Steadfast & Hearth Combined Sphere Authority

Greenhaven Council is a constituent council of the Mayoral Strategic Authority for Steadfast and Hearth.

What SHCSA is

The Steadfast & Hearth Combined Sphere Authority is Havenstead’s Mayoral Strategic Authority. It is a separate local government institution operating across the combined sphere authority area. Greenhaven Council is one of its six constituent councils alongside Alderstead, Brightmere, Stonehaven, Rosehaven and Bridgewell councils.

Why there is a strategic authority

Some issues are wider than one local council area. Strategic authorities provide a democratic and administrative structure for functions that need to be considered across several constituent councils, particularly where planning, infrastructure, movement, growth or investment require decisions at a larger geographic scale.

Strategic functions

SHCSA exercises only the functions lawfully conferred on it. Its settled strategic remit may include strategic place, infrastructure, movement, skills relationships, local growth, communities, resilience, culture relationships, wellbeing coordination and strategic investment. A function remains with a constituent council where it has not been transferred or otherwise conferred on the strategic authority.

Governance

SHCSA’s governance model includes a directly elected Mayor, representation from constituent councils, a Cabinet, scrutiny, an Audit and Governance Committee, a Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer, Chief Finance Officer and democratic services. These are SHCSA offices and arrangements, not Greenhaven Council offices.

Police and crime governance

From the lawful transfer point when the first Mayor takes office, the Mayor of SHCSA becomes the democratic police and crime governance authority for South Havenstead Police. That includes strategic oversight and holding the Chief Constable to account for delivery and performance without directing operational policing. The Chief Constable retains operational direction and control.

Greenhaven Council’s role as a constituent council

Greenhaven Council participates in the strategic authority structure as a constituent council. That relationship gives Greenhaven a place within wider strategic governance while preserving the council’s own local democratic mandate and responsibilities.