Agenda item

The Committee heard from the Director of Planning, Regeneration & Communities who explained that the Pride in Place Prospectus had been published in full on 3 December 2025, and included links to the governance requirements and funding information for the Pride in Place initiative. She noted that as the accountable body for the Gainsborough West Pride in Place programme, the council was required to establish the Neighbourhood Board and appoint a chairperson, doing so in consultation with the local MP.

Members were asked to consider the proposal for appointing a chairperson, based on a published job description, as well as to review the draft terms of reference for the Neighbourhood Board. Details were also provided to explain the process through which the council would support the chairperson to appoint members of the Neighbourhood Board.

The Committee heard details of the funding allocation, which included an initial capacity payment of £150,000 to be received by the council in early 2026, noting that the initial capacity funding was to be used to establish the programme at pace, and a further paper would be presented to the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee in February 2026, to consider in more detail.

In response to a question regarding ensuring appropriate appointments were made and there were no conflicts of interest for those involved, it was explained that, in addition to the details contained within the Terms of Reference, training would be on offer for example in relation to Standards. Additionally, as the accountable body, Statutory Officers within West Lindsey District Council would be making reports to the government, ensuring increased oversight of appointments.

Members questioned the potential impact of the impending local government reorganisation and how that would be mitigated. It was explained that the Neighbourhood Board, and the Pride in Place programme, was to cover a 10 year period, regardless of the local government structures in place. It was anticipated that the Board and programme would aid the transition for the local community.

In recognition of the initial capacity funding due to be received, a Member of the Committee enquired as to whether allocated funds would be focused solely on administration costs. Members were advised of the use of both capital and revenue funding, with the requirement to spend capital funding on capital costs, meaning that it had to be invested in community assets, and would not be spent on administrative costs.  

In recognising the focus of the Committee being the governance arrangements, and having been moved and seconded, the Chairman took the vote and it was

            RESOLVED that

a)    the Guiding Principles and Programme Objectives set out in paragraphs 1.4, 1.5 and 1.6 of the report, be noted; and

b)    the requirements of the Neighbourhood Board Chairperson, including the job description, be noted, and the appointment of the Chair, following a recruitment exercise, be delegated to the Director of Planning, Regeneration and Communities, in consultation with the Chairman of the Prosperous Communities Committee, the Leader of the Council, and the local MP; and

c)    the draft initial Terms of Reference (appendix 3) for the Neighbourhood Board be approved; and

d)    the requirement for the Chair of the Neighbourhood Board to recruit board members be noted, and authority to support the appointment of members to the Neighbourhood Board be delegated to the Director of Planning, Regeneration and Communities in consultation with the Chairman of this Committee and the local MP.