British Cycling outlines proposed changes to its governance

British Cycling has announced planned changes to its governance to comply with the new Code for Sports Governance.

Rumours of the proposed changes including fixed terms for directors and some officers of the national governing body, were reported by BBC Sport last week and they will be voted upon by an extraordinary general meeting on 22 July.

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Brief details have been published by British Cycling ahead of the release, expected this week, of the much delayed UK Sport-commissioned independent review of its governance which followed allegations of bullying and discrimination on he World Class Performance Programme.

UK Sport is the governing agency that provides public funding to the national governing bodies of Olympic and Paralympic sports, and launched the Code for Sports Governance late last year, saying that it "sets out the levels of transparency, accountability and financial integrity that will be required from those who ask for Government and National Lottery funding from April 2017."

British Cycling has already agreed with UK Sport a 39-point action plan addressing issues contained in the draft report from the independent review panel which raised "serious concerns" about the organisation's governance. 

It has also been drawn into the 'Jiffy Bag' controversy regarding the medicine delivered to Sir Bradley Wiggins at the 2011 Criterium du Dauphine which has seen officials grilled by MPs and is also the subject of a UK Anti-Doping investigation into British Cycling and Team Sky.

The governing body says that its proposed reforms to its board and memorandum and articles of association have been presented to regional councillors ahead of the EGM.

The changes it plans introducing to its governance include: 

The board being established as the ultimate decision making body for British Cycling

The appointment of an independent chair by an open recruitment process

National Council continuing to elect a president and a reduced number of Directors. It will preside over the Memorandum and Articles of Association and will act as a key consultative body for the board

A re-structure of the board with an additional independent-appointed director and also directors nominated by Scottish Cycling and Welsh Cycling

Board and national councillors being subject to limited terms.

Adopting a target of a minimum of 30% of each gender on the board as well as achieving gender parity and greater diversity generally on the board.

Chair of British Cycling, Jonathan Browning, said: “The pace of change at British Cycling is unmatched elsewhere in sport.

"We are rapidly transforming our organisation and these important constitutional changes form part of that wider effort.

"We are delighted that the hard work and collaboration between British Cycling, UK Sport and Sport England over the past couple of months have resulted in an action plan we believe will bring us into compliance with the new Code for Sports Governance upon implementation.”

British Cycling president Bob Howden added: “These changes to our Memorandum and Articles of Association are necessary and timely. Every member of the National Council is intent on making British Cycling a world-class governing body. It is our belief that by ensuring that our organisation has professional, balanced governance, the whole of our sport will benefit – from the grassroots to the podium.”

Last week, British Cycling announced plans to overhaul its medical procedures following an independent review of its operations in that field by Dr Rod Jaques of the English Institute of Sport.

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