Northampton Waterside Enterprise Zone: governance arrangements
1.Background and Context
1.1 Under the terms of the submission made to and agreed by government, the
Board of SEMLEP provides strategic direction and allocates resources for the
Northampton Waterside Enterprise Zone. In this respect the ultimate ‘governing
body’ for the Enterprise Zone (EZ) is the Board of SEMLEP. The importance of the
EZ to the Board of SEMLEP is reflected in the priority given to it in its Business Plan
2012-2013 Getting Down to Business and in the regular monitoring and performance
management of the EZ undertaken by the SEMLEP Board at each of its meetings.
1.2 In line with governance arrangements outlined in the submission to government,
at its meeting on 30 September 2011, the Board of SEMLEP delegated to the
Enterprise Zone Board the responsibility of monitoring detailed progress on the EZ.
Membership of the EZ Board was agreed but terms of reference were not specified.
In turn, and also in line with the original submission, the EZ Board delegated to an
EZ Executive Group, whose membership was also agreed, the responsibility for
project management of the EZ but specific terms of reference for this group were
not determined.
1.3 At the first meeting of the EZ Board in November 2011, the Board agreed that in
the interests of simplification and reduction of bureaucracy, the original governance
structure submitted to government would be varied and the EZ Executive Group
and EZ Delivery Team combined to form a single EZ Executive Group, focused on
programme management and delivery.
1.4 This paper therefore proposes terms of reference for the EZ Board and the EZ
Executive Group in line with the submission made and accepted by government.
2. Proposed Terms of Reference for the EZ Board
2.1 Purpose
The EZ Board is set up to lead the operational delivery of the EZ and to monitor
detailed progress, on a regular basis, of the EZ’s business, financial and marketing
plans, making regular reports to the Board of SEMLEP.
2.2 Role, duties and responsibilities
The EZ Board’s role is to provide a strategic forum for key partners with a stake in
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the success in the EZ to meet on a regular basis to support operational delivery and
ensure coordination of the EZ implementation plans. The Board fulfils this duty by
taking responsibility, on behalf of the Board of SEMLEP, for operational
leadership of the EZ, together with detailed tracking and scrutiny of the EZ’s
business, financial and marketing plans.
2. 3 Reporting arrangements
The SEMLEP board member, who takes the strategic lead for the EZ and also sits on
the EZ Board, makes regular written and oral progress reports to the SEMLEP
Board. The SEMLEP Board also monitors progress on the EZ through its own
business-planning evaluation framework.
2. 4 Secretariat and Administrative support for the EZ Board
The Secretariat for the EZ board is provided through the office of the Chief
Executive of Northampton Borough Council. Agendas, papers and minutes of the
meetings of the EZ board, produced by Northampton Borough Council, are
available on request to the SEMLEP Board.
2.5 Frequency of meetings
The EZ Board meets quarterly, 2-3 weeks before the SEMLEP board
2.6 Membership
The submission document proposed an EZ board of ten, comprising people
occupying the positions indicated below: current membership (2011-12) of the EZ
Board is shown below in bold
South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) Board Directors 3
members
Chair, who chairs EZ Board Ann Limb
Board member Stephen Judge
Board member John Corrigan
Northampton Borough Council (NBC) 2 members
Leader Cllr David Mackintosh
Cabinet Member for Planning, Regeneration, and Enterprise
Cllr Tim Hadland
Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) 2 members
Leader Cllr Jim Harker
Cabinet Member for Protective Services, Customers and Communities
Cllr Andre Gonzalez de Savage
West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC) 1 member
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Chair John Markham
University of Northampton 1 member
Vice Chancellor Nick Petford
Northampton Chamber of Commerce 1 member
Chief Executive Paul Griffiths
In addition, by invitation, the people in the following positions also attend
BIS Local Director Rowena Limb
CLG Colin Lovegrove
MP for Northampton South Brian Binley MP
Chair of Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership Paul Southworth
Chief Executive of NBC David Kennedy
Chair EZ Executive Group Marie Fallon and NBC operational staff as appropriate
such as Chris Cavanagh Mick Lorkins
Chief Executive and senior staff of WNDC Peter Mawson Valerie Conway
SEMLEP Hilary Chipping
Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership Sajeeda Rose
3. Proposed Terms of Reference for the EZ Executive Group
3.1 Purpose
The EZ Executive Group is primarily set up to fulfill the programme management
function for the EZ. As such, it acts as the main programme management board for
delivery of all EZ projects as detailed in the EZ business, finance and marketing
plans.
3.2 Role, duties and responsibilities
The EZ Executive Group role is to guide and direct the key work streams of the EZ
programme and projects. It is the body responsible for maintaining progress against
agreed targets and for taking corrective action and reporting on this, if delays are
encountered.
3. 3 Reporting arrangements
The EZ Executive Group reports through its chair to the EZ board
3. 4 Secretariat and Administrative support for the EZ Executive Group
The Secretariat for the EZ board is provided through the office of the Chief
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Executive of Northampton Borough Council. Agendas, papers and minutes of the
meetings of the EZ board, produced by Northampton Borough Council, are
available on request to the EZ Board and SEMLEP Board.
3.5 Frequency of meetings
The EZ Board meets monthly.
3.6 Membership
The submission document proposed an EZ Executive Group, comprising people
occupying the positions indicated below: current membership (2011-12) of the EZ
Board is shown below in bold
South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) Hilary Chipping
Northampton Borough Council (NBC) Marie Fallon who chairs the EZ Executive
Group and David Kennedy Chris Cavanagh Mike Lorkins and other operational
staff as required
Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) Roy Boulton
West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC) Valerie Conway Chris Garden
Northampton Enterprise Partnership (NEP) Sajeeda Rose
University of Northampton Terry Neville
Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) Charles Amies
Environment Agency (EA) Ben Thornely/Paul Hunt
Highways Agency (HA) Jonathan Price
In addition, by invitation, the people in the following positions also attend
BIS Local Will Morlidge
CLG Colin Lovegrove
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