Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: City Exchange, 11 Albion St, Leeds LS1 5ES

Note: This meeting will be held in City Exchange, Leeds 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. 

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Councillor Pandor, Councillor Jeffery and Councillor Lewis.

2.

Declaration of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

Minutes:

There were no declarations of pecuniary interests at the meeting.

3.

Exempt Information - Possible Exclusion of the Press and Public

Minutes:

There were no items that required the exemption of the press and public.

4.

Minutes of the Meeting held on 4 August pdf icon PDF 94 KB

Minutes:

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 4 August be approved.

5.

Finance Overview pdf icon PDF 226 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved:

 

(i)      That the Committee notes the financial position as reported.

 

(ii)     That in reference to the Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme Review Part 2 the Finance, Resources and Corporate Committee approved:

(a)        The reprofiled (updated) indicative allocations, as set out in the updated version of Appendix 2 (table 2).

(b)        The Leeds City Council costs for rail package schemes, as set out in the updated Appendix 2 (table 3).

(c)        That the Combined Authority issues addendums to the existing Funding Agreements with Leeds City Council for expenditure from the LPTIP Fund for the LCC costs for rail package schemes.

(iii)       That in relation to the funding for Leeds City Council on the bus delivery package schemes the Finance, Resources and Corporate Committee approved:

(a)    The LCC costs for bus delivery package schemes, as set out in Appendix 2 (table 4). 

(b)    That the Combined Authority issues addendums to the existing Funding Agreements with Leeds City Council for expenditure from the LPTIP Fund.

(iv)       That in relation to the Leeds Integrated Station Masterplan expenditure the Finance, Resources and Corporate Committee approved:

(a)        That the Combined Authority issues an addendum to the existing Funding Agreement with Leeds City Council for expenditure of £1,000,000 from the LPTIP Fund to the Leeds Integrated Station Masterplan (LISM) project. 

 

Minutes:

Members considered a report which set the capital budget monitoring for 2021/22 as at quarter 1 as well as the recommendations for the Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme Review part 2.

 

The summary of spend for 2012/22 as at July 2021 was attached at appendix 1. Members noted that significant programmes were in delivery with some challenging timescales with deadlines approaching.

 

Members noted the minor amendments around projects funded through the Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme.

 

Members expressed concern around the Getting Building Fund and the Brownfield Housing Fund and how delivery through both schemes were monitored against the pledge for 5000 sustainable and affordable homes to monitor and avoid underspend. It was noted that the funding had conditions attached to it and work was in progress to ensure that it aligned to the mayoral pledges as much as possible. Members requested a breakdown of which projects were of concern regarding underspend. Officers would circulate a full breakdown of the projects to members after the meeting.

 

Members expressed frustration regarding the national targets attached to the funding which did not correspond to local ambitions around the mayoral pledges. Members also requested capacity funding to ensure there were enough officer to deliver the schemes in full.

 

Resolved:

 

(i)      That the financial position be noted.

 

(ii)     That in reference to the Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme Review Part 2 the Finance, Resources and Corporate Committee approved:

(a)        The reprofiled (updated) indicative allocations, as set out in the updated version of Appendix 2 (table 2).

(b)        The Leeds City Council costs for rail package schemes, as set out in the updated Appendix 2 (table 3).

(c)        That the Combined Authority issues addendums to the existing Funding Agreements with Leeds City Council for expenditure from the LPTIP Fund for the LCC costs for rail package schemes.

(iii)       That in relation to the funding for Leeds City Council on the bus delivery package schemes the Finance, Resources and Corporate Committee approved:

(a)    The LCC costs for bus delivery package schemes, as set out in Appendix 2 (table 4). 

(b)    That the Combined Authority issues addendums to the existing Funding Agreements with Leeds City Council for expenditure from the LPTIP Fund.

(iv)       That in relation to the Leeds Integrated Station Masterplan expenditure the Finance, Resources and Corporate Committee approved:

(a)        That the Combined Authority issues an addendum to the existing Funding Agreement with Leeds City Council for expenditure of £1,000,000 from the LPTIP Fund to the Leeds Integrated Station Masterplan (LISM) project. 

 

6.

Budget Planning - Next Steps pdf icon PDF 259 KB

Minutes:

Members considered a report which set out the budget planning process. Members discussed establishing two working groups, one on transport and one on strategy, to progress the budget work in greater detail. Membership of the group would be followed up after the meeting.

 

Members noted that the directors of finance of each local authority were meeting with officers form the Combined Authority monthly.

 

Members noted that the Combined Authority would be able to borrow for economic purposes but need to agree a debt cap with government. Members discussed the importance of negotiating a high debt cap with government to ensure that the Combined Authority wasn’t constrained in its borrowing.

 

Members asked for clarity around how much headroom for additional borrowing the debt cap allowed and how much would cover existing borrowing. A note would be circulated to members after the meeting.

 

Members asked for push back over government setting the debt cap at a lower level than other Mayoral Combined authorities on the basis that the West Yorkshire Combined Authority was a newly formed Mayoral Combined Authority. Members were disappointed at the short term arrangements for setting the debt cap in 3 year intervals which constricted the possibility for long term planning.

 

Resolved:

 

(i)              That the the report be noted.

 

(ii)             That two task and finish working groups be established,

 

7.

Corporate Planning & Performance pdf icon PDF 172 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered a report which provided an update on the corporate planning and performance activities for the 2021/22 financial year.

 

Members noted that the business plans for each directorate would feed into a public facing Corporate Plan for 2021/22.

 

Members noted that the Corporate Plan would include strategic targets and ambitions for the region in addition to the detailed targets relating to the Combined authority’s specific contribution.

 

Members noted the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion information included in the key performance indicators (KPIs) as well as some quantifiable targets on some KPIs.

 

Members discussed the interplay between the KPIs and the Mayoral pledges and the need for them to be closely aligned. Members asked about the inclusive growth metrics and the progress and through the Combined Authority’s committees. Members also asked about the support for business to introduce energy efficiency measures and whether that was linked to the fair work charter.

 

Members noted that the HS2 and NPR indicator remained unchanged and that it was vital for the region that this this was delivered in full.

 

Members asked that a direction of travel to show the trend of each KPI.

 

Resolved: That the report be noted.