GUILDFORD BUSINESS FORUM

1.      Terms of Reference

1.1.  Guildford Business Forum is a partnership of Guildford’s business community,  Surrey Chamber of Commerce – Guildford and Guildford Borough Council, working together to facilitate a frank and positive dialogue between all parties in the interests of maintaining a dynamic commercial environment throughout the Borough.

2.      The purpose of Guildford Business Forum is to:

2.1.  Promote the Borough of Guildford as an excellent location in which to invest

2.2.  Foster a commercial environment in which the business and residential communities, the Borough Council and other organisations can work in partnership to maintain the Borough’s prosperity.

2.3.  Encourage all local organisations to join Surrey Chambers of Commerce

3.      The Forum achieves this by:

3.1.  Encouraging collaboration between the public and private sectors and also among business themselves

3.2.  Enabling members of the business community to come together for networking and support

3.3.  Providing, in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce, an authoritative voice for the business community and the Borough Council to lobby on Guildford’s behalf

3.4.  Acting as a consultative body providing dialogue between the business community and the Borough Council

3.5.  Engaging local businesses in the wider community through fostering links with education and skills agencies and groups outside the mainstream of economic activity.

4.      How the Forum operates

4.1.  Membership

4.2.  All businesses engaged in commercial activity within Guildford Borough are, by virtue of their commercial activity, members of the Forum and therefore eligible to become members of the sector groups.

4.3.  Sector Groups

4.4.  Each of the main areas of economic activity within the Borough is represented by a ‘sector group’.

4.5.  The formation of a sector group requires a commonality of interest, which may be activity-based (such as the Tourism Sector Group) or location-based (such as the Town Centre Management Sector Group).

4.6.  Any member of the Forum may, by request, become a member of the sector group relevant to his or her business activity.

4.7.  Members of a sector group will include, in addition to commercially active representatives of the sector, one or more appropriate officers of Guildford Borough Council, and one or more appropriate representatives of Surrey Chambers – Guildford.

4.8.  Each sector group will have a mutually agreed number of meetings each year, and will appoint a chair that will represent the sector group on the Steering Group. 

4.9.  New sector groups can be established by agreement of the Steering Group, following representations by one or more of: representatives of the proposed sector, Surrey Chambers – Guildford, Guildford Borough Council.  The Steering Group’s principal criterion will be the need for representation.

4.10.                   The secretariat for each group is provided by Surrey Chambers – Guildford.

4.11.                   Steering Group

4.12.                   The principal voice of the Guildford Business Forum is the Steering Group, which articulates the views of, and provides input to, the specialist sector groups.

4.13.                   The membership comprises:

·     The Chair of each Sector Group 

·     President Surrey Chambers – Guildford

·     Manager, Surrey Chambers - Guildford

·     One representative, University of Surrey

·     One representative, Surrey County Council

·     Chief Executive, Guildford Borough Council

·     Director of Planning, Guildford Borough Council

·     Director of Housing and Health, Guildford Borough Council

·     Borough Treasurer, Guildford Borough Council

·     Leader, Guildford Borough Council

·     Portfolio holder for economic development, Guildford Borough Council

·     Other members may be invited to join the group by agreement of the group.

4.14.                   The Steering Group meets bi-monthly, or at least six times a year.

4.15.                   The Chair is appointed from within the group for a maximum term of two years.  He or she represents the group on the Local Strategic Partnership.

4.16.                   The Chair will be appointed by election by the Steering Group and where there are more than two candidates the vote will require 85% participation of the Steering Group by ballot with a candidate with the highest number of votes will be elected.

4.17.                   The Chair must be representative of the business community and sit on the forum representing a business interest and not be a Local Authority officer or Councillor.

4.18.                   A Vice-Chairman is appointed from within the group, who deputises for the Chairman when required.

4.19.                   The minimum number of attendees required for a meeting to proceed is eight.

4.20.                   The secretariat for the Steering Group is provided by Surrey Chambers – Guildford.