Terms of Reference
Functions and duties of the Romford BID board
- To provide a forum for the leading private and public sector stakeholders to collaborate to maintain Romford as the best town centre in the UK to visit, work, and live in.
- To create a strong shared identity for Romford, a consistently high quality shopper/visitor experience, and co-ordinated services and promotion of the wider town centre.
- To ensure the business improvement district proposal Romford BID town centre business plan are delivered to maximise the opportunities and set the future direction for Romford town centre.
- To co-operate to support the implementation and management of the BID, then to review to ensure its ongoing effectiveness as circumstances change.
- To co-ordinate the plans, projects, initiatives, and activities of all the partner organisations so that they are complementary and work together to achieve the continuous improvement of Romford.
- To provide strategic direction for the work of the any sub group or other safety groups for the town centre, and to receive regular reports on the progress of their action plans.
- To be pro-active in promoting Romford town centre to the widest audience, including developers, investors, businesses, and the community at large.
- To share information, expertise and experience relevant to the board’s objectives, so that the partnership as a whole benefits from the latest research, projects, initiatives, and strategic perspectives.
- To seek a consensus approach to decision-making wherever possible.
Membership
Membership is open to any organisation or business that operators in Romford town centre and pays an annual BID levy. Aside from benefiting from the numerous projects and activities as a member you can attend the AGM or full members meeting, be elected on to the board and have access to company accounts and minutes all while influencing both the strategic direction of the Romford BID and the town centre.
Composition of Romford bid company board
The Romford BID company board shall consist of representatives from the key business stakeholders within Romford town centre. The Romford BID company is a not for profit organisation with limited liability of £1 (one pound).
Collectively they will be known either directors (individually) or the Romford BID company board (collectively).
The board should consist of no more than 20 directors with any additional directors agreed through a vote. The mix below is a guide –
Non executive directors
- The five shopping centres
- A not for profit/charity
- 3 representatives from the night time economy and leisure sector
- 3 representatives from the professional services and office sector
- 3 independent retailer or leisure operator
- 3 national retailers
Observers/contributors
- A representative from the police
- 2 LBH councillors
Functions and duties of the executive group and the executive directors (EMG)
Following the first year of operations beginning on the 1st January 2020 the full Romford board will elect a chair, 2 x vice chair, treasurer, a company secretary and a director of social/community on an annual basis.
These will form the executive management group (EMG) and will be the registered directors with Companies House.
Membership of the executive management group (EMG) will therefore comprise of 6/7 executive directors –
- The BID Director
- Chair
- 1 or 2 x vice chair(s)
- Treasurer
- Company Secretary
- Social Responsibility and Ethics Director (this is normally the representative from the ngo/nfp sector)
The EMG will meet monthly and will be responsible for ensuring the that Romford BID company meets all its operational and legal requirements which includes, but is not limited to human resource, financial management, legal and governance.
Rules of procedures at all meetings.
Each director (as detailed above) shall be entitled to one vote each.
Only directors present at the meeting may vote.
No director shall exercise more than one vote, but in the case of an equality of votes the chair shall have a second or casting vote.
All questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote thereat.
Before voting any directors may propose an amendment which must also be seconded.
Romford directors may proxy their vote to a representative with 3 days’ notice given to the Chair.
Each director will be asked to supply a list of delegated proxys (maximum three proxys)
Quorum
No Romford bid company board meeting shall take place if less than four directors are present at a board meeting.
Meetings
All meetings will be chaired by a Romford BID company chair or in his/her absence one of the vice chairs.
The Romford BID company board will meet a minimum of 6 times per year.
The Romford BID company board EMG will meet a minimum of 11 times per year
The Romford BID company board EMG will hold a minimum of 1 full membership meeting or AGM per year
The venues will be at a host location within Romford town centre. Directors and members are encouraged to suggest /nominate venues.
Notice of meetings, forthcoming agenda and copies of previous minutes will be sent out between 5 and 7 days in advance and will be organised by a representative from Romford BID company.
Meetings will last no longer than 2 hours.
Directors are requested to indicate attendance/give apologies in advance.
Minutes of all meetings will be published on the website for access by all members a fortnight after each meeting has been held.
Delegated authority
Delegated authority for the procurement of service or purchases between £1-£6,000 is granted to the Romford BID Director or any further sub groups designated by the Romford BID company board.
Delegated authority for the procurement of service or purchases between £6,001-£25,000 is granted to the executive management group.
Delegated authority for the procurement of service or purchases between £25,001 and above is granted to the full Romford BID company board.
Behaviour, attendance and respect
A director at all times must act in the best interest of the Romford BID company and must attend a minimum of 75% of all meetings per year or face removal by a two thirds vote in favour.
Conflicts of interest policy
All staff, volunteers, and board or management sub members of the Romford BID company will strive to avoid any conflict of interest between the interests of the organisation on the one hand, and personal, professional, and business interests on the other. This includes avoiding actual conflicts of interest as well as the perception of conflicts of interest.
The purposes of this policy is to protect the integrity of the Romford BID company decision-making process, to enable our stakeholders to have confidence in our integrity, and to protect the integrity and reputation of volunteers, staff, committee and board members.
Examples of conflicts of interest include:
- A group member who is related to a member of staff and there is decision to be taken on staff pay and/or conditions.
- A group member who is also on the committee of another organisation that is competing for the same funding.
- A group member who has shares in a business that may be awarded a contract to do work or provide services for the organisation.
Upon appointment each member will make a full, written disclosure of interests, such as relationships, and posts held, that could potentially result in a conflict of interest. This written disclosure will be kept on file and it will be updated as appropriate.
In the course of meetings or activities, committee members will disclose any interests in a transaction or decision where there may be a conflict between the organisations best interests and the committee members best interests or a conflict between the best interests of two organisations that the committee members is involved with.
– after disclosure, a director or member may be asked to leave the room for the discussion and may not be able to take part in the decision depending on the judgement of the other committee members present at the time.
Any such disclosure and the subsequent actions taken will be noted in the minutes.
This policy is meant to supplement good judgment, and staff, volunteers and management committee members should respect its spirit as well as its wording.