Agenda and minutes

Venue: DUE TO COVID-19, THIS INFORMAL MEETING WILL BE HELD REMOTELY AND WILL BE LIVESTREAMED HERE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCazjNSGpqZZT41Vibn2ZK9A/live(COPY AND PASTE THE LINK IN YOUR BROWSER)

Note: Informal Consultative Meeting 

Items
No. Item

12.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

 

Apologies for absence received from Melanie Taylor, Simon Pringle, Richard Goodfellow and Adrian Gill.

13.

Declaration of disclosable pecuniary interests

Minutes:

There were no items of disclosable pecuniary interests declared at the meeting.

14.

Exempt information- possible exclusion of the press and public

Minutes:

There were no items on the agenda which required the exclusion of the press and public

15.

Minutes from the meeting held on 19 October 2021

Minutes:

As this meeting was held remotely as an informal consultative meeting, the 11 October 2021 minutes will be approved at the next formal meeting of the Climate, Energy and Environment Committee.

16.

Chair's Update

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed members to the informal consultative meeting and read out the following statement

 

Due to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in the UK and the current uncertainty this brings, the decision has been taken not to hold any in person committee meetings in January 2022. Unfortunately, we are not permitted to hold virtual formal committee meetings at this time (regulations permitting this earlier in the pandemic expired in May 2021 and have not been renewed by government). The meeting today is therefore an informal consultative meeting of the Climate, Energy and Environment Committee/ However it is being live streamed to enable the public and stakeholders to observe and hear the debate and discussion and papers have been published in the usual way. Where there is a need for a formal decision on an item, it will be necessary for the Managing Director to exercise his delegated authority and subsequently take those decisions having regard to the recommendations of this meeting.

 

Matters Arising

 

Cllr Swift said that The Combined Authority is in receipt of correspondence sent on behalf of the West Yorkshire network of climate and social justice organisations - which includes the Friends of the Earth local groups in each district amongst others with respect to the urgent need to decarbonise transport in our region.

 

There is a clear intention to discuss decarbonisation of transport in our region at Transport Committee and members asked how this would be brought to the Climate Agenda in order for this to be discussed at this Committee as it is really important that the Climate, Energy and Environment Committee has the opportunity to look at Transport issues..

 

 

17.

Forward Agenda for 2022 pdf icon PDF 187 KB

Led by: Liz Hunter

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report and verbal update to recommend the business agenda for this Committee during 2022. The eight themes of the West Yorkshire Climate and Environment Plan provide a logical framework for the Committee's business agenda.

 

The eight themes of the West Yorkshire Climate and Environment Plan are as follows:

 

Winter 2022

 

Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund

Climate Adaptation & Resilience

Energy Network Operator Business Plans and Investments

 

Spring 2022

 

Climate & Environment Plan Strategic Outline Case

Carbon Impact Toolkit Project

Better Homes Hub

Green skills and jobs

 

Summer 2022

 

Business Sustainability

Yorkshire Water Business Plan and Investments

Communications & Behaviour Change Programme

Community Renewal Fund

 

Autumn 2022

 

Climate & Environment Plan Outline & Full Business Cases & Update on Progress

Climate Ready Flooding & Resilience

Nature Recovery Strategy

Net Zero Region Accelerator

 

Members discussed the proposed business agenda for the year 2022.and provided feedback.  It was noted that members felt that Transport required the involvement of the Climate Committee in addition to Transport Committee as there were major implications for transport projects.  It was felt that the impact of carbon needs wider conversations around transport and should be brought to the Spring meeting.

 

The Forward Plan is to be amended following discussion and feedback from the Committee and the revised version will be circulated to members.

18.

Capital Spending and Project Approvals pdf icon PDF 609 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report and verbal update by the Head of Portfolio Management and Appraisal and Social Housing Decarbonisation scheme Project Manageron proposals for the progression of, and funding for, a West Yorkshire Combined Authority supported project that has been considered at stages 1, 2 or 3 of the Combined Authority’s assurance process.

 

Social Housing Decarbonisation Scheme

 

The Climate, Energy and Environment Committee noted the recommendations below:

 

(i) The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund programme proceeds through

decision point 2 (Strategic outline case) and decision point 4 (Full

business case) and work commences on activity 5 (Delivery) subject to

the conditions set by PAT.

 

(ii) Approval to the Combined Authority’s contribution of up to £5,062,000 is

given. The total scheme value is £10,381,000 subject to the conditions

set by PAT.

 

(iii) That development costs of up to £600,000 are approved in order to

progress individual schemes to decision point 5 (Delivery).

(iv) The Combined Authority enters into a Funding Agreement with the

following providers, subject to the conditions set by PAT, for expenditure

of up to:

 

Provider RP Funding               Combined Authority                     Grand Total

Accent £546,258                           £339,451                               £885,710

Hartford £59,267                          £114,933                              £174,200

Connect £216,691                        £410,615                             £627,306

Incommunities £2,288,496           £1,241,592                            £3,530,088

Kirklees £163,220                         £105,000                                  £268,220

Stonewater £361,830                   £352,933                                   £714,763

Together £724,325                       £774,650                                 £1,498,975

WDH £648,333                             £1,296,667                                £1,945,000

Yorkshire £310,696                      £183,392                                  £494,089

 

(v) That Funding Agreements are entered into with each provider in advance

of the Approval to Proceed (ATP) submissions, for development costs, to

provide surety to the providers and allow access to development funds to

develop ATPs.

 

(vi) That delegated authority be granted:

 

To the Head of Economic Implementation:

 

To accept receipt of the funding from BEIS for the SHDF.

To reallocate funding and / or outputs in consultation with PAT but

without the need to submit a formal Change Request to PAT if the

funding from BEIS for the SHDF changes and / or one Housing

Association is unable to use their funding allocation, but another is.

To the Head of Economic Implementation and the Head of Legal and

Governance Services respectively in consultation with each other to

finalise the Funding Agreements/letter between the Combined Authority

and the Housing Associations (Wakefield District Housing Connect

Housing, Incommunities, Together Housing, Accent Housing, Yorkshire

Housing, Kirklees City Council, Chartford (Horton) Housing, Stonewater

Housing) and all other related legal documents that may be required.

 

To the Section 73 officer so they can sign the Memorandum of

Understanding and Data Sharing Agreement with BEIS as required by 31

January 2022 including any reasonable variation in terms

 

(vii) Future approvals are made in accordance with the assurance pathway

and approval route outlined in this report. This will be subject to the

scheme remaining within the tolerances outlined in this report.

 

The Committee discussed and the Managing Director of West Yorkshire Combined Authority who was present at the meeting will exercise his delegated authority and subsequently take decisions having regard to the recommendations of this meeting.

19.

Climate Adaption and Resilience

Presentation by the Environment Agency.

Minutes:

Apologies were received from the Environment Agency as they were unable to attend to give their presentation at the meeting.

20.

Distributed Network Operator Business Plans and Programmes

Presentation by Northern Powergrid and Northern Gas Networks

Minutes:

The Committee was provided with a presentation by Northern Powergrid on their business plans and investments to decarbonise distributed energy networks and support local government, businesses, and residents to transition to a clean, smart, and flexible energy system across West Yorkshire.

 

The Committee noted the presentation.

21.

Nature Recovery

Presentation by Yorkshire Wildlife and Natural England.

Minutes:

The Committee was provided with a presentation by Yorkshire Wildlife and Natural England on their priorities, investments and programmes for nature recovery, enhancement, and protection across the region. Highlighting opportunities to partner and areas that require a collaborative approach, for example a Nature Recovery Strategy for West Yorkshire starting production in 2022.

 

The Committee noted the presentation