4.40 Because a Joint Committee is a voluntary arrangement, it is always possible for one or more of the participating authorities to decide to withdraw from the joint arrangements. Unilateral withdrawal will have significant consequences for the other partnering authorities.
4.41 It is essential for authorities to enter into a legally binding agreement which will set out the termination provisions and provide a mechanism for calculating costs in the event that one authority withdraws. Additionally, such an agreement is also important to regulate the respective rights and obligations of the parties, and to define and regulate the decision making procedures governing the parties.
4.42 Authorities will need to be aware of the requirement for express commitment to joint working which needs to be included in any OBC for a PFI project if approval is to be given.