Terms of Reference
A cross party,
non-decision-making advisory body which will lead and oversee the
work to establish on 1st April 2023 (Vesting Day) the new Taunton
Parish/Town Council.
Somerset County Council (SCC)
ordered the creation of a new town council for Taunton following
Somerset West and Taunton Council’s (SWT) approval of
recommendations made by SWT’s cross-party Community
Governance Review Working Group (now defunct).
This included a
recommendation:
That
a Shadow Taunton Town Council be established with effect from 14
October 2022 and with membership as set out at section 13.6 of this
report, to lead and oversee the work to establish on 1 April 2023
the new Taunton Parish/Town Council.
Responsibility for
implementation of the reorganisation before Vesting Day sits with
Somerset County Council by virtue of article 7 of the Local
Government (Structural Changes) (Transitional Arrangements)
Regulations 2008 and has been delegated to the Chief Executive and
the Monitoring Officer of that council.
Decisions in relation to
implementation will be taken by officers in accordance with the
council’s scheme of delegation. On Vesting Day the Town
Council will be established as an autonomous legal entity and
responsibility for the continued implementation of the
reorganisation will fall to it.
Scope
The Shadow Town Council will
act as an advisory body to the officers and others working on the
implementation programme with any formal decisions required then
being made under existing officer or member delegations.
In particular, the Shadow Town
Council will:
· Meet on a regular basis to
provide advice and recommendations to Somerset County Council on
the implementation of the reorganisation order and the arrangements
to be put in place for the vesting of the new town
council.
· Advise and make
recommendations to officers, technical advisors, and town clerk
(when appointed) on the development of the various draft policies,
procedures, and services that will need to be in place prior to or
as soon as possible after the new council is
established.
· Monitor and advise
officers on the programme of work required to establish the new
council.