Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room A, Wellington House, Leeds. View directions

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Pandor, Councillor Swift, Councillor Ross-Shaw, Marcus Mills and Gareth Yates.

2.

Declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests

Minutes:

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests.

3.

Exempt information - Exclusion of the press and public

1.    To highlight Appendix 1 to Agenda Item 6; Appendix 1 to Agenda Item 7; Appendices 2 & 3 to Agenda Item 8 and Appendix 1 to Agenda Item 9 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 exemptions 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 in paragraphs 4.1, 4.1, 7.1 and 4.1 of Agenda Items 6, 7, 8 and 9 respectively.

 

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 Appendix 1 to Agenda Item 6; Appendix 1 to Agenda Item 7; Appendices 2 & 3 to Agenda Item 8 and Appendix 1 to Agenda Item 9 on the grounds that they are 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.

 

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 of Item 6; Appendix 1 of Item 7; Appendices 2 and 3 of Item 8 and Appendix 1 of Item 9 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.

4.

Minutes of the meeting of the Business Investment Panel held on 4 June 2019 pdf icon PDF 111 KB

Minutes:

Resolved: That the minutes of the Business Investment Panel held on 4 June 2019 be approved and signed by the Chair.

5.

Governance Arrangements pdf icon PDF 96 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Panel was presented a report detailing the new governance arrangements and confirming the West Yorkshire and York Investment Committee’s appointment of  the Business Investment Panel as an advisory sub-committee of itself.

 

Members noted that the Terms of Reference and quorum proposed remained unchanged from the last municipal year. Dates of meetings were also noted; members confirmed that they had received calendar invitations for all forthcoming meetings.

 

Resolved: That the Business Investment Panel noted the governance arrangements further to the meeting of the West Yorkshire and York Investment Panel on 11 July 2019.

6.

Future Plans, Grants and Loans pdf icon PDF 88 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Panel was updated on work to develop a new dedicated commercial investment team within the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to deliver new and existing business investment processes.

 

Members were informed that a procurement exercise and tendering process had taken place to commission an external partner to support this work. The partner had been appointed last week and aimed to deliver initial findings at the end of July. Then a second phase was planned to complete by the end of September 2019.

 

Resolved: That the Panel noted the progress made to date and provided feedback on the work proposed with the appointed partner.

7.

Strategic Inward Investment Fund pdf icon PDF 89 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Panel considered a report which outlined the current position regards progress in committing grants through the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (the LEP) Strategic Inward Investment Fund (SIIF).

 

An update was provided on previously approved projects to date, as detailed in the exempt Appendix 1.

 

It was noted that there were no new grant applications for consideration at this meeting.

 

The Chair made members aware that Leeds City Council was launching a real living wage campaign for the Leeds area businesses to sign up to.

 

Resolved: That the Panel notes the progress of the Strategic Inward Investment Fund (SIIF).

8.

Business Grants Programme pdf icon PDF 135 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Panel considered a report which outlined the current position regarding progress in committing grants through the Leeds City Enterprise Partnership (the LEP) Business Grants Programme (BGP).

 

Members were updated on the Productivity Pilot as outlined in section 3 and Appendix 1. It was noted that there is a demand for this type of product, particularly from the manufacturing sector. A challenge is finding a way of measuring productivity at a programme level, as businesses measure productivity in difference ways.

 

Panel Members also considered the application outlined in 4.1 and detailed in exempt Appendices 2 and 3.

 

Resolved:

 

(i)        That the Panel noted the progress report.

 

(ii)       That the Panel noted the update on the Productivity Pilot.

 

(iii)      That the Panel considered the application outlined in 4.1 and recommended the project be approved.

9.

Growing Places Fund Loans pdf icon PDF 102 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Panel considered a report which provided an update on the progress in committing loans through the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (the LEP) Growing Places Fund (GPF).

 

The Panel was updated on the progress of live projects and their current risks, attached at exempt Appendix 1.

 

Resolved:    

 

(i)         That the update on progress on the Growing Places Fund be noted.

 

(ii)        That the information provided in exempt Appendix 1 on progress of live loans through the Growing Places Fund programme and risks be noted and feedback given.

10.

Date of next meeting

The next meeting is 2 August 2019 at 2pm in Committee Room A, Wellington House Leeds.

Minutes:

The next meeting is 2 August 2019 at 2pm in Committee Room A, Wellington House Leeds.