Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Wellington House, Leeds LS1 2DE

Media

Items
No. Item

17.

Apologies for Absence

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Denise Jeffrey (Chair), Cllr Darren Byford (Wakefield Council), Cllr Cathy Scott (Kirklees Council), Cllr Denise Craghill (York Council), Sam Keighley (Private Sector Representative) and Tamsin Hart-Jones (Advisory Representative for Homes England).

 

In the absence of the Chair, the meeting was chaired by the Deputy Chair, Amir Hussain.

 

 

18.

Declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A Declaration of Pecuniary Disclosable Interest was declared by Amir Hussain.  He explained that his company was involved in a bid related to City Village

19.

Exempt Information - Possible Exclusion of the Press and Public

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There was no exempt information requiring the exclusion of the press and public.

20.

Minutes of the Meeting held on 1 September 2022 pdf icon PDF 136 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was noted that comments members had raised at the September meeting querying the level of information taken into consideration when submitting projects for approval, had not been minuted.  The following process had been outlined to members, which officers explained was recognised prior to bringing projects forward for consideration.

 

1.        Who are the Parties (which was also relevant for identifying potential conflicts of interest).

2.     Scheme location and layout plans

3.     Cost plan

4.     Land value

5.     Procurement route

6.     Planning risks

7.     Funding

 

Resolved: That, subject to the above amendment, the minutes of the meeting of the Place, Regeneration and Housing Committee held on

1 September 2022 be approved.

 

21.

Economic Update pdf icon PDF 126 KB

Thomas Newton

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update report and received a presentation on relevant economic indicators, which supported the work of the Place, Regeneration and Housing Committee.  The report included and outlined the following information.

 

·        State of the Region

·        Cost of Living and Doing Business

·        Leeds City Region Business Survey

·        Footfall Data

 

Members, at the previous meeting held on 1 September 2022, had expressed their concerns regarding the cost-of living crisis.  Members had requested that their comments be brought to the attention of the following Combined Authority meeting, scheduled to take place on 21 October 2022.

 

The Director of Delivery updated members with the outcomes obtained from the Combined Authority meeting held in October.

 

It was noted that the Combined Authority had approved the Mayor’s Cost of Living Emergency Fund and, with the funding allocated, would be working with West Yorkshire local authorities and voluntary and community networks to focus on supporting unemployed/low-income households.

 

The Committee was advised that schemes would focus on fuel poverty, food insecurity, retrofit and social housing decarbonisation and would include immediate support in terms of retrofits working with registered providers.  Members also noted the approval of the Business Voucher Scheme Fund to help address energy and fuel costs.

 

It was acknowledged that members had made valuable contribution to discussions on this issue.  However, on the proposals presented to the October Combined Authority, members particularly expressed that the proposed support was a “drop in the ocean” in terms of the intensive levels of intervention needed.

 

Regarding funding, it was confirmed that £5m had been allocated to the Retrofit boost, £3m to the Emergency Fund and over £1m to the Business Fund.  It was agreed that although a significant amount of funding had been secured from the Combined Authority, it was also acknowledged that this level of funding was an interim measure and not sustainable.

 

The Committee was advised that the Mayor was very keen to see Government response to the cost of living crisis and that she would continue to work with other Combined Authority Mayors to lobby Government to secure further funding.

 

 Resolved:

 

(i)             That the contents of the report be noted.

 

(ii)            That the evidence presented within the report be considered as part of the decision-making process for the Place, Regeneration and Housing Committee. 

   

 

22.

Housing Pledge and Policy pdf icon PDF 172 KB

Judith Furlonger

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update report on progress towards delivery of the Mayoral pledge to deliver 5000 affordable and sustainable homes in West Yorkshire.

 

As a key partner in the delivery of the pledge, the West Yorkshire Housing Partnership provided the Committee with a presentation, as attached at appendix 1 of the submitted report, on their collective contribution towards delivering the Mayoral pledge. 

 

The report provided an update on each of the programmes that the Combined Authority was delivering to support the Mayoral pledge.  The programmes included affordable housing delivery, Housing Revenue Fund, Brownfield Housing Fund, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, Community Renewal Fund Retrofit Hub, Dementia-Ready Housing Task Force and West Yorkshire Housing Strategy. 

 

Resolved:

 

(i)             That the report be noted.

 

(ii)            That feedback from the Committee regarding progress towards pledge delivery be noted.

 

(iii)          That the West Yorkshire Housing Partnership be thanked for their presentation and the detail outlined be noted.

 

           

23.

Project Approvals pdf icon PDF 359 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved:

 

The Place, Regeneration and Housing Committee, subject to the conditions set by the Programme Appraisal Team, approves that:

 

(i)             The Kirkstall Road Residential Development scheme proceeds through decision point 3 (outline business case) and work commences on Activity 4 (full business case).

 

(ii)            An indicative approval to the Combined Authority’s contribution of £7,159,715, which will be funded from the Brownfield Housing Fund is given. The total scheme value is £141,078,196.

 

(iii)          Future approvals are made in accordance with the assurance pathway and approval route outlined within this report. This will be subject to the scheme remaining within the tolerances outlined in this report.

 

The Place, Regeneration and Housing Committee approves that

 

(i)             The change request to the West Yorkshire and York Superfast Broadband Contract 3 project to reduce the total project cost from £9,110,000 (£7,570,000 Combined Authority funding) to £4,539,304 (£3,841,558 Combined Authority funding), reduce the publicly funded outputs of the project to 3,530 premises and 746 businesses receiving the broadband service and increase the delivery timeframes for the remaining 2041 premises from July 2022 to June 2023

 

(ii)            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.

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report on proposals for the progression of, and funding for a number of West Yorkshire Combined Authority supported projects that had been considered at Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Combined Authority’s assurance process.

 

It was noted that the Place, Regeneration and Housing Committee had been authorised as a delegated decision-making authority at the Combined Authority meeting held on 24 June 2021.

 

Resolved: The Place, Regeneration and Housing Committee, subject to the conditions set by the Programme Appraisal Team, approved the following. 

 

(i)            The Kirkstall Road Residential Development scheme proceed through decision point 3 (outline business case) and work commence on Activity 4 (full business case).

 

(ii)           An indicative approval to the Combined Authority’s contribution of £7,159,715, which would be funded from the Brownfield Housing Fund. be given.  The total scheme value was £141,078,196.

 

(iii)         Future approvals be made in accordance with the assurance pathway and approval route outlined within the submitted report.  This would be subject to the scheme remaining within the tolerances outlined in the report.

 

The Place, Regeneration and Housing Committee approved that:

 

(i)            The change request to the West Yorkshire and York Superfast Broadband Contract 3 project to reduce the total project cost from £9,110,000 (£7,570,000 Combined Authority funding) to £4,539,304 (£3,841,558 Combined Authority funding), reduce the publicly funded outputs of the project to 3,530 premises and 746 businesses receiving the broadband service and increase the delivery timeframes for the remaining 2041 premises from July 2022 to June 2023.

 

(ii)           Future approvals be made in accordance with the assurance pathway and approval route outlined in the submitted report. This would be subject to the scheme remaining within the tolerances outlined in the report.

 

23a

Broadband Contract 3

Additional documents:

23b

Leeds Kirkstall Road Residential

Additional documents:

24.

Strategic Partnership with Homes England pdf icon PDF 158 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

 

That the Committee endorses the proposed strategic objectives of the Strategic Place Partnership

 

.         That the Committee notes the progress made to date and the proposed timeline for a working draft and finalised SPP to be produced.

 

 

Minutes:

The Committee considered an update report on the development of the Strategic Place Partnership (SPP) with Homes England.

 

As previously advised, Homes England and the Combined Authority had been working closely to establish the strategic priorities of both organisations, which were captured within the Action Plan shared with this committee in April 2022. 

 

Members discussed the proposed strategic objectives outlined in the submitted report and agreed it was a good opportunity to work in partnership, given some of the challenges experienced across the region.  Members commented that through the shared endeavour, emphasis could focus on longer term planning in terms of regeneration to align with shared resource and capacity in West Yorkshire.  The West Yorkshire Housing Partnership was keen to assist.  The aim was to complete the draft SPP in early 2023.

 

Resolved:

 

(i)              That the report be noted.    

 

(ii)      That the proposed strategic objectives of the Strategic Place Partnership (SPP) be endorsed.

 

(ii)      That progress made to date and the proposed timeline for a working draft and finalised Strategic Place Partnership (SPP) be noted.

 

25.

Investment Zones pdf icon PDF 166 KB

Michael Long

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report and verbal update on the expression of interest submission for Investment Zones.  Members were asked to note the contents of the report and provide feedback.

 

On Friday 23 September 2022, the Government announced an in-principle policy offer to introduce Investment Zones in England.  All Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCA) and Upper Tier Local Authorities (UTLA) were offered the opportunity to work in partnership with their relevant constituent or district councils to introduce Investment zones in their area.  West Yorkshire had been named in this announcement.

 

The Government was proposing to offer a range of time-limited tax incentives over 10 years in Investment Zones.  The tax incentives currently under consideration included business rates, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) and Employee National Insurance Contributions (NICs) relief, as well as enhanced capital allowances and structures and building allowances.

 

Members thanked officers for completing the expression of interest submission for Investment Zones within the timescale required by Government.

 

Resolved: That the contents of the report and feedback regarding the Investment Zones be noted.