Chairs Panel - Terms of Reference

Background

Local Highways Panels (LHPs) have been set up in all 12 Borough, Cities and Districts.

These panels are responsible for making recommendations and setting priorities for highway schemes in their area. Panels meet on a quarterly basis to discuss and mutually consider Local Highway Panel schemes in their district. Panels do not have the power to make binding decisions.

The Chair’s Panel comprises the Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport and the Chairs of each of the 12 LHPs, who come together to determine the distribution of additional funding over and above the standard allocation the LHP receives. Whilst the 12 LHPs set their own specific priorities relating to their annual allocations, the Chair’s panel will be an opportunity for districts to be allocated additional funding for specific schemes that sit outside their local LHP’s remit.

This document sets out the terms of reference for the Chair’s Panel and should be read in conjunction with the Terms of Reference for the LHPs.

Chairs Panel Terms of Reference

The Chairs Panel is accountable for consideration of schemes that are out of the scope of the LHPs as set out in the LHP Terms of Reference. This may include, but is not restricted to:

The Chair’s Panel will review the schemes presented to the panel with associated technical evaluation and the schemes will be prioritised and have a ranking for consideration. They will also agree the schemes to be funded and progressed and review all schemes on the funding list before presenting these to the Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Transport for decision.

The recommendations made by the Chairs Panel will be transparent and openly available to the 12 Districts so they can see how the money is being used.

The Chair’s Panel will launch funding opportunities to LHPs, receiving and reviewing expressions of interests from the districts, with support from the Independent Technical Evaluator, to identify the priority projects to be taken forward for the next stage of assessment.

The Panel will ensure that there is a fair and equal opportunity for discussion around the relative merits of each of the Projects put forward for the funding opportunity, prioritising projects, taking consideration of phasing, suitability and availability of funding. All schemes will be evaluated using a consistent prioritisation matrix.

Membership

The Chairs Panel is made up of the Chairs of each of the twelve Borough, District and City LHPs and is Chaired by the Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport.

The Chair of each of these panels is appointed by the Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport and will usually be a County Member.

The LHP Chair will have appointed another member of the LHP to be Vice Chair. Where the LHP Chair is unable to attend the Chairs meeting, the Vice Chair will attend in their place. In the event that the Vice Chair is unable to attend, the LHP Chair will nominate another member of the LHP to substitute for them at the Chairs meeting. The Chairs Panel member who is appointing a substitute for a particular meeting must notify this to the person organising the meeting no later than the start of the meeting. Any substitute will have full voting rights.

The composition of the Chairs Panel is, like the LHPs, is not required to reflect the political apportionment of Essex County Council.

Meetings

The Chairs Panel meetings should be held quarterly. Meetings may be held in person, or via a remote or hybrid system.

The Chairs meeting will be quorate if six Members of the panel and either the Chair or Vice Chair are present.

Meetings are not open to attendance by the public or the press other than by specific invitation of the Chair. Meetings are not broadcast.

The Chair can invite non-Members to attend the Chairs Panel to provide specialist advice or information.

Essex Highways will provide officer support to the Chairs Panel. The secretariat and meeting room will be arranged by Essex Highways.

A programme of meeting dates for the full financial year will be agreed and published in advance to ensure that preparations can be made for reporting.

Any request for the Chairs Panel to operate outside these arrangements will require a formal decision in advance by the Cabinet Member for Highway Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport.

Recommendations agreed by Chairs Panel Members must be clearly minuted.

Actions must clearly identify the responsible person including the Highways Liaison Manager.

Information Sharing and Resources

Agendas will be posted on the ECC Chairs webpage at least 7 calendar days before the meeting.

Late items may be added to the agenda with the agreement of the Chair.

Minutes will be available on the ECC LHP webpage within one month of the Chair’s meeting.

The Schemes Awaiting Funding List will be updated onto the website in line with the quarterly meetings.

The Funded Schemes List will be updated on the website on the 1st of each month.

Briefing notes and agendas must be prepared in line with the ECC communications policy. Written material should be in arial font at a minimum 12-point size.

Decisions on recommended schemes to be implemented by the Cabinet Member for Highway Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport will be published on the ECC website under the standard governance rules via the CMA (Cabinet Member Action) process.

The Chair’s panel will use the standard templates for agenda, minutes, scheme lists and work programmes to ensure consistency.