West Yorks CA 63025 transcript - Thursday 10 November 2022, 3:49pm - ukc test
West Yorks CA 63025 transcript
Thursday, 10th November 2022 at 3:49pm
Speaking:
An agenda has not been published for this meeting.
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welcome everybody to this meeting of the Combined Authority and we have agenda in front of us. I'm going to go around and ask them to introduce themselves. We all remember to press the microphone when we speak and to to take it off and we're not speaking to somebody else can speak. This is televised just remind people, so the microphones are linked to the camera. So if you're get microphone is on, people can see you if it's not on people, can't see, so I'll start on, my name is Susan Hinchcliffe, I'm leader of Bradford council and showed Combined Authority
Councillor Jane Scullion, Deputy Leader of coal, to deal Council substituting for Councillor Tim Swift.
Ruth Chaplin plots in meeting.
Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council.
Councillor Box leader of Wakefield council,
Councillor Stewart Golton, the West Yorkshire balancing Member for the Liberal Democrats.
Councillor Andy they own or Deputy Leader of City of York Council, substituting for case Aston the Leader.
bitten, new Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee research company
appendix and allied the Conservatives on Bradford council.
David Hall, leader of the Conservative Group, Kirklees.
should be, and the leader of Italy's Councillor, Caroline Allen, head of legal and governance.
Ben still managing editor of the Combined Authority, loftily thank you very much so again to the agenda, apologies for absence we have Councillor Aspen of the Councillor Dick Gaughan is substituting for him or Councillor Swift Councillor Scully in his substituting for her or for him we have apologies from Roger Marsh and from Councillor Groves so,
declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests anybody.
no non declared exempt information, other a number items, and is agenda which have exempt information. Can I ask Members to be very careful before speaking on an agenda item? Make sure something they referred, so it is not in that exempt information, otherwise I do have to clear the room, so will I'll make the points as we go along 3 paper, but obviously if you want to refer to those papers then please let me know and then I will clear the room
minutes of the meeting of Combined Authority held on 1st of August.
I haven't got any comments and questions on those that have been circulated, no, all those in favour, please show.
those are a Pret recorders meetings, thank you very much and then go in terms of the decision item, so first item on the agenda.
is Brexit and there is there has been a revised paper circulated for agenda item 5, that is because it is a key decision and you'll notice in the financial implications we have the 2 million pounds in the business growth Programme as a decision in that paper just to make you aware of that paper and that decision so this paper summarises
where we are at in terms of Brexit, Brexit preparation, our respective local authorities, are already doing quite a lot of work, Tom Riordan, who is the Leith West Yorkshire as chief executives on this with government so lots of conversations have been going on this paper looks at what the Combined Authority is doing on business support.
for all those businesses in our region we need them to be prepared and make sure if there is a no-deal they can carry on communications, what we do about our communications, we'd businesses that get ready for Brexit campaign, every must have seen on the billboards and making sure that all our businesses signpost to that's a comes as really important around this issue, that in fact the FOI too much communications around Brexit at the moment is another so much that nobody is listening any more and we do need people to to listen and organisational redness, of course we've got our own house own organisation to make sure that we're ready to so.
and Ben would you like to as it used committing on this paper or so any, yes, please, so I think the only.
issues to add to those that Councillor is differs so has raised is really the the recommendation from the paper.
the as Councillor Carter said the paper talks through both the things that the Combined Authority and the Council's partnership are doing by way of preparedness for.
for Brexit, in the event that that does happen at the end of October and the paper maps out and the activities both in terms of what we might call the growth bandages that are on the ground, helping businesses prepare, but then moves on to the proposal recommendation in the paper that we
we identified allocate some funding to provide some support to businesses to help their.
their preparations for coping.
in once we've left the European Union, so the proposal is that we identify 2 million pounds put that into a in into a scheme and the paper is seeking your support to do so, that's it power Mon point to Councillor about shared prosperity fund and where we are with that that's been promised by government for some time.
and that is obviously quite important for us going forward post-Brexit, so at this current time the government hasn't.
to acknowledge made any clear statements about how the the shared prosperity fund, or indeed successor funds to the growth Deal will will work, we are expecting that in due course we of course, making representations to government about the impact of not knowing in terms of ability to plan and I think for the first time we are beginning to see the government is taking those signals on board and is beginning to,
come up with a plan for itself shortly.
I thought the whole country needs is a bit of certainty about the future at Slayer, and we're no exception to that Councillor Golton, you indicate.
yes, thanks Chair I'm I'm just wondering if our local economic partnership has any intentions to do something specifically about the rural economy. I did notice, for instance, that when we looked at our Brexit preparedness in Leeds City Council and we will looking at supporting business, business was always associated with manufacturing or services, and there wasn't any reference at all to the rural economy and given that the National farmers Union has reported that the report so far in terms of what the expectations we might have in terms of what tariff levels there might be on certain products coming into the country out of the country, the farming sector is one that is going to be most particularly affected. They are necessarily
the priority in terms of industry and business.
and so I'm just wondering what we're doing specifically to to do about that in a West Yorkshire CA context because quite a large proportion of Ireland area is rural, so I think all our authorities are working with our rural communities that are known Bradford we've got 270 sheep farmers for example, and that we are working with the NFU to support those out, I'm sure I've Coakley's is 8 again has got a big hinterland of rural areas I know litter as well and Calderdale so well I agony say the on page 12 the papers all all of the actions that were taking apply.
across sectors and between urban and rural so.
we've not drawn a distinction between companies that are rural companies and companies that that on all of the products that we make available are available to all, and the growth managers that are on the ground are talking to rural as well as to urban companies and we're also working very closely and with the North Yorkshire LEP as well it's as intended a coordinating with the growth management work that they do so I I would say that's this paper is can bring out the highlights is a lot more work that sits underneath this that is more specific about sectors and about biography as well.
yes, I think the those very points are noted, Councillor Golton, when who raised her to that our Executive Board, I think the the really serious points about this, whether their rural or within the urban framework, our concern is should be with the very many small businesses that have not so far engaged with us and how we make sure if we do end up
in a a situation that presents them with difficulty, how we actually make sure that we establish the communication systems, how we've got the capacity and it just strikes me with the sort of dates that we potentially have in mind whether we can actually have some provision to make sure that has been members were kept very closely involved with any any change to the current situation then.
make sure that the networks are in place to to deal with the overlapping issues between districts inner from we know actually.
we were discussing at the business Improvement Group than the let that you know the success of the e-mail with the flooding outcome and getting money out of the door on this in 10 support that was given out to businesses that were affected, and we know how intense the work will be if we end up in a situation where support is needed that I think,
we have to make sure that communication between ourselves is absolutely where it needs to be, because the communication aspect of getting out and working with all of those companies that haven't yet engaged in the in the possible scenarios that might emerge is going to be an intense,
absolutely, and that may be something we need to think about forward planning and put something on the agenda next time, depending on the outcome of the end of October and but that is obviously a moving faced Councillor Hall.
following on from Councillor Blake's comments with one of the important things in the papers, we are ready to act as a conduit for concerns of the small, reasonable back-up to government, because it may be, they need to the government needs to move very quickly on things which might arise in the first few weeks and in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
we have to make sure that we're we're funnelling those concerns so that they can take the decisions and the need to.
certainly I mean, I think a lot of conversations are going on with government constantly, are they I know as soon as Chief executives Group on said, is represented by Leeds Council for us, I know Councillor Box, I think you are on a a group as of the LGA and Councillor Blake is as well so,
those messages, certainly I'll be fed up from this region, and I'm sure the British Chambers of Commerce, and they ID I ODI in CBI, are also actively involved in those conversations as well, but actually planning for the unknown is quite difficult, isn't it really so again some prefer certainty I think for the future is what we need okay,
so am with that, we've got a decision to make on this paper about the 2 million pounds from business growth Fund can I propose that as
a recommendation as he that seconded, secondly, has the scullion, all those in favour, please show.
thank you that is carried so moving now on to Item 6 capital spending and Project approvals, so Councillor Box to the Chair of the investment committee, Roger Marsh, unfortunately, is a way today, but Ben did you want to just update us on this.
sorry, yes, I was unable to attend the last meeting of the committed due to having flu or as Mrs. Box set a bit of a sniffle.
OK, I will tell you one thing, questions travel to any questions.
members have got over, don't have the answers, make sure Members have them, but Ben may well be able to answer all the questions anyway, so I do apologise, so I was off work that day.
OK.
well, yes, just to to act on this is a significant paper.
the it's it describes a 9 schemes, the total value of 233 million pounds the and this will require and and 72 million pounds of Combined Authority funding.
and 75 million pounds has been sought.
through the recommendations in this paper, this is to be expected, as we.
are now.
well well entrenched and delivery of the Transport Fund and the growth Deal, and all of the schemes that are had been recommended for you, as Combined Authority members to in to improve today have been to investment Committee.
some of those schemes have been already within their delegations approved Iveson pretty report, if information, endorsement and others are are here for for seeking a decision to etc. Forward, so happy to talk about any of those schemes, but the details in the paper,
appendix
thank you Chair just a quick question really on the on the statement Silsden Park and Ride.
I welcome the investment or are we improving the access, because that is a bit of a problem has that been looked at?
so I think it is, but I'll look to Dave who might no wardrobe will drop, you know.
I actually spoke to the officers dealing with that earlier in the week and who is telling me about the plans they getting for, making sure that they can put that on and still have the station and use so.
the and other actively working on those plans, so I'm sure we can give you a briefing that Councillor Harington.
fine, so I you've posing, therefore, Councillor Box, that put that paper.
oppose by Councillor Box was happy to second that all those in favour please show.
thank you that is carried.
living next to the Transforming cities funds, Councillor Blake, please ensure well, I've been asked to take the settlement Councillor grocer's absence, she's been the lead through the Transport Committee.
on this paper, and it's very clear on the paper sure everyone has.
I had a look at that we are bringing this paper forward in anticipation of the submission of the strategic outline business case on the 28th of November, I think it's fair to say that the happen, intensive negotiations and discussions with all of the District's
putting together a very comprehensive.
proposal to go to go forward, the the appendices on this item are exempt Chair, so I would.
just a genuine who has any comments to make to bear that in mind, I think David Davis here, though Christmas here is less, is actually here.
some I'm looking at David and if you have any technical comments or questions, but this has been subject to intense work around the district, and I think we all feel that we're putting together a very, very strong proposal and a bid that will be will be truly transformational and very hopeful that we can all make sure that we get the funding that we need as a result of the Bill.
absolutely and a positive outcomes for every area of the Combined Authority, which I think is really important, and so were all working together on this to get the right outcome for the region, any questions or comments on this paper.
no, well, obviously, bids got to been very soon and we're hoping for a positive outcome.
but if, if we have no further questions on that Councillor Blake covers proposing item, so I'm happy to second that can I see those people in favour.
thank you very much, that is carried, thank you so next item agenda on the agenda is tackling the climate emergency in something that, as consults on roll our inboxes actually over.