Agenda and minutes

To receive declarations of interest (if any)

None.

To consider public questions (if any)

Question from David Ingham to Councillor B Lewis, Leader of the Council

“The Draft Proposal (as stated within the EIA – Appendix 4) appears to have the potential to provide huge benefits to all communities, but specifically for people from the protected characteristic groups and deprived communities. As such, it is absolutely imperative therefore that these individuals are reached out to as part of the initial consultation.

I have an avid interest in the application and effectiveness of EIA’s – indeed I have previously attended a meeting of the Improvement and Scrutiny Committee – Resources in December 2021 on a related matter.

Under section 6 of the Consultation Approach document (Appendix 3) it is not apparent how exactly Derbyshire County Council will be contacting hard to reach individuals (including those with protected characteristics).

Precisely what steps and measures will be taking place to contact these key individuals and encourage initial consultation participation from the offset?”

Response from Councillor Lewis

“I am glad you can see that this proposal has that potential as well across the region but as it is a consultation it will take place across all of the sort of regions of Derbyshire, Derby, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham and of course work is currently being undertaken by officers from across the four upper tier Councils of Derbyshire, Derby, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham to finalise the detail of the wider stakeholder engagement plan including with seldom heard and hard-to-reach groups.

As set out in Appendix 3, which provides details of the consultation approach to which the questioner refers, a detailed communications plan has been developed.  This will provide an outline of methods to be used to target residents, including those seldom heard or hard-to-reach across the whole of Derbyshire, Derby, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham.  Each of the four upper tier Councils will look at the most appropriate way to target the consultation through their own networks to ensure that the seldom heard or hard-to-reach groups across all of the four local authority areas are heard.

In relation to hard-to-reach and seldom heard groups across Derbyshire specifically we will be considering which existing forums and contacts from across the county we will work with to achieve maximum engagement from seldom heard or hard-to-reach groups.  These may include, but are not limited to, the Council’s BME Forum which has for the past 16 years enabled the Council to actively engage BME community groups on a wide variety of policy and service developments. The Derbyshire Over-50s Forum network of local groups across Derbyshire which has more than 3,400 members; the Derbyshire Youth Network database which will be utilised to encourage young people to engage in the consultation. Our four employee networks will be encouraged to respond to the consultation and to share details more widely within their communities. The Derbyshire LGBTQ+ a voluntary and community organisation providing services to and support to LGBTQ+ people across Derbyshire and Derby.  Disability partnerships and the North Derbyshire Deaf Forum, a range of voluntary and community sector organisations who  ...  view the full minutes text for item 83/22

The Manging Director introduced a report, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting, seeking Council approval to progress with and commence public consultation on the proposed East Midlands Devolution Deal.

Councillor Collins left the meeting at 5.30 pm

Councillor Greenhalgh left the meeting at 5.40 pm

Councillor Woods left the meeting at 5.40 pm

Councillor Clarke left the meeting at 5.40 pm

Councillor Hayes left the meeting at 5.42 pm

Councillor Ramsey left the meeting at 5.42 pm

Councillor Flatley left the meeting at 5.58 pm

Councillor Muller left the meeting at 6.02 pm

On the motion of Councillor B Lewis, duly seconded, it was

RESOLVED to:

1)   Approve the draft Proposal attached at Appendix 2 to this report to create an East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) for the areas of Derbyshire County, Derby City, Nottinghamshire County and Nottingham City;

2)   Formally consult upon the draft Proposal with the residents and other stakeholders of Derbyshire and the wider EMCCA area, in partnership with Derby City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and Nottingham City Council. 

3)   Agree the approach to the consultation as set out in Appendix 3 to this report; and

4)   Delegate authority to the Managing Director to approve any typographical or technical amendments to the draft Proposal which the Chief Executives of the other three Councils also agree on, on behalf of Derbyshire County Council prior to the commencement of consultation. This delegation is to be exercised in consultation with the Leader of the Council and is conditional upon such amendments being agreed by all four upper tier Council Leaders.