Deal Board shall operate in accordance with the 7 Nolan Principles:

Selflessness - Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.

Integrity - Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

Objectivity - Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.

Accountability - Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.

Openness - Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.

Honesty - Holders of public office should be truthful.

Leadership - Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and be willing to challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.