Venue: Committee Rooms 6&7, Civic Hall, Leeds. The meeting will also be livestreamed here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCazjNSGpqZZT41Vibn2ZK9A/live (copy and paste the link in your browser)
Note: Note: This meeting will be held in Committee Rooms 6&7, Civic Hall, Leeds LS1 1UR. There will be very limited capacity for observers of the meeting. If you would like to attend to observe the meeting in person, please email: governanceservices@westyorks-ca.gov.uk to request a place, clearly stating the name, date and start time of the committee and include your full name and contact details, no later than 24 hours before the meeting begins. Please note that the pre-booked places will be allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and once pre-booked capacity has been reached there will be no further public admittance to the meeting. On receipt of your request, colleagues will provide a response to you. A recording of this meeting will be uploaded to our YouTube channel following the meeting.
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Chair's Comments Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair reported that she had attended the Global Investment Summit 2021 earlier in the week, and highlighted that many investors, including large global companies, were interested in investing in the region. The Chair noted her thanks to the Combined Authority Trade and Investment team who had supported herself and Sir Roger Marsh during this trip. |
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Apologies for Absence Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Jeffery and Sir Roger Marsh, as well as both their substitutes. |
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Declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests Additional documents: Minutes: There were no pecuniary interests declared by Members during the meeting |
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Exempt Information - Possible Exclusion of the Press and Public 1. To highlight Agenda Item 10 Appendix 1 which officers have identified as containing exempt information within the meaning of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, and where officers consider that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons outlined in the report.
2. To consider whether or not to accept the officers’ recommendation in respect of the above information as set out Agenda Item 10 Appendix 1.
3. If the recommendation is accepted, to formally pass the following resolution:-
RESOLVED – That in accordance with paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Agenda Item 10 Appendix 1 on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information and for the reasons set out in the report that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. Additional documents: Minutes: Resolved: That in accordance with paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Appendix 1 to Agenda Item 10 on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information and for the reasons set out in the report that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. |
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Minutes of the Meeting of the Combined Authority held on 9 September 2021 PDF 173 KB Additional documents: Minutes: Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority held on 9 September 2021 be approved. |
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(Lead Member: Cllr S. Pandor, Director: Liz Hunter) Additional documents: Minutes: The Combined Authority received
an update on developments around the COVID-19 pandemic and work to
support economic recovery in West Yorkshire. |
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WY Climate and Environment Plan PDF 280 KB (Lead Member: Cllr T. Swift, Director: Liz Hunter) Additional documents: Decision: Resolved: That the Combined
Authority:
a)
Approves the West Yorkshire Climate and Environment Plan and agrees
to delegate, if required, any final changes to the Managing
Director in consultation with the Mayor.
b)
Endorse the Mayor to bring forward a Climate and Environment Fund
and to secure the £85m funding needed for the actions for the
Combined Authority. The Combined Authority would work with partner
local authorities to design the delivery mechanisms for this
fund. c) Endorse the Mayor to identify potential funding sources for the Fund, including the Single Investment Fund. Decisions would be taken after the Comprehensive Spending Review, which would indicate whether and when there would likely be further national funding available to support this work.
Minutes: The Combined Authority considered a report on the climate emergency. It asked them to approve the West Yorkshire Climate and Environment Plan, which would be the Mayor and Combined Authority’s response to address the climate emergency, to protect the environment, and to achieve net zero carbon emissions in West Yorkshire. The Combined Authority was also asked to endorse plans for the Mayor to bring forward a Climate and Environment Fund and to secure £85 million in funding for carbon reduction projects, with sources for this funding to be identified after the publication of Comprehensive Spending Review.
The importance of the plan was
noted, with increasing occurrence of flooding events such as that
of Boxing Day 2015 highlighted as examples of the significant
impact of climate change in the region, and the approval of this
plan would be particularly timely due to the upcoming attendance of
the Mayor and the Managing Director at the 2021 United Nations
Climate Change Conference (COP-26). As part
of efforts to raise awareness of these climate issues and the
important role of the bus service in combatting them, Sunday 31
October had been announced as ‘Free Bus Sunday’, where
travel on buses throughout the region would be free. Encouragement
toward greater use of public travel would be vital in combatting
the climate emergency, and it was hoped that the event would
support this.
The Plan had been developed with the support of the Climate, Energy and Environment Committee. Three potential pathways toward net zero emissions had been explored in the Plan; it was noted that the early actions set out within the Plan were consistent with all three pathways, and did not preclude any future decisions regarding this. The Committee would be happy to take a further role in the monitoring of the progress of the Plan and in discussions regarding which pathway would be taken, as well as timescales surrounding this.
The Committee had also raised the importance of ensuring that the carbon impact of existing road schemes was being robustly measured within the Plan; a piece of work was currently underway to improve technical guidance for developing schemes and improve analysis for investors and stakeholders, as well as to assess the impact of schemes currently in ... view the full minutes text for item 49. |
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Capital Spending and Project Approvals PDF 763 KB (Lead Member: The Mayor, Director: Melanie Corcoran) Additional documents:
Decision: Resolved:
a) That in respect of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, and in order to ensure that schemes can be delivered within the tight timescales, the Combined Authority approves the delegation of authority to the Climate, Energy and Environment Committee to accept the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and approve the scheme in accordance with the Assurance Framework (decision point 4 (Final Business Case)), so that delivery can commence in line with government’s delivery timeframes.
b) That in respect of the Green Jobs Taskforce and Gateway, the Combined Authority approves that:
i)
The Green Jobs Taskforce and Gateway scheme proceeds through
decision point 2 (Strategic Outline Case) and decision point 4
(Full Business Case) with Approval to Proceed to activity 5
(Delivery). ii)
Approval to the Combined Authority’s contribution of
£500,000 (which will be funded from the Single Investment
Fund to progress the mayor’s pledges) be granted. The total
scheme value is £500,000. iii)
Future approvals are made in accordance with the assurance pathway
and approval route outlined in the submitted report and any change
requests are delegated to the Employment and Skills Committee. This
will be subject to the scheme remaining within the tolerances
outlined in the submitted report.
c)
That in respect of the Creative New Deal, the
Combined Authority approves that: i)
The Creative New Deal project proceeds through decision point 2
(strategic outline case) and decision point 4 (full business case)
and work commences on activity 5 (delivery). ii)
Approval to the Combined Authority’s contribution of
£500,000, funded from the Combined Authority’s Single
Investment Fund is given. The total scheme value is
£500,000. iii)
Future approvals are made in accordance with the assurance pathway
and approval route outlined in the submitted report and any change
requests are delegated to the Culture, Arts and Creative Industries
Committee. This will be subject to the scheme remaining within the
tolerances outlined in the submitted report.
d)
That in respect of Local Authority Capital Funding
2021/2022, the Combined Authority approves that, subject to
a successful bid to DfT: i)
The allocation to the Combined Authority of the Active Travel Fund:
Local Authority Capital Funding for 2021/22, subject to a
successful bid, for expenditure of up to £12,361,310 and that
the programme proceeds through decision point 4 (full business
case) and work commences on activity 5 (delivery) for all schemes
except the Leeds A660 Otley Road scheme which commences work on
activity 4 (full business case) ii)
Delegation to the Managing Director to approve the Leeds A660 Otley
Road full business case. iii) The allocation of the Active Travel Fund: Local Authority Capital Funding for 2021/22 funding, should it be secured, between the Combined Authority and the five West Yorkshire partners as set out below: · Bradford - £3,056,300 · Calderdale - £475,000 · Kirklees - £2,260,000 · Leeds - £4,785,000 including development costs of £470,000 · Wakefield - £585,000 ·
Combined Authority - £850,000 (for Cycle Parking and School
Streets Programmes across all five districts with a further
£350,010 for programme costs iv) Development ... view the full decision text for item 50. Minutes: The Combined Authority
considered a report on proposals for the
progression of, and funding for, a number
of Combined Authority supported projects that had been
considered at stages 1, 2 or 3 of the Combined Authority’s
assurance process. The report also listed approvals that had been
made by the Managing Director in delegation. · The Green Jobs Taskforce and Gateway scheme requested £500k from the Single Investment Fund (SIF) to research the future demand of green skills, investigate availability, and develop an action plan. · The Creative New Deal project also requested £500k from the SIF to support two strands of delivery for support to creative industries across West Yorkshire. One strand focused on boosting capacity for the Mayor’s Creative New Deal pledge (including the continuation of the Beyond Brontës programme) and another would progress the concept of a ‘Town of Culture’ award for West Yorkshire. The use of Langthwaite Enterprise Zone for creative industry purposes would also be explored. · A bid had been submitted for £12.36 million from the third tranche of funding from the Emergency Active Travel Fund. This would be used to provide delivery of permanent schemes building off of the temporary schemes funded by the earlier two tranches of funding. It was requested that approval for this spending, as well as approval for the Leeds A660 Otley Road full business case, be delegated to the Managing Director of the Combined Authority in order to allow flexibility, particularly if the awarded funding differed from the expected amount.
Members discussed the
‘night-time Czar’ role proposed under the Creative New
Deal and questioned whether its focus would be on supporting the
economic recovery of businesses operating at night or on the safety
of women and girls. Officers advised that funding was often aimed
to link between multiple pledges; the primary focus of the role
would be the safety of women and girls, but it was hoped that both
aspects could be fulfilled as the role was developed. These issues
and others, such as how the ‘Town of Culture’ award
would link to the ‘UK City of Culture’, would be
further discussed as part of the work of the Culture, Arts and
Creative Industries Committee.
Approval was also sought for the delegation to the Climate, Energy and Environment Committee to approve the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund scheme, in order for ... view the full minutes text for item 50. |
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(Lead Member: The Mayor, Director: Angela Taylor) Additional documents:
Decision: Resolved:
That the Combined Authority:
a)
Appoints private sector members to the Culture, Arts and Creative
Industries Committee as set out in Appendix 1 attached to the
submitted report.
b)
Appoints Sam Keighley as a private sector member of the Place,
Regeneration and Housing Committee.
c)
Appoints Karl Oxford as a private sector
member of the Business, Economy and Innovation Committee.
d)
Accepts the debt cap of £248.326 million for 2021/22 as
offered by HM Treasury. e) Notes the work underway on the 2022/23 budget.
Minutes: The Combined Authority
considered a report from the Director of Corporate and Commercial
Services seeking approval of outstanding appointments of private
sector members to several committees, noting work done toward of
the 2022/2023 budget, and seeking acceptance of the proposed debt
cap for 2021/2022 of £248 million offered by Her
Majesty’s Treasury.
Resolved:
That the Combined Authority: a)
Appoints private sector members to the Culture, Arts and Creative
Industries Committee as set out in Appendix 1 attached to the
submitted report. b)
Appoints Sam Keighley as a private sector member of the Place,
Regeneration and Housing Committee. c)
Appoints Karl Oxford as a private sector
member of the Business, Economy and
Innovation Committee. d)
Accepts the debt cap of £248.326 million for 2021/22 as
offered by HM Treasury. e) Notes the work underway on the 2022/23 budget. |
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Trans Pennine Route Upgrade PDF 251 KB (Lead Member: Cllr S. Hinchcliffe, Director: Dave Pearson) Additional documents: Decision: Resolved:
That the Combined Authority:
a)
Delegates to the Managing Director, authority to
enter into a binding legal agreement which safeguards the
Authority’s interests in and around Huddersfield Bus station
and provides appropriate measures to manage travel disruption
during the construction phase of the Trans Pennine Route
Upgrade.
b)
Approves that, in the event
that a binding legal agreement cannot be made with Network
Rail, the Combined Authority shall participate in the Public
Inquiry regarding the Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO)
application to the Secretary of State for Transport for the
proposed improvements to the railway between Huddersfield to
Westtown (Dewsbury) to present the specific matters relating to
impacts in and around Huddersfield Bus Station. c) Approves that, in the event that a binding legal agreement can be made with Network Rail, the Managing Director submits a letter to the Public Inquiry reaffirming the Combined Authority’s support for the Trans Pennine Route Upgrade and advises that the matters relating to Huddersfield Bus Station have now been resolved. Minutes: The Combined Authority
considered a report on the current position regarding the Transport
and Works Act Order pertaining to the upgrade of the Trans Pennine
rail route, and its implications for land and assets operated by
the Combined Authority. The report included recommended actions to
safeguard the operation and redevelopment of Huddersfield Bus
Station
Resolved:
That the Combined Authority: a)
Delegates to the Managing Director, authority to
enter into a binding legal agreement which safeguards the
Authority’s interests in and around Huddersfield Bus station
and provides appropriate measures to manage travel disruption
during the construction phase of the Trans Pennine Route
Upgrade. b)
Approves that, in the event
that a binding legal agreement cannot be made with Network
Rail, the Combined Authority shall participate in the Public
Inquiry regarding the Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO)
application to the Secretary of State for Transport for the
proposed improvements to the railway between Huddersfield to
Westtown (Dewsbury) to present the specific matters relating to
impacts in and around Huddersfield Bus Station. c) Approves that, in the event that a binding legal agreement can be made with Network Rail, the Managing Director submits a letter to the Public Inquiry reaffirming the Combined Authority’s support for the Trans Pennine Route Upgrade and advises that the matters relating to Huddersfield Bus Station have now been resolved. |
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Bus Service Improvement Plan PDF 435 KB (Lead Member: Cllr S. Hinchcliffe, Director: Dave Pearson) Additional documents:
Decision: Resolved: That the Combined Authority approves the BSIP and agrees to delegate any final changes to the Managing Director in consultation with the Mayor. The BSIP will be submitted to DfT before the deadline of 30th October 2021. Minutes: The Combined Authority
considered a report providing an overview of the content included
in the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) and requesting approval
for its submission to the Department for Transport. Members welcomed the strong
ambition demonstrated in the BSIP, particularly regarding the
capped fare of £4.50 and the Flexibus and Demand Responsive
Transport (DRT) schemes, noting it was an opportunity for the
region to significantly improve bus service. However, it was
cautioned that bus operators were in the process of cutting some
services, and it was important that BSIP not become a means to
simply fill the gap left by this. Members also raised the following comments and questions: · It was questioned why Park and Ride schemes were not mentioned; officers advised that Park and Ride schemes tended to be dealt with in the context of each local council’s parking strategy. · The report’s description of a ‘gender-neutral’ bus system was discussed as part ... view the full minutes text for item 53. |
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Minutes for information PDF 256 KB Additional documents: Minutes: Resolved: That the minutes of the Combined Authority’s committees and panels be noted. |