Decisions

Approval for the scheme to proceed through Decision Point 5 (Full Business Case with Finalised Costs) and work commence on Activity 6 (Delivery).

To enable the delivery of the Skills for Growth programme aimed at supporting businesses to engage with schools, colleges and universities in order to improve the relevance of education and training to local labour market need, while also supporting those in education to develop a better understanding of the career opportunities on their doorsteps and to enable them to develop the technical and transferable skills that businesses are looking for.

To approve that:
• The Skills for Growth project proceeds through decision point 5 and work commences on activity 6 (delivery).
• Approval to the Combined Authority’s contribution £964,927 Local Skills Fund and £964,927 from ESF, is given. The total project value is £1.929 million (Subject to confirmation of funding being received from DWP)
• The Combined Authority enters into a Grant Funding Agreement for the provision of the ESF funding, totalling £964,927 with DWP

To enable the delivery of the first scheme within the Bradford City Centre Heritage Properties programme, the refurbishment of Conditioning House, a Grade II Listed Victorian warehouse building in the Forster Square Regeneration Area and fronting on to the Canal Road Corridor northern gateway into Bradford city centre. The scheme will facilitate the delivery of 150 new homes and 1,500m2 of ground floor commercial floorspace.

To approve that:

• The Conditioning House scheme proceeds through decision point 5 (FBC+) and commences on activity 6 (delivery).

• Approval to the total project value of £1.5 million is given from the Local Growth Fund, with full approval to spend being granted. The total scheme cost is £14,393,429.

To enable work to commence on four schemes within the Transport Hubs and Connecting Communities workstream of the Connecting Leeds Programme.
The four individual schemes are: Bramley Bus Interchange; Compton Road Bus Stop Improvements, Harehills; Lincoln Green Walking and Cycling Links; and Pudsey Walking and Cycling Links.
These will create new or upgrade existing facilities to improve the waiting environment and travel information offer as well as enhancing connections within and between other public transport hubs and communities by improving walking and cycling links.

To approve that
• The Transport Hubs and Public Transport Access Schemes phase 1 project proceeds through decision point 5 of the Combined Authority’s assurance process and work commences on activity 6 (Delivery).
• Approval is given to the total project value of £4.26 million from the Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme fund.
• The Combined Authority enters into an addendum to the existing Funding Agreement with Leeds City Council for expenditure up to £4.26 million from the Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme fund.

To allow additional funding of £240,000 to be granted to Kirklees Council for the Air Quality aspects of the Integrated Transport Block Districts’ programme to be carried out, enabling the delivery of small-scale initiatives in support of the delivery of the West Yorkshire Low Emission Strategy by the West Yorkshire partners councils.

To approve that:
• The change request to the LTP Integrated Transport Block – Districts’ Programme to increase the total scheme cost by £240,000, taking the overall approval for this programme to £27.140 million, is approved

To enable the final development phase of the City Connect Phase 3 – Leeds schemes to commence, leading to the delivery of three cycle schemes in Leeds – The 3km long Elland Road Cycle Superhighway, the 1.5km (in each direction) Dewsbury Road scheme and the 0.5km Claypit Lane scheme, all of which will provide safe cycling infrastructure while improving access to employment, skills and education, especially in areas of economic and social deprivation.

To approve that:
• The City Connect Phase 3 Leeds project proceeds through decision point 4 and work commences on activity 5 (Full business case with finalised costs).
• An indicative approval to the total project value of £6.86 million is given, of which £6.50 million is to be funded from the West Yorkshire plus Transport Fund (WY+TF), and £360,000 from the Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme (LPTIP), with full approval to spend being granted once the scheme has progressed through the assurance process to decision point 5 (Full business case with finalised costs).

Approval for the scheme to proceed through Decision Point 5 (Full Business Case with Finalised Costs) and work commence on Activity 6 (Delivery).

To consider and subsequently approve applications for Sustainable Urban Development, to support the delivery of European Structural and Investment Funds Strategy and the Strategic Economic Plan.

To ensure that the Assurance Framework is updated in line with the requirements of the Strengthened Local Enterprise Partnerships report and the requirements of the National Local Growth Assurance Framework and that the Local Assurance Framework is up to date and fit for purpose.

To approve minor amendments made to the Leeds City Region Assurance Framework in consultation with the LEP Chair.

• Pgs. 5 and 12 – the date of the latest review added
• Pg. 6 – LEP geography definition updated
• Pg. 20 – description of the Economic Development Loans updated and footnote 12 added for clarification
• Pg. 74 – the lower grant approval threshold for the Appraisal Advisory Group updated from £24,000 to £50,000, in line with the current practice.
• Pg. 93 – the Glossary definition of the SUD updated
• Title page updated and version control added in the footer.

The amendments are shown as tracked changes on the attached Appendix 1.

Outcome of the consultation: The above changes were approved by the LEP Chair on 18 March 2020.

To update governance documents to reflect legislative changes, enabling the Combined Authority to provide remote access to meetings during the period of the coronavirus, and provide flexibility in terms of an Annual meeting.

To approve an Interim Addendum to Standing Orders and a Protocol (which is an Appendix to those new Standing Orders) to update and modify Procedure Standing Orders, the Access to Information Annex, Scrutiny Standing Orders and the Members’ Code of Conduct.

Modifications reflect the Regulations (SI 2020/392) which provide for remote access to meetings of the Combined Authority, and to disapply the requirement for the Combined Authority to hold an Annual meeting until May 2021, in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

Attached as Appendix 1 to this report are the Interim Addendum to Standing Orders, and the Protocol is attached as Appendix 2. The other governance documents listed above have also been amended to refer to the Interim Addendum to Standing Orders.