Survey questions

In May 2019, Ashfords LLP (Ashfords) were instructed to advise on the appropriate constitution for the proposed Southwold Harbour Management Committee (HMC) to enable governance improvements in line with the key principles in the consultation document from June 2014 and the Ports Good Governance Guidance (PGGG) issued by the Department for Transport. 

In June 2019, Ashfords produced an explanatory note and their draft constitution for the HMC, comprising draft Terms of Reference and a draft Memorandum of Understanding, all as published with this circular and available as part of the consultation.

On the basis of these proposals, the Joint Committee is carrying out this consultation. The JC keeps an open mind, but has questions and reservations about the draft constitutional documents produced by Ashfords and will need to consider them carefully, together with the results of this public consultation exercise, when it meets again (probably in November 2019) to decide on the way forward, and may decide to recommend changes.

The results of this consultation will be considered by the Joint Committee before making final recommendations.

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* 1. The legal advice that we have received is that the HMC is to be made of 11 external members. Six of these will be East Suffolk Councillors and five others will be members from outside the District Council.

Following the meeting in June, it has been suggested that in the first year four of those external members are Southwold Town Councillors. Subsequent elections would allow members from outside the Town council to join the HMC. Do you support this proposal?

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* 2. How do we ensure that there is a strong local voice on the HMC?

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* 3. What skills and experience do you consider to be most important when selecting committee members?

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* 4. How long should Committee Members be appointed for?

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* 5. Do you have any comments on the priorities in the attached outline Business Plan?

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* 6. ining for membersWhich of these areas do you feel should be a priority for the HMC in the first few years?

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* 7. How can we ensure that the public are better aware of the committee's work?

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* 8. Where should meetings be held?

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* 9. How often should financial information be reported

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* 10. What other performance information be made public?

Thank you for taking part. All submissions will be considered as part of the final decision-making process. The consultation closes on November 1 2019.

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