Agenda item

A report by the Assistant Director – Leisure and Culture

The Assistant Director – Culture and Leisure (Lead Office for the committee) presented the report and confirmed that BTAC’s role was to exercise and perform the powers and duties of the Council in relation to the following functions in respect of the non-parished Boston Town area of the Borough BTAC Small Grant Scheme is for community groups and organisations wanting to contribute to their town centre community. 

BTAC also took responsibility for the town’s Special Area Expense Account, and reflected and represented the views of the town wards and its residents. The last review of the BTAC Constitution undertaken in 2005, was subsequently approved at the 9^th May 2005 at Full Council, and came into force from April 2006. 

Appendix A, details the current BTAC Constitution and Appendix B, the corresponding Terms of Reference.  Since April 2006, BTAC has encountered a number of changes to its provision of services.

The first change was an agreement by BTAC to transfer additional Council services into its responsibilities in July 2016, which included services such as the management of Central Park and Town Centre Toilets and Events.

In August 2017, BTAC also agreed a recommendation to Cabinet to fund the provision of Events (with the exception of the Mayfair) and Town Centre Maintenance Operatives.

In September 2020, Cabinet determined that it would remove the requirement for the Committee to seek Cabinet approval of expenditure over £10,000.

BTAC at its 3^rd February Committee meeting discussed changes to its Constitution and  agreed to undertake two reviews to report back to the 14th April meeting.  The first review would be the current grants scheme, which is subject to a separate report, and the second would be a review of the current Terms of Reference for BTAC.  The agreed membership included the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Councillors Katie Chalmers and Martin Griggs and again facilitated by the committee lead officer. 

The Working Group subsequently met on the 22^nd February to review the Terms of Reference within BTAC’s Constitution. It determined the current functions on BTAC and its delegations from Cabinet and put forward proposed changes for the Committee and Council to consider. 

Appendix C to this report detail the proposed changes within the Constitution and Terms of Reference for BTAC.

Committee comment and questioning followed which included:

There was agreement by Members of the change in liaison with Cabinet in that the Chairman of the BTAC also be the Liaison for Cabinet. The Chairman confirmed he had questioned the role of liaison officer for BTAC stating he always addressed anything for BTAC at Cabinet.  He further advised he had written to both the Leader and Deputy Leader seeking their feed into the change but noted that no response had been received.  

Members were advised that final agreement would be via Full Council agreement of changes to the Constitution.  On questioning why portfolio holders did not attend to present reports to BTAC the Chairman agreed that they should be asked to do so moving forward. 

Clarification was also given that the deletion in respect of provision and maintenance of urban open play areas was to clarify the position of not being prescriptive on what BTAC maintained and did not maintain as the situation did change.  

RESOLVED:

That BTAC having considered the proposed revisions to the BTAC Constitution recommend the revisions go forward as part of the ongoing review of the Constitution for approval by Full Council.