Welcome to the Towards One Council Website, a one stop shop for all news relating to the transition to one council for Wiltshire.

 

The Joint Overview and Scrutiny Transition Board (JOSTB) holds the Implementation Executive, Joint Implementation Team and Work Stream Boards to public account for their decisions and actions. Where necessary, the Board can initiate reviews of the evidence for and reasoning behind any of these decisions.

The Board also gives focus and direction to Overview and Scrutiny activities across the five councils, where they are relevant to the transition. Board members are expected to “champion” the arrangements and act as a first point of contact within their own councils.

The Board can also assist the Implementation Executive in developing plans for the new Council.

Front row from left to right: Chris Humphries WCC, Jonathon Seed KDC, Tony Molland WCC (Chair), Ian West WCC, Christine Reid NWDC

Back row from left to right: Keith Humphries WWDC, Jeff Osborn WCC (Vice Chair), Mike Hewitt SDC

Who sits on the JOSTB?

The Board consists of nine elected members: five members from Wiltshire County Council and one member from each of the four District Councils, and their substitutes.

The members are

What powers does the JOSTB have?

The Board has the power to appoint, manage and co-ordinate small member working groups (Task Groups) or individual councillors to engage in key projects within the work streams and to receive reports back on their progress and outcome.

The Task Groups are made up of members from all five councils and they scrutinise specific topics assigned to them. The five current Task Groups are:

  • Community Area Boards and Partnerships,
  • Development Control,
  • Housing,
  • Waste, and
  • Customer Access.

The Board also

  • manages and directs scrutiny resources for the transitional period, and
  • will lead the shaping of the overview and scrutiny arrangements for the new council at the appropriate time.

What topics are covered at the meetings?

The topics covered by the Board’s current Task Groups (see above) form a crucial part of the agenda. Other topics include risk management, Human Resources, Information and Communication Technology, financial updates and the organisation and structure of the new council.

What topics will the JOSTB be looking at in the next six months?

In addition to topics covered by the five Task Groups, the Board will also consider appropriate topics from the Implementation Executive Forward Work Plan.