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Investment Board
Thursday, 16th July 2026 at 11:00am

 
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  1. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  2. Myles Larrington, Committee Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  1. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  2. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
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  1. Cllr Councillor Andrew Judson Bradford Council
  2. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  3. Cllr Keith Ingle
  4. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  5. Nikki Deol Assistant Director Legal, Governance & Compliance
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  1. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  2. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  3. Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  5. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  7. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
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  1. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  2. Simon Pope, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  4. Cllr Salma Arif
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  2. Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  8. Cllr Salma Arif
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  11. Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  12. Cllr Councillor Andrew Judson Bradford Council
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  14. Cllr Keith Ingle
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  16. Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  20. Cllr Councillor Andrew Judson Bradford Council
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  22. Cllr Matthew Pinder
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  24. Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  2. Cllr Keith Ingle
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  5. Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  6. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  8. Cllr Salma Arif
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  10. Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  11. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  10. Stephanie Oliver-Beech
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  12. Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  14. Cllr Keith Ingle
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  18. Cllr Keith Ingle
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  14. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
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  6. Stephanie Oliver-Beech
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  1. Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  7. Cllr Matthew Pinder
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1 Apologies for Absence

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:00:10
Welcome, everybody, and to our new members, the first meeting of the investment board.
And this is part of our new governance arrangements as we are with our integrated settlement.
I'm hoping it's going to speed up decision making and make us more efficient to deliver
for the people of West Yorkshire.
And I'm really, really delighted that Kirklees Council have agreed to their leadership last
night.
Congratulations to Sarah Wood, who will now be leader.
And also the nomination to this committee, Councillor Stephen Drensfield.
Thank you so much for coming.
I do not assume you've read the papers, but I do appreciate you making the effort this
morning in your first engagement on this board.
Thank you.
So new faces around the board, a new board, and here to deliver.
So thank you so much.
Miles, any apologies?
There are no apologies for absence, ma 'am.
Thank you so much.

2 Declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

Myles Larrington, Committee Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:01:09
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:01:10
Do any members have any interest they wish to declare on any item on the agenda?
Yes, Councillor Courtney.
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 0:01:17
Yes, it's not pecuniary, but I am working at the retrofit hub in Togmeden and there
is obviously the loans for retrofit on the agenda which we wouldn't be benefiting from
as an organisation but just for full transparency I just wanted to mention that.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:01:38
Could I cheque whether Councillor Conlon is to recuse herself from that vote?
No, given the nature of the organisation at which she's employed this is all declared
under her interests as a member of the Combined Authority. It doesn't create a direct conflict
but where certain matters do I've discussed this matter and Councillor

3 Exempt Information - Possible Exclusion of the Press & Public

Courtney will make those declarations but for today no it's just for
information. Thank you so much for doing that perfect good stuff. Okay moving on
there are no exempt items today which means we can press on as normal. Thank
you just got the nod, very good. So the next item on the agenda is the

4 Mayor's Update

mayor's update. Well it's the first meeting of this board so not much to say
But I'd like to put on record that I'm heartbroken
about England last night, and I don't know about
anybody else.
I have a bit of a thick head.
But we continue with that determination that England
showed in the game.
But I'd also like to put on record I met with the
Chancellor on Monday in Darlington, maybe number
11 North, alongside other mayors to discuss the
ongoing work to progress to fiscal devolution, which
will be an absolute game changer for us as a region
and end the begging bowl culture of having to go back
to Whitehall and Westminster to bid into funding rounds.
So it's ongoing work, and I know there's a lot going on
behind the scenes with officers to try and get
that into good shape.
Also, you know, looking at a proportion of income tax,
how that can stay in our region, and how that can be
devolved here as a mayoral strategic authority.
And as a mature mayoral strategic authority, one of
only seven in the country, I do think we are in a very good
position to really lean into fiscal devolution.
And I know given that the new Prime Minister is an ex -mayor,
I know that the new Prime Minister will be keen to get
this over the line as well when he's appointed on Monday.
Okie doke.
So moving on to governance arrangements, item five.

5 Governance Arrangements

This is a report on the governance arrangements for this
new investment board.
Can I ask Nicky Deal, our Assistant Director for Legal Governance and Compliance, to introduce
the report.
Nicky, thank you.
Thank you, Mayor.
Thank you, members.
This is the first item on the agenda in relation to governance arrangements.
On the 25th of June at the annual meeting, the new board was constituted under the constitution
alongside the approved – alongside approving the terms of reference.
The terms of reference set out the detail in the remit under which you will be making
decisions for Investment Board and the Investment Board has a broad remit in investment priorities
for the region in general areas of competency but also specific areas of investment and
economic priority areas and matters that require transport investment and also taking programmes
through the assurance framework. As you'll see, there's information within the terms
of reference in relation to quorum and how that operates alongside the voting
rules which is by simple majority members. This is a change that has come
along by the devolution Act whereby by show of hands whether you're voting for
against or abstaining in order for that matter to pass it must be a simple
majority and include the mayor or the deputy mayor within that vote. That is a
matter and a rule of law and that is something that's enshrined within our
constitution. In addition to that there is a point in relation to membership and
given that Kirklees have now appointed their leader we have received
notification formally this morning that Councillor Transfield is a member of
this investment board and Councillor David Birch will be your substitute
going forward. That concludes my presentation the papers are there for
by the board. Thank you. And any questions on the governance arrangements?
Councillor Judson, if you'd introduce yourself and maybe as we're all new to each other,
maybe your local authority. Yes, I am Councillor Judson. I am representing
Cllr Andrew Judson - 0:05:52
Bradford Metropolitan District Council. I am the deputy leader of Bradford and I'm also
the portfolio holder for planning, regeneration and the economy. Thank you. My question was
just to regard, I don't know whether to bring it up at this point or not, but our representative
Councillor Ian Eglin is stepping down as representative and becoming substitute
and I am to be received permanent replacement. I just want that put on record
if we need to vote on that I don't know it works.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:06:16
Thank you. Thank you. Nicky. I can make those amendments under my delegation
because it's a nomination from your council so thank you for noting that and
if that could be recorded in the minutes. Councillor Ingle. Hi my name is Keith
Cllr Keith Ingle - 0:06:28
I'm the Councillor for Calderdale.
I'm the cabinet member for economic regeneration which includes planning and housing.
Forgive my ignorance being a newbie to this operation, this organisation.
I was just wondering, given the scope and breadth of the activities we'll be discussing
and voting and pushing through, is will there be an organisational structure of support
groups within the context under the umbrella of WICCA or will it be expected that we will
bring it through from our respective councils?
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:07:06
An excellent question. Thank you, Councillor Ingle. You are absolutely right that with
this new structure, this committee will have a very wide remit and the expectation of knowledge
is wide and deep. So can I hand over to Nicky?
So Councillor Ingle, you're right, the remit is very broad and wise and as officers we
will support members alongside your own teams within your constituent councils. There's
a lot of activity that happens behind the scenes and interaction with our constituent
Nikki Deol Assistant Director Legal, Governance & Compliance - 0:07:37
councils given that we are a combined authority and we're working together and a lot of the
directors are here to support you, give you briefings and we're hoping to introduce more
interaction and engagement outside of the board so you're fully focused on what's coming
forward and what schemes, background and details are, including regeneration proposals, planning,
because we recognise that with a lot of these funding models and investment decisions, they
shouldn't be treated in isolation. This is a dual approach.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:08:09
Thank you. And can I just reassure you, Councillor Ingle, when I first became mayor five years
ago, I am quite embarrassed how little I knew. And every day is a school day. We are all
learning every day, so there is no such thing as a stupid
question, but what I would encourage members to do is to
really lean into the learning in the first few months,
because that way we can speed up decision making.
But if you need anything at all, this organisation is here
to help you.
This is why we're here.
And reach out to officers, or myself in the first instance,
if you want particular briefings,
there's things that you need to know more about.
But your officers in your local authority will also be able to help you because they'll
have been briefed from us as well.
But it's a team sport and we want to make sure you've got all the information that you
need.
Thank you.
Any further questions about the governance?
No?
Thank you so much.
Okie doke.
So can we note the governance arrangements is approved by the CA board at its annual
meeting on the 25th of June, 2026.
So we just note that.
We don't have to vote on it, do we, Nikki?
It's just noted.
Lovely, thank you.
Okay, moving on to project approvals and the introduction.

PROJECT APPROVALS

This is a really important paper because it sets out how the CA
makes decisions about investing public money in projects and

6 Project Approvals Introduction

programmes across West Yorkshire.
The process helps ensure funding is directed towards schemes that
deliver those benefits for our communities and represent,
of course, good value for money for taxpayers and also gives
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:09:47
assurance decisions are made that are consistent, transparent and accountable, giving residents,
partners and government confidence in how investments are made.
Ultimately, this is to make sure that projects are delivered properly and investments we
approve help create those stronger, better connected, more prosperous communities across
West Yorkshire.
So if I can invite Sarah Eaton, our Director of Strategy, to take us through the report,
please.
Sarah.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:10:13
So just the report is basically an introduction report to the next stage of approvals that
you're going to be looking at in the board.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:10:23
And essentially what this is setting out as the mayor has just mentioned, it's outlining
basically how we take projects and programmes through the combined authority through to
decision making in line with our assurance process.
And the paper kind of outlines detail around our West Yorkshire local assurance framework.
This framework was developed as part of the 2015 growth deal with government and it's
been reviewed and refreshed on an annual basis since that time.
The framework's really important because it does set out those kind of necessary practises
and standards to make sure that when we're making decisions there, they are over funding,
in that they are, and how they are implemented,
that those decisions are proper transparent,
and they deliver value for money.
And that, we agree that framework with the government,
to give the government assurance that we are taking decisions,
you know, given the significant amount of resource
that comes through the combined authority,
following those processes.
We're currently working to the 2025 local assurance framework,
and we are currently working on a refresh of that document
for 2026. It's important that we do that and this year's is more important than usual,
particularly given that we've got the integrated settlement, which is implementing new processes
and procedures as a result of that. But also to make sure that on a regular basis we're
looking at how agile we are with the assurance framework, whether we can make improvements
as the Mayor said to make sure that we're taking decisions at speed, but doing that
in line with the standards and the practises that we need to implement.
As the paper outlines in terms of investment decisions, every decision we take is in accordance
with the process stage set out in the assurance framework and that framework provides almost
like a step by step guide, and there's some detail of that in the paper which I won't
go into today, you will have seen that.
Essentially every, unless otherwise stated, every scheme that comes forward will at one
the board, we will go to the combined authority for decision and as the paper sets out, decisions
that are over £40 million will go to the combined authority because of the nature and
the scale of the funding that is allocated to them. Every scheme will follow a pathway,
and before any decision comes forward, decision makers need to be satisfied that the scheme
how the process is progressing as part of that process.
The diagram in the document sets out the decision making points.
It shows three key stages and seven activities in there. Not
every scheme will fall at every single point. We look at that
pathway to make sure it's the best pathway for that particular
scheme or project.
and where schemes are less complex, for example, we would do something called a business justification
case, which is a one -stage approval, and that is for schemes that are less complex with
quite less kind of oversight.
The paper sets out our approach to business cases, and as you'll see in there, we follow
kind of the green book, which mandates several kind of criteria for scheme promoters, and
we talk to your colleagues and other colleagues about those on a regular basis to make sure
that we're following the right pathway.
And the important part in the document is that need
to kind of constantly ensure that we provide
the value for money.
And it sets out there some of the methodologies
that we use.
So we will often look for BCR,
which is a benefit cost ratio,
which is part of the business case development.
But we also look at other criteria to kind of balance
kind of other economic, environmental, and social factors
that might be realised if we take that scheme forward,
which is an important part of some of the schemes that we may be looking at.
As project approvals come forward, they will generally now follow the nine competencies
that we're using to kind of align our functions and responsibilities.
They're set out in the recent enacted English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act and
there are nine of those competencies.
Not all, we won't be bringing forward schemes at every point
through all nine of those areas.
Obviously, projects that come forward have got a particular
rhythm of their own, and you'll see today that we're only
looking at projects that fall within six of those
thematic areas.
And I'll stop there now.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:15:01
And, Sarah, you can provide reassurance that the changes in
the government's approach to the green book are reflected in our
assurance process, that it's not just about value for money
or BCR, it is now about growth and the impact on communities.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:15:17
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:15:24
Okie dokie. Any comments or questions? I think we'll struggle with the coastal communities,
competency, that's definitely not in our remit. Councillor Courtney.
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 0:15:33
Yeah, very glad to see a mention of social value in the report because I think, and we'll
a lot of growing of development of sectors and stuff, but actually all of the extra value
that is then put in through social value, whether it's apprenticeships or helping local
communities or whatever it is in those schemes, I just think that it's really good to see
that mentioned and really positive about that. Thank you.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:16:02
Thank you. We want our assurance process to be rigorous, but we also want it to be reflective
of the scale of the project so that things aren't held up by a one -size -fits -all.
So that flexibility and agility I think is really important from the team, and I have
seen how in the last few years we have changed that process to be more reflective and supportive
of projects earlier on to get better outcomes later on.
Thank you.
Okie doke.
So everybody happy to note the content of the report?
Thank you so much.
Moving on to item seven, the transport and local

7 Transport and Local Infrastructure

infrastructure, you'll know that transport is going to
be a huge area of focus for us over the next few years
with bus franchising, buying of depots with the tram,
and other investments.
This first report covers the transport and local
infrastructure theme, including bus hotspots,
south accommodation road scheme, which is an
important scheme in Leeds.
And I'll ask Simon Pope, our Transport Capital Programme
director to set up further details and then as a lead scheme, if I may ask Councillor
Salma Aref to comment, please.
But also, do I need to accuse myself as I live near this?
No I don't.
Okay.
Very good.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:17:15
Okay.
Simon, over to you.
Thank you, Mayor.
Simon Pope, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:17:21
So this first project approval forms part of the wider bus hotspots improvement programme
which involves smaller scale improvements at specific locations that experience significant
bus delays.
Other schemes within the programme have already been approved for delivery at other hot spot
locations in neighbouring authorities across West Yorkshire.
South Accommodation Road, for those that don't know, provides a key route into Leeds from
the south and east of the city with 16 busses an hour carrying an average of 600 passengers.
Bus journeys typically take much longer on the busiest morning of the week compared to
the quietest, impacting the reliability and punctuality of services.
So to address this, the scheme involves converting a general traffic lane to a 24 hour bus lane
on the approach to the Atkinson Street roundabout, part signalization of that roundabout to reduce
congestion caused by traffic joining at the junction and changes to pedestrian and cycle
facilities to give a more direct route for those living and working in the area.
Significant reduction in bus journey times is predicted to result alongside enhanced
reliability of services.
Costs for the scheme have increased from those that were previously approved by the combined
authority in 2024 due to the signalization of the roundabout that has been introduced
in direct response to public and stakeholder feedback to limit any impact on general traffic.
Despite this higher cost, the scheme still represents a strong case for investment with
improved bus journey times and serious reliability fully aligned with our local transport plan
policy objectives and providing a significant contribution to our integrated settlement
outcome targets.
So the project approval recommends that the scheme proceeds into delivery and that the
The funding towards the scheme is increased by £655 ,000 to £791 ,000.
A further £15 ,000 is then to be provided by Leeds City Council to cover resurfacing
costs.
So subject to the board's approval, works will start on site in October and are due
to complete in December.
Thank you.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:19:08
And it's not just about the seven minutes saved, is it?
It's about the reliability.
You know how long your journey is going to be to get into work.
And I think that's what puts people off choosing busses because you don't know how long your
journey is going to be because of traffic.
So I think this is an important consideration.
Just not the seven minutes but that reliability as well.
Councillor Ariff.
Thank you, Mayor.
My name is Councillor Salma Ariff.
Cllr Salma Arif - 0:19:31
I am the Deputy Leader of the Council with executive responsibility for the economy which
includes culture and sports.
Very supportive of the scheme.
Whilst I don't live close by, Mayor, what I can say, I do know South Accommodation Road,
it is an incredibly busy road.
and it's worth pointing out also that we've got people coming in from Catterfield, Pontifract and Wakefield
so everybody in the region will benefit from this scheme.
I know, having spoken to the members as well, that they are supportive of the scheme.
I think it would be a really positive and it's much to you to be honest with you. Thank you, Mayor.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:20:03
Thank you so much. Any further questions, comments?
Super. Thank you so much.
For the bus hotspots south accommodation road scheme, the investment board subject to conditions
and with reference to 4 .12 and 4 .13 in the report, one, approves that the bus hotspot
south accommodation road scheme proceed through decision point 2 to 4 and work commences on
activity 5, which is delivery.
Three, two, approves the combined authority funding of 654 ,734 pounds, taking the total
amount to 791 ,000, and the total scheme cost is 805 ,642 pounds.
Three, approves that future approvals are made in accordance with the assurance pathway,
approval route, and tolerances set out in the business case summary attached to the
report.
So, now if we could vote on these recommendations, please.
All those in favour, if you could raise your hand.
Thank you.
All those against, please raise your hand.
Any abstentions?
Thank you so much.
That has been carried.
Moving on to skills and employment.

8 Skills and Employment Support

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:21:17
This is two schemes under the skills and employment theme.
The first is something I know as counsellors you will all really understand, which is a
way to address the tutors shortage in further education.
It's been raised by countless colleagues across
West Yorkshire and FE colleges, because without
addressing this issue, we simply won't have enough
courses for our young people to access the skills they
need to get on.
And our businesses, importantly, will not have
the skilled workforce they need to grow.
So if I could invite Felix Kumianpofo, our director
of inclusive economy, skills and culture to set up details of the scheme.
Please, Felix.
Thank you, mayor.

8 a) Apprenticeship Brokerage

Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:22:04
And if you permit me, because this is a new board and I've got a number of items today,
I'd like to just set the scene about where these projects have come from and why we're
doing it and hopefully that narrative will inform everything else that follows.
Members may know in the local growth plan,
which we developed and the combined authority approved
at the end of 2024, we set out three headline barriers
to growth constraints that are hampering or in the way
of high economic growing.
And that focused on skills or inadequate skills,
chronic underinvestment over a period,
and also transport connectivity in particular.
The papers I'll present today focus on the skills bit,
but also investments particularly into business.
In response to those three constraints,
we set out five priorities, headline priorities in the plan.
One, the focus on place, under which we pick up housing
and culture and quality of life.
transport, which we just had a paper about, and then the other three focus on skills,
the region of learning and creativity, and then on business, the last two, focusing on
key sectors, but also how we work to enable our businesses to succeed.
The papers that come today speak to these priorities in particular, and so that is why
they've come through to you in this way.
And for each of them, there are pieces of evidence at the back of our minds as we work
these through.
So it's very clear that, for example, employment rates in West Yorkshire, about three percentage
points below the national average, that's equivalent of about 50 ,000 jobs fewer than
we should have.
In terms of businesses, we have 20 ,000 fewer businesses than we should have in the region,
So that is why we've got papers here today that speak to our support for businesses
to ensure that these businesses, more businesses set up here and the ones that are here grow and create jobs in response to the first
point I made. When you look at apprenticeships, for example, nationally apprenticeship numbers have been falling since 2018
In the last six, seven years it's fallen by 15 % or so. And again, we've got a paper here today that speaks to that.
In the Lookout Board plan we had three underlying crosscutting themes.
One was on health and wellbeing.
We have a paper here today on work well that helps us to address that in line with or in
conjunction with many other activities that are already underway.
So I hope that is helpful in giving you an overall sense of where these projects, these
proposals have come from, the underpinning evidence and the rationale and how they are
into our overall strategies and the policies
that the Combined Authority's been working on
over the last few years.
This first one is on skills.
And there are two papers in there as the mayor set out.
The first one is on tutor shortages.
At seven further education colleges,
the mayor meets the principals regularly,
I meet them quarterly.
And one of the first things they talked to me about
when I started was the struggle to attract tutors.
And when they attract them, they don't stay for as long
as they need.
A lot of the expertise they need sits in industry.
They can't compete with them in terms of the salaries
that are paid.
This is a national challenge, and in West Yorkshire,
we'll not be able to fix this on our own.
But what we're doing here, the government is taking
note of already, and it's watching the pilots that we
are putting in place.
What we are proposing here is to work with the colleges on recruitment and campaigns
there to work with the colleges when it comes to their work in specific areas where there
is a huge shortage. So in engineering, in construction, in manufacturing, to work with
industry, find out how with our support they will be able to lend more of their expertise
to these colleges to make sure our students can benefit from that.
Because I'm sure you understand much better than I do, this is a supply and demand issue.
Even if we have a lot of young people coming through, a lot of learners coming through
if they aren't the tutors, then that learning will not take place.
So the first one is for seeking your support.
This is part of an approval that has already come through, but we have tweaked it because
things have changed.
So there are three things in particular that we are asking for here.
One, that we focus on engineering and manufacturing because there is a specific intervention that
has now come through on construction. So we're changing the focus so we can focus on those
two, engineering and manufacturing. Second is to change the timeline so it's in line
with integrated settlement. So we are in sync and we are now working out of cycle. And then
Thirdly, there's the change to the outcomes and the outputs that we initially set out.
And actually this is a positive change.
We are increasing.
We haven't learned more about what is possible and engage with the market.
We are increasing.
We realise that we can actually do more.
So for example, we are saying we'll set out, we'll achieve 40 sessions, each session being
four hours long as an increase in engagement with industry and the expertise that industry
able to provide to colleges and to learners. So that is what we are seeking in terms of
the tutor shortage package. The second one is about skills capital, if you are happy
for me to go into that for the sake of time and then we can take the vote.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:28:05
I think we take, if I may Nicky, we take them one at a time, so voting, so if you are happy
to pause there and then we will come back. But I would say Felix you are absolutely right
and Councillor Judson, I was over in Saltaire yesterday talking to the radio frequency and
microwave cluster. We've got the space corridor of Shipley and Saltaire and they were speaking
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:28:29
really passionately about their real need for engineering tutors for this incredible
radio frequency space cluster that we have because they just don't have the tutors. So
Businesses are telling us every meeting I'm attending that we have to get tutors in because
colleges can't afford them.
So it's a really exciting piece of work.
Any questions to Felix on this item about tutors?
No?
Okay.
Let's go to approve.
So can we approve the change request to the addressing tutor shortages in further education
to increase delivery time scales from the 31st of December 26 to the 31st of March 29.
The total scheme costs are 850 ,000.
To change the project scope to remove the construction sector from the industry partnership
coordination work stream of the tutor shortages scheme but leave the engineering and manufacturing
sectors within scope and to increase the outputs as per the report.
And two, can we prove that future approvals are made in accordance with the assurance
pathway approval route and tolerances set out in the business case summary.
Can we see a show of hands in favour?
Thank you those against.
Any abstentions?
Thank you.
That has been carried.
Moving on to construction skills capital programme.
Thank you, Felix.
Thank you, Mayor.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:30:03
Last year the government designated Leeds College of Building as a regional construction
technical excellence college.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:30:18
May I just ask, does that cover the whole of Yorkshire and Humber?
It's quite a win for us that, so it was a good thing.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:30:27
It definitely was, especially as they are the only specialist building college in the
country. So it was a big one and you and others did a lot of work to secure that.
This funding that we are seeking approval for allows us to work with a college who will
then work as the hub, work with their spokes to identify where opportunity exists for us
to increase the number of students coming through to study various construction courses,
but also crucially to improve and radically transform
the number that upon completion actually end up
in the industry because the attrition rate is much higher
than you would expect given the vacancy rate
in that particular sector.
So what we are seeking now is to work your approval for us
to provide funding to the College of Building
who will in turn work with the industry,
work with the hubs to identify the key projects,
the expansion needed to create more places and to
ensure that this industry has the learners coming
through and the employee engagement that it needs
for it to meet the demand that we put on it to grow
the economy.
So that is in short what this one is about.
Thank you.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:31:48
And speaking to Niki who runs the business,
the College of Construction,
The challenge is young people, for example, want to do electrical or they want to do,
I don't know, brick laying or whatever, or plumbing, and they don't get the course they
want.
They do another one like business.
They don't engage with it.
It's not what they wanted to do, so they fall out of college, and then they become a need.
So we've got to ensure that their first choice is available so that we can set them off on
their ambitious pathway into construction.
So I'm really pleased to see this because capital is a real challenge for FE colleges because they've been underfunded for decades.
Councillor Ari, if you wanted to come in.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:32:32
Yes, if I may, Mayor. So from our perspective it's a really significant opportunity in Leeds given the lead role that Leeds College of Building is playing,
but it also supports the city's regional ambitions in relation to housing regeneration infrastructure growth.
Cllr Salma Arif - 0:32:45
Additionally Mayor, this actually complements our recent investment into
additional post 16 construction training capacity that was made available by
Lead City Council and that's on the back of allocation by the fee. So fully supportive of this.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:33:00
Thank you. Councillor Judson then Councillor Ingle. Councillor Judson.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:33:01
Thank you Mayor. Yes I can fully support this. 35 years in the building industry. I
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:33:06
know exactly how it works from top to bottom. Now I am happy to see that the
Cllr Andrew Judson - 0:33:16
colleges that can apply for funding. I was disappointed that the £6 million funding
for the Skills College in Keighley was taken back. So I'm hoping at some point in the future
that can be put back on the table because I think it's very important, especially with
the real infrastructure that's changing, that Keighley gets that second college to actually
have more spaces. Speaking with Skills House, they're telling me they need more spaces for
people to learn, so I want to approve on that one. But I'm very happy to see Keighley back
I would love to see the 6 million back in the key play at some point but this is a good
idea.
It's great.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:33:46
Thank you and can I say the work that Scales House does is exceptional and Bradford has
one of the lowest neat figures in the country because of a lot of the work that they do.
Obviously we want to then make sure that those young Bradfordians have jobs to go to and
that's also the next challenge I think for Bradford.
But thank you so much for the support Councillor Judson.
Councillor Ingle.
I think any kind of training scheme is appropriate.
I think we're desperate for it across West Yorkshire.
Cllr Keith Ingle - 0:34:14
I note that the picked upon the thought of routing the CTEC scheme through the Leeds City College.
And I heard the reference to using that as a spoke to reach outlying colleges in, I'm assuming, colleges throughout West Yorkshire.
Again, I'm totally in agreement with that.
I guess the question mark is, how will that be administered to ensure that the outlying
colleges receive a fair access to that kind of funding?
Exactly that.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:34:48
And my role as Mayor is to look at the whole of West Yorkshire and making sure all of our
young people get those opportunities.
So absolutely right.
Felix, may you answer those questions for me?
I will.
Thank you, Mayor.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:35:02
So, Lee's College of Building, not Lee's City College, Lee's College of Building is already
the hub, it's part of a government programme, as I said, I mentioned the C -Tech, the Construction
Technical Excellence College, Lee's College of Building is already the regional hub with
a number of spokes.
So that is a national programme, it's not one that the Combined Authority set up.
Working with the DFE and with DWP, the expectation is that we work with our regional hub and
the spokes in the area to deliver this programme.
So what we're proposing to do, as you've said,
is to work with the college, the College of Building,
who know their hub, their spokes much better than we do,
and understand the industry better than we do.
Their role will be to examine the projects,
the proposals that come forward.
Remember, this is only 6 .7 million pounds.
So, and we, the need is now.
So there's specific criteria that we're working with
them on what projects can take off immediately,
the engagement with employers and the extent of that,
the plans they've got, which ensures that learners,
when they come through, the attrition rate is much lower
than it's been to date, et cetera.
So the role that they will play, more or less as a fund manager,
is to run a process where they examine the proposals that come
through and make a decision based on their expertise,
which ones are best suited to the criteria that we've set
The combined authority will have a seat on the investment board so to speak that is being
set up and we will report back to you on the progress there.
But the colleges that make up the spokes will have an opportunity to bid into this, which
includes this college of building itself, which has a project that is working up and
will be considered as part of this.
Thank you.
And regarding Keithley?
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:36:58
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:37:01
The fund you talked about is not one that the combined authority administered and therefore
took away. That was not a gift. It was run directly with central government. I'm very
happy to come out and have a chat with you about the specific needs in Keithley. Keithley
College is owned and run by Lee City College. I meet with the principal every two or three
months, very happy to have a conversation with you.
We will have another, we'll come back to this board,
we're running a little process, we'll come back to this board
because we have some further funding on capital,
which we're running through the process now just to work out how
we do that.
So there will be a further opportunity for our colleges
here to take advantage of some capital funds that we've got
through integrated settlement.
However, again, as the mayor said at the top,
very limited funding.
So the criteria is tied, the team is working that through, all the principals have been
engaged in this so they know the process we are running.
We are working through a third opportunity with government to find out more creative
ways to inject greater capital into our FE system.
That is a bit of a long shot.
Are we working that through with government and we'll see where we get to.
Thank you.
Yes, Councillor Jensen.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:38:20
Cllr Andrew Judson - 0:38:21
Yes, just to respond to that, thank you for that.
That is something I would like to push forward.
Just for clarity, I understand it wasn't the combined authority that took back the money.
I knew it was the government.
But at some point this authority may be giving more money and it would be nice for them to
give a bit of decay for it.
That's all I'm saying.
Thank you.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:38:37
I can see there's going to be no greater champion for Bradford than you, Councillor Judson.
So I'm getting my tin hat on in readiness.
Thank you so much.
Councillor Pinder.
Thank you, Mayor.
Cllr Matthew Pinder - 0:38:49
Yes, yes, it's Councillor Pinder from Wakefield Council.
I have a portfolio for district regeneration and regional growth.
Now, as in Waithor, we're absolutely welcome.
The spending across both points have been mentioned so far,
Felix and the mayor.
My question is, have we considered as a combined
authority how once the beneficiaries of the training
have gone through the training and been up -skilled,
which we welcome, we want our young people to have those
skills to move on in life.
Has there been any consideration into how they then have the
pathway to move into the jobs market?
Now, I know that construction, there's a big push from national
government, there are other jobs there at the moment.
But in terms of manufacturing as a whole,
we know it's a difficult market.
Obviously there's macro factors including energy costs which are
leading to a decline in manufacturing.
So as a being consideration as to how those young people then
move into work after we've put the investment in to train them
all.
Thank you so much.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:39:40
And that's where our increase in apprenticeships and support for
businesses is really important.
We have seen entry -level jobs reducing,
not just in West Yorkshire but across the country.
So we are really alive to that topic of the transition period
from college and into work.
But maybe Felix should like to respond to that.
Felix Nwokwe Nwokwe Mwokwe Thank you,
and what you said is absolutely spot on.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:40:02
So it's why I sort of said at the beginning,
all of these are part of a wider package.
We expect to come back to you at a later date with further
proposals for interventions around how we support people
through technical pathways, clearer technical pathways
into employment.
While with construction in particular,
I made the point earlier on, there
is a particular challenge with the sector.
Given the extent of vacancies in the sector,
you would think that every young person who
goes through and acquires a qualification or a skill
goes straight into work.
The attrition rate does not sit.
It does not really make a lot of sense,
given the number of vacancies in the sector
and the number of young people going in.
That is a key part of the C -Tech work.
So it's not simply about increasing the number of people
that go through the process with the expansion in capacity.
Of course, that is important.
But there's a greater emphasis
on reducing the attrition rates.
So we work with the college, with College of Building
and with the spokes to make sure that their processes are in place with employer engagement
so that the learners are on a pathway straight into employment after their training or during
their training and after their training.
And it's worth noting that actually the College of Building is quite good at this.
They have, don't quote me on the numbers, but I think around 80 % of their learners go
straight into employment in many other colleges around the country is probably closer to 50,
60 percent. And so they're quite a trendsetter in that space. We want to do more, we want
to get those numbers much higher, and that is a particular emphasis on this work.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:41:55
Thank you. And also just to say as the push for further devolution, I do not understand
why we do not have devolution of careers, the career service.
That is delivered centrally.
It makes no sense.
So we are saying, give us the money for careers.
And we know our businesses, we know our young people.
We can work more closely with them.
And also, last week, we launched the West Yorkshire Promise,
which is every young person will have meaningful work experience
under 18.
We will create more apprenticeships.
There will be young people have access to the soft skills that
businesses are crying out for.
Some young people don't even know how to use a bus.
These sorts of, you know, blockages are stopping them
delivering their potential.
And also 2 ,000 young people get more support for mental health,
because we also know that poor mental health and poor low mood
or poor well -being also stops people moving on,
even if they've got those qualifications.
So we are saying to all of our young people,
we promise we will do everything in our power to
enable you to flourish and to get in and stay in work
as well, because also work, if you're not employed and
have not had a job by 26, invariably you don't work at
all, so we all know, you know as counsellors,
you see it every day.
So we collectively want to be a disruptor in that
trajectory and to really make a difference.
So thank you, Felix.
If we're happy to move on to the recommendations, one, that we approve that the scheme proceeds
through decision point 2 to 4 and the work commences in activity 5 delivery.
Two, approves the combined authority funding of up to 6 .7 million.
The total scheme cost being 6 .7 million.
And three, approves that future approvals are made in accordance with the assurance
pathway and tolerance is set out in the business case summary.
Those in favour, please raise your hand.
Those against?
Anyone in abstention?
No?
Thank you so much.
The recommendations have been carried.
So, moving on to another part of the jigsaw,
apprenticeship brokerage.
This is a pilot programme from government, of course.
As always, we would like this devolved to us because
we know we would be able to do it more efficiently,
but we continue to press government on that.
What they want to do is to increase the take -up of apprenticeships.

8 b) Workwell

Felix, back to you.
Thank you, Mayor.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:44:39
As I said at the top, since 2018 -19, apprenticeship numbers have fallen by about 15 % or so nationally
and it's fallen just as much in this region.
This is a key part of what we are looking to address.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:44:48
This paper has come to you seeking a pre -emptive approval.
We've put in a bid to government.
The bid went in earlier this week.
We hope and expect that we will be successful.

8 a) Apprenticeship Brokerage

If we are, this approval will allow us to move
immediately without having to wait for your next
meeting in September before we can get moving on this.
In essence, what this is, is we already have an
apprenticeship levy transfer service that
allows us to work with businesses that are paying the levy but probably have
some more money to pay in that they haven't for us to transfer that for them
to transfer that to us for us to spend it with them on apprentices that suits
our mutual objectives. The challenge with apprenticeships is not it's more now on
the demand side than on the supply side and by that I mean there are a lot of
people who want to be apprentices who cannot find
a place.
The demand for apprentices is lower than the supply of
apprentices or prospective apprentices in the system.
And that is because businesses say the system is
complex or it's expensive, it takes time, and all of
that, and we understand it.
This bid we're putting into government allows us to run
a brokerage service so we can marry demand with supply, make life easier for employers,
and also make life easier for the prospective apprentices because their pathways are clearer,
remove some of the encumbrances in the system, and increase the number of apprenticeships
in the region.
We are working with the manufacturing alliance who will be a focal point for how this is
administered and run across West Yorkshire.
We are seeking your approval if you are minded to do so,
so that if we get approval, said when,
if we get the approval, we are able to move immediately.
Thank you.
I would say government are crazy
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:47:01
if they don't give us the money,
because we have evidence that we can do this stuff
and do it better than them.
So any comments on this apprenticeship brokerage?
Councillor Ingle.
Sorry, it's me again.
Cllr Keith Ingle - 0:47:18
I must admit I again the idea of apprenticeships is something that we should never have given
up back in the late 90s when the focus became academia and college and almost forgetting
the role and nature of that. Not all students leaving school are up to an academic life
So I'm glad to see this coming back.
I'm also happy to see this kind of proposal coming through.
I was curious, however, as to the extent to which
this concept has been tested with manufacturers,
with companies, because getting their engagement,
getting them on board, possibly faced with this kind of
residual antipathy towards anything government,
which I think a lot of entrepreneurs perceive,
will follow through.
So I'm all for it.
I'm just curious about the extent to which
the concept is being tested with potential companies.
Thank you, Councillor Ingle.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:48:21
Oh, very good question, Felix.
Cllr Keith Ingle - 0:48:25
Thank you, yeah, great question.
Models like this have existed in other places in the past.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:48:35
Models like this have existed in other places.
So other places have had things like apprenticeship training
agencies and others where they set up bodies that take on all
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:48:45
the risk and all the work in creating and providing and
training an apprentice to make life very much easier for the
partners involved.
It's very expensive and not many of them have existed.
But the trade, the expertise is there, the learning is there.
We have worked with the West Yorkshire Manufacturing
Alliance, which is a conglomerate of several
manufacturing businesses and representative bodies.
And they are very supportive and very willing and ready
to work with us to implement this.
So we are confident that we will have the support of
businesses and especially manufacturers.
There's another project that we'll talk about later on,
which focuses on the manufacturing and so I painted the picture at the beginning this
is all a jigsaw that we are putting together but we are confident that we've got we've
got employers on side with us. Thank you so much. Councillor Aaron.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:49:44
Thank you Mayor and this is really important. Some of you may well be aware we've got a
Cllr Salma Arif - 0:49:49
very popular Leeds apprenticeship fair. We get about 11 ,000 people through the door and
my question Felix to you is beyond the starts start of the apprenticeship itself how are
going to measure the success in terms of onwards? Have you given any thought to that?
Thank you. So the progress.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:50:07
Yeah, so progression is a key part of how this is set out. You are absolutely right.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:50:16
And what we've found, the numbers are fairly stark in the last five, six years. Not only
We have the numbers that start apprenticeships falling,
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:50:27
but the numbers that complete the completion rate
is also falling.
And that is real tragedy.
So, we are working to set this up such that we can incentivize
greater completion rates.
And by the way to do this, it's not simply to say,
we'll give you more money.
If you do that, of course, money makes a difference.
But to make sure the support is there for learners all the way
through, sometimes what happens is by the time they finish
their work, their apprenticeship to when the actual exam or assessment takes place. That
transition, that gap is proven tricky for some apprentices and they are falling through
the crack. So we are working to set this up such that there is support all the way through
which is what the key part of the brokerage service will be responsible for. We will come
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:51:16
back to you. We will learn from it. It is a pilot so we will see where we get to.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:51:18
And this is if we get the money.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:51:20
Councillor Corley.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:51:23
Yeah, you're probably surprised if I didn't mention this, but
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 0:51:29
so in terms of support, and it's great to hear that there's plans within the pilot for support,
can we just sort of shout out for care leavers, making sure that there is special support
so that if care experienced people are applying for apprenticeships,
There's some that we know that they end, that numbers of care experienced people figure
highly in neat figures and stuff like that.
So if we could just make sure that their support is, some of the support is tailored towards
that specifically.
I think that would be good because they are our children.
As counsellors we will have corporate parenting responsibility and I think just to make sure
that they're really, that they're factored into that would be really helpful.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Good stuff.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:52:09
Felix, if you're happy to take that on board.
Counsellor Judson.
Cllr Andrew Judson - 0:52:13
Yes, thank you, more of a comment than a question actually, but I echo Councillor Ingalls'
thoughts that apprenticeship should never be stopped. I don't believe that academic
achievement is the only thing necessary to go on to a good and prosperous employment.
I myself didn't really do well. I ended up leaving school with a GCSE in drama, which
were actually very, very apt for where I am here. So it just really fits in in the chamber
when you know how to act. So what I would say is yes, I agree with it.
Now, just to say this, the authority may want to get involved with this.
Bradford Council are throwing a business fair in October at Bradford Live to get all the businesses in.
But during Apprentice Week, we're also putting on another big event at Bradford Live for all the apprentices to come in and try and get jobs.
I think working across the board on that one, I think it'll actually work well.
So I'd like to extend that invitation if I can. Thank you.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:53:06
Thank you so much. And that's a great example of partnership working.
And I think across the whole of West Yorkshire, we are all we all understand apprenticeships
are the way to give those technical skills to our young people.
And particularly as we have the highest number of jobs in manufacturing in West Yorkshire
than anywhere else across the north, this is a real opportunity for us, isn't it, to
get young people into really well -paid jobs and decent careers.
Okie doke.
No further comments?
Let's go to recommendations that the board considers and comments on the need for and
scope for a pilot in West Yorkshire, that we approve that the board in principle accepts
the funding up to $10 million should the application be successful, and that the board delegates
the approval of the apprenticeship brokerage scheme to the chief executive in consultation
with myself in accordance with the combined authorities assurance framework.
All those in favour, please raise your hand.
All those against, any abstentions?
Thank you so much.
Moving on to WorkWell 8B.

8 b) Workwell

This is a skills and employment support project
proposal for WorkWell.
This is part of our partnership board,
the Healthy Working Life Programme,
which is with the Integrated Care Board and ourselves.
It was one of the first in the country.
It was the chief executive of the ICB.
That's his role, isn't it?
Robsroll and myself, we co -chair it.
He's now left, but there is a new person in that seat.
And we're gonna support people who have become unwell
to get into work and to support people who are unwell
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:54:48
and could fall out of work to support them to stay in work.
And the Integrated Care Board is the designed,
designated, sorry, lead body for coordinating the programme
within West Yorkshire.
But we're working absolutely hand in glove together to ensure our programmes are well aligned
and there is consistency of service.
So we are seeking approval to become the lead body for this money because it's been locally
led and delivered with each of the five local authorities, particularly because you'll know
the changes of NHS England.
There's a lot of reorganisation in the ICB.
And there is a sense that as partners,
we are in a good place where we can deliver better outcomes or
good outcomes with this money.
And also it's a good example of where there's the opportunity to
reform how public services more widely are funded and delivered.
And I know that the new government's really looking
into that and how mayors can redesign the delivery of public service for better outcomes.
And certainly I look forward as someone who sits on the Alan Milburn review to our recommendations
in the autumn, which I think there will be a fair bit of focus on how we can work in
partnership as a number of delivery bodies to ensure better outcomes for young people.
So Felix, if I may hand over to you again, just to talk about further details.
Thank you, Mayor.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:56:24
As I said at the top, health and wellbeing was a key part of the local good plan.
We learned through COVID, you know, without good health, there's no economy.
As the Mayor said, we've got healthy working life, which is our portfolio of programmes that
brings together funding from the ICB, from the combined
authority, and works with partners, including local
authorities and voluntary sector and the private sector,
to ensure that the number of people who are classed as
economically inactive due to health, of which we've got
105 ,000 in the region, we are able to slow down the
rate of growth enough and eventually begin to bring
that number down. It's been going up since COVID. This package work well is funding that
the government is giving to the ICB. This paper is asking for you to accept a proposal
from the ICB for this funding to be transferred to the combined authority, given the changes
that the mayor referred to at the ICB capacity, such that this is much better placed here
in the combined authority working with all the partners.
The ICB will continue to be the accountable body
to government, but this is a true test of our partnership,
that we are able to work with each other,
support each other, augment each other's capacity
towards the same outcomes that we all share.
This is 10 million pounds over three years.
It's aiming to support just over 10 ,000 people
across the region.
It will provide, it will ensure that there is the infrastructure needed for a triage
service so that when somebody's at risk of falling out of work because of ill health
or somebody who is out of work due to ill health but is able to come back, can be triaged
and will be then signposted to the right place to receive the support they need in the system.
It makes the navigation of the system much easier.
It ensures that the infrastructure is there across the region.
We work with all the place partnerships, so this is actually happening very locally in
all our places.
And it will be part of the Healthy Working Life portfolio of programmes, which also includes
others like Trailblazer, Connect2Work, and others, which I'm very happy to talk to you
about.
So the proposal, the request of you is to accept
this funding from the ICB.
The ICB continuing to be the accountable body to
government and to enable us to then take on the role
builder capacity to deliver this.
Thank you.
Thank you.
And some of the focuses have been on muscular
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:59:15
skeletal, haven't they?
And also on recovery after stroke to get people back
into a healthy place so they're not signed off for
the rest of their life but feel that they can come
back to work.
Is that the areas we are focusing on?
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:59:30
Yes, there are three main areas that people present with when it comes to health related economic inactivity.
Mosculoskeletal is one of the main ones, one of the three.
The other two being cardiovascular challenges and also the third being mental health.
So this allows us to be able to work across but musculoskeletal is a big one.
Thank you. Councillor Judson.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:59:52
Cllr Andrew Judson - 0:59:54
Yes, thank you, Mayor. Again, agreeing principle to this, I think it's a good idea if we can
get people back into work, I think that's always a plus. The demands on, not in this
case, but demands on welfare, demands on businesses where you've got long term sick and inactivity,
it's just so high we need to do everything we can to get those people back into work,
because in the long term, not only does it benefit them, it's a financial benefit to
country. So I agree in principle to this, yes. Thank you. Thank you for that support.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:00:24
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 1:00:27
Yes, Councillor Corr. Yeah, I didn't need to declare an interest on this because I'm
no longer receiving support, but I just wanted to give a very, very, very brief case study,
if you like. So I needed a hip replacement and as part of my process when I went to the
MSK team at the hospital in Calderdale, was a referral, asked if I wanted to be referred
on to the Better Living service that is done in conjunction with the council and what they
offered me was regular gym sessions to keep my strength up while I was waiting for my
hip replacement and also afterwards to make sure I was back up to full strength to keep
me going and in work and fit and able and it absolutely is like really spot on. The
delivery is very personal and works and it's really tailored and I just thought that might
be a useful example to know the sort of thing that's available and there was no fuss, there
was no long waiting list or anything, it was like would you be interested in this, yes,
here you go, got a phone call like the next week and referred straight on to the scheme
and it was very, very good. So just hope that's helpful.
We love these personal storeys. Councillor Drensfield.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:01:39
Stephanie Oliver-Beech - 1:01:41
Yes, thank you, Mayor, Councillor Drensfield from Kirklees. I don't think anybody could
sort of argue against this proposal.
It's got to have a definite positive feedback for both the
people and also for the economy.
I'd just be interested, though, in the three sort of key areas,
muscular, skeletal, cardiovascular,
and mental health.
Do we have a breakdown of where, if you like,
where the maximum demand comes from in those three areas?
I know right now there's a big problem with youth and
employment from mental health issues.
and I think that's an area that we need to be addressing. They are the future and we
need to get, the benefit of work is that it does help with mental health issues rather
than sitting at home and obsessing.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:02:32
And certainly sat in your bedroom is very lonely isn't it? It doesn't help your mental
health when you are also isolated. Felix, I nearly called you Councillor then, Felix.
It does everything else.
I know.
It's very good.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:02:45
I will not comment on that.
So I'm very happy to give you the numbers.
I don't have it here with me.
But you are right to say, of the 105 ,000 people who
are currently classed as economically inactive in West
Yorkshire, the fastest growing cohort is young people.
And the majority of young people are
presented with mental health and not the other two.
So amongst young people, that is definitely
the most popular, the most common course that comes through. Among adults it tends to be
more musculoskeletal but cardiovascular challenges are rising as well. Very happy to provide
the numbers for you after this. Thank you very much.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:03:31
Thank you Felix. Councillor Ingle.
Cllr Keith Ingle - 1:03:37
Sorry to sound pedantic but I've been informed by my officers that actually there is no currently
currently no actual work, health and skills plan. However, there are work and health plan
and healthy working life plan. And I think it's just for the sake of tidying up and for
future reference is that we perhaps cheque that out and make sure we've got the right
references.
Thank you, Felix.
Thanks.
Thank you.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:04:08
And you have been a parent at all.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:04:11
We set out to write a work and health plan because that was the requirement of government
at the beginning of last year.
As I referred to, we've got a programme or portfolio of programmes under the healthy working life
banner.
We had to respond to governments with a plan with specific criteria to allow us to draw
down the money.
So we set out to write the work and health plan, which was the requirement of government
at the time.
This then moved on.
And so it allowed us to draw down the trailblazer funding, which was 10 million pounds and then
topped up by another 10 million the next year.
At the same time, the government provided the NHS with, ICB with another 11 or so million
pounds for an accelerator programme, which is part of what we're doing.
We then went on as this portfolio was growing to develop a healthy working life plan.
The healthy working life plan pulls in some of the skills angles, but it doesn't go fully
into a skills plan because we already knew we were writing a skills plan.
That skills plan has now been launched by the mayor.
It's what we call the region of learning and creativity strategy.
I hope it's reassuring to you that it's the same team that has written all of these.
So these are completely aligned.
The main priorities in the Healthy Working Life Plan, there are five of them that focus
on the system, on employer incentives, on personal incentives, on voluntary sector and
employment in West Yorkshire.
These are the same things that we focus on in the Working Health Plan and employment
in West Yorkshire, there's funding that goes from the health region for learning and creativity
strategy into this.
So I agree with you that if we had had our time again, we're starting afresh.
We probably have looked at the whole spectrum and done one thing, but it's just an evolution
over time, but I'm just reassuring you that these things are linked.
The final thing I'll say is the Healthy Working Life board, which the mayor chairs, met whilst
I was on leave last week and considered a paper about the growing scope of this space.
The whole idea of that paper was to recognise what you just said.
All of these things are linked.
There is a lot that is changing.
We need to look at the scope of that board and the work we are doing and make sure we
are bringing all of these linked activities into one space and not think of the board
as a collection of funding programmes but as a space, a platform where we actually address
these large issues and these wicked issues and the opportunities therein. So we are thinking
about it in that form but currently this is just a state of play.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:06:58
If I could just add, I think devolution gives us this opportunity as well, particularly
with the integrated settlement to be teaming and ladling resources and monies to tackle
as Felix said the wicked issues that hold our communities back. And also we need to
away from these funding streams that are dedicated, given to us by government with particular
remits and outcomes and expectations from one department and then we get another one
from another department with different time scales, different outcomes, different deadlines
and we've got to have a cohesive offer and that's why the integrated settlement and fiscal
devolution where we can make our own decisions without having to go back to like connect
to work, from government's point of view, they feel that that's been devolved, but actually
it's just been given to us and we have the delivery arm. That's not devolution because
we're delivering what they've told us to deliver. So I do see your point about that cohesive
approach, but you wanted to come back in and then Ben.
Cllr Keith Ingle - 1:08:06
Appreciate that clarification. It was just really one of reference and clarity, because
The point is if my officers perceive something doesn't exist and that there's two alternatives
Then in a wider context that could lead to confusion down line
That was my prime concern
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:08:27
And a champion for officers and civil servants. We need that in our life. Thank you, Ben
Thank you, Ben. Just to say that the other way of looking at this
Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:08:36
that Felix and I talk about how we present it is from the perspective of the recipient
and what does it look like from their experience, what do those practical pathways that get
offered to them look like and I think if we could present the system from the user's perspective
as well as from the top down strategy perspective it might make a lot more sense as to how practically
these programmes make a difference on the ground.
I think that's really correct that you go into the system from whatever way whether
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:09:03
it's health or skills or unemployment or poor mental health, you know, whichever way you
come in, the offer will be there and you will be triaged in a way that everything is available
for you to get you well and back into work. So thank you for that.
Okie doke. Move on to the approvals if there's no further comments.
Okay. Approval one, approve the delegation from West
Yorkshire Integrated Care Board to the Combined Authority for System Leadership of the programme,
including associated funding of just over 10 million pounds over three years.
Two, approve a delegation to the Combined Authorities Chief Executive in consultation with myself.
To approve WorkWell delivery plans in accordance with the Combined Authorities Assurance Framework.
Can we move to votes, please? Those in favour? Thank you.
Anyone against? Any abstentions? The recommendations have been carried. Thank you.
Okay, moving on now to item nine, economic development.
This is four schemes.

9 Economic Development

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:10:04
The first is business support infrastructure ecosystem.
This is going to improve and expand the current West Yorkshire Business Growth Hub and bring
together various bits of work.
A redesign of the current model was identified following a recent independent business support
review where too few businesses came to us when they needed help.
The result is a no wrong door approach, one front door,
bringing together the breadth of organisations in the region
that offer support to businesses.
Whether that's us, whether that's you as local
authorities, the chambers of commerce, the FSB, banks,
law firms, accountants, the intention is to ensure that
businesses get easy access to the right advisor at the
right time from the right people and the right organisation.
So Felix do you want to talk us through this and?
development of our thinking thank you
Thank You mayor so
When I set out at the beginning
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:11:08
The set of priorities that they look all good plan focused on the last two that I talked about were around business
It's one that's about enabling all businesses to be successful and this one does about priority
our priority sectors, our six priority sectors.
The first two that we're coming to you with focus on enabling
our businesses to be successful, although there's an element of
the second one, priority sectors in the second one.
Essentially, we've had for the last decade and a half a
particular model for business support which is focused almost
entirely all our attention on what the combined authority and
predecessor and local authorities did.
And it's sort of implicitly assumed that we were the
business support system, which is really not true.
And so the work that we've done together as a
partnership has helped us understand the complex
landscape of business support that exists out
there to try to clarify that as much as possible.
The Combined Authority last year approved a new model and a new approach for how we
deliver business support in the region.
And I'm very happy to talk to you about this offline if that is helpful or if you've not
received that information.
And these papers allow us to put that into place.
Essentially there are many other actors in the ecosystem, and you know them I'm sure
better than I do, whether they are banks or universities or
solicitors, accountants, trade bodies, et cetera,
who all provide business support of one kind or another,
in addition to what we as a combined authority is able
to do, particularly working with local authorities.
So this first paper is seeking funding approval from you for us
to be able to build that infrastructure,
that ecosystem that allows us to work.
We are setting up affiliate arrangements with the chambers and others, allows us to be able
to put that infrastructure in place so that the no wrong door approach that the mayor
talked about can be put into practise and is effective.
We launched a new growth hub, our client last week with a new website and we are going to
businesses to see the support available, this is how you can navigate it.
This ensures that there is that infrastructure behind what we are doing so that local authorities
– the next one we'll talk about local authorities, but it ensures that the wider
ecosystem is equipped to meet the needs of business.
And it goes back to what I said at the beginning with the local growth plan and the challenges
that we set out.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Any comments?
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:13:54
No?
Thank you so much.
Fabulous.
Okay, so let's go to the recommendations.
That we approve the business support infrastructure ecosystem scheme through decision point 2
to 4 and commence activity 5, which is delivery.
Approve the combined authorities funding of up to 7 million pounds.
The total scheme value is up to 8 .9 million pounds.
Number 3, approve that future approvals are made in accordance with the assurance pathway
summary, approval route and tolerances set out in the business case summary.
All those in favour?
Thank you.
Any against?
No abstentions.
Thank you so much.
That is approved.
Moving on to the next item, which is the local authority framework.

10 Regeneration

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:14:50
This approval relates to the local authority side of the new business support service and
and will enable all five of our local authorities to provide local support to businesses as
part of the wider ecosystem.
Thank you, Mayor.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:15:05
So building on what we said and the approval you've just kindly given to us, this next
one allows us to provide funding to local authorities to do, you know, to offer the
business support needed in your local places.
The system we've had in place up till now was such that the combined authority was directly
providing a certain amount of money which contributed towards the wage of a group of
people who then went out to deliver certain tasks.
We've had a lot of conversation, a lot of work over the last year, and what we are doing
now is to have an outcomes framework with each local authority.
So the combined authority is no longer saying we're providing X amount towards X person's
wage or anything of the sort.
But instead, with each local authority,
we are agreeing, or we've agreed a set of outcomes.
And we are providing funding, which the local authority then
deploys, having made its own decisions about how it wants
to invest that sum of money.

9 Economic Development

It's a combination of revenue and capital,
as is set out in the paper.
And we are trying this approach.
If it works, then it could become
the model which allows us to provide greater flexibility
to local authorities because they are then able to decide we will spend this money this
way or that way, but we will guarantee to you that we will deliver these outcomes that
are important to you because these are the outcomes that we've signed on the dotted line
with government to deliver. So this is the first step in that process.
It's a key part of the new business group hub for West Yorkshire, as I said, which is
three tiered model, the bottom tier being the website which we've launched, this speaks
to the middle tier and it provides local authority with the funding they need to provide that
local support. The outcomes have been agreed between us and local authorities. We are contracting
or commissioning local authorities to deliver those outcomes with this money. Local authorities
will make their own decisions about how they then deploy the sum of money.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:17:14
Thank you, Felix. And this is absolutely about you knowing your communities, your businesses,
and enabling you to do, you know, have the flex with the funding to make your own choices.
Any questions? Yes, Councillor Courtney.
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 1:17:32
I'd just like to say thank you. I think sort of my previous, you know, sitting
I think this is something that I have brought up on a number of occasions about having a
bit more autonomy within our own regions and I'm glad to see this coming forward now.
I want to say thanks.
Thank you so much.
Okie doke, no comments.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:17:48
Can we move to the recommendations?
For the business infrastructure local authority outcome framework scheme, the investment board
subject to conditions and in reference to 4 .33, 4 .34, and 4 .35 in the report that we
one, approve that the business support infrastructure local authority framework scheme proceeds
through decision point 2 to 4 and work commences on activity five delivery.
Two, approves the combined authorities funding of up to 9 .2 million pounds.
The total scheme is 9 .2 million.
Three, approves that future approvals are made in accordance with the assurance pathway
approval route and tolerances set out in the business case summary.
All those in favour, please raise your hand.
Thank you.
Anyone against any abstentions?
Thank you so much.
Okay, moving on to West Yorkshire supply chain programme.
Very interesting that this was also raised with me yesterday at the event I spoke about
earlier, but the radio frequency and microwave cluster, where we were talking about the Yorkshire
Defence Plan and where the supply chain sits in all of that.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:19:03
So we have a really strong and growing advanced manufacturing cluster, and it's one of the
sectors we're seeking to support as part of our local growth plan.
Our specialism in the region is mainly in the supply chain.
We don't have the big primes, we don't have the big car manufacturers, but we are absolutely
the suppliers of the rest of the country and the world.
And some brilliant businesses making component parts for some
of the biggest companies.
And I was told yesterday, about this week,
that if we take out the parts made for satellites in Shipley,
Sillsdon and Saltaire, all the satellites would fall out of
the sky.
So we do have a big part to play.
So this scheme is designed to support businesses,
diversify their customer base, and open up more supply chain
opportunities with national and of course those international businesses
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:19:57
that are equally important when it comes to export. Felix. Thank you Mayor. You've set it out really clearly. This approval we are seeking from you will allow us, if you are kind enough to give it to us,
allow us to work with our businesses to ensure they are plugged into the
respective supply chains of their industries. Again I go back to the
picture we painted at the top, this is focusing on how we work,
particularly with our priority sectors,
particularly with businesses in manufacturing,
who being part of these key supply chains makes a huge
difference to the markets that they are able to play in.
The business board has a wheel of enterprise which we set out,
the mayor's business advisor designed,
and which we set out in the local growth plan.
And one of the key wages in that wheel is access to market in
addition to other wedges like access to know -how and finance
and R &D and others.
This speaks to the access to market bit in that
Wheel of Enterprise.
It will allow us to bring on a provider who will work with our
businesses here to ensure they are plugged into
global supply chains.
We've done some work with the UN, for example,
and the opportunities there.
Our businesses need help to be able to exploit
those opportunities.
There are also national providers that may not be based here, but whose supply chain
provides opportunities for our businesses here.
We don't have offshore capacity like the Humber, but a lot of the component parts are made
here or can be made here.
And our business is being exposed to the opportunities that makes a huge difference.
And finally, when we go internationally and we work with our, we take our businesses with
The opportunities that opens up for them,
sometimes we support them to attend trade shows
and the rest.
Sometimes they need the support to get the
accreditation they need and to be fit to work or to
be part of the supply chains.
This allows us to work with businesses and
sometimes even go invest with them to make sure
they are ready to take part.
So that's why this is in front of you.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:22:04
Any questions or comments?
No? Great stuff. Thank you so much. Thank you for that clarity, Felix.
Okay. So moving on to the approvals. One, that we approve that the West Yorkshire
supply chain programme proceeds to decision .5 to delivery and work commences. Number two,
approves the combined authorities' funding of 2 million pounds. The total scheme is 2 .3
million. And three, approves that future approvals are
made in accordance with the assurance pathway approval
routes and tolerances set out in the business case summary.
Those in favour, please raise your hand.
Thank you.
And none against and no abstentions.
Okay, moving on.
That recommendation has been carried.
Moving on to Made Smarter Manufacturing.
This is a hugely successful programme.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:22:55
And again, we're looking to grow our manufacturing sector,
connecting business to digital tools, leadership and skills,
to grow as part of a national programme.
Now the Made Smarter Yorkshire and Humber programme
is delivered by a really collaborative relationship
between ourselves and South Yorkshire with support from
Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority and
York and North Yorkshire.
And a really good example of really the White Rose mayors
working very closely together to deliver better outcomes for
all of our businesses.
So Felix, over to you for Made Smarter.
Thank you, Mayor. This is the last of the four in this package.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:23:33
This programme has been running for a few years now and as the Mayor said,
it's a regional programme. It's anchored at the South Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The approval we are seeking from you allows us to provide this funding into
the bucket for the rest of the region out of which
our manufacturing businesses will then receive the support
that they need. Essentially the businesses work
that go through this programme, get the support they need
to think through what investment they require
to increase their productivity,
what capital equipment they need.
There is then sometimes a contribution from this programme
towards the acquisition of such capital.
There's also an opportunity once we open that door
to have those conversations with the businesses
to explore their skills need,
their conversations with universities
or exposure to universities international, et cetera.
And we use those links to feed into
some of the other programmes that we've either talked about
or that we'll bring to you in the future.
So that is what this is.
The funding will be run as part of a regional programme.
We've learned in the last week,
I've only been back on Tuesday,
I think I saw it on Tuesday,
that there's a little bit more funding
that will be coming through this programme,
but because of time constraints
that will go directly to South Yorkshire
on everybody's behalf, which makes sense
because we don't want to stand in the way of that.
This allows us to build that resource for the region.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Any comments?
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:25:05
Thank you so much.
Okay.
Let's move on to approvals.
The made smart manufacturing scheme subject to conditions and with reference to 4 .65 in
the report.
One, that we approve that the made smart manufacturing scheme proceeds through decision point 2 to
4 and work commences on activity 5, which is delivery.
Two, approve the combined authority's funding of up to just one million pounds.
The total scheme cost is 2 .4 million.
Three, approve that future approvals are made in accordance with the assurance pathway approval
route and tolerances set out in business case summary attached to the report.
All those in favour, please raise your hand.
Thank you.
None against and no abstentions.
That has been approved.
Moving on to regeneration.
Now, this approval in front of us relates to the old medical school at Leeds Teaching
Hospital, a really beautiful building, actually, and forms part of our investment zone programme.
The project will restore and refurbish the listed old medical school to bring it back
to sustainable, productive economic use, providing 5 ,000 square metres of high -quality innovation
and workspace for the health tech sector.
And combined with the Emily Sidon Health Innovation Centre,
I opened at Huddersfield University,
which is an amazing building if you have not been.
We are really growing the amount of lab space available
for innovative businesses across the region.
And really showing the value of our investment zone
and our approach to the investment zone
that was not just one ring -fenced part of our region,
but actually used our three amazing universities,
Bradford, Cuddlesfield and Leeds,
to draw our investment zone across the whole region.
So it's an exciting time,
and particularly when businesses say,
to health tech businesses say,
there's not enough lab space in West Yorkshire,
this is a really good opportune moment.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:27:13
So if I could pass over to Ruth Davison,
our interim director of environment and place,
to set out further details. Thank you Ruth.
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:27:21
Thank you, and I am glad to give Felix a little break.
So, I suppose the paper sets out how as a combined authority
we take a programme approach to how we deliver employment and commercial space
Ruth Davison (Director) West Yorkshire Combined Authority - 1:27:33
now that we have integrated settlements.
So, we deliver across all five local authority areas.
When government created our integrated settlement programme,
it brought together three separate streams of money
that deliver commercial and employment land space.
So we have our investment zone as the MIRAs indicated.
We have some city densification fund
and we also have local growth fund
and we have plans coming forward
in each local authority area
that will deliver priorities for local places.
The project today is linked to the investment zone
and what we have is a project that will bring forward
some much needed floor space.
So this is part of our integrated settlement target
and actually creates a substantial movement
as to what we need to deliver in that space.
So the cost of the project, 30 ,807 ,860 pound,
but some private sector investment has come in
to fund just over 10 million of that
so that the command authority's contribution
to the scheme is 20 ,000.
That's 20 million.
Sorry, 20 million.
Yeah, if only it was 20 ,000. That gives us a very high value for money in terms of this particular investment.
This type of investment is whereby the combined authorities
recognising that to bring schemes forward quite often in West Yorkshire is there is a viability gap.
So this grant really is what allows this scheme to come forward and to be deliverable.
The Old Medical School is coming today as an outline business case.
So if you give your approval today, that scheme is then worked up in further detail and goes
through the assurance process to have a full business case, which is when we actually start
to invest our funding.
Subject to any questions, Mer, that presents the case.
Super.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:29:27
Any questions on the old medical school?
No?
Thank you so much.
As Ruth says, the approval for the release of the full monies will be in the future.
So, yes, please, I'm so sorry, I didn't see your hand.
Councillor Courtney.
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 1:29:43
Yeah, I just think that it's great to see this sort of investment from national and
regional government, which actually then helps, it's a key driver in helping all of our local
authorities to increase our economic activity and to grow our own economies.
And even though this is all based in Leeds, in the future no doubt will be people from
all of our local authorities coming and working there.
and also having the ideas, but having spaces to have the ideas then to grow their own businesses.
So I really welcome this and to use an old building to bring life back into heritage buildings is great to see as well
because that's what makes our area in West Yorkshire just so very special, the beautiful heritage that we've got here
and to see life being breathed back into it is amazing.
And as with all of these things, the interconnected nature of building the tram to go up there
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:30:31
and all of that interconnected regeneration is a huge prize
and I think we should all lean into that opportunity.
Okie doke, yes, Councillor Pindell.
Yes, just while we're on the topic
Cllr Matthew Pinder - 1:30:46
of a West Yorkshire investment zone,
on the Eastern Grove corridor,
we have a Langthwaite Business Park,
which just happens to be in my ward
of South Empson and South Kirby, which is great.
We have a business on there, ADE Power,
fantastic manufacturer, providing high quality local jobs
who are looking to expand on the premises.
Can I have your assurance today that you will look strongly
into working with ADE Power on the regeneration
currently taking part on behalf of the combined authority?
Thank you, Councillor Pinder.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:31:13
And Langthwaite is a really interesting,
mixed group of businesses.
I think they are a fabulous business
and I really admire their ambition.
You know we have some land on Langthwaite
and we're looking at the major proposals.
It's not just them that have ideas. There's a number of businesses that also have ideas, but we're very happy to maybe
Further meeting to put that on the agenda
May Ruth if you would like to just add to that
Ruth Davison (Director) West Yorkshire Combined Authority - 1:31:44
Yes, counsellor to assure you I have a meeting set up with your director of development in August to discuss that in detail
I think that we have some quite we already have some land at that particular site
but we are considering options to try and see how many of the different proposals that come forward
can be built within the same proximity. And I think the other thing that we are trying to do
is to give assurance that we have to go through a procurement process, but some current process
that's happening at the moment, we are in discussions on detail with that particular
company, just so that we're taking them along with us on our process to make sure that the
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:32:25
opportunity is fair and transparent to all. But congratulations for lobbying for your
ward. Very good. Okay, I've got the cut of your jib so. Okay, thank you Councillor Pinder,
very welcome. Okay, let's move on to approvals. Okay, that we approve, one that we approve
the Old Medical School scheme proceeds through decision point three, the outline business
case and work commensal and activity four, the full business case and two, approves that
future approvals are made in accordance with the assurance pathway, approval route and
tolerances set out in the business case summary attached to the report.
In favour, please raise your hand.
Thank you.
No abstentions and none against.
That is approved.
Thank you.
Moving on to item 11.

10 Regeneration

This is on the environment and climate change.
This is home energy West Yorkshire phase two, the home energy loan scheme.

11 The Environment and Climate Change

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:33:22
And this is providing access to affordable finance for retrofitting purposes.
It's expected to improve thermal comfort, reduce exposure to cold conditions, and importantly,
lower energy bills.
And the scheme will strengthen household resilience to future energy price volatility.
And we know here in West Yorkshire, we have some of the coldest, windiest houses in the
country and we have too many people and it should shame us living in fuel poverty.
So this is an approach where we can enable people to take to get support from us to warm
up their homes and lower their energy bills.
So if I may hand over to yourself, is it Ruth?
Thank you.
It is.
Thank you.
Ruth Davison (Director) West Yorkshire Combined Authority - 1:34:08
So Councillors, firstly we have quite a large retrofit scheme across West Yorkshire and
government funds quite a lot of that improvement for social homes.
As a combined authority we therefore have to think creatively about how we support people
who are in their own private rented or owned occupied homes and one of the ways in which
we have developed a scheme to do that is by creating this extremely low cost loan product.
There has been a previous phase of this loan product that has been rolled out across West
Yorkshire that has been well used and created impact across each local authority area.
The retrofit programme that we have is focused on a number of outcomes so it focuses on not
only as the Mayor suggested energy efficient homes but it also supports the health and
well -being of residents and is one of the tools that supports cost of living for homes
that have been improved because they benefit from lower energy bills.
Loans actually enable quite a wide range of intervention so it allows double glazed windows
for example through to things like cavity wall insulation as well as considering things
such as battery storage systems or solar panels.
The scheme if approved today will support 900 approximately 590 homes with energy approved
improvements. The average loan amount is anticipated to be around 9 ,000 from our previous pilot,
but what we have done on this occasion is we've reduced the minimal loan that needs to be taken forward.
So that what that does is it allows a greater range of people to benefit from this opportunity.
And so the lowest loan will now be 1 ,500 pounds.
The scheme itself total cost is
£6 ,974 ,412.
But £5 ,500 ,000 is going to be borrowed and becomes the recyclable element of this scheme.
It's anticipated that the administration costs will be paid by the low element of interest
that this scheme charges which is approximately 3%. Again, these targets are really outside
our integrated settlement but what they do do is they benefit residents that actually
currently live outside of the –
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:36:43
Sorry Ruth, is it someone's phone? Is it yourself, Keith?
Ruth Davison (Director) West Yorkshire Combined Authority - 1:36:47
Oh yeah, it's a great tune, we were all jigging along.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:36:49
Ruth Davison (Director) West Yorkshire Combined Authority - 1:36:52
So, ultimately, the administration costs would be paid by the low interest that we are charging
in this scheme.
The request today is really for approval of this to move through into delivery.
Thank you.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:37:08
And this scheme is, I think, is a good development in that it will wash its own face, so it will
be recyclable.
And I think lowering the threshold means that people who would be maybe a bit cautious about
taking out a loan for 5 ,000 or 6 ,000,
could just take out a smaller loan
and just get the windows done.
And I must say, and you'll have this as counsellors,
I visited a lady who was recovering from cancer.
And she'd had her home renovated.
And her bills had gone down, and she
was really pleased about that.
But she also said, because she'd had the windows done,
her living room was quieter from the fools on their mopeds
going up and down her street.
So she said my well -being is also better, not just about the bills, but in the summer
her well -being was better.
So I think this is an offer for those people who don't necessarily benefit from their social
home projects, but they rent or they've got their own home, but they just can't afford
to buy it outright.
So I think hopefully we've got most communities covered.
Councillor Judson.
Thank you, Mayor.
Just to clarify more than anything,
Cllr Andrew Judson - 1:38:19
we're not talking about the specifics of delivery,
but I am going to talk about the specifics of delivery.
We're looking at scheme number 4 .4, the battery home storage systems,
and then 4 .8, the 590 loans by November to enable
unoccupied and private landlords to retrofit their properties.
I really believe that we must insist that private landlords do have battery storage,
because they're the ones that are actually going to get benefit of this.
Because if they don't have battery storage, the people that are all in there
are not going to get the benefits during the day,
because at night time it's not going to be working, it's going to get sold back to the grid,
the landlords are going to get the benefit,
and the grid's going to get the benefit, but not the tenants.
So I understand they'll have the choice if it's owner -occupier,
but for private landlords I think there needs to be a little bit more specifics
to make sure that it's actually the tenants that get the benefit of this.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:39:13
Ruth Davison (Director) West Yorkshire Combined Authority - 1:39:18
This is one of a multitude of offers that we have.
So one of the things that we do when we retrofit a property is we go out and we do a survey
and that makes recommendations as to what the best things are to do.
And often it is focused both on the benefit to the resident, the benefit in terms of cost.
So as in how we save cost on energy bills.
It's also about how we create the energy efficiency rating on the property but also any carbon
reduction so it does take into account all three of those things when we do those surveys
and make the recommendations.
What we aren't able to do is insist that somebody takes a loan or takes a particular product
but we do try to steer them in the right direction by giving them the relevant advice.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:40:07
I see what you're saying though, Councillor Judson, about the fact that if the landlord
is taking out the loan and the tenancy is no benefit, that does seem a bit unfair, but
maybe it's something we can take away. I know that we did have early conversations about
a good landlord charter. Is that the place where that could potentially sit? We could
have further conversations on that, but I do appreciate the philtre with which you've
that question because this is about people often on low incomes and not
seeing the benefit from the investment in a property that's gone up in value
because of our support so I see I see the value of that.
Okie doke. Any further comments? No? Thank you. Let's go to approvals. Okie doke.
Moving on. So Part 1, we approve that the Phase 2 home energy loan scheme
proceeds through decision point 2 to 4 and work commences on activity 5
delivery, two, that we approve the combined authorities funding of 6 .9 million and the
total scheme is 6 .9 million, and three, approve that future approvals are made in accordance
with the assurance pathway approval routes and tolerances set out in the business case
summary attached to the report.
All those in favour?
Thank you.
None against and no abstentions.
That has passed.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:41:24
So moving on to the Brighouse Flood Alleviation Scheme Phase 1.

12 Creative Industries, Culture, Heritage and Sport

We know, don't we, the catastrophic effects of
flooding across our region.
And what used to be a once in a lifetime

11 The Environment and Climate Change

catastrophe is now every two years, seemingly.
This scheme in Brickhouse will repair and replace
existing flood defences along the River Calder and
instal new landscape improvement at Wellhome
Park and Whinney Hill Park to mitigate the risk of
flooding from Clifton Beck.
Can I ask Ruth Davison to speak to this but also if I may as it's a Calderdale
scheme perhaps I could invite Councillor Ingle to potentially comment on this as
Ruth Davison (Director) West Yorkshire Combined Authority - 1:42:10
well. But Ruth over to you in the first instance. Thank you Mayor. So this
approval today is a change request this is a scheme that has previously been
through and been approved by the Combined Authority. It's important to
Note that with this type of flood scheme,
that actually it's a flood scheme
that's managed by the environment agency
and they are the predominant funder.
So total scheme is over 30 million,
but our investment in it is just under 4 .5 million.
So there are two elements to the chain requests
that we're bringing forward today.
The first is to extend the delivery.
So this is a scheme that has multiple parts of delivery,
and some of them have been complete. In fact I think in Caldedale there's a opening in a week
or two that's linked to this particular scheme and a park that's being open to the public again.
But there has been some delays on this scheme. Both, three of them are set out in the report.
One of them was an endangered species, a badgeset that was come in and we needed to work within the
legislation to make sure that the scheme moved forward at the right point. There was also Storm
Claudia that created significant damage and that had to be remediated before the scheme
could move forward.
The final issue has been in terms of the quality of some of the materials on the site that
needed actually to be replaced and that hadn't been expected at the start of the scheme.
So the second element of the change request though is to remove an element of the scheme.
So previously some improvements to the Phoenix bridge element were going to take place under
this scheme but actually my colleagues in transport delivered those
improvements through one of the transport schemes and as therefore as a
consequence we're reducing the scope of this scheme because it's already been
delivered it's not that we're actually taking something out and choosing not to
to take it forward. As the Mayor has indicated this is a really vital scheme
so 55 residential properties will be safeguarded as a result of this, 359
non -residential properties and also as a result of its location it's a
significant reduction in the flood risk linked to the transport network in
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:44:27
Calderdale. Thank you so much and of course it's not just homes and
businesses but like you say transport network can have a massive economic
Ruth Davison (Director) West Yorkshire Combined Authority - 1:44:35
impact on our region. Councillor Ingle. Thank you for that Tracey. Yeah I come in
Cllr Keith Ingle - 1:44:38
from Calderdale and one of my responsibilities is planning which is
really looking at house building in its primary sense. I want to speak to our planners. They
say one thing categorises Calderdale, it's hilly and it's wet. And I've seen the effects
of the floods going down Calder Valley through Myland, Royd, Hebdin Bridge and down through
Elland and into Brig House and it's devastating. It truly is. Unless you've seen it, you just
wouldn't believe it. So in terms of a proposal and in terms of the amendments which are being
put forward as part of this proposal, I can't look back at it.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:45:25
Thank you so much. When I just became mayor and I visited the Mythamroyd flood defence
opening, that community were emotionally overwhelmed that finally they could stop worrying and
they could settle and start a business, raise a family. It makes a massive difference to
community wellbeing as well. So thank you so much for that support, Councillor Ingell.
Yes, Councillor Dansfield. Can I just sort of declare an interest that
Stephanie Oliver-Beech - 1:45:55
flood defences are very, very important because one of my businesses is actually in Merfield
and I believe we're downstream of all these flood defences,
which does mean actually that there's more water
coming down to us, and I really do think that, you know,
we've got to look at this as a much longer
or a more detailed problem that when you save flooding
in one area, you are diverting it further down.
I mean, from our perspective, we've taken out
some private flood prevention schemes,
but, you know, the water does go somewhere,
and I think, you know, in terms of planning as well,
we need to be looking at not necessarily building
on flood plains or indeed that we make,
if we are building there, that they are resilient
and above any potential flood levels.
But yes, I can't argue against flood alleviation schemes,
but just be aware that when you save your property,
it's going downstream.
Councillor Drenspiel, I couldn't agree more.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:46:50
That's why with our local nature recovery plan,
we are intending to get upstream.
So whether that's leaky dams,
whether that's what they call, Ruth, those dips.
Culverts, where they're dips in the landscape
that then become lakes as and when the water table rises
to hold water further upstream.
But you're so right.
And water does not respect boundaries either.
So that's why we're working closely with mayors
across the whole of Yorkshire to tackle this problem.
But we've got to get upstream.
You're dead right.
Councillor Courtney.
Councillor Thompson.
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 1:47:33
So I'm quite involved in this sort of flood alleviation scheme world through having lived
in Hebdon Bridge for more than 20 years and now in Tomperton.
But I would say rest assured to a certain extent that the Environment Agency and the
government has got now a very strong emphasis on things like slowing the flow
of water down by things like leaky dams and attenuation ponds and all sorts of
other and I know you have been out on more land planting platinum plugs to
help build up moors as well because they obviously act as really important
sponges in the area. So I think it's a really good point but I think that the environment
agency, I know that the environment agency are very, very keen on actually keeping the
water out of the river channels as far as possible so that that doesn't have that knock
on effect or limits the knock on effect that you've mentioned. So, but it is a good point.
We have experienced a lot of changes in the past.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:48:36
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:48:45
Indeed, and the anticipation of hotter summers and wetter winters coming down the track.
Councillor Judson.
Thank you, Mayor.
Councillor Cawthon just said exactly what I was going to say.
Cllr Andrew Judson - 1:48:56
The rule of basic flood alleviation is slow the water down.
Same with rivers and everything, you slow the water down.
The added potential of flooding especially higher up through my the mode and into
Hebden bridge coming from the cold of their energy back that there is massive concern about the water
Diverted from there and the fact that a lot of the peak that's gathered in the water a lot of spagging moss
It's all going to be removed
It will be banked and put down but during the course of the actual construction is a problem
So we do need to look at that a lot further
I do agree with this is absolutely essential about take your point on fully
but we do actually need to get upstream quickly and get on top of it there.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:49:36
And I wonder, it's not light reading, but whether we could share our local nature recovery
plan with our members.
And you can, at your leisure, have a look at some of the work that we've been doing
to do exactly that, get further upstream.
Thank you so much.
OK, so no further comments.
Can we approve the change request to the Brickhouse flood alleviation scheme to extend the scheme's
delivery time frames from the 31st of March 26 to the 31st of March 28.
Reduce the scope of the scheme to remove the Phoenix bridge element as it's already been
delivered.
Approve the future approvals are made in accordance with the assurance pathway approval route
and tolerances set out in the business case summary attached to report.
We now turn to vote on the recommendations in favour.
Thank you.
None against and no abstentions.
that has been carried, and we are so nearly there, folks,
five minutes to go.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:50:31
Item 12, Creative Industries, Culture, Heritage, and Sports.

12 Creative Industries, Culture, Heritage and Sport

This is approval for West Yorkshire sports facility
provision, 3G pitches, expanding access to all weather
sports pitches.
It was part of my manifesto pledge back in 2024,
so I'm really delighted that we're making progress.
And ensuring young people have access to excellent sports
facilities is absolutely crucial to our ambitions
for our young people across the region.
And we know that the opportunities from the Football Foundation
were to build 3G pitches, but they needed much funding.
Local authorities didn't have that much funding,
so we felt this was an opportunity,
and there will be five across our region,
one in every local authority.
But we are really ambitious on this programme,
and at least would like to double it because the need is so great.
But if I could pass over to Felix to carry this item
Thank you, mayor
For me
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:51:30
Today I should have said may if you don't mind right one of the early papers. I'm saying that just for the minute in
in the local
business support ecosystem papers that the
Talk the outcomes in the that's you've got in the papers are the stretch targets
that we're working through with partners.
So with your approval, we're now going to work through
with individual partner and refine these.
So it's possible that eventual targets,
the eventual numbers might be a bit different
from what you've seen.
And if you need to report back on that,
we're very happy to do so.
Coming back to this paper, what we are seeking is,
and this paper really will help us deliver
on one of the key mayoral manifesto pledges.
But importantly, in the local growth plan, we set out as one of the five priorities that
I talked about under place, cultural heritage and support.
The key ambition we set out was to increase access to and participation in cultural heritage
and support as a key way of improving and transforming really the quality of life of
our residents.
And we're focusing on 3G pictures today because I work with the Football Foundation.
It's led to the point where they are prepared to provide 70 to 80 percent of the funding
needed to deliver 3G pitches.
Across West Yorkshire, we have a gap of about 134 3G pitches.
So in effect, we need 134 more 3G pitches in West Yorkshire just to be on par, given
the population size.
So this is really just the beginning.
It won't solve the problem.
We have a huge gap.
But if this model works, then it allows us,
it gives us a way of trying to deal with this in the future.
Local authorities will make a contribution.
Local authorities will make a contribution.
But with our contribution and the contribution
from the individual community sports, clubs, or teams,
we are then able to make up the match required,
which the FUBAR Foundation will then provide the bulk of the funding for.
The approval we are asking for today is for us to provide a facility for up to
200 ,000 pounds which local authorities need to develop the case for each of the
pitches in their area. Once they've done that, so some might need support with
either planning or any feasibility study
to understand what might be under the ground,
whatever else, we are able to provide a bit of funding
for local authorities to be able to do that.
Once they've done that, an application will then
be put together by local authorities and us
to the football association, football foundation,
and if they are minded to then approve that,
our match funding will then fall in behind that,
Given that they are the primary funder,
it's important that they are the ones leading
all the due diligence.
And we're falling behind that on the back of their work.
So this approval allows this to be possible,
but it's not the approval to spend the total amount that
makes up the much funding.
It allows us to have our case ready and submitted
to the Football Foundation.
If and when this hopefully all goes through and we're successful, we expect to have a
minimum of five pitches.
There might be more.
We have a ceiling to how much money we've got, but where the pitches may be owned by
a local authority, it might cost a bit less, and so we might be able to fund more pitches,
but we expect to fund at least five, one in each area.
We are hoping to be able to do more than that.
and local authorities are deciding which pitches in their area come forward.
So it's not for the combined authority to decide this,
local authorities decide that, we work with our local authority partners then to build that case,
put the submission into the Football Foundation,
and if we're successful, we then provide our match funding for this to be possible.
Thank you.
Super. Councillor Aaron.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:55:44
Thank you, Felix. That's very helpful context.
Cllr Salma Arif - 1:55:48
As somebody who's got the spot portfolio here in Leeds,
there's a real genuine need for the pitches and actually it's a very resource intensive
and laborious process to go through the application process so this is it's going to be really
much needed and I think what's great is that the local authority decides where they these
pitches go so yeah I think this is really important thank you Mayor.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:56:12
Thank you Councillor Ingle. I actually again behind this because I see
Cllr Keith Ingle - 1:56:16
sport is fundamental to the way we live. In Calderdale we've got a certain amount of anti -social
behaviour from the teens, youth and sport I think provide a great outlet for that to
address that issue. I think from when I played football, I played football well into my 30s,
I've seen the kind of removal of football pitches from across the borough, unfortunately,
compared to when I was playing in the 70s, early 80s.
There is, well, the number of pitches have actually shrunk by an order of magnitude.
So anything that begins to put that back, I think, is very valuable.
But also, I think, I don't know if it's part of the consideration of your proposal as to
local authorities can actually look at how they can rebuild and re -engage with some of
our youth on these facilities.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:57:22
That's very much for a longer conversation, but I wonder, was it jumpers for goalposts
is the question?
Councillor Pinder.
Cllr Matthew Pinder - 1:57:32
Yes, Councillor Ingalls just covered the majority of what I was going to say and obviously I
cannot comment with my youthfulness on what it was like in the 1970s, but there's a clear
need for investment in sporting facilities within all areas of our combined authority
so I absolutely welcome this and welcome that it links in to the need and want of this combined
authority to alleviate mental health issues around the district so absolutely welcome
this investment.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:57:56
Thank you so much we won't be doing five asides anytime soon.
Councillor Joseph.
Cllr Andrew Judson - 1:58:01
Thank you I actually echo the exact things we are massively under provisioned I think
this is long overdue as you can tell I'm incredibly athletic myself so I'm looking forward to
to see now so this progresses up really. Councillor Courtney. Yeah and maybe we need
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:58:14
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 1:58:17
to grow some of our own footballers as well so that we have can see future
successes on the world stage. Oh yeah weren't they inspiring our England
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:58:22
footballers. Okay thank you so much if we're happy to move to the approvals. The
West Yorkshire sports facilities provision the 3G pictures programme
proceeds through decision point one strategic assessment and work commences
on the programme business case.
Two, approves development funding of up to £200 ,000
to progress the scheme to decision point two to four.
Programme business case taking the total scheme approval to £200 ,000.
Three, approves that future approvals are made in accordance
with the business, the assurance pathway,
approval route and tolerances set out in the business case summary
attached to the report.
In favour, please raise your hand, thank you.
And on against and no abstentions.
Phew, that is it.
we got to the end.
But may I just say, Councillor Bob Felstead, thank you for joining us today as the new
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:59:10
chair of the Scrutiny Committee.
I think having a critical friend and an emboldened scrutiny panel, obviously there are changes
in the panel, but I really appreciate your attention that you've paid to the meeting
today and I look forward to further conversations in a different guise in the Scrutiny Committee.
So thank you so much for coming.
Also, I wonder, as this is the first meeting, would everybody be happy to maybe have a photograph
together to mark our first investment board meeting?
I'd be delighted if you wouldn't mind staying for a moment.
Members of the date of the next meeting, the 3rd of September, so I wish you all a very
happy restful summer.
It's been quite a year, hasn't it, politically, and I'm sure you're sick of campaigning, so
I think you put your feet up and get some well -earned rest.
But in the meanwhile, if you'd be happy to have a photo in front of the board,
I'd be delighted as well.
Thank you.
Thank you to officers for all the support.
Thanks, everyone.
Thank you.