Environment and Transport Partnership Board

Terms of Reference

Mission

By 2010, Peterborough will be recognised as having effectively embedded the principles of sustainable development within the way it functions as a City and to be an exemplar
in terms of environment and transport programmes.

Purpose

To significantly increase the pace of change towards achieving sustainable
development across Greater Peterborough through fostering creative partnerships and innovation, with particular focus on the environment and transport agendas.
Key Activities/Terms of Reference

The Environment and Transport board will:-

• Advise the Greater Peterborough Partnership (GPP) Board on all matters related to sustainable development, with a particular focus on environment and transport agendas
• Ensure the environment and transport agendas are positively embraced with the working of all GPP working groups
• Provide a focal point for the identification, discussion and response to key issues related to the environment and transport themes in achieving sustainable development
• Stimulate new partnerships and more effective joined-up working to achieve creative action on the environment and transport themes
• Monitor progress towards sustainable development
• The Environment and Transport Board may receive reports from, and may submit recommendations or advice to, any of its participant organisations.
• The Board’s partners each retain their own executive authority, but the Board provides a forum through which partners may agree shared aims and priorities to which the participant organisation’s resources can be directed.
• The Environment and Transport Board will report on an annual basis to the people of Greater Peterborough, through the annual GPP Forum and through a written review of progress against objectives.

Principles

In pursuing these activities, the Environment and Transport Board will, at all times, be guided by the following principles:

Equality – addressing the needs of all sectors of society and seeking outcomes that promote genuine equality of opportunity for all.
Sustainability – ensuring that all aspects of Greater Peterborough’s transformation are considered holistically and in line with the overall ‘quality of life’ objective.

Cohesion – ensuring that the people and communities of our region have, without exception, a sense of ownership of and engagement with the transformation process.

Outcomes – ensuring that the Board’s agenda and decision making focus on adding value and tangible progress towards the vision.

Objectives and Performance Management

The work programme of the Environment and Transport Partnership Board will be determined by the priorities and objectives set out in the Community Strategy.
The Community Strategy will be revised and up-dated every two years. A review of progress against targets will be published on an annual basis and presented to an annual public forum.

Structure

The ‘Board’ will draw up its membership from a wide range of organizations who will have a direct link to the environment and transport agendas. The aim is to be inclusive of all relevant groups.
Representative organisations will nominate a representative (an alternative or substitute) to attend meetings. Major organisations, (such as the City Council) will have more representatives, according to the complexity and range of services of the organisation. The representative organisation were selected at a meeting of environmental groups known as the Environment and Transport Key Partnership. There should be at least two full meetings of the Key Partnership each year and communication will be on a regular basis electronically.
The Board may set up Task Groups as required to progress issues as agreed by the main Forum. The aim is for the Board to catalyse organizations as appropriate to deliver activities, rather than undertaking its own direct work programme.
The structure and terms of reference will be reviewed annually.

Membership

The Board will have 14 members drawn from the voluntary/community, business and public sectors.

• Peterborough City Council
• Peterborough City Environment Trust
• English Nature
• UKceed
• Stagecoach
• Friends of the Earth
• Environment Agency
• Greater Peterborough Partnership
• Peterborough Civic Society

Nature and Frequency of Board Meetings

The Board will meet at least bimonthly, although it will have the ability to meet more often if required.

In addition the Chair of the Board will meet with the Chairs of our five key partnerships and the Director of the Greater Peterborough Partnership bimonthly to plan agendas and to ensure a consistency of approach throughout the Partnership structure.

Administration

Peterborough City Council has the duty to ensure that Peterborough’s local strategic partnership is established and maintained. The City Council’s democratic services team will provide administrative support to the working of the Board.

Agendas and supporting documents will be issued at least one working week before the meeting. Minutes will be produced and circulated within ten working days of the meeting. The minutes will be public documents and will be posted on the GPP’s web site

Accountability

The Greater Peterborough Partnership and it’s constituent Boards are accountable to the people of Greater Peterborough. It will at all times seek to ensure that it is representative of and understands the priorities of the region and its people and is responding to their views and interests.

All meeting of the Partnership Board will be public meetings
The Board will report to the annual Greater Peterborough Partnership public forum, held in the first quarter of the year, on progress against each of its objectives in accordance with the Community Strategy and seek feedback from the community. There will be no restriction on attendance at the forum.

Each participant Board member remains accountable to his or her parent organisation.

Selection of Board members

The Board shall appoint the Chairman of the Board from its membership on an annual basis.Members of the Board will serve for a maximum of 3 years