Members considered a report setting out the duty placed on local authorities in the Localism Act 2011 to administer the Community Right to Challenge. The Community Right to Challenge allowed relevant bodies to express an interest in running Council services and placed a duty on local authorities to consider expressions of interest. Where expressions of interest were accepted a full tender process for future delivery of that service would have to be conducted.

The report proposed that Members adopted a policy that aligned the management of the Community Right to Challenge within existing budget setting processes and ensured the Council placed a priority on the cost to the District and the quality of service delivered when drawing up any tender document required as a result of an expression of interest under the Community Right to Challenge.

Cllr. Fleming proposed and Cllr. Mrs Davison seconded that (a) the Sevenoaks District Council Community Right to Challenge Policy be approved; and (b) that authority be delegated to the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Improvement to agree any final adjustments to the Community Right to Challenge Policy that may result from the finalisation of Government policy and statutory guidance.

Resolved: That

a)     the Sevenoaks District Council Community Right to Challenge Policy be approved; and

b)     authority be delegated to the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Improvement to agree any final adjustments to the Community Right to Challenge Policy that may result from the finalisation of Government policy and statutory guidance.