Area of Responsibility.
The Leader of the Council (Councillor Chris Garland)
To lead the Council and the Cabinet including taking responsibility for the discharge of any executive function not delegated to another individual or body. To provide political leadership for the authority including:
· Being a figurehead for the Council
· Providing leadership in building a political consensus around council policies
· Working with others in building a vision for the Council and community
· Providing strong, clear leadership in the co-ordination of policies, strategies and service delivery
Specifically to have responsibility for:
Strategic Planning and Policy Development – to oversee the development, review and implementation of the Council’s
· Sustainable Communities Strategy, Strategic Plan and all other policy framework documents and to ensure that they interrelate and reflect agreed Council priorities
· Medium Term Financial Strategy including Capital Investment Strategy and Community Budget
· Communications strategy
· Corporate Improvement Plan
Performance Management – responsibility for:
· Ensuring appropriate performance management arrangements are established and maintained
· Reviewing performance and ensuring appropriate action is identified and executed to remedy performance issues
· Ensuring that the Cabinet Members are delivering priorities within their own portfolio responsibilities.
· Ensuring that the Council achieves its promises in terms of service quality standards and that services are resilient and provide value for money.
· Ensuring that excellent standards of governance and conduct are achieved throughout the business of the Council
External Affairs and Partnerships
· To act as an ambassador for the Council and its activities amongst external advisory and interest groups.
· To act as an advocate for the Council in pressing for changes in national policy
· Represent the Council and its interests in regional and national bodies as appropriate including the Kent Forum
· To be responsible for the Council’s role in partnerships including leading the Council’s contribution to the Maidstone Locality Board and Mid Kent Improvement Partnership and supporting other partnerships and organisations including Voluntary Action Maidstone and Town Centre Management
Cabinet Member for Economic and Commercial Development (Councillor Malcolm Greer)
To take the lead within the Cabinet for ensuring that the Council delivers its strategic objective for Maidstone to have a growing economy with a range of employment and business opportunities
Strategic Planning - to oversee the development, review and implementation of the Council’s:
· Economic Development Strategy
· Regeneration Statement
· Commercial Services Development
Performance Management - to ensure excellent standards of performance and improvement with respect to the Council’s services for:
· Economic Development
· The Visitor Economy including the Hazlitt Arts Centre, Maidstone museums, tourism, the Kent Conference Bureau and Maidstone market.
· Capital projects and programmes relevant to the portfolio including regeneration and public realm improvement schemes
Climate Change and Sustainability
· To oversee the Council’s contribution to securing sustainable construction with respect to development in the borough.
External Affairs and Partnerships
· To represent the Council on all relevant partnerships
· To foster close links with the business community and develop partnerships to achieve the outcomes identified in the economic development strategy and regeneration statement
· To foster close links with skills and education providers and with organisations encouraging the visitor economy
· To take responsibility for relationships with funders including Kent County Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund, service delivery partners including the Chamber of Commerce, Locate in Kent, education and skills providers, voluntary and community groups
Cabinet Member for Corporate Services (Councillor Eric Hotson)
To take the lead within the Cabinet for ensuring that the Council delivers Corporate and Customer Excellence specifically ensuring that the Council has a productive workforce and that services are affordable.
Strategic Planning - to oversee the development, review and implementation of the Council’s:
People Strategy and workforce development plan including health and safety and equalities policies
· Information Strategy
· Risk Management Strategy
· Procurement Strategy
· Asset Management Strategy
· Democratic Engagement Strategy
· Emergency and Business Continuity Plans
Performance Management - to ensure excellent standards of performance and improvement with respect to the Council’s services for:
· Customer service
· Corporate finance including regular budget monitoring
· Legal advice
· Information Technology
· Council Tax and Housing Benefit
· Democratic Services including electoral services and member services
· Property Services
· Procurement
And ensure that the Council meets its objectives and obligations under the Data Protection, Freedom of Information and Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.
External Affairs and Partnerships
· To represent the Council on all relevant partnerships
· To take responsibility for relationships with funding advisors
Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development (Councillor Stephen Paine)
To take the lead within the Cabinet for ensuring that the Council delivers its strategic objectives for Maidstone to be a decent place to live and have a growing economy including a transport network that supports the economy.
Strategic Planning – in liaison with the Leader of the Council to oversee the development, review and implementation of the Council’s:
· Spatial planning strategy including the Local Development Framework and other spatial planning documents including Development Plan Documents, Development Management policies and development briefs
· Integrated Transport Strategy Infrastructure Delivery Plan
Performance Management - to ensure excellent standards of performance and improvement with respect to the Council’s services for:
· Development Management including planning enforcement and land charges
· Spatial Planning
· Landscape
· Conservation
· Building Control
· Parking Management and Enforcement
· Park and Ride service and the development of public transport initiatives
· Local (District) Highways functions
· Capital projects and programmes relevant to the portfolio
External Affairs and Partnerships
· To represent the Council on all relevant partnerships
· To foster close links with key stakeholders including parish councils, the Developers’ Forum, English Heritage and transport interest groups
· To take responsibility for relationships with funders including Kent County Council, Highways Agency
Cabinet Member for the Environment (Councillor Marion Ring)
To take the lead within the Cabinet for ensuring that the Council delivers its strategic objective for Maidstone to be a decent place to live and in particular that the borough continues to have a clean and attractive environment.
Strategic Planning - to oversee the development, review and implementation of the Council’s:
· Waste Management Strategy
· Public Health Strategies
· Air Quality Management Strategy
· Contaminated Land Strategy
· Private Water Management
· Climate change Framework
· Licensing Strategy and policies
· Carbon Management Plan
· Local Biodiversity Action Plan
Performance Management - to ensure excellent standards of performance and improvement with respect to the Council’s services for:
· Waste minimisation and recycling
· Waste collection including collaboration with the waste disposal authority (KCC)
· Cleansing services
· Environmental Health services
· Licensing
· Bereavement i.e. services provided from the cemetery and crematorium
· Capital projects and programmes relevant to the portfolio
· Cobtree Golf Course
Climate Change and Sustainability
· To be the Lead Cabinet Member for Climate Change.
· To ensure that the Council, the non-executive Committees, Cabinet and Cabinet Members are aware of sustainability issues when formulating policy.
· To make recommendations to Council on sustainability issues arising from Council policies, and promote proposals to be adopted as Council Policy.
External Affairs and Partnerships
· To represent the Council on all relevant partnerships including the Kent Waste Partnership
· To take responsibility for relationships with funders including Kent County Council and WRAP, service delivery partners including contractors, voluntary and community groups
Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services (Councillor John A Wilson)
To take the lead within the Cabinet for ensuring that the Council delivers its strategic objectives with respect to Maidstone as a decent place to live and customer excellence particularly that residents are not disadvantaged because of where they live or who they are, vulnerable people are assisted and the level of deprivation is reduced.
Strategic Planning - to oversee the development, review and implementation of the Council’s:
· Housing Strategy
· Community Development Strategy
· Community Safety Strategy
· Safety In Action
· Parks and Open Spaces Strategy
· Compact with the Voluntary and Community Sectors
· Contribution to relevant Community Health strategies and plans
Performance Management - to ensure excellent standards of performance and improvement with respect to the Council’s services for:
· Strategic housing management in consultation with the Strategic Housing Board
· Community Safety in consultation with the Safer Maidstone Partnership
· Community development including oversight of neighbourhood planning
· Parks, open spaces and allotments including grounds maintenance
· Leisure activities including sporting and recreational based activities and including services provided via the Maidstone Leisure Centre
· Community engagement
· Allocation and monitoring of grants
· Capital projects and programmes relevant to the portfolio including environmental improvement schemes
External Affairs and Partnerships
· To represent the Council on all relevant partnerships including the Local Children’s Trust
· To take responsibility for external relationships with parish councils including the parish services scheme
· To take responsibility for relationships with funders including the Homes and Community Agency, service delivery partners including housing providers, voluntary and community groups and trusts including the Maidstone Leisure Trust
· To be responsible for all aspects of Community Engagement