Scrutiny Committee - Friday 23 January 2026, 10:30am - West Yorkshire Combined Authority Webcasting

Scrutiny Committee
Friday, 23rd January 2026 at 10:30am 

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  1. Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair)
  2. Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair)
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  1. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  2. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  3. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  4. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  5. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  6. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  7. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  8. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  9. Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair)
  10. Kate Haigh
  11. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  12. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  13. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  14. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  15. Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair)
  16. Kate Haigh
  17. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  18. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  19. Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair)
  20. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  21. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  22. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  23. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  24. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  25. Paul Godwin
  26. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  27. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  28. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  29. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  30. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  31. Paul Godwin
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  1. Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair)
  2. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  3. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  4. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  5. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  6. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  7. Cllr Harry McCarthy
  8. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  9. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  10. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  11. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  12. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  13. Cllr Richard Smith
  14. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  15. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  16. Cllr Richard Smith
  17. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  18. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  19. Kate Haigh
  20. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  21. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  22. Cllr Richard Smith
  23. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  24. Cllr Richard Smith
  25. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  26. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  27. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  28. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  29. Cllr Richard Smith
  30. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  31. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  32. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  33. Cllr Dave Merrett
  34. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  35. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  36. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  37. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  38. Cllr Anna Watson
  39. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  40. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  41. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  42. Cllr Anna Watson
  43. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  44. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  45. Cllr Anna Watson
  46. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  47. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  48. Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair)
  49. Cllr Anna Watson
  50. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  51. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  52. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  53. Cllr Ralph Berry
  54. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  55. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  56. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  57. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  58. Kate Haigh
  59. Cllr Ralph Berry
  60. Cllr Harry McCarthy
  61. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  62. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  63. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  64. Cllr Harry McCarthy
  65. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  66. Cllr Bob Felstead
  67. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  68. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  69. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  70. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  71. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  72. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  73. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  74. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  75. Cllr Richard Smith
  76. Cllr Bob Felstead
  77. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  78. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  79. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  80. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  81. Cllr Richard Smith
  82. Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair)
  83. Paul Godwin
  84. Cllr John Lawson
  85. Cllr Hannah Bithell
  86. Cllr Dave Merrett
  87. Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair)
  88. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  89. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  90. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  91. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  92. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  93. Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair)
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  1. Webcast Finished

Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair) - 0:00:00
I'll say more things in a minute but I would like to read out a short
address to you because I genuinely could not do this off the
top of my head. I have some sad news to share about the unexpected passing of
Councillor Mahalia Franz -Meyer who has been a scrutiny deputy member over the
past few years. Councillor Mahalia Franz -Meyer who represented the Moore Town
in Leads has had many tributes paid to her from around the city from people of all political
persuasions and none. They have been reflecting on the impact she had on us all. In particular
her warmth, integrity, her compassion and her dedication to our community and most importantly
her family. She was one of the growing group of Muslim women councillors in the city who
took on the mantle of leadership. In terms of her heritage, she was the daughter of Arthur
Franz, founder of the Leeds West Indian Carnival. Mihaela was elected to council in 2022 for
the Mooretown and Mainwood Ward. Her contribution over the years to the strategic committee
is valued and she will be missed amongst colleagues here today.
Personally I'd like to thank Councillor Fransmear for her dedication as a
scrutiny member and a counsellor. She was also kind, always cheerful,
compassionate
and never went past without saying hello. She will be missed by everyone who knew
her and with the good fortune to work with
her. When I was having some health issues
recently she always took the time to come around to my side of the table or
the chamber to ask for me and Caroline that was my alias to a tea our thoughts
are with her friends and family at this sad time can I ask us to stand for one
minute to enable you to reflect on your experiences knowing her
Thank you.
Yesterday, when we were at the committee authority, the mayor gave other people to make a contribution
as well.
Does anybody like to make a contribution?
To say anything or not?
You didn't come prepared.
And as you can see, I had prepared, but I just couldn't do that off the top of my head.
I mean, those of you who know me know I'm not usually short of saying something, but
it's...
So, anyway, let's start with the apologies for absence.
Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair) - 0:03:17
Apologies will be received from Councillor Rountree, Councillor Edwards, Councillor Thompson,

1 Apologies for Absence

Councillor Rhodes, Councillor Hunt, with Councillor Bowden and Councillor Watson substituting.
Right, welcome to those, especially Councillor Watson, who's contributed a lot from afar.
Now you're actually getting the chance to be up here today.
Right, any declarations of disclosure will be seen or your interest?
Nope, right. There's no exclusions of the press or public. Everything is perfectly
Legitimate above the board the minutes of the meeting held on the 24th of October are they a true and accurate record?
Council Julie Craig, she's shown as leech City Council. She's up to the Wakefield
Do we need them to be firmly voted on?
Because that's one of the things that you've
you're a bit hostile on.
That would be my preference, Chair.
Right, can we just vote on the acceptance
of the minutes, please?
Thank you.
Right, we're now on to item five.
If I can ask our guests to introduce themselves,
and then I'll talk about the paper.
So, do you want to start with Sarah?
And we'll just go along with the meeting.
Thank you.
Sarah Barrows, Head of Business.
Morning everybody and apologies for coming in late on that moment of reflection.
Tracy Braving, Mayor of West Yorkshire.
Good morning everybody, thank you for your words Barry.
I'm Councillor James Lewis, I'm leader of Leeds City Council, I'm chair of the
economy committee here at the Combined Authority.
I am Felix, director of economic skills and culture.
We have one item today which is the local growth plan.
The local growth plan is not just about jobs.
There is more to it.
Particularly when you get into the new framework,
framework, the government are putting local growth plans as a statutory stand -up, stand -alone
thing which is coming across.
So it's vital that we get this correct.
It's vital that we have cross -party support on it.
It's vital we have cross -area support on it.
So that's why it's been brought today, because I don't think there is a politician around
who doesn't want growth in terms of jobs and for the economy and the money that will make
for the economy as well that we can then reinvest in things that we want locally.
So I'll pass over to Felix now to just briefly introduce this paper and then
we'll go for questions after that.
Well just before you start just to be clear, I'm told that the mayor, you're
not you're not grandmother yet are you? No we're still poised to meet the needs of the mayor.
If you see the mayor disappearing a seconds notice, it's not that she's upset
with any of us.
And I might also add I have a meeting with Wakefield members of Parliament so I can't
stay for the full session so Mike will come in and get me just before 12.
So apologies I'll have to go. But Felix has invited me to say a few words if I
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:06:49
just about how important this is.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:06:56
When I became the mayor, we understood for our region that we have to grow the economy
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:07:02
and we are not growing as fast as the national average and the south or Manchester.
That's why yesterday we signed off 1 .2 billion pounds for 26, 27 to ensure that we invest
in the right things.
And one of the most pivotal tools that we can use is to
ensure that we have better transport.
That's why we are so focused on the Weaver network,
bringing busses back into public control so we can
ensure those busses go where the public need them in
order to get to work, to get those good jobs.
Also, to ensure people have housing, so
densification of our city centres.
And finally, that we have the skilled workforce that will attract international investment
and enable businesses to grow and invest in research and development through our fantastic
seven universities.
It's an absolute challenge.
That's why I was pleased that we were the first in the country, as a mayoral combined
authority, to submit our growth plan to the government.
We've now had subsequent guidance and we're reiterating.
It's always an iterative document.
We're iterating the document to government
expectations about outcomes.
But I just wanted to reassure the committee
that that is the lens through which we look at
absolutely everything.
Does this grow the economy?
Does this support businesses?
Does this upskill our workforce?
Does this make us attractive for international
investment?
It is a challenge, and we're absolutely not where
we should be in that 11 billion pound gap
is substantial.
And we're doing things differently, we're innovating and we have new strategies, particularly
around clusters.
But I will hand over to Felix, who's definitely been in the weeds of the growth plan.
But thank you as councillors and politicians, local politicians, also to support us in this
plan that you know in your communities, in order to support people living in poverty
or just not thriving or living the life that they could, we have to grow the economy.
Thank you very much, Chair.
Thank you, Mayor. As the Chair said at the beginning,
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:09:22
the local growth plan that the Combined Authority approved two Christmases ago now
picked up, settled on five
priorities for the region which we have since been focusing on to deliver growth.
Those five priorities
focus on transport, developing our places to thrive,
so looking at housing and delivery of employment,
land, and related infrastructure.
Employment and skills, where the evidence was quite clear
that the skills profile that the region has is holding us back.
And then the final two priorities were on business.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:10:08
supporting all businesses to be successful,
and then a particular focus, the fifth, on our key sectors.
And we identified these in the local growth plan.
The paper you've got focuses on those final two.
So this conversation is focusing on what
we are doing to support our businesses
to grow in the region.
I'm sure there will be opportunity for you
to then look at subsequent meetings,
employment and skills or place or transport.
But also having said that, these things are all related
so I'm sure there will be parts of this conversation
that might strain you some of those areas, but that's fine.
But we focus this paper on business
and that's why Sarah is here, who's our head of business
at the Combined Authority.
The second point I'll make is that even though we, as I said, the combined authority approved
this a year or so ago, and we have been working to begin to deliver this, the accelerated
delivery will kick off from April this year.
And this is on the back of what the mayor just said yesterday.
the CA approved our budget for the year in anticipation of us receiving integrated settlement
from government.
And this is the opportunity now for us to turn that investment to supporting our businesses
and our places to grow and to deliver that local growth plan.
So a lot of what was in the local growth plan, a lot of the accelerated delivery will kick
off from April this year.
We have spent the last year, and remember I came to one of your meetings last year and
said, we are not looking to have an implementation, one document called an implementation plan
for the Lookout Growth Plan, that would be 1000 pages long, but instead we are picking
the key priorities, the key actions that fall out of what we have put in that plan and delivering
our plans on the back of that.
And so since then, we have a lot of work
has gone into, as the mayor just said,
clusters in the cluster action plans.
Six of them have been developed and published,
and you've got the links to them in your papers.
We've worked on access to finance,
and the combined authority has approved a new approach for us
to be able to support businesses to access the finance that they
need the investments that they need to grow.
We are working and have been working
on our international approach, and a substantial strategy
that will come to the CA at its next meeting,
again, to make sure we are focused in what
we're doing in that area.
And yesterday, the Combined Authority
approved our plan to support businesses
to decarbonize, to transition in terms of their energy needs,
to be more competitive, and to have energy security, which
is a huge part of the costs that businesses incur.
And we have many businesses in the region that are classed
as energy intensive users.
The final point is that the whole approach
to how we support businesses has also
been reviewed over the last year.
We've had a particular way of doing things which has
been in place for over a decade.
And while that has done a lot of good things,
it became clear that we were not going as far as we could go
to maximise everything that we could bring into play.
In particular, too much of our effort
was focused on just what we and local authorities
were delivering or able to deliver,
Whereas actually the bulk of business support out there happens outside of that arrangement
So we've developed with partners a new approach which will be rolling out through this year, which will enable us
Support businesses in a way that hopefully will be more holistic and will be more successful in supporting them to meet their needs. I
Say all of that
Against the backdrop which again coming back to the local growth plan
Were the big numbers that stared us in the face as we develop this
And the mayor's already referred to the 11 billion pound gap in our output
West Yorkshire has an economy with 74 75 billion pounds
That is 11 billion pounds smaller than it could be or should be given the size of population that we have
We have anywhere between 90 and 100 thousand businesses depending on how you count it
That looks like a big number.
That is 20 ,000 smaller than it should be, given the population that we've got.
And we've got 1 .2 million people in the labour market.
But we have people in employment, our employment rate, the equivalent of just about 50 ,000
people fewer than it should be.
So that is the scale of the challenge that we face.
And that is why our mandate really
has been to transform, to review,
and to transform our approaches.
Because successful as they might have been up till this point,
we have a fair way to go.
And if we keep doing things the way we've been doing it,
we will not be able to make the quantum leaps
that we want to make.
So that is the rationale behind a lot of what we've been doing
and why we've been doing it.
And the paper you've got gives you an indication
of the work we've done up to date and what is in train.
And hopefully, we'll be able to have
a discussion about all of that through the next couple
of hours.
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:16:17
Chair, if I may just add as well,
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:16:19
this wasn't developed just in isolation from business,
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:16:23
that the business board, Mandy Ridyard, the mayor's business
advisor has been working really closely with us and
developed the wheel of enterprise, which has been a
way that businesses have articulated what they need
from this growth plan.
And that's on page 10 of your documents.
But that access to finance, access to place,
investment, and if I could just quickly remind myself,
finance place, supply chains and markets, innovation,
skills and talent, networks and promotion, that's the advice from business what they
need through this growth plan.
So it's just to reassure the committee that it's not done in some ivory tower actually
talking to businesses in the here and now.
Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair) - 0:17:17
I was invited to attend a briefing by Peter Glover the other day on the workforce strategy
And that was an excellent presentation which sets out the position that we've got in the web in West Yorkshire
Good areas and the good points that we've got working
Well and the areas where further work is needing to be done because that would have given you further background information
But I've asked Khalid and Katie to try and see if we can release that
There's no reason why it would be released to you
I'm not gonna have to get a hold of it yet because that would give you further background information
So that said we'll now start with the questions. So councillor Hage
Thank you chair my question relates particularly to the shared priorities with government
Kate Haigh - 0:18:05
So how the shared priorities government align with constituent council priorities and how will conflicting priorities be resolved?
Has the has government given us a shi 'an leeway to adopt our priorities to local circumstances?
This is our growth plan.
This is what we need for our region.
Does it align with government priorities?
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:18:24
I would say yes because our growth plan informs industrial strategy.
Our clusters are in parallel with government's clusters and expected outcomes.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:18:41
The way that government have lent into funding for transport for our region, as you know,
of Council 2 .1 billion in CRSTS because they know from our growth plan that what we need
to invest in is transport and also placing Homes England and what's it called, the housing
bank in Leeds for us to access match funding for our housing plans I think is a testament
to government really understanding the challenge in West Yorkshire.
I have also made the pitch to government that Bradford is a particular opportunity for growth
because we have seen R &D investment in Bradford,
underemployment of graduates, lack of connectivity, a real challenge in Bradford
and that's why I'm pleased to see in the Northern Powerhouse Rail commitment
to a new station in Bradford alongside mass transit that would really show businesses
that you can get the talent in Bradford because the connectivity is there.
Obviously government have their own strategies but I am reassured that our growth plan is
informing the industrial strategy but I know that Felix has been having more detailed conversations
with government offices and so on, but just to take that away, Felix, would you agree?
Thank you, Mayor, I completely agree.
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:20:22
So we submit the shared priorities that we submitted to government fell really under
three broad lines.
And I set out the five that are in the local growth plan.
We have three of the five
from those shared
priorities.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:20:37
The other two are in
business
and we have a separate
conversation with
government.
That's why that was
picked up in the
industrial strategy.
So the
shared priorities we
set out with
government were
around transport,
around our
place, housing,
employment, land
and our own
skills.
All of these
were developed
with our local
authority partners,
aligned with
the leads vision that was published
towards the end of last year,
the work underway in Wakefield
with their own economic strategy and growth plan there,
Bradford publishing theirs in the next few weeks,
and Kirk Lees worked very closely with them
because they already had a strategy
that they had been developing, similar with Caulderdale.
We ensure that all of these are fully aligned
Even if the time scales were not the same because somewhere ahead of others in in their development
But when you go through them
You will see the attempts from all the local authorities to make sure they actually fully aligned was with wasn't the look -up with plan
And the look -up with plan as well is the parent documents for for the shared priorities that we develop with government
so hey guys supplementary
Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair) - 0:21:56
Kate Haigh - 0:22:02
Yes, thank you. I think devolution only really works when decision making is as close as
possible to the actions being taken and the principle of subsidiarity. My concern was,
especially some things we heard at previous meetings, was that governments' priorities
were driving this process rather than the bottom -up approach which would be more aligned
to what we want and that it's not true devolution if we're aligning with, in order to tick boxes
for government rather than using our local authorities to lead some of this development
in the right direction. And my concern would be that, and I think there was a kind of suggestion
that this might have happened, that local plans in constitutional authorities were being
nudged in the direction of what government wants rather than perhaps local priorities.
If I could just say that collectively
this is a couple of years ago now, but we
worked together with the five local authorities on our plan for 2040 and I think that early work
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:23:13
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:23:15
got us very much in a position where we were aligned on the challenge that faces us and
the collective effort
that we can all draw together.
to deliver on our vision for growth.
But you're absolutely right, Councillor,
in that each local authority is very different.
You know, Bradford has a different challenge to Leeds,
Wakefield to Calderdale.
So those challenges are different
and there will be different solutions for each region
and we will be absolutely mindful of those.
But that's why I'm also pushing hard in the mayor's council
for the right to request around, for example, devolution over careers.
Why is it that we're told from the centre what careers advice we will give our young
people when we know through our cluster action plans the workforce of the future that we
need for our local businesses?
But you're absolutely right.
At every stage, we should be responsive to local need and also local expertise, because
you know your regions better than I know, and certainly I know our region better than
government knows. So it is about a team effort. But obviously James is here. He could speak
to Leeds and the experience from a local authority point of view. But like in all families, behind
closed doors there was push and pulls about what was important to some over what was important
to us. And I think we are really lucky here in West Yorkshire that we have the West Yorkshire
way where we work for the good of the region whilst also supporting and
Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair) - 0:24:55
respecting the individuality of the local authorities. Mr Lewis? I didn't mean to throw you under the bus.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:24:57
I passed the baton to you but you know you were part of that. Thanks, living in Kippok would be nice to have a bus to be thrown under.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:25:08
Given the reliability of Areva. I think the challenge you know I think the you
You know, the challenge around this is looking about how recognising what the individual
needs of councils and you know we've got three of the ten biggest metropolitan district councils
in West Yorkshire so within councils as well which is always an important factor around
what actually how does some sort of what can seem some quite lofty ambitions everybody
wants growth, everybody wants businesses to do well, everybody wants workers to be more
skilled and therefore able to earn more money and how do you actually translate that into
action on the ground and I think that's where we're able to do that.
So the mayor touched on Mandy Ridyard's role in terms of bringing together the business
community to work with us, certainly the economy committee which I chair has the councils,
business representatives, colleges, universities, around the table to talk
about how we make that a reality. On the ground the challenges are different in
different places. There was a lot of work we did with Wakefield Council and
Wakefield Futures report which launched last year around recognising
particularly in Wakefield that the employment rate is high in Wakefield but
the skills rate is low.
There's often a bit of a perception
among lots of people, because Wakefield
has a magnificent cathedral but no university.
Actually, the Wakefield Futures did a lot more work
on how we, rather than one simple solution
that people often identify actually how do we
get to grips with that.
None of that is contradictory to what
we want to do as a combined authority,
or I believe what the government wants to do.
It's how it's on the ground.
In Leeds we have a particular challenge at the moment.
We've got a...
For young people, children and young people, most school years have about 7 ,000, 7 ,500
people in that year group.
We've got a couple of years coming through, well that's nearly 12 ,000 and that's obviously
a lot of trying to avoid the challenges of people falling into using an acronym NEET
to make sure there are places for people to go through.
That's a particular leads challenge.
I'm sure other places have a challenge around access
to learning, appropriate learning, access to jobs.
And I don't think there's a contradiction between what
the government wants to do and how we deliver it.
It's been really clear around we know our own areas.
The challenge of my part of leads
I represent as a council in Kibbutz and Methi
is going to be different to other areas of Leeds
and how we can actually make that something that
is delivered on the ground.
I think the real value of having that strong strategy, though,
is we work in a particularly to pick out the learning
and training.
We work in quite a, I'm trying to avoid
going on an unhinged rant here, but we
work in quite a fragmented area.
Schools, there's lots of different types
of school leadership.
You know, we've got FE colleges and polytechnic, which grew out of local councils, quite independent
now, some of the traditional universities, a lot of training, particularly at work, happens
outside, happens through employers, not through colleges, universities and schools, and trying
to have the overarching strategies that absolutely everybody understands about where we're trying
to go is a big part of that as well.
I think that's where that kind of bringing it all together comes in.
But I don't feel there's contradictions there.
You know, West Yorkshire is a messy place.
You know, the boundaries are...
West Yorkshire is a messy place.
We don't have some sort of clear boundaries.
We don't have parts of West Yorkshire now that are absolutely dominated by individual sectors
and sort of weaving some of that together is part of what we need to do here, but is
getting what's right on the ground above some quite high -level ambitions that we all know
we need to do.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:29:33
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:29:34
If I may add, just, Chair, that we don't have those primes that government are very excited
about, so whether that's the Nissan's or the big employers with big manufacturing, but
I also think that's one of our opportunities.
I often reflect it's like plain scrabble,
that if you've only got two letters,
you can only make a certain number of words.
But if you have many letters, as we do,
with many specialisms in manufacturing,
in health tech, in finance,
we can make many different words.
And the innovation opportunity is there
for us to actually be quite a world leader
by bringing businesses together
and supporting them with research and development.
So we are in to council Lewis's point. We are you know, we are messy in that we are many and varied
That it used to be, you know, it used to be heavy industry. Maybe it used to be mining
We're in a different position now and we have to look to the future. I also I think you know that
We don't the mayor's right. We don't sometimes have maybe a Nissan for the Northeast or Jaguar Land Rover in the West Midlands
But actually, you know
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:30:39
I think the third after the Red Army and the Indian railway is the third biggest
institution in the world is the NHS.
And in terms of both manufacturing,
medical devices, data support for the NHS,
we have loads of suppliers here.
They are not household names, because a household name
is the NHS.
But we have a lot of the supply chain and the support
for the NHS in this region as well.
And I think, like I say, that is a everybody knows the NHS,
nobody knows the names of some of the real brilliant
cutting -edge suppliers to the NHS that are in this part of the world and I think that's
a you know that just reflects sort of the strength in I'm the strength through it it's
not always an easy photo opportunity or something like that but it's a real part of our economy.
Paul Godwin - 0:31:34
I'm just interested to know how the clusters been selected and assigned and to what extent
Are they place -based versus theme -based?
Thank you, Felix, because we did spend a fair bit of time
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:31:47
understanding where the Venn diagram of strengths is.
And funnily enough, the Venn diagram
of our history, heritage, and our opportunity,
right in the middle is engineering.
The one thing that touches absolutely everything
is engineering.
and it's something that we should be more proud of as a region the home of engineering but
Felix how do we select the clusters?
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:32:20
Thank you, mayor and I will do a double act with Sarah on this she's the resident experts if that's all right we
there are various methodologies that are
Put in place to enable us understand a couple of a couple of things in which areas do we have a competitive advantage?
And then in which areas do we have a comparative advantage
when we compare ourselves with other parts
of the country or the world?
And we use different econometric methodologies
to give us a sense of where in our economy
do we have those advantages that I've referred to earlier on.
And it's very clear once you start digging
into the data that the six clusters that we selected
are areas where we either have those advantages
or have the potential to develop that because we've
got the makings of it in one way or another.
What I'll hasten to add, though, is
that this is not an exact science.
So you use methodologies built on models.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:33:30
models are representations of reality with assumptions and estimates in it in
them and so nobody claims that this is an exact science but the evidence is
quite clear what we've talked about manufacturing and I talked about
manufacturing earlier and counsellor there was the same all the evidence
shows West Yorkshire's share of manufacturing employment is higher than
anywhere else in the country and within that they are certain sub sectors that
we've got significant strengths in.
So it was really easy to be able to pick that.
We had some external consultants that
helped us to use ONS data, to use data from companies house,
to use some web scraping techniques.
And actually, they are the same consultants
that the government then used to help develop
the industrial strategy.
So we're quite well placed because we
had a certain level of insight in terms
So the methodology is being used and the alignment's there.
Sarah, is there any more you want to add to this
that I've not picked up?
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:34:32
I think just to add, we then consulted extensively
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:34:33
on those clusters and sectors and their relative priority.
And we have an expert panel as well as
part of the development of the local growth plan, which
really helped us to bring in that external cheque
and challenge from outside the region and inside the region
and provide that really kind of academic and expert
perspective on yes, this is how you are going to drive your economy in West Yorkshire, these
are the ones you need to focus on and prioritise.
Paul Godwin - 0:35:07
Yes, it's the how that works on a linking basis. Obviously most of these engineering
companies won't in any sense be geographically linked. A light engineering company in my

5 Local Growth Plan Implementation and Next Steps

in an area of Peatley, and particularly relate to one in Wakefield.
Is there a sense that you want to bring these companies in different sectors together in
a geographical area or just have a cluster being used in a sense of a theoretical or
maybe postal one it almost seems, rather than in any geographical sense linking together,
Whereas obviously some places would use a sort of campus arrangement their cluster
And this is it's quite a difficult and I think it'd be quite difficult concept to put across to the public on that basis
Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair) - 0:35:55
Just before you answer that question to paraphrase the mayor combine authority meetings. Can we
We've only got a time constraint
So could we try and find ways of maybe not so much shortening the questions
But if the answers can be a bit more succinct, we could try and get through to the end of the agenda
I had that a lot yesterday as well, so maybe that's a trend.
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:36:17
It's usually me, that's usually me, voting on.
I see where you're coming from, Councillor.
It's a really, really good point.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:36:32
The word cluster in economic theory is not, actually it's not very old.
It gained currency through the 90s and 90s
but because of Michael Porter, Harvard University,
and the book he wrote.
And actually, I did an MBA dissertation on clusters.
It was really interesting at the time.
But it's not really a new thing.
You know, it used to be called agglomeration, economics.
It's not a new concept.
And around the world, it's interpreted differently.
So yes, you're absolutely spot on.
That is, in certain areas, you have business parks or science
parks and certain businesses, similar or related businesses
in the supply chain congregate in one area.
And that is geographically termed then
as a cluster in that sense.
But there are clusters, for example,
in the states that are the size of West Yorkshire or in India.
So they don't confirm to a singular methodology or formula.
We are not intending in West Yorkshire to move companies physically into one
geographic area. We are instead recognising what exists and working with
those businesses to understand what else we could do to add value to enable them
grow. It might be that in a particular park, so with the Lanthwaite and other
parks that we are developing or looking to develop, we have conversations about
how could we develop this in a way that actually aligns well with the strengths
that already exists in that space. But beyond that we are not actually looking
physically to drag businesses into one area and create that sort of... we are
looking at what does it what does a 21st century business park look like and
it's not necessarily businesses physically congregating in one space
especially at this time when with hybrid working and others you know people are
are able to work in a more physically or geographically
dispersed manner, but still be quite closely linked
to each other in the work they do.
So actually, the map behind us is quite instructive.
It was our attempt to begin to sort of understand
where the economic strengths lie and how
they relate to each other, and then form
a strategy and a set of plans around them
to support these to grow in the best way
that they actually feel they need to grow,
led by the businesses and the people there.
So I hope that is helpful going through my economic history
and all of that.
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:39:07
If I may just add, and I was just checking on my phone,
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:39:10
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:39:13
Mary Paley Marshall was the queen of the cluster from 1850.
She was the first woman ever to attend the economics course
at Cambridge and then became a lecturer.
She developed the economic theory about clustering.
So I have a t -shirt that says Queen of the cluster Mary Paley Marshall. Maybe I should have worn it
Thank you chair
Cllr Harry McCarthy - 0:39:44
the clusters identified in West Yorkshire are
similar to those identified by other may all combined authorities
for example Greater Manchester's are advanced materials and manufacturing
digital cyber and AI, health innovation and life sciences, creative industries and
low -carbon, what makes the work that the West Yorkshire Combined Authority is doing
to support these sectors unique?
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:40:14
Really good question, really good question Councillor McCarthy and it's one
that we wrestle with quite a lot and have done for many years and every
time you write a strategy like this, one of the first things
that people ask you is, if I tipexed out,
how different will it be to the next one or to the next one?
And there is a sense in which it's not
an exercise worth embarking on in too much detail,
because as a country, we need to accept
that we do have similarities.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:40:53
And especially across the north, the nature of our economy
is fairly similar.
So it shouldn't be a sub.
In London, the service economy with financial services
and all of that is huge and dominates.
In the north, we grew up through the Industrial Revolution
and since with heavy engineering and manufacturing,
and then off the back of that, other industries
have sprung up.
So we should not be surprised that we have similarities.
And we don't think we should sweat it too much trying
to over -engineer some formula that makes us seem so different
when we don't, if we are not.
However, there are significant differences
once you begin to go underneath the headline.
so yes creative industries may be identified across I'm sure also combined
authority areas in especially the north but probably beyond that but once you go
beyond that and you ask yourself what's within the creative industries is this
place actually good at then you begin to see some differences so it might be
music somewhere in another place it will be fashion and textiles or it will be
games development, software development.
We have live immersive technology
with some brilliant companies here doing amazing, amazing
things.
So you begin to tease out those differences.
It's the same in manufacturing.
Many other areas.
Manchester talks about advanced materials because of graphene.
Yeah, that is the big thing that they've got,
and they built a whole industry around that.
We've got specialty textiles here in West Yorkshire.
And we've got incredible businesses making textiles
for defence, for aerospace, for some civil nuclear, et cetera.
So once you begin to go underneath the headline,
you tease out some of these differences.
And that is where the cluster approach has been crucial.
So we are completely revamping our business board
to be built on the stilts of these clusters.
So we are setting up cluster groups.
There are six of them already either standing or close to be ready, and then there are others
that we are considering.
And the leaders of each of those groups then sit on the business board itself, which we
meet three or four times a year to have a more rounded conversation.
But we are driving the growth through these clusters.
They are owning the action plans that you've got and working with us and with other partners
to interpret that and to help us implement that.
That is the approach.
And at that level, we are able to identify and work
with the nuances that are more specific to our area.
I hope that makes sense.
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:43:52
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:43:53
If I may just add as well that we are also using the
clusters where there are similarities to help us
under the Great North banner.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:44:02
All the northern mayors have come together to
identify where our strengths are similar,
where we can make the case internationally and globally that we are a centre of excellence. So whether that's green energy
across the north, whether that's the creative industries across the north, making the case of trade and investment and
opportunities across the north and as mayors we're all going to India in the autumn
collectively to make the case for the north. So whilst it may feel like the similarities actually we're trying to lean in to where the
similarities also going to give us a front -footed position in comparison to London and the southeast.
Thank you.
No cheque, that's okay.
Thank you.
Good morning.
Cllr Richard Smith - 0:44:51
How do we intend to balance AI growth to ensure that AI does not negatively impact the creative
and other regional industries?
I'm thinking here particularly about jobs.
Thank you.
I think what's really interesting when people talk about AI clusters is that people are quite
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:45:10
fixated on data centres
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:45:14
But in our region we have been using AI in many of our sectors already for many years
Whether that's health and life sciences tech digital
Whether that's financial services. That's why we're attracting
We are starting unicorns like go cardless to leads because we have that infrastructure.
We are bidding to government to be an AI cluster.
And that's looking very positive.
You'll know Microsoft have confirmed they're coming to leads.
But when it comes to jobs, this is the challenge, isn't it?
Because we are concerned about jobs being taken away.
However, what's also important is we want, and this is part of our mission, to increase
the number of citizens with level three as opposed to level one and two. What we
want to do is we want to make sure we have a workforce that is ready for the
future to use AI and most people are using AI in their daily lives
already often without noticing or realising. So I think that the challenge
is there but as we have in Bradford the highest number of postgraduate AI
students in the whole country, one of the
youngest and most diverse communities in the country.
I'm really positive that this growth plan will
understand the need to change in the way that we
have to, through deindustrialization, pivot
from mining, for example, to green tech and bring the
unions and individuals with us to create those jobs of
the future.
But it's a fair challenge and we are definitely mindful of that challenge.
Thank you, Chair.
Cllr Richard Smith - 0:47:01
So contained within the pages of reports there is a little note about LegalTech and it states
that you projected to create over 1800 jobs by 2025.
I'm interested to know whether those jobs are being created.
then the second point is we talk a little later in the report about growth in GDA between
4 and 6%, but we don't touch upon whether or not any jobs have been displaced by the
legal technology because I'm hearing that junior roles within legal companies are vanishing
quickly.
So I wonder if you could elaborate further.
Thank you.
I think so. I wanted to come in on that
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:47:49
Thank you, so the I think the report that that comes from is the 2020 24 25
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:47:57
Legal tech report and that was saying there was 800 jobs at that point projected 1 ,800 by 2025
Haven't yet got that report for the 25 26
However, I did try and look on bohors this morning to find that the kind of the current data
But it's currently out of action. We will get that information to you. You know ASAP and else kind of confirm that
But if I may say PEXA, for example, an Australian tech company have come to Leeds and they are
taking a tech approach to conveyancing, which will result in solicitors no longer being
needed for conveyancing, which will be a real benefit to people buying houses, buying houses,
buying houses in conveyancing.
But there will be opportunities through retraining, et cetera,
for S .L .I .S .T .E .R .S. to also pivot into new areas of
specialism, but the world is changing and we need to be on
the front foot rather than being the la -guards.
Yes, good morning.
Kate Haigh - 0:49:07
Building on the capital culture experience in Bradford, a very Bradford question, how
will we be supporting the culture and creative industries to build pathways to business development
and employment in the most marginalised communities in the county?
Thank you.
As you know, the Bradford City of Culture was a huge success.
It was probably one of the best cities of culture
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:49:26
this country has ever had.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:49:30
And I know I'm biassed, but the data proves it.
And having had a presentation from Airbnb,
the absolute hockey stick uptick of nights in West Yorkshire,
not just Bradford, I would suggest,
because of Bradford City of Culture, is it phenomenal.
not three million unique visitors to the region.
We are working with Bradford to continue that legacy.
Only yesterday at the Combined Authority,
we signed off funding for years of seasons, thank you,
not years of culture, seasons of culture.
And the first one will be nature,
followed by the following year by sculpture and outdoor art.
So we are absolutely focused on making the most of that and and
Frankly the focus we've had has meant that we have the highest number of jobs in the creative industry per capita than
anywhere else in the north, which is quite a
proud moment given the competition from Liverpool Manchester and elsewhere
and we will lean into that because
employers have said to me time and time again what they need from young people
when they're hiring, even from you know people in mid -career, is the ability to
be creative. Problem -solving, team working, thinking outside the box,
confidence, oracy, articulacy, being able to frame an argument and an idea. And so
all the work we're doing on the Young Poet Laureates, the Mayor's Screen
diversity programme which focuses particularly on diverse youngsters and
youngsters with disability working -class kids ensuring whilst they may not be
actors or musicians they will have those skills that businesses need but it is a
priority for us it's in our cluster action plan and I'm really pleased that
government gave us that 25 million and we are leading from this combined
authority, the Great North Creative, so working collectively across the north as
well. It is the future when we were talking about AI, what is what does the
future look like? It looks about it looks to me like a more creative approach in
every sector, whatever sector you're in you've got to be able to be creatively
problem -solve.
the lack of access to creative office and manufacturing
Cllr Richard Smith - 0:52:02
work space and facilities is referenced and more of an issue in some areas than others,
i .e. Calderdale and Bradford. How will you ensure that expanded office space is distributed
in areas based on need? Thank you. I'll take the creative one and
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:52:25
pass over to Felix or Sarah. But we are looking at an opportunity to identify low rent spaces
for the creative industries because you have put your finger on it that when it comes to
regeneration developers often want to enjoy and want to develop where there are the creatives.
They want to regenerate those areas because that's the groovy part of town often.
That's where the coffee shops are, the best neighbourhood restaurants, where the young people are, where the vibe is.
But increasingly those opportunities for low rent spaces are diminishing.
That's why we're developing a strategy across the whole region working with national bodies to identify funding streams where we can help.
And a good example of that is the Hyde Park Book Club,
which we've supported with the guitarist from the Kaiser
Chiefs and their art curators there,
to enable them to afford to expand the Hyde Park Book Club
into more of an artist space.
But you've identified a problem that we're
in the process of solving.
But to the rest regarding startups and scaleups
and space, thank you.
Felix or Sarah. Thank you. And so I think this is where the cluster groups coming really really useful because those cluster groups
I made up of private sector businesses
academia public sector and
The discussions around what is needed specifically where and how if that is exactly the space that that's going to take place
So those cluster groups are really empowered to help to shape what the need is working across in partnership with the with the wider ecosystem
To make sure that what we do is absolutely what is needed and will add the most value to to this agenda
Cllr Richard Smith - 0:54:17
I'll follow up on that because I've been working with private enterprise for the last eight months and there are issues.
So you say you're looking for low rent spaces, there are certainly plenty of those in Bradford.
In terms of Grade A office space in Bradford alone, at this moment in time there's a minimum of 180 ,000 square feet on the market.
Despite the fact, I think the first CA meeting
I attended back in 2023, one of the things
I identified as being lacking in Bradford
was Grade A office space.
So lots of this has been unoccupied
and remains unoccupied for nine plus years.
I'm thinking of HMRC office here.
So there is clearly a disconnect between the strategy,
because it actually calls for workspace
and low rental workspace.
I'll give you an indication of the cost difference.
So in Leeds, it's 50 pounds of square foot.
In Bradford, it's 22 at One City Park.
The rest of Bradford is 1750,
but having spoken to Loaf, they're telling me that
rent within some of these city centre buildings
is often 1250 to 15 pounds.
So we've got the space.
The problem is we're not filling it.
So how do we address that issue?
If I may say, in Bradford, I think around
Dali Street and the Dali Street market that's been
hugely successful and tens of millions of pounds of
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:55:51
investment, there is an appetite to cluster around
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:55:54
something that is particularly successful.
As you've seen in leads with Channel 4, that's
you've developed a clustering of smaller
supply chain businesses or creative businesses
around Channel 4.
and the same is true of the loading bay and Dali street market,
you develop with infrastructure builds, attractive magnetic propositions,
where the then, for example, the Little Germany has become more attractive
as a space for clustering in the creative sector
because of that offer of the market and the loading bay,
because you have to find your tribe.
And this is why clustering is so important,
That there's no point you sitting in an industrial park
on the outer reaches of a big city if you are in a in a
Creative business where you need to spark ideas together with other creative businesses
So I'm hoping the investment that we make will make the public realm more attractive will make
enable the magnetic
attraction of regeneration in the right way so that we can cluster and I am
really pleased that One City Park exists, PwC that high -end office because
Bradford had had to had too little of that and and so it is a balance to have
those high quality office spaces but also those emerging spaces for our
But I'll hand over to Felix. Yeah
Thank you, man
It's a really good question
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:57:36
It's it's a significant challenge and it's a it's a significant challenge because the challenge is not just on one side of the equation
We were supply side challenge and we've got a demand side challenge
we were supply side challenge in the sense that
The
The activities you are using Bradford as an example,
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:57:58
the nature of stimulating economic activity
in the centre of Bradford, which has
some challenges for some time, it
takes time to do that, time and investment, sustained
investment over a period.
And as the mayor set out, some of the interventions
that we've been part of, whether it's
work that we're doing in Bradford City Village,
hopefully, all of that is to enable a simulation in the centre of Bradford
such that people are congregating in that space and choosing it as the place
they want to be. But there's only so far we can go and a lot of our job is to
then work with investors which is where the demand side becomes seen.
Get market values as you've just quoted there are quite low
The problem with low market values is that one of the problems is that?
investors then are hesitant to come in because they can't see how they can make their money back and
There are different types of investors in this space
There are some who want to come in
Invest and flip the investments in five years and walk away with a profit or you're not going to be able to do that
With the values we've got in Bradford currently you need more patient investment
That it's not the easiest to get but we work in very hard with a number of investors who are
Who are that way minded to be able to work with us with us in this process?
It's a village of other places to come in
But the only way this happens is for one to happen and then someone's are something is happening here
And the next one wants to be in there.
Because the challenge you've got is that for as long
as you've got low market values, you then have a variability gap.
Because private sectors want a certain amount of profit
before they can put their money in.
That gap needs filling by somebody.
And everybody looks at the public sector to fill that gap.
There's only so much we can do.
And so we are increasingly also looking
at how our funding can revolve so we can do more of it.
That makes it even more tricky.
But if our funding doesn't evolve,
then we can only do one or two, and we
need to get out of town.
So we acknowledge the point you are making
and the underlying premise.
We are working through various means in various funds.
The budget that went through yesterday
gives us the ability to invest more capital.
So we are working on this.
But this is not a fast fix.
It's taking us 100 years to get here.
It'll take a bit of time to get out.
Right, so having spoken to property developers and everybody Felix, and this is a key takeaway
Cllr Richard Smith - 1:00:47
for you, Leeds is classed as a primary city. Bradford is struggling to achieve a tertiary
classification, and that's straight from the horse's mouth in the last week.
Isn't that evidence of why we need that new station, we need tram, all of that investment
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:01:08
in Bradford, in the centre of Bradford, winning all those awards, what a great place to work
and a lovely place to take your family. We have got to connect it to the rest of the
north.
I think, you know, I'm old enough to remember when some of the prime offices over there
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:01:33
was where Yorkshire Rider parked the busses at the end of the day. You know, it's been
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 1:01:35
It's been quite a long journey in Leeds
in terms of developing a level of what has happened.
You can probably pile up a big stack of Evening Post articles
where opposition politicians have criticised absolutely
everything that's been done to turn,
to bring that change around.
And I think it is not.
There has been lots that has been done around the economy
leads around that to get where we are, having a local planning place that gives investors
confidence in the planning system around how developments will be brought forward and those
relationships have been a big part of that.
And it's not to say it can't happen anywhere else, but I think, you know, it has been a
lot of individual programmes, a lot of events, a lot of the, you know, a lot of things that
change the city centre and Leeds, that at the time were subject to a lot of criticism
of actually being, that they've actually played a big part in that and I think hopefully,
as you know, was in one of the questions earlier around the city of Culture in Bradford around
that and the investment that's brought in will make a difference over time, I hope.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chair.
Cllr Dave Merrett - 1:03:01
The growth plan digital and tech cluster section focuses obviously on the potentially high
value software side jobs, but at the end of the day we are also dependent on the hardware
side.
Reading the FT, there's obviously been lots of issues
over the last couple of years in terms of supply,
chip supply, very dependent on Taiwan,
which threats from China.
We've had the issues with American pressure
on not using China for some of the other supplies.
There's no section on the supply chain side
that underpins all this.
and there's obviously similar issues
given international uncertainty
in quite a number of these areas.
So security of supply components
and the security of the supply chain,
I would have thought was an issue
that perhaps should be featuring more in here
and how we address that.
I mean, nobody knew that somebody wanted to buy a green line,
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:04:10
did they, when we wrote this growth plan?
It's a good question.
I think, particularly in the tech world,
the big thing driving it is around semiconductors.
That is the big piece.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:04:25
All the conversation about rare earth minerals and all of that
is to enable these big tech companies
to be able to make these semiconductors, which
when semiconductors were first invented,
my son was telling me, one was the size of, I don't know,
this table, and now this is too small for the eye to see.
And we pack these in the billions into a phone
or whatever, and it allows it to do all sorts of things.
And it's so powerful.
That is the main thing.
Now, it is incredibly difficult to make them.
Very few places and facilities in the world
have the capacity or capability to actually make them.
The UK's semiconductor strategy is such
that we are building on where certain strengths already
existed.
So a lot of the manufacturing end of it
is congregating in Wales.
What we've got in Leeds, if you've got the opportunity,
you can go to the Bragg Centre at the University of Leeds.
What we've got in Leeds is world -leading R &D
that is going into the making of the tech.
And that is where we are.
So we are not, because of how difficult it is
to pivot and achieve enough critical mass
for it to be worthwhile, we are focusing more
in our, we've got a fantastic digital and tech scene,
and Councillor Lewis might want to say a bit more
about that, but the Leeds Digital Festival and others,
we have some fantastic businesses here.
But in regards to what you were saying,
we are focusing on working with the BRAC and other partners
on how we can leverage the R &D, world -class R &D capabilities
we've got to spawn a cluster of its own
and to use that to support related sectors
and to bring more businesses in.
Because you can see how some of these big companies
will want to be near such R &D capabilities.
And we do have a lot of that, or at least
We have some of that here.
That's what we are focusing on.
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:06:38
If I may also add, Chair, that this work also
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:06:40
was incredibly illuminating about where our clusters are
that we didn't know we had.
So for example, we, through this work,
identified a radio frequency cluster
that is pivotal for satellites and GPS and so on,
and very modestly just carrying on their businesses
in Shipley and elsewhere.
And then from that identifying the supply chain for satellites across the world.
The satellites orbiting this world, the majority of them will have bits from West Yorkshire
in them that if they were taken out they'd fall to the earth.
So it has also been a journey of discovery too, that we've had businesses just cracking
on and we've identified our own clusters that we didn't know.
but that supply chain, we are an area of excellence
when it comes to manufacturing, that supply chain,
particularly around aerospace, satellites, and space,
is something that we're also leaning into.
Sorry, microphone.
Cllr Anna Watson - 1:07:58
So I'm going to ask you, I've got a couple of areas to ask you about, which is obviously
about the fact that, you know, of course to ensure a liveable planet for now and future
generations, we need economies that both deliver social justice and obviously make sure that
we're doing that within the limits of our environment, you know, stable climate, etc.
So my first questions are around kind of the equitable outcomes.
So, it would be great to hear from you how will these plans make a real difference to
the people who are most in need in our region, obviously those who are living in deprived
areas, rather than just concentrating new jobs and investment in those areas where people
are already doing well?
If I could just take the human aspect and then maybe others can come in.
But for me, there's no point in this cluster action plan
unless it changes people's lives and those particularly
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:08:59
in areas of disadvantage and lacking opportunity.
So our cluster on green energy and green tech and green jobs
is not just about the workforce.
It's about who's also benefiting.
So you may see that we launched Home Energy West Yorkshire.
And part of that is the clustering of components and ground source heat pumps, bringing those
businesses together.
But who is going to benefit from that is the 100 ,000 social homes that we are going to
retrofit for free to the tenant.
And we are going to have that circular economy that we are going to build the opportunity,
and then we're going to improve the lives of the people who really do struggle.
And it is a long -term ambition.
This is not just for the here and now because speaking to a mum, she was called Chloe, she
lived in Leeds in the back to backs and we'd been part of a retrofit programme wrapping
her home.
And she was saying it wasn't just about the low energy, it wasn't about warmer homes,
it was the fact that her kids could do their homework in their bedrooms because it was
warm rather than fighting in the kitchen.
Now, I'm not suggesting that having a warm home means you get better grades at the GCSEs
and therefore you get a better life, but I do know having grown up in a very small council
flat how that does add enormous tensions to family life and gives you better outcomes
if you've got that quiet, calm where you can focus and concentrate.
So this is a long -term plan.
It is not just about the businesses but how those businesses will impact on the outcomes.
The same is true with health tech and life sciences.
In the National Health Centre in Huddersfield, that health centre is a virtual hospital with
virtual wards.
And the citizens of Huddersfield, often the poorly -est, the most vulnerable, will be using
that facility that's high -tech, innovation, state -of -the -art, to get well and find solutions
to their conditions.
So this is part of the whole holistic view about how we ensure that people are well and have
lives of purpose
Where they can be that, you know the best version of themselves, but and hand over to you Felix
Thank you, ma 'am
Just just to add briefly we do that in
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:11:27
Two or three ways. There are many others with two or three that are bring to mind
one is
Every intervention we have will have a set of outcomes and outputs that are deliberately
designed to answer that question and to support people who otherwise will not be able to access
or benefit from what it is we are doing.
So Sarah might want to talk about it if there is time, but we've got a project with partners
called Innovative Entrepreneurs.
for example, it's an entrepreneurship programme,
Accelerator, helps innovative residents
to come on and help them to develop and build
their businesses.
It's all about help.
All the outcomes on there are about supporting
people who otherwise would not be able to access this.
And there are all sorts of conversations, assessments
that enable us to do that.
The mayor's driven the Fair Work Charter.
That is a key tool that we use, to call it that, to build this coalition of
businesses that have the best working practises and create the best
environments for people to access and enjoy their work. We have a programme
called Healthy Working Lives, it's more than a programme, a portfolio of programmes,
which is specifically focused on supporting people
who are either unemployed, inactive,
most of whom fall into the brackets
that, Councillor, you referred to,
supporting them into employment and to be successful.
So we have specific programmes that do that,
and then for all the programmes we've got,
we have outcomes that are leaned into this
to ensure that we are having the impact we need to have.
And then finally, when it comes to deciding where investments
land, you can't often tell businesses where to go.
They make their own decisions for what
works for that business.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:13:35
But where we have some leverage, our first port of call
is always to think about either where the business needs
to be located to be of maximum advantage to people
that are at the wrong end of the prosperity ladder, so to speak,
or how we can connect people to that opportunity,
depending on where that opportunity is located.
So we have a pilot programme running right now,
where we are actually looking to give people metro cards to be
able to get to employment, because that
has been identified for some as a particular challenge that
is in the way of them getting to work.
So we try a variety of means, but as the mayor said,
the only reason for our existence
is to support people who otherwise will not
have that opportunity to also benefit from the prosperity
that we generate from everything else that we do.
Great.
And so just I know you're there, Felix,
you're talking about outcomes.
Cllr Anna Watson - 1:14:40
But what specific measures, how will you actually
the
inequality has actually been reduced.
What are your metrics of inequality that you
are going to be measuring through the
lifetime of this growth plan?
This is why I bring in Sarah a lot more.
Every four or five years
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:15:02
the government publishes
the indices of deprivation.
That is a huge national measure that gives us
a macro level picture
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:15:10
of how we are performing
across
five or six domains.
which gives us access.
And it goes all the way down almost to street
by street level.
It has its failings as a methodology,
but it is the most authoritative measure of deprivation
that we have in the country.
And the combined authorities activities on its own
will not shift that.
But the extent to which that is shifting
is a huge indicator for whether we are having some impact
or not.
For every programme that we put in place,
Yesterday, we published, as part of the CA papers,
the outcomes framework that we are
agreeing with central government.
And then the CA's own outcome framework,
which is wider than that, sat underneath that will
be a set of measures and KPIs.
And every project that we work on
will be speaking to a combination of these
and happy to share those.
Those are the things we measure, whether it's
to do with income, employment rates in certain areas,
employment across certain ages, education attainment, et
cetera.
We look at who's coming on some of these programmes
that we are part of and track what difference
is made before and after.
So there are a variety of them.
We will share the outcomes framework, as I said.
And as we develop the KPIs that sit underneath that,
always happy to share that.
But those are the measures that we focus on.
I don't know what that Sarah wants to say.
I think just to add, state of the region
is the kind of that macro level indicators
that we are looking at the dials that we
are trying to shift through the local growth plan.
On business specifically, just to go back
to your previous question a little bit,
there are two priorities.
One is turbocharging growth in our priority sectors,
which you want the cluster action plans are trying to do.
The other is enabling all businesses to succeed.
And that is where we're going to see
the interventions come through about all businesses.
And particularly, we're doing some work
on things like access to finance and making sure
underserved communities who really struggle to access finance to grow their
business or start their business and are able to access that finance and that is
the gap in the market and that is something we really want to do to fill.
That will be where we'll be trying to track that level of underserved
community who are accessing finance to grow their business and those are the
kind of measures we'll be putting in place in terms of some of the specific
interventions going forwards.
Thank you, chair.
Cllr Anna Watson - 1:17:37
Just to set the context for this question, I'm sure that, well you guys are very busy,
but the government this week has just published the national security assessment and it is
actually very sobering reading.
So just one thing it says, high ecosystem degradation is occurring across all global
regions.
Every critical ecosystem is on a pathway to collapse.
This degradation and collapse threatens UK national security and prosperity.
So the question I'm going to ask is obviously in the context of that.
So obviously, you know, we see the support that there's going forward here for the kind
of the tech of the future, the cleaner tech, the kind of low carbon stuff.
But how does the growth plans net zero, sustainability and transport goals ensure that any economic
growth in the region is actually reducing carbon and reducing the need for the world's
resources and is in fact also restoring biodiversity rather than locking us into high carbon infrastructure
or an economy that is dependent on the increasing use of limited natural resources.
Not one single country has decoupled their economic growth from depletion of resources.
It's been slightly different with carbon, particularly if you don't include offshore
emissions.
But how are we going to ensure that?
Because basically we're being told that we're at this point of a real crisis with our natural
resources and our ecosystems.
So just, I know it's only come out,
but this is not news to us.
We knew where it was going.
Thank you for that.
And certainly, it was very sobering
when we brought the chair of Yorkshire Water
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:19:27
in front of all the Yorkshire mayors
to share our concerns and disappointment with the way
that they've been operating their business.
And one of the most sobering things I've ever heard
was the chair of the board saying,
well, we also should be grateful we've got clean
water coming out of the tap.
I was really startled by that approach.
But there is a shortage of water that we are looking
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:19:53
to the future.
And Yorkshire Water is saying we are looking at
how we protect ourselves from water shortages,
which is why it's really important to take a 360
approach on all of this.
We have our climate and environment action plan,
as you would imagine, but our nature recovery plan
also tackles a fair bit of these challenges about
how do we protect our environment.
You've seen that David Scaethor and myself are
committed to the white rose forest and planting
millions of trees to ensure we have cooler
streets when obviously the climate change impacts our
urban environments more than it is doing currently.
But also, how we ensure that we tackle locally our emissions,
which is why our target is 2038, zero carbon emissions.
But the biggest lever we have is to change our transport.
So, one of the biggest emitters is cars and busses.
That's why we need our Weaver network with,
and we've put in an order for 100 million pounds
worth of electric busses.
We're looking to Huddersfield and Bradford in the first instances,
having totally electric busses, but also our homes are 30 % part of our emissions.
So that's why retrofit is vital and you know those naysayers out there that would,
anytime I'm in a video with Ed Miliband, the pylon or Sadiq Khan, the pylon is off the scale.
But I keep coming back to the fact that that what we're doing has an impact not just on
Climate emissions but on people's lives. So the green the clean air zone in Bradford that was introduced with not much drama
Because because the scrub because the scrappage was good and it has reduced
respiratory appointments at doctor surgeries by and I think it's between 15 and 25 percent I
Could do with clarification on that number, but we are doing this in the round
We are obviously not the solution to the global
disaster that is facing us, but we are doing our bit
in a very progressive way when, actually, across the
world, you see the tide is changing on leaning into
tackling the climate emergency.
Here in West Yorkshire, it is an absolute priority
for us because we see it as a crisis, but it's also
about people's lives in the here and now, as opposed
to some nirvana in the future for the next 50 years.
Unfortunately, Chair, I now have to go,
as I indicated when I first arrived.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair) - 1:22:40
But thank you for your contribution
and your scrutiny and cheque and challenge.
You are a critical friend,
and it's so valuable for our thinking.
Thank you. Thank you for that.
Councillor Watson.
Mayor, thank you.
And obviously, you know, it's fantastic
that we've got those carbon emission reduction targets
and we've got a great plan to deliver that.
The one thing that I would like to hear a little bit
more maybe from Felix or somebody else is this is
about how do we uncouple the growth from the use of
resources because, which is slightly different from our
carbon emissions, and how are we going to make sure
that we are, you know, tracking and reporting that
Cllr Anna Watson - 1:23:19
and we don't have this sort of like the growth will
always trump over the fact that actually what we've
got to do because really demand management is never
talked about when we talk about the economy, the fact that actually we need
to be consuming less. We can't keep consuming the world's resources. So even
if you've got EVs, they're demanding resources. All of our clean tech is
demanding resources, massive waters, we've already heard about AI etc. So I'm
interested to hear how are we going to bring that thinking in and make sure
that we are not inadvertently actually exacerbating the problem by actually
trying to create a better place for people within West Yorkshire. I'll leave that for my
colleagues. Yeah thank you Tracy.
You said something earlier on which I think is a bit at the crux of it that it
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:24:11
feels like no nobody's really no country is really cracked cracked this
successfully at least at that macro level yet and that speaks to simply how
difficult it is.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:24:25
In the local growth plan, we do have a lining that says,
we're focusing on growing the economy that
is our primary objective.
But we will hold these things in balance.
And we refer to the climate sustainability, as well as
health and well -being, as we make our investment decisions.
We haven't cracked this.
And so I couldn't sit here to tell you we have an answer.
This is what we're going to do in West Yorkshire.
We have not cracked this, if I'm very honest.
As the mayor said, we are writing and developing,
we're quite far into now, our nature recovery strategy.
It's statutory mandated by government.
It will be the first time we've ever done that.
That is intended to give us a sense of not just what is the
state of play.
We have a good sense of it, as you've just set out.
But what are the key actions that we
need to take to begin to address some of some
recover the position a lot more?
We have just in the last, just before Christmas,
also made the decision internally
to develop a tool which will allow
us to test all our investment decisions as they go through
to give us a sense of what is the impact that this is
and this could make.
And if the impact is negative, what
are the mitigations that that particular intervention is
proposing before it gets through?
Now, I am not saying that everything we put through
will, therefore, once we've got a tool that works,
will, therefore, have a positive impact.
Because there will be some that will have this level of impact.
Some will have that.
Overall, we have to work in a way that
put it all in balance so that if you look at the authorities' activities together, we
are having a net positive impact. There will be some interventions that might not be in
that positive bracket. But I'm being very honest to you to say we haven't cracked it
yet.
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:26:35
Thank you for your honesty, Felix.
Thanks.
Thank you.
Fortunately, I have a bus expert with me still.
Cllr Ralph Berry - 1:26:46
But I was just going to say, on the previous discussion, we need less pylons and more pylons,
as the son of a CGB engineer who built the national grid.
So on to the nighttime economy, and it's a connexion to quite a lot of people I meet,
and it's a source of employment and it links to the how we're going to use the bus network
and other networks to create reliable public transport to support the work of the venues
and activities in our towns and cities.
Because at the moment the early finishing of the public transport system is fed back
to me as a major, major challenge for people investing, major challenge for employment,
and it also limits the number of nights out and meals out and things that we can get in
and how we can get to the next level in our cities.
So that is the question and it does come from
quite a lot of people I know quite well.
Yeah, I think
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:27:48
, I mean, I think the transport network holds a
lot back in this region and particularly
the declining bus mileage that we have.
I am old enough to remember the Knight Rider
busses.
Yes.
At the time of the kachings, we are going
back in the you know I've got time to go down memory lane but you know it was
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 1:28:09
something that has been in place in the past there are there are I don't know
every bus timetable in Leeds I'll confess this to the committee there are
still a small number there's a 72 bus that runs between Leeds and Bradford 24
hours there are routes that run through the LS6 LS16 area quite late at night
but it's not the network that like I say I remember from
30 or 30 odd years ago and it is something that having control of the bus network will mean we can look at
look at
developing
Developing further, but I think it's also about actually how can you have a transport network that supports?
It's not just about running busses just on really busy routes at really busy times a day, but how can it support?
our economy and
people get into jobs and people's mobility as well.
Thank you.
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:29:12
All I'll add to that is there'll probably be a bit more
of this to come as we roll out the delivery
of the local growth plan.
The government has launched a national consultation
on an overnight visitor levy.
A lot of the nighttime economy is in that sector, not all of it.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:29:34
There are shifts working in factories, et cetera.
But a lot of it is in the hospitality -related part of the economy.
We'll see where we get to on the overnight visitor levy,
but that might give us a source of income that allows us to put on the –
economy and other related needs that that sector might require.
So there might be an opportunity there to look at.
I think the consultation is out.
We are definitely putting a response
as a combined authority.
We'll see where it gets to.
So that's the first thing I was going to say.
I suppose the related point is, if the mayor was here,
she would probably have said this.
we've looked into night school and how effective that was
for a certain generation and the merits of bringing something
like that back.
When the team actually looked into it,
it was interesting to know that actually there's
a lot of night school.
We just not called that.
And the challenge is probably around it
being more visible as an option for many workers
and other people to be able to access.
And so that again the team is looking up how we can do a bit more there to make sure we can shine a light
on that
Thank you
Kate Haigh - 1:31:07
Very interesting you should mention night school going back to history. That's something my grandfather set up in Tobin in 1920 something
But I think the bit about connecting
all of our cities are
agglomerations of townships
places of their own identity and the wider benefits to
the identities of our all our cities and I've worked in all of them in West Yorkshire is
Is that sense of being part of one wider place if your?
Cllr Ralph Berry - 1:31:34
Busses tail off in the middle of the evening before it's even dark in the summer
people feel left out and
Politics and economy is about
Feelings as well. So I look forward to this work continuing because it's very important for Whibsee and other places
Cllr Harry McCarthy - 1:32:00
Thank you chair, so we talked a lot I think about the overarching strategy and the goals
of this but I want to talk about the actual support they are providing for businesses.
So if a start up company, one of these clusters, knocked on the door of the combined authority,
what's the front of house process for identifying what support they need and then delivering
that support. Thank you. Thank you. So we've currently got what's called a
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:32:33
growth hub. We've had that for the last ten years and that means that the
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:32:37
combined Authority acts as a bit of a gateway for business support inquiries,
bit of a cheque -in challenge on what's needed, where do those businesses need to
go or individuals who are looking to start a business need to go into that wider
ecosystem. Last year at the CA we approved a new model for that growth hub
so we're just in the process of implementing that ready for the 1st of
April and that is going to play much more into the wider ecosystem of support
that's out there and not just publicly funded support but there's a lot of
support out there that businesses aren't aware of actually and we need to help
them tap into it. So we're very much on that journey of implementing that new
model getting the right processes in place, the right partners in place
actually across the wider ecosystem so that we've got essentially this is about
creating a connected responsive ecosystem where there is no wrong door
across West Yorkshire where we hide the wiring behind the scenes and it's an
effective system that businesses can can find their way through and navigate
through. And an important part of that is an underpinning website. TechEnable
platform are calling it website which is a new it's part of the new CA website
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:33:41
but it is a growth of part to that which is is standalone and is about
or access in and provision of advice and signposting and support, the first step on the journey
of then access in potentially, a bit more advisory support and intensive support that
a business might need.
Thank you Chair, thanks for the responses. I was looking at the growth hub last night
Cllr Harry McCarthy - 1:34:07
and it's impressive, there's a huge amount of information on there. I think if I had
one piece of advice.
It's maybe a little bit overwhelming sometimes.
There's so much information on there.
If I was starting up a business, I
think I'd struggle to know where to start.
So yeah, there's maybe a bit of work
that needs to be done there, simplifying that
and streamlining it so people know where to look.
That's a really, really helpful point.
And I think one of the things we're trying to do
is create a bit of a journey.
So it's responsive to individuals and people's needs.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:34:39
and there is always a phone line, there is a website, there is an email, there will be
resources out there in the ecosystem, we just need to get the right journey points and make
referral routes really nailed on so that exactly what you say, nobody gets lost or confused
and overwhelmed actually by information at the right time.
Cllr Bob Felstead - 1:35:03
Right, I'm just going to talk about anchor institutions on the WIC board that provide
critical scale of momentum. Now I've looked at the list, I know it's got Bank of England
and the FCA on there, but there appears to be an absence of private sector representation.
I'm thinking companies here who employ more than 400 people. So I'm just wondering if
any steps have been taken to actually change the complexion of anchor institutions.
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:35:38
So if you don't mind that you'll be helpful if you could clarify what are you actually looking at because we don't have a group
called anchor institutions
Lees leaves has anchor partners
Institutions in the report Felix. It says what's being done to ensure sorry
and
institutions large established
organisations providing critical scale and momentum
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:36:00
is the extract from the report are involved and represented
within WICCA's plans.
OK.
I hear you now.
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:36:09
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:36:12
That is not a group that meets in its own right.
It's a reference to a range of organisations
that we work with.
However, I'll answer what I think
is a subtext behind the question.
We've got
Combinations several groups, but there are two relevant ones that are our pull out. So on the business the business board is
primarily
SMEs
as a board that the mayor's business advisor chess mandiridja and it's almost exclusively
small and medium -sized
Businesses we have a related by separate group called the mayor's council or sometimes referred to as a mayor's business council
That has about 20 to 25 of the biggest private sector
employers in West Yorkshire.
So I'm talking about Jet2, Haribo, Morrisons, Asda.
Companies of that size are all on the Mayor's Business Council.
We put this in place about two years ago,
and it's been going fairly well since then.
But we are, again, we are looking at that since now
that we are revamping the business board.
We are looking at that again to see what role it
should be performing, et cetera.
And then towards the end of last year,
we had for the first time a gathering
of all the private companies that we engage
with in our day -to -day dealings.
It was a sort of end of year thing
we did at the tile hall in December last year.
And that brought all these private companies together.
are big and small as an opportunity for networking,
for engaging, and sharing ideas back and forth.
And that's something that we will continue.
So we do engage with large businesses,
and we have forums for that.
I think what you're referring to is not necessarily
a formal group.
I think that extract was given a sense of the range of business
as we've got here.
A key asset we've got in the region, key assets
have, particularly in financial and business services,
a number of anchor institutions that are based here,
largely in Leeds, but not exclusively so.
Really big institutions or prominent institutions.
And we're working through how we can make the most of that.
So that is where the Bank of England, the National World
Fund, the housing bank that is being set up,
financial conduct of authority, and the PRA just down
the road.
We have a lot of these government departments represented just here, and we're just working
through the best way of taking full advantage of that.
Leeds has a much older successful track record that Council always might want to talk about,
and a way of engaging those last businesses.
So there is something for us to learn there as a combined authority.
Thank you, Chair.
Can I just cheque the reference in the report please before...
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:39:17
Could you let me know which page or paragraph that is in the report
so I know what I'm talking about, please?
Thanks, Councillor Felstead.
Yeah, of course.
I mean, what I will say...
Sorry, just the question that Felix kind of asked me,
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:39:38
which I know isn't here, is...
So the anchor institutions in Leeds,
we've used the language of anchor institutions
for a couple of things.
The original longest standing was the largest employer,
so the council, teaching hospitals, trust,
civil service, trying to think of a few
of the privatised utilities.
Because for a number of objectives,
particularly around local procurement, local recruitment,
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 1:40:10
We felt working with a small number of large employers
at scale would help us on that.
We've also got business anchors, which
are significant employers in Leeds,
and we have community anchors as well,
which is a lot of our voluntary sector.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:40:27
Yes, it appears 15 times in the report.
So it's page 22 right at the bottom.
It's one of the bullet points.
This is thanks to Anna, by the way.
So it's anchor institutions, strong organisations with a gravitational pull.
Now I accept the fact that the Bank of England, the FCA and blah, blah, blah.
I'm trying to think a bit bigger than that because whilst they might talk to business,
from my experience of going out and talking to business, I started off with one business
and they introduced me to everybody else.
and that's why I'm saying anchor institutions must have an element of private sector representation.
Yeah, like I said, I mean we do, you know, within, so Felix talked through sort of the
structures in the combined authority and how employers of different size and scale are
included in the work we do here at the combined authority and the Mayor mentioned Mandy Ridyard,
a business advisor as well as a big part of the engagement.
I think the reference on page 22 is like I say, it is some of the sort of the large institutions
and employers that have a level of permanence and a level of scale, which means that you
know, there are often big purchases of supplies from smaller businesses in the area, they're
employers, they're ones who, I mean,
I won't repeat what I said earlier,
but about the significance of the NHS in West Yorkshire,
as a presence of a lot of the NHS
in administrative and back office side,
in leads drives a lot of the economy.
So I think that's a question there.
But I think to be clear, which I think you're asking,
is it's not just, there isn't five or six people we talk to
and assume that they talked absolutely
over the Elton West, George, that's not our intention.
But like I say, just within Leeds,
we use anchors in different ways.
That's why I was trying to clarify
what your question was.
Right.
What plans exist at Wiska to influence change
Cllr Richard Smith - 1:42:49
in private finance and IPO levels?
and I'm thinking here in terms of,
if you look at the decline in IPO's, which is,
Cllr Bob Felstead - 1:43:01
an IPO is when the company's floated on the stock market,
so there's loads of money, so we don't do it.
So back in 1997 was the beak of activity,
and I think currently we're down to something
like 600 million pounds annually,
and there are very, very few.
I know it's mentioned in the report,
but I think it's crucial to getting some of our businesses
that are expanding over the line to become major employers,
which will actually gravitate to the previous question.
I'll start, Sarah might want to come in.
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:43:35
I suppose the underlying point I would want to address
is how we support our businesses
to access the capital they need to grow.
Because floating on the stock market
It's not for every business.
It's a good and strong indicator for how some businesses are growing and because of the
cheques and challenges that being on the stock market brings, there is a degree of profile,
reassurance, et cetera.
So I'm not knocking that at all, but I think the fundamental challenge we've got is supporting
our businesses to actually attract the capital they need to scale. And in West
Yorkshire Leeds has come up tops in a few surveys over the year for being the
high -growth centre of the country, the best place for businesses to scale, scale
up capital etc. But as a region we do not do well. We do not do well. The amount of
funding, the capital that our businesses raise year on year,
is less than half in per capita terms
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:44:55
compared to other places like London.
Even Greater Manchester has gone beyond us,
which is really not on.
So the new approach that we're putting in place,
which the CA kindly signed off on last year,
and Sarah designed this.
So I'll let you talk about it in a second.
But it allows us to have a more holistic approach.
It matures the CS approach when it
comes to finance and capital from we
have a little bit of money.
We set up a grant spot here.
We distributed some companies.
And we think we've done a great job to actually help us answer,
how do we fix a system level challenge which
is in the way we feel of our business
is growing when it comes to access to capital,
Access to finance capital being one of the six wedges in the wheel of enterprise that the mayor talked about earlier on
And so we're looking at four or five
Things that we want to do and I'll hand over to Sarah if you don't mind chair to give us the quick five minutes
So this was approved at the CA last year and it's really about
creating a
system level
holistic level approach to the access to finance challenges that we know
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:46:12
businesses face because it's the number one thing that comes up time and time
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:46:14
again in business surveys. Access to finance but it's not just as simple as
the supply of finance it is more so actually an understanding of finance
options being able to then access that finance being pitch ready getting your
business in the right position to be able to kind of access that finance so
this is a bit of a three -pronged approach which is about information
failure and financial literacy across the business base it's about making sure
that then the support is in place to ensure that you are then ready as a business to access
the finance that is out there.
Where there are gaps though in finance and supply, how do we work with the system to
increase that supply into the region and the visibility of that finance?
And then lastly, and this is possibly the most important bit, how do we work with the
system to make sure they are supporting the ambitions of West Yorkshire to increase finance
in the region?
How do we encourage and support the banks to not have a closed door but have a, if a
business goes to them and asks for finance and it's not right, that's not the right solution,
rather than shutting the door on them, actually no you need to go talk to this person or this
is the place you need to go.
And it goes back to the earlier question and point about that connected responsive ecosystem
where there is no wrong door and no business or individual gets lost in the system and
actually we've got that connected responsive approach and that will help address that kind
of access to finance issue that consistently gets raised across our business base.
I'm not a question, more of a statement.
I'm just thinking that the cluster action plan should be the vehicle for that.
That should be part of that cluster.
Cllr Richard Smith - 1:47:44
So I'm just wondering if we're missing a trick.
Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair) - 1:47:53
Any question come up in someone's mind as to things we've been going through that they
would like to ask?
Yes.
This is a bit cheeky really, it's got nothing to do with the overall report per se, but
Paul Godwin - 1:48:13
writing through the report it's littered with unnecessary metaphors and an ecosystem obviously
is one that's used throughout this which counts to Watson and I know what an ecosystem is
and it's abused as a term through this report.
And another one which just came up just now is gravitational pull.
Now, strong -world ionisation do not have a gravitational pull.
The planet Earth has a gravitational pull.
And I know you may all have English degrees or whatever,
but it is... it gets rather wearing, the style of all these things.
If you mean something, say it rather than use a metaphor,
which someone has then got to work out
what the metaphor means.
And cluster is an example.
I know it's well -excribed, but cluster, to my mind,
is the things you present in chocolate form,
and which I might be buying for my wife for Valentine's Day,
and not cluster.
Something that's brought together in chocolate form.
And you're using the cluster now so loosely
as to make it almost devoid of meaning.
And you can explain things without using those terms.
You say, we're trying to bring things together on a
geographical basis or an intellectual basis,
on a business basis.
You don't have to say, we're forming a cluster.
And then you have to work out what a cluster means.
And it's just like with ecosystem,
you have to work out what ecosystem means.
Because I knew what it meant before I started.
And then I read your report, and then I have no idea what
ecosystem means anymore.
And this is slightly the problem with report.
I'm not saying it affects the content, it just affects the style and the bulk of it.
I think it can be made clearer per se when you're not using it.
Thank you.
Cllr John Lawson - 1:50:20
Having followed the links to the separate clusters and the monitoring and evaluation
sections on each of them, which is where I always naturally go, is how do we know we've
succeeded?
There is something on there that I didn't see, and it might be hidden for, you know,
fair play, it might be hidden in some of the Green Book, Governmental Green Book, or some
of those sections that, you know, you then have to go on to.
But I just wondered, and it's a complex affair, but I just wondered whether we were looking
at the SME growth, the existing SME growth,
through that registration, and are we gonna use that
as a tool as kind of recognising that growth
within those small to SME enterprises
that are actually growing within the life of this plant.
Again, we agreed to the,
Thank you. Yeah, mine was just on the back of Councillor Goodwin in relation to gravitational pull.
Actually anything with a mass has a gravitational pull. So if it's a large
Cllr Hannah Bithell - 1:51:33
organisation with more people there's likely to be more mass and therefore it
would have a larger gravitational pull.
Cllr Dave Merrett - 1:51:47
Thank you, Chair.
I think this is an absolutely excellent document, really,
really positive and good to see.
There's enormous ambition in here.
Resources at the end of the day are always finite.
How well do you feel you are resourced against what
you've set out to do here?
and are you clear on which bits, if you don't have enough resource for it all, are the priorities
in terms of what's going to make the most difference.
Right.
Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair) - 1:52:31
What I'm going to do is I'm going to ask Sarah first, then Felix, then Councillor Lewis to
have your final answer to any of the questions that are there, the ones that you can answer
within your remit or something that you've got contributions to make.
So Sarah first of all, well firstly note the points on the report and bear that in mind future and on the resource to deliver
This is this is this is a regional these are regional plans regional strategies regional construction plans
And part of the way we want to operate differently
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:52:57
Playing more of the wider don't say ecosystem the wider
West Yorkshire partners
To see the collective endeavour
The cluster groups are a really important part of delivering on this ambition pulling in the private sector as well to do that
So so I mean there is
Resources and funding of course, but this is not just on us. I think he's what I wanted to say
Thank you, I
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:53:27
Suppose on the resource bit we are in the middle of a green budgets
And so we will be much clearer that our overall budget was agreed yesterday
We're now working through how we force out in some of the different places
So we'll be in a better place to answer that probably next time next time we
However, inevitably we will say it's not enough. We want more. It's not it's never going to be enough
but we believe we will have enough to start and as it was when the question you asked about
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:53:56
If you know if we don't have enough, how are we going to prioritise this that that is really difficult?
My standard response to this often tends to be that, unfortunately, we do not have the
luxury of only doing one or two things because the challenges we face and their solutions
are also interdependent and so related, that we need to be careful and pick a collection
of solutions, so to speak, and see which ones would optimise.
But if push comes to shove, real on the business side,
our real focus is on how we focus on the sectors that have
the greatest potential for growth and enable those to grow
in a way that our job is really to be an enabler and not to be
a direct participant in that space, but it's difficult.
On the VAT registration point, if that was the question,
Sarah might know a bit more,
but we use different measures to help us understand
the extent of growth.
The ONS does have a VAT registration number.
It has a business births and deaths number
that we also track.
As you know, not every company, every business hits the vast threshold.
And so we have to be alive to that.
So it will be like measuring unemployment where you can use the claimants count, but
not everybody who is unemployed claims.
So you need to then use the ILO number to try to give you a more rounded view.
So we have a number of metrics that we use.
There are experts upflow who sort of get into this and give us a good idea.
I'm happy to walk through that a bit more.
Take the point about some of our technology,
we will do better.
But yeah, thank you.
Thank you, I think,
you know, whenever we discuss it,
it's always for me,
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:56:09
you end up with a bit of a philosophical,
hopefully not using too many metaphors,
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 1:56:13
sort of consideration about what actually is the role
of public sector intervention in the economy.
And I think it comes on to Councillor Merritt's point about actually some of this comes down
to actually, you know, there's some options around resources as well.
And I think it's been really clear what we hope to achieve and recognising, first of
all, where do we directly intervene, where are we using our convening to bring people
together and bring support together, and where are we just trying to spread the word about
how things work.
And I think that is for me is, you know, sits behind a lot of it and it reflects the outcomes
that we are hoping to achieve.
I could give a much longer explanation, but we are, I think the important part of this
is we do have a plan about what we intend to do.
We do, you know, always reflect on the measurements.
We do look at that and make sure we're getting value for public money.
but also, you know, fundamentally,
a lot of what we're talking about here
is going to be around businesses thriving,
employing more people,
and those people in employment earning more
because they are more skilled in the businesses
and the employees are more productive.
And that fundamentally is gonna be not driven
from this building, but it is something that we support.
And like I say, I could go on a lot longer,
but I think that's fundamentally where this work is.
And it's about having that plan in place
and then being able to come back
and understand what it has delivered.
Thank you very much.
Cllr Barry Anderson (WYCA Scrutiny Chair) - 1:57:46
So there are no formal recommendations as far as this paper is concerned,
but in that case can I thank Sarah, Felix, Councillor Lewis and Mayor Braben,
who is not here to hear is what I'm saying,
but thank you for coming along today and answering our questions.
You'll probably find that there might be some follow -ups at the next time you come along,
But that's the way that scrutiny tends to to do things. So thank you very much on that in terms of item six
Can we note the next steps and the work plan formally?
Yeah, good. That's when that chase our next meeting is

6 Next Steps and Workplan

Two seconds ago

7 Meeting dates

So it's the February and then we've got the change date in March
So thank you very much for your attendance today and thank you for your contributions
.