Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Board - Tuesday 13 June 2023, 2:00pm - Feedback Tab - West Yorkshire Combined Authority Webcasting

Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Board
Tuesday, 13th June 2023 at 2:00pm

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Speaking:

Start of webcast

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Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board

1 Apologies for Absence

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Myles Larrington, Committee Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board

2 Declarations of Interest

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3 Exclusion of the Press and Public

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4 Minutes of the meeting held on 8 March 2023

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Item 4 - DRAFT LEP Board 8 March 2023 - Minutes

5 Mayor's Update

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Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board

6 LEP Evolution

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Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Cllr Shabir Pandor (Kirklees Council)
Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Cllr Michael Graham (Wakefield Council)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Cllr Michael Graham (Wakefield Council)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Fatima Khan-Shah (Inclusivity Champion)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups)
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
Cllr Shabir Pandor (Kirklees Council)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Nicky Chance-Thompson (Private Sector Representative)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Emma Longbottom, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Fatima Khan-Shah (Inclusivity Champion)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board

7 Nomination to the CA and Outside Bodies

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Caroline Allen, Deputy Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board

8 Economic Update

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Item 8 - Economic Update

Jo Barham Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Thomas Purvis, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Cllr Shabir Pandor (Kirklees Council)
Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr Shabir Pandor (Kirklees Council)
Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Phil Witcherley, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
Phil Witcherley, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Tom Riordan
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
Thomas Purvis, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Phil Witcherley, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board

9 Economic Strategy

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Phil Witcherley, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mitchell McCombe, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Jo Barham Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Phil Witcherley, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Cllr Shabir Pandor (Kirklees Council)
Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Mitchell McCombe, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Jo Barham Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Phil Witcherley, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Nicky Chance-Thompson (Private Sector Representative)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Emma Longbottom, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Fatima Khan-Shah (Inclusivity Champion)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Phil Witcherley, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Phil Witcherley, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board

10 Investment Zones

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Item 10 - Investment Zones

Phil Witcherley, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Phil Witcherley, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Nicky Chance-Thompson (Private Sector Representative)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board

11 Committees Update Report

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Item 11 - Committees Update Report

Phil Witcherley, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Cllr Jane Scullion (Calderdale Council)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative)
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board

12 West Yorkshire Plan

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Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Cllr Shabir Pandor (Kirklees Council)
Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Cllr Shabir Pandor (Kirklees Council)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board
Cllr Shabir Pandor (Kirklees Council)
Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board

13 Draft Minutes of the Combined Authority held on 16 March 2023

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Item 13 - Combined Authority meeting 16 March 2023 - Draft Minutes

14 Date of Next Meeting

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Disclaimer: This transcript was automatically generated, so it may contain errors. Please view the webcast to confirm whether the content is accurate.

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:00:00

here who is our inclusivity champion, and we've invited Fatima to sort of join our our board today, to sort of have a look at how we do and to make sure that the public and private sector are involved, collectively in in the work of the inclusivity champion. So thank you very much for joining Fatima. I'd also like to welcome Barney hello Bonnie

Barney, if you remember, colleagues, for the business recruits they meet outside of the LEP Board and together they elect one of them to join us for a period of 12 months and that changeover happens in June, and so Barney is taking over as business rate groups rep on the LEP board and from Becky hot of the CBI. So I want to welcome Bonny and thank you in advance for your contributions. I also want to formally recognise the contributions that Becky Hart has made over the last few few years. Indeed, and appreciating the challenges that the organisation she works for has has gone through, she is doing her bit with with our region, and we look forward to her being part of the business rate groups with the CBI and going forwards, but Barney will be beat be joining here, and I think the other sort of I guess not I wanted to make was obviously Councillor Scully and has has moved from Deputy Leader to leader, and we just want to welcome you in your new capacity, a Jones it into the board

I think I should also just mention, and I think everyone is aware of my own personal announcements who stepped down as as Chair of the leopard and also from the committees of the Combined Authority at the end of this month, so I don't want to make a big opening remark, but I do just want to say it's been a real privilege and to be part of of this group. I to have joined the the LEP in 2017, which is a good while ago now, and I am really proud to have played my small contribution to the growth deal to some of the decision committees and and also to integration of the LEP over the last year. So thank you to everyone who sent some really lovely messages after my announcement went out for those who didn't send me a message. Well still there is still time until the end of June

so turning to the meeting today, I just wanted to flag, we've we've actually got some really important topics on there. We've got the economic strategy, we're talking about investment zones and also the the West Yorkshire Plan, and I think you know those topics can make a really material difference to the prosperity of of this region, but also to businesses within this region. So I I want to make sure that we give the right focus that one and I'm very conscious that, because of delays with the LEP integration, we are quite thin on the ground of some of our private sector. Colleagues, and I know we're going to be addressing that head-on in the the LEP evolution paper in in item 6, but it's so important that we keep that public and private sector input working together on this,

1 Apologies for Absence

and then I think you know in terms of the agenda, I don't think we'll need the full allocated time until 5 o'clock. I'm hoping for a four o'clock or maybe just after finish, so hopefully we can we can proceed like that, so that was my sort of remarks Miles, can we just move on to any apologies for absence, though, which I think there's going to be a few

apologies for absence had been received from Professor Shirley Congdon, Councillor Claire Douglas, Councillor,

Peter Mucklowe Cameron, Rashid Mandy, regarding Khalifa I

thank you very much Myles, and then can I just check item to any

Myles Larrington, Governance Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:03:38

declarations of interest that we need to make on any items for the

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:03:43

agenda today, I don't see any,

2 Declarations of Interest

3 Exclusion of the Press and Public

and then there's there's nothing in this boat for exclusion of the press and public, so everything will be held in public and so as that can I just confirm that we are starting the recording miles.

and as Miles is confirming that, can I also then just say, be really helpful if we could use the microphones on the table, so for those who's its first meeting, it's it's the button with the sort of the speaking voice Bonnie as as demonstrated by us my thank you.

4 Minutes of the meeting held on 8 March 2023

we've started so we're now in in live session, so then turning to item 4, the minutes of the meeting, that we have let board A back in March on the 8th of March and we've got quite a comprehensive set of minutes there, I have reviewed them and Ben has reviewed them as well, but are there any comments on the minutes from that meeting?

I'm gonna take that as violent agreements with them and so I'll sign those after the meeting, but we'll take those minutes as confirmed, so if I can then move to Item 5 and Tracy maybe you provide a mayor's update for the board, thank

5 Mayor's Update

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:04:59

you indeed and thank you everybody for coming it's always a pleasure to be here at the LEP Board and so just

few items on my updates, the West Yorkshire Plan

which were go is actually an agenda item, so we'd be going into more detail on that, but this has been.

fantastic collaboration,

cooperation and

bringing five leaders, five missions for a brighter West Yorkshire that works for all, I think, has put us in a really good place

in lockstep across the region to deliver

our five missions for which option gives us a real direction of travel for 2040 a turbo charging our plans and giving real clarity across the whole region how we can work collectively for better outcomes, so that's really exciting and please as many as possible and do join us at 10.00 on Friday at the Corn Exchange where we'll be celebrating the good work that's gone on.

OK, OK, I'm moving on to buses.

The decision was made at the last Combined Authority that franchising is our preferred option, and there will then be an audit and then public consultation and

I met with officers this week to discuss the scale and the scope of that consultation. That's gonna be out in the autumn and then a March decision next year. Also we allocated 7 million pounds to enhance the routes that will reconnect some of our communities because for me this is why bus is so important when 80% of the of of the public who use public transport use buses far too many communities have been completely isolated by these bus cuts and can I say that Councillor Hinchcliffe led the discussion with transport colleagues for the next stage of funding, so I want to thank the Councillor Hinchcliffe for her leadership on that and it might be just for noting that first announced increased profits on their bus operations of last year, even though the routes have been reduced across the region, so it is worth bearing in mind that bus companies are still making a profit whilst public are struggling to get on a bus so I'll be picking that up with them in a very robust fashion next time we meet and you may have also seen that TransPennine Express a company that has failed our region year in year out has finally, while it it was a failing company and it didn't get a new contract, I did think of money, we're actually going to extend the contract, as they have done with Avanti for six months to give them a bit of breathing space, so I was really pleased that after a campaign led by us and the mess that government really understood we were very clear to give transporting.

a new contract will be letting down the north and I'm so glad that they had and what we had to say, and they are, they are now in operator of last resort and I met with operator of last resort.

last week and they were talking us through their plans, and then they also presented at Rail North Committee and I'm really hopeful of stabilisation of the routes.

their deadline,

they were telling us is the 21 of June where we will see some stabilisation and then improvements into the autumn, and goodness me, it could not come soon enough clinic as businesses everywhere I went said if you can sort out transport I can recruit I can be more profitable, I can be more productive, it's so important for our economy across the region.

so just do international engagements,

we had a really productive trip to Island, to see their mass transit and to learn lessons from them on bus, also we had an opportunity to talk to their culture minister as well, that was really

fruitful and hopefully will benefit businesses here in West Yorkshire and also improve opportunities for exports. I met with the Japanese ambassador, who had a really great series of meetings here in Leeds as well, and the German ambassador is also

a meeting as this week I think

towards the end of the week and the French ambassadors reached out to have a meeting as well and we might have left Europe what we are still Europeans and we're still going to be doing all we can to make it easier for business to trade in Europe and to

embrace

Europeans to come to our region as well, so that's all good news for those also who have had any interest and leaves 2023 and I'm sure Tom would second me on this that the wild barn which was funded by us was a hugely successful and has led to an uptick in women being interested in going into construction and plumbing, which can only be a good thing concert and also I was very worried about the sustainability of the wild barn and it has now found a home

at a farm where it's going to be an outdoor classroom. So that's good news.

The last couple of points UK reef was a huge success. Seven and a half thousand people can I thank my Leeds colleagues for bringing the sunshine for a second UK reef on the trot. How do we do this

and tabular, stating developers talking so positively, and investors about our region was really

exciting and just underscores my commitment to public private engagement. Our ambitions will not be possible without the private sector, so thank you to them.

And finally,

we were definitely going to move on to the evolution of the LEP, but I just wanted to say how how excited I am about a deepening relationship with ourselves,

my office and

business, and I think and I hope that you're the skills of business, will be really enhanced and supported an elevated

with this new relationship and I'd just like to add my thanks as well to the great stewardship for the last year of as interim an amazing,

contribution is not

unnoticed, so thank you so much, so we will continue to empower and embed our relationship with the private sector, thank you so much Chair.

thank you very much, Minister.

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:11:53

and and are there any questions

for the mayor on on that update?

certainly I think the weather at UK retail mean it's getting boring now, isn't it with so much sunshine in Leeds, but I thought UK Reef was an outstanding event and a really great time where we did see so many people within this you know business community, an onslaught of our politicians coming together and putting a great a great show on and hopefully the contacts and the meetings that will happen after that will will make that business case. really work.

6 LEP Evolution

OK if we then move to item number 6 on LEP evolution, I'm I'm gonna pass to Alan and for most of this, but there's the key point here. This covers an update on recruitment and membership of the board, it covers the appointments to some of the various roles within this board. Roles to other bodies are gonna be covered by paper number 7

and then it also asks for some views on the future arrangements for this board and conversation which added so Alan Connor please pass the eater to lead us there

great, thank you very much Chair, so if I could become before coming

Alan Reiss, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:13:00

onto the the detail around the appointment and so on, if I could just say a few words by way of of context and in particular refer to the letter that's attached to Appendix 2 because I think this is a really important and place to start with what we're trying to achieve, so in West Yorkshire we've had a really strong history, proud history of partnership between the private and public sector. and a collective shared endeavour to create a fairer, more prosperous, more sustainable

society and the Leeds City region LEP was successful in delivering the largest growth deal in the country, so we are building on some really strong foundations

at the spring as, as colleagues will be aware, LEPs have been under review for a couple of years and that's taken some time for the conclusions to be reached and the

the government announced in spring budget this year that from 2024 they would no longer be supported nationally now

in our region. What that means really is completing the process that's already been underway to bring the LEP and the Mayoral Combined Authority together and integrate the LEP fully into the Mayoral Combined Authority

because it's recognised amongst everybody that strong partnership between the public and private sectors is absolutely crucial and must continue. And indeed the model that we have got here is held up nationally as a model of good practice. So we we need to build on that, and any changes that should happen should not. take away from from that progress that we've made,

and so

what that means is that the intention is absolutely for the private sector to remain represented on the decision-making committees of the Combined Authority and to have a strong voice within the Combined Authority and for it to remain a fundamental partner in delivery. And I think it's worth just just just also saying thank you to every member of the private sector, who's given up their time freely to contribute towards the work of the mayoral combined authority, and we know that nationally, there were there was a degree of concern and that the government's announcement was met with, and so really important to emphasise that the partnership between the private and public sector here must deepen so,

that all of that said we're in a period of transition and we know that there is Mark, you've announced your intention to step down. We have a number of vacancies across the board that we need to fill, so we are now in a period where we need to with that ambition in mind. We need to get through the next period and move forward, so what this paper is asking for?

I'm just going to run through for clarity for each of the various elements. If you're if you're bear with me, so the first is formally needing to approve the membership of the the council representatives and they're set out at Appendix 1. The second is that the term of office of three of our members, that's

Shirley Cameron and Calais, need to be extended for a further three year term, so it's asking for that to be confirmed,

its noting that recruitment for additional members we now have seven vacancies is underway and the aim is to complete that by the summer

I note that at 2.00.1 6 there's a line which says that there's a panel to be convened with private and public sector representation,

but the Board is asked to delegate authority to the Mayor and Chief Executive to make the appointments to be completely clear about that that so that we don't have to wait for the next meeting of the board in order for appointments to be made so a panel will meet which is jointly between the private and public sector and then formally speaking the delegate the decision to appoint is delegated to the Mayor and the Chief Exec in practice, what will happen is the proposal for appointments will be circulated to the board for views,

then I, in terms of the the Chair, the ad advertisement for that is live with a deadline of the 30th of June, the proposal here is that, with the with Mark standing down, there is also a vacancy for Deputy Chair and the proposal there is that the Mayor would make an appointment following the appointment of the chair so there would be no Deputy Chair for the for the next period.

2 22 21 and 2 22. I'm going to come back with, I'm gonna come back to in just a moment,

so a 2 23 there's a proposal around co-opted co-opted members of the board. So historically we've previously co-opted members to the amend member to the board from business representative organisations, and the proposal is that that is Bernie who is here today we're from the Federation of Small businesses, with the Deputy substitute member being Martin Hathaway of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber, there are two further Co-optee members who we have on the board at the moment, so we have Asmir Iqbal and Nikki Chance Thompson, and though the term of those cow options

expire this month, and therefore the proposal is asked if the Board is asked today to approve that those be extended for a further year should be said, of course, that if any co-opted member has applied to be a permanent member of the board and is successful, then that would supersede their co option, and there would be a current that there would be a come, a a member.

So if the Board is content to agrees to appoint Azmarin Nikki as co-opting members then jumping back to 2 22 21 to 22,

the proposal is that Asma would continue as the LEP diversity champion.

the proposal is that on foot with the Esmée LEP representative and the T and I representative, we wouldn't propose to make appointments to those positions today, but they would be done so after the other appointments have been made to the board so that takes us through all of the process of the processes for the appointments the final part of this paper was asking about the way in which the board comes together in the future so, for instance the proposal to hold perhaps fewer formal meetings more informal ones and we really grateful to hear any views from board members about the format and frequency going forward.

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:19:27

thank you very much now and there is a lot in that,

and so thank you for taking it very. my suggestion is we, we just had a pause before the future board arrangements and we sort of approved everything or not, or pretty everything as before that point, and then we'll have that that full conversation that there's just two points that I'd just like to add to your summary for us to consider as a board firstly,

I'd just like to update quickly on the number of applications that we had for a board members since I because I think it's really telling of the the quality and the type of applications that we've had, so we've had 33 applications for board members emissions, which I think is really quite impressive,

Importantly, 20 of those are female 16 are from a BAME backgrounds, which I also think is good, and the interesting thing is when we went through the shortlisting we shortlisted 13 of those 33 and those percentages are 77% female and 46% they,

so I think that's great now that that's you know covering aspects of diversity, I think really importantly, as well as the sectors and that some of these applicants come from, including manufacturing, digital hospitality, professional services, energy, transport, skills, culture,

and I think we also have a very broad spread from the local authorities, which is sort of really helpful. So I just wanted to sort of stress that one and those

applications are sort of ready for the the sort of panels to go live on its stress impact as well, and I think secondly, I'd just like to pick up on, I think, what's in point 2.18

about the the current recruitment timelines for the new net LEP chair, so currently it's saying the adverts gone live, there's a deadline of the 30th of June for approval and the expectation is the new postholder will be enrolled by the 22 of July. which is great, I think, as a board, we should embrace the possibility that those timelines don't hold as positively as they are set out in the paper, and if that's true, then there is likely to be a Combined Authority meeting where we're unsure of of how the private sector would be represented. So so my proposal for us to consider as a board is that we try to find a nominee from the private sector to attend any Combined Authority on the unlikely case. Those timelines are delayed, but we do know that there has perhaps been a track record of things like that occurring in the past, so can I just ask you to to quickly respond on that, and now I'll open it out to everyone else,

yeah, thank you Chair, so

Alan Reiss, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:22:03

the so so completely take the point, and it's important that the the The Board is represented at the at the Combined Authority on the 27th of July.

there are there are there are, there are two options, one is that, but I realise colleagues went ahead of warning about this, but there are, there are two options, one is that the board could decide to date who that person is

the alternative would be that the board decided today to delegate this formally to Ben, but in clearly he would decide it in here, he would consult with the board about who that person should be, and it would be that it would be. a formality of a process,

so essentially what would happen is after this meeting, people would consider who might be available to represent the LEP Board on that day, and then we would formally agree who that would be over got anything wrong, Caroline, will correct me.

Caroline is smiling and nodding, which is helpful

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:23:00

OK, so before what I'll do is I will run through those recommendations explicitly so that we know what we're deciding, but before I do that I just want to open it up to any colleagues across the board who have a perspective or a comment to make on any of the things that Alan has said that.

but

it is, it seems that I'm a firstly to tell the things that those of

Cllr Shabir Pandor (Kirklees Council) - 0:23:27

obviously naked Robinson Way, but the Esmée champion, is in a bugbear of

the FSB, I suppose, but bear in mind for a number of years in that it's a really easy thing to say, but doing is is hugely 97% of all

Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups) - 0:23:40

businesses arrest maze sites when or what sort of support they get, it wasn't job description is, or is it just or you're the champion good luck when you go, because I think

we really could improve how that's done and I think it would benefit the LEP

thank you for your, it was really important and welcome to pulled

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:24:00

as Alan would you like, to respond on that?

I think there's something to work through with all the relevant that

Alan Reiss, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:24:07

the person were nominated and completing point and then would work, I mean they would

can we move most of the work that happens outside of the board meetings, so the key interface for them would be within the team the teams within the Combined Authority who are working on matters of business support and so on

and that would be there so there would. their work they will work closely with those officers and they would vote though those teams would provide support to those

to that person.

I don't think we have a formal role profile for the

problem itself. and perhaps that's something that we should look at

I do I realise there's not, particularly as I certainly

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:24:49

will, it is, I just wonder whether we can take an action that we will do that, not just for the semi champion the actually more formalised some of the other roles that we're having across the board

do the could speak for

Fifa,

thank you Polly.

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 0:25:04

if it's related as well, please do not rule Councillor Pendleton at the domes, or both, so

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:25:08

it is related, and I wonder if we could also look to see how, as

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 0:25:12

diversity and inclusion champion they those roles could be integrated

Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 0:25:17

somehow because we can or should be working together as champions

so yeah when you have that discussion internally could you just bear that in mind as well and keep me in the loop?

I am, and I suggest we would actually add, that explicitly again to

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:25:30

the action of defining the roles clearly and maybe bring all of those back to the board in September

for the next meeting.

Alan Reiss, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:25:41

OK are there any other comments or perspectives on that which I lead us through the recommendations?

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:25:45

OK, so recommendation 10.1 notes with local authority representatives and substitutes appointed to the LEP Board set out in Appendix 1 of the report, so are we happy to approve that recommendation?

yes, OK.

a temporary two, we've confirmed the current private sector representatives of the LEP Board, as set out in Appendix 1, and agrees to extend the terms of office for Shirley Cameron and Culley, each for a further 3 year term to 28th of February 2026. You're happy with that, yes,

10.3. We note that the recruitment of a new private set, but let board members, are underway, and I shared the summary of the applications. We delegate authority to the Mayor and the Chief Executive to make appointments as appropriate and on behalf of the board and to update the board accordingly, and I would know Allen's point in terms of process of that which would involve, but the LEP Board members in consultation rather than just being informed after after the event. Are we all happy with 10.3?

Yes,

10 point for we note the update on the vacancies for the LEP Chair and Deputy Chair, and I think we would add to that point, the consideration of putting a nomination for a Combined Authority, just in case we don't meet those timelines. My suggestion for the board is we take Alan option 2 and we don't try to resolve it today, but we sort of are comfortable that we take that away as a as an action. As Alan outlined. Are we all happy with that approach? Yes, OK

item 10.5, we confirm the member of LEP boards, represents engage with ESSA me as we've talked about Esmée, diversity and trade and investment and then summarise, we are continuing with asthma in 10.6 as LEP diversity champion, but we are holding open 10.5 and 10.7 the Esmée champion, and the trade and investment champion, with the added points of summarising the exact details of of the roles that we have a temporary 8, we appoint Bernie of the FSB as the co-opted members of the LEP Board to represent the business representatives group here

and the point that I don't think was actually made in the paper is just because of diaries. It's always helpful to have a Deputy, but business recruits have got together and have suggested that the Deputy would be Martin Hathaway for the Mid Yorkshire Chamber as the main substitute for a one year period. I just want to check that everyone is comfortable with 10.8 I see Notts. Thank you,

and then finally we are not finally, sorry, we approved the extension of the terms of appointments for co-opted members, asthmatic bell and Nikki Champson by for a year and, as Alan said, that is subject to any procedures for the full. Let board interviews so I've got nods from everyone on that, thank you,

so then, Alan, if I may, you asked your other question in terms of the feedback from the Board on the format and frequency of the meetings. going forwards and from looking at the paper in 2.2 6.

I just like to say there is a recommendation here that it may be appropriate to hold fewer formal meetings, but perhaps more informal discussions in private to really dive down into the topics Is there anything I should like to say about that on before I open it up for to take the views of the board.

at the anything I am I'd add is that

Alan Reiss, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:29:14

we've had a couple of sessions over the last few months where we've brought together not just the members of the LEP Board but the wider private sector membership as well, and I think they've been really useful discussions and that's worth considering as part of this conversation the frequency of one and what we use those sessions for where we bring together the kind of wider family of people engaged across all of the committees.

thank you, and that's a great point, and for history we used to do

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:29:39

that once a year at the annual general meeting, and this time last year we decided I in influence that we'd like to do that more frequently and we've had that at least twice a year and potentially I think there is the opportunity to extend that to extend that further as well, so I just like to open this up for any any views on the meetings. Councillor Brett,

I just like to ask him how many times do we meet formally yeah, and

Cllr Michael Graham (Wakefield Council) - 0:30:03

what are we proposing to reduce that to?

as far as I understand it, employees currently either on currently or

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:30:11

previously we have met four times a year, and the proposal is that we reduce that down to two formal meetings, one held in December, one in June, and that in between those dates as we see fit but probably at least one in between we would have an informal meeting in private,

I am just checking with officer colleagues that that is great yesterday's OK.

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:30:37

Alan would you like to say that the the question from Councillor Hinchliffe was Ben sorry, let me bring you in here.

it was so as to reflect the changing role of the LEP going forwards

Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:30:50

and to allow more time for level members to have conversations about the issues in a freer format.

that is what we're proposing other

to him to stop.

are there any other comments, or is there is broad agreement with the

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:31:12

proposal to have two meetings, formal meetings and then at least two meetings in between those so that we have four meetings in total yet,

Councillor, Greg sorry, I question

Cllr Michael Graham (Wakefield Council) - 0:31:25

them in terms of these meetings obviously filmed and put out to the public that we think that too is enough to have that transparency and let people know what we're up to as a board.

I'm not too sure to as enough of that, but I'm happy to listen to what others think,

Councillor, I think I think that's great question and I think that the

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:31:43

proposal is the agendas for those two formal meetings would have to contain a range of updates to ensure that those topics were, you know, rightly shared in in public

Ben Aldridge's chosen, and

for me I think you are absolutely right about scrutiny and transparency really important, but we're not in a position that

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:32:03

historically used to be where there was a budget and that would those approvals will be scrutinised who the who does go to, and so on, from me and very open to discussion about this, but what I've I've had is that Members saying I just want to run the sleeves up and get stuff done rather than sit round a table and not really speak about or obviously be asked for my opinion or my experience and my suggestions. So it's a way to to make sure the load is the same so that people on overloaded and then don't want to be involved, but also that we can get more done in that in the time that people can dedicate to it but very happy for to be persuaded otherwise

Councillor Hinchcliffe,

yes,

so this is an opportunity to get out and round the region law, so it

Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 0:32:56

will be good to if we could do as a as a team if we go out and see some enterprise projects that are taking place in parts of the region have a conversation about that how it's working out it's not working out could be improved to release of support or active learning if that's that's the opportunities being offered that will be fine.

I think that's an important point, there's lots going on right across

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:33:18

the region and we don't need to limit it to the place where there are video conferencing facilities like this. Alan would you like to come back in,

thank you, I just wanted to respond to Councillor Grant's point as

Alan Reiss, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:33:29

well, which I think is well made, but I would say that the all of the committees where the formal decisions are taken so the Combined Authority itself and the 60 Matić committees and the three chairs of scrutiny are all publicly streamed life,

so there there is a so in that respect, all all of the decisions are taken in public papers are published for me in advance, etc etc

and top

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:33:57

yeah I, I was just wondering about the the agendas and the the work

Fatima Khan-Shah - 0:34:02

programme in a way, and if the objective is to deepen and strengthen the relationship with the private sector, and we're not any more in a position where we're having to, if you like, deliver national policy or you know align with national policy, it's quite an opportunity to

rethink what would be the best relationship, and some of it is about representation and making sure that you know, we've got everybody informed and involved who is involved in that one

you know that that would be, I think, a really good thing to do, getting out and about and getting better engagement, understanding of of the sectors is important, but is there are other agendas, like the the support services that are provided the year, the payment terms of all the all the Combined Authority and ourselves and and

in terms of supporting small businesses?

the there's a sort of service provision bit, and then there's the alignment of investment, you know talk about the West Yorkshire Plan later, and it would be great as a position where the private sector have much more knowledge about what's coming through the pipeline and what the plans are from the public sector, and so I just encouraged the team to maybe not be hemmed in by what we've done before unnecessarily but to think you know how could we really get the best

relationship where people are able to really understand each other and also there's an ask of business as well from the mayor and the Combined Authority in terms of getting no paying the real living wage and, sign up to the Charter and things like that so that there's a good, I think, opportunity to think,

a bit wider than maybe we've done previously for those, maybe those two meetings that one when we get together.

thank you, thank you Tom, I think that's a great point and a clear

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:35:55

opportunity, and one and remembering this doesn't have to be a forever decision, we can you know, sort of try, this approach and sort of you as a board and you know determine how to go going forwards,

Councillor Pendle

yeah,

the Chair,

Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups) - 0:36:09

just a thinking load in terms of what is it you're trying to achieve, based on

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 0:36:15

the the LEP and what the guys that might be the Mayoral Combined

Cllr Shabir Pandor (Kirklees Council) - 0:36:20

Authority, this is about the skills investment business

and how I'll go back to the transparency stuff, how will people actually gonna engage with that?

and the big question for elected the private sector, which is really really important,

and I think that's that's something really positive that we've seen in invest Yorkshire because we are not Yorkshire.

so while we carry on taking the messages forward.

and make sure that the different meat see the their allocated plot, different models out there are nationally, and I think yes, are probably the best in the class in terms of working with the private sector,

so how can we give whoever is gonna be in government next year that that full assurance that you know we we are here to deliver,

we are very open, very transparent re, give you more bang for your buck, we beat you, we've got the documents released and I think

we just need to get ahead of that game, because

the Mayoral Combined authorities are operational compared to all established organisation that Goodman.

and that that debate will continue or at whatever level, so we can make sure that that private sector delivery mechanism that we have into Patricia says not that we really want to deliver that's not interesting to deliver, and so do we as as as as mayors and leaders so with all that in the mix.

if we can get planning together regarding the Tour plus two returns, and we have some very clear outcome that we're trying to achieve both for the joint bodies, so we are clear because the problem we have, I'd like to have more meetings but as you know he just hasn't been attending the day for me to the Minister to the UK but for very clear what we're going to get out until this point is really really value.

got five authorities and maybe an extra one

so that we, we all, can actually go into local authorities

and actually showcase.

the big schemes and big, flagship Flat flagship schemes that actually at just about the local authority is to our about the region. It is about UK plc

you know and and so the gonna be, there's a lot more added value. We get for the the meeting that we we have,

so that's something to think about there are, I think, I see the jury is out

in terms of how how this will evolve into the future.

Thank you and Councillor Pandor and I and I think you know when we

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:38:51

we've asked for sorry, sorry, Nikisch,

I just say we bit we've been asked for feedback. I think this has been a very helpful discussion. Might my suggestion would be that if there is a September meeting with a new chair, new board members, that this becomes a primary topic for exactly how the frequency and the format of these meetings should take place, and I would strongly encourage that to be on the agenda for that. But Nicky, my pasty

Nicky Chance-Thompson (Private Sector Representative) - 0:39:20

yeah, Mum is herself more of a general point around the ambition and vision, and, if we're gonna, engage the business community's,

what is it that we want them to do, and how do they pay part of that, and I know there's really exciting work is coming out in the investment zone and trailblazers and some great things happening,

then I think for them to be part of that. It's how are they going to contribute towards that ambition, or how can we help them contribute towards the ambitions, so I like the idea of having more fluid meetings, I think that works

yeah, I think what's missing for me is the frequency and on what we do, it is important that the why I wonder if that just needs a bit more definition, and maybe it's just me of missing for three weeks in Greece.

but I think for me it's the why we probably need to determine any way that was it

for. Thank you, Nicky and welcome back from Greece. I think it's a

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:40:10

really important point on the why and

I say I think what will help us is the West Yorkshire Plan, because

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:40:19

we're all working towards 2040 and to identify exactly to your point of why we meeting. What do we want out of it? Whereas growth, whereas exports,

whereas diverse recruitment, you know all the stuff that's in the plan, the private sector are absolutely pivotal in helping us deliver that, so it is deconstructing the plan

and our five missions, and whilst I don't want an extra meeting, we are five regions, five missions, so maybe five is a lucky number

but I think I think there is an opportunity to maybe look at you know the first mission as a an area of a priority, a prosperity for West Yorkshire, how do we make that happen and we set in train our expectations over the next few years and and use these the private sector to help us deliver that, but I think that's our blueprint.

great and and Fatima.

sorry, I couldn't miss an opportunity so I can sit here and listen and

Emma Longbottom, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:41:17

I lasted exactly 48 minutes which is pretty good for me and I was just thinking in regards to revisiting the role and purpose of the ball we

Fatima Khan-Shah - 0:41:24

went to the Balmer City launches today needs which is absolutely incredible and one of the things that really made me think was Mahmood's principles of the role of the private sector in addressing inequality and I wondered whether there is an opportunity to lift and shift some of those elements and embed that in the work of the LEP too because it'd be a win-win for everyone.

thank you, thank you for asking me about something that we should definitely take away and lead into the vision of this September

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:41:48

meeting to explore mission one and how we can sort of reinvigorates that the why behind it, so I think tempering 10 asked for feedback, I really want to thank colleagues for a very full and

useful conversation about that and ask that we then sort of take that forwards. into the planet and stop making that happen, but working on the principle of those meetings, considering the feedback of potentially making it funny to reflect the five local authorities and the and the five missions as well.

7 Nomination to the CA and Outside Bodies

OK, so I will move us now on to Item number 7, which sort of follows on from this, but is now a nomination to the CA and an outside body. So thinking about membership of the CA committees and external bodies such as Transport for the North and northern powerhouse 11. So Caroline, can I ask you to walk us through this nonsense?

thank you Chair. Yes, as he said this, this does follow on, and I

Caroline Allen, Head of Legal & Gov Services (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:42:43

think it's clear from the recommendations that it. It highlights the fact that we are in this transitional point of recruitment, very life that the membership, so there's a few delegations fed in here to proposals for the recommendations. I think the first thing is doing on this is

seeking approval from the board in terms of the appointments on the CA and of course, we discuss that as part of the last item. This is, this is seeking a proposal in terms of that sort of the the permanent arrangement, and it's that the LEP Board chair, once appointed, becomes the LEP member on the CA, and the LEP Board Deputy Chair, once appointed, becomes at substitute. Let member states still seeking that as the recommendation, but it is subject to that recognition that if by the July meeting that appointment isn't in place, we now have a mechanism to ensure that LEP board representation is on the through through that nomination, so we can. We will reference that in the minutes for this, if that's agreed by the board

it then because this is part of it, the formal business, because this is a formal item for the board. is seeking the confirmation of the board of the current nominations for private sector LEP Board members and roles of deck chairs on the Combined Authority's committees. unless set out at Appendix 1 Appendix 1 sets out all current private sector reps and LEP board members LEP board members are highlighted in bold show that it is fair to say that we have.

with having the vacancies on the LEP Board, we have vacancies, of course, in terms of let board membership and Deputy Chair

roles on the CA committees, and so that comes to recommendation 10.3 here, where we're wanting to actually take that forward once the recruitment is complete, which is why we're seeking delegated authority from the board for the mayor in the lecture to make those nominations. for LEP board members on to the Combined Authority committees, now obviously that would be done in concert in a there is a, this is a formal recommendation, but there's a process that would sit around that, and that will be the consultation, but it would mean that we wouldn't have to wait for a formal LEP Board meeting to enable it to go forward and so that it expedites the ability for us to have that let board membership back on our decision making committees.

10.4,

as has been the practice, we always seek the nominations from the LEP Board in terms of that wider private sector representation on our committees. So this is private sector reps, who aren't let board members for the recruitment historically has come through the LEP Board, so we seek that confirmation that those that those private sector wrecks are recommended to the CA to continue and sit on those committees for this following year

and as part of that and again highlighted in Appendix 1, there are a number of those roles where we usually have those nominations on a three years, with the potential for a further three year period, and that first three years has come to an end and we are seeking authority here to say to the to the Combined Authority would like that term to extend

so that's 10 point for fine, almost there 10.5 in terms of LEP board member representation on TfN

again, we are seeking we have obviously a delay in that in terms of our current recruitment, so are seeking a delegation again in that to enable those proposals to be made to TfN them outside the LEP Board for meetings and then finally at 10.00.6 to note that

that, following the appointment of the chair, there are appointments to outside bodies that would follow as a result of that ex officio position. So, chair, they are the six recommendations. I'm happy to take any questions. Thank you

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:46:43

for thanking Carolyn, and I think that follows very closely on from the previous paper, and your summary of those six means that I my proposal is that, unless there are any questions or points on that, we take all of those six and I ask for a brutal to sort of carry all of those six forwards are just asking if there are any questions or comments, no, so everybody's happy to move those six, yes, great. Thank you very much, Caroline, that's very helpful.

8 Economic Update

If we now move to Item number 8, we move on to the the non-formal sort of parts of the meeting and obviously very important on the economic update, and I think it's fair to say Tom we've had you three very, very deep dives on the economy in previous LEP Board meetings and and I've been really really useful to outline the macro-economic context and then the West Yorkshire specific views, but then, importantly, you know, what are we going to do about and I think the paper you know in that format, it is very clear. In particular, I wanted to highlight the West Yorkshire business survey launch, which is coming soon and I think I will be very useful information for you know, the combined authorities to take on and also the actions that we're taking on energy UK as B F and and the economic strategy. So I just wondered if you might Tom just like summarise that, and then we can just open for any discussion points from four members before we then move on to the economic strategy that you know. What next are we going to be

Jo Barham, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:48:08

therefore, for thank you, Chair, sir, to talk summarise the macroeconomic section that can be summarised in one hose, basically, which is inflation.

inflation has started to to drop, albeit it hasn't dropped as much as

Thomas Purvis, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:48:22

the markets predicted for people that so follow what the F T or the economist of other kind of financial reports are saying, there is now an expectation actually that inflation is going to be around longer than anticipated there was wage growth data coming out this morning. which was pretty strong, which

his kind of what we're in this now awkward situation where the Bank of England said interest rates by the end of the year 4.7 point 4.75% than will take stock. You've now got the markets predicting 5% or above sir, so there is now this kind of dichotomy if you like, between between the markets and policymakers. One of the things to mention in particular is around is around food, and without putting too much of a dampener on the on the one. Whether things like climate change leading to hotter summers will actually have an impact on how sticky food inflation is. So this is just another consideration, as well as labour shortages as well as

sort of the supply chain. Shocked overhanging from Covid climate change impacts are going to start having having an impact on some of these things as well, particularly particularly food

in terms of

where we go next. If you like the Bank of England,

analysis seems to suggest that employment is generally going to stay steady. We have started see a softening labour market in West Yorkshire which I mentioned, but generally speaking, they're not expecting a big shock, however, on the other side, business investment despite the government, the tax cuts on in on business investment at the spring budget, therefore costing investment, basically not not yet no increase in into instances actually got down, which for West Yorkshire, an economy that lags when it comes to productivity. This is a big issue for us

now, moving away from the macro perspective to to the more more local perspective, what we have seen is that there are still net new businesses month on month, so you quite often see this when, when economies become a bit bit shaky, you see lots of companies leaving leaving their business behind lots of people entering entering the business landscape, whether it be necessity, driven or opportunity driven, but something to to flag, which is particularly important, is the sectoral make-up of this shift. We're seeing the most volatility in wholesale and retail trade and accommodation and food which, given the price of everything going up, given that households are being squeezed. It's not too much of a surprise that these are the sectors that we're seeing this faulty volatility in

but the good news, if you like, is that whilst liquidations have increased in these sectors, sort of new entrants, so businesses that are unfortunately not been able to get through this period are being replaced by other businesses, which will hopefully be able to to get through this period in terms of the business survey which which watch I mentioned, so this is our annual business survey of around a thousand companies across across West Yorkshire. It covers topics such as

future growth projections, future employment projections, investment predictions that projection sorry,

ex export export intentions are business looking international and we've added a few questions this year.

to more focus on barriers to innovation and things like that

the reason why we've been able to take questions basically is because going back a year ago back two years we obviously had a lot of covered questions and touch wood despite all the challenges we face Covid isn't one currently

and it will hopefully it will hopefully remain like that, so I'm happy to have a more in-depth conversation about about the the themes if if people would like that and then just to kind of finish on the labour market within West Yorkshire before quickly going through the actions the labour market is still generally pretty strong. we have started to see an uptick in out-of-work claimants, as well as

slight downward trajectory in the number of parent employees but vacancies are still above pre pandemic levels which on one side is good because people can vacancies tend to be in high-skill industries on the flip side it's a supply-side problem

but the labour market unlike kind of previous recessions the labour market seems generally. generally, pretty, pretty decent, it's just softening a little bit compared to what it was just to finish in terms of actions, so we have the energy price emergency grant scheme which provided practical spot, reduce energy bills. As at the 17th March, over 450,000 of support has been granted to just shy of 150 businesses, with a further, a further 150 grander spending to be carried out if the new submissions are all or all proved. There's a shared prosperity fund, which is 83 million split across community and player, supporting local businesses and people in schools, with an additional two and a half million for rural in for the rural England prosperity fund and then finally, as the Chair mentioned, we've got the economic strategy and more of that will be covered in Item 9

thank you very much time and effort for the summary, and I just wonder if, if anyone else would like to

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:53:25

you contribute anything from sort of intel that that's going on in the in the local market,

I look

possibly at Bonny for from a unique perspective from you know, not just the FSB but from anything that's come up in business recruits. I don't need to put you on the spot Bonnie, but is there anything that you'd like to to add to that?

Well, I think no one then or now then I think no carry on. So, yes, whom I mean,

Cllr Shabir Pandor (Kirklees Council) - 0:53:48

I think, a law that was when we talked about this at the meeting familiar with yeah. This sounds like I think the big thing says I'd

Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups) - 0:53:55

been in this year we were told the sky was going to fall on our heads and it didn't, and that has been really quite helpful, but that is sort of mean you are talking about inflation at the moment in patients at the moment, is

yeah things just kennel and about growth is very slow, the economy is very sluggish, and part of that thing is confidence on the energy. The big thing vented and began to think about energy is just as energy bills the now so about double what they were. Don't think that everyone's voted the same because it depends how, when you fixed your contact and visitors have to fix their contracts. So

when we've got big campaign nationally and some success at some of the companies of allowing people to who had to fix our contract at the back in the last year, when prices are highest yet to come back and revisit them and where we haven't enjoyed that, and that's a big thing, I think we should be looking at that as connecting the biggest difference to some of this. one or other than that I mean you're talking about or

in terms of employment, I think we'd echo that, but this is still very sectoral differences in that as well, would you?

is it too? be aware of as follows,

thank you, and I know that's very, very helpful and made, let's just

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:55:01

come in and just on that point, Bonnie about energy, we found that the take-up of the energy emergency grants is slow,

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:55:10

what what what can we do, why do you think that is?

is it because it's match-funded, what's, though, what do you think the issue is for business?

I'm not sure I'm enough, I think it is. It's one of those difficulties

Cllr Shabir Pandor (Kirklees Council) - 0:55:23

where do visitors finding out how to business finance something is available, I have decided look for that on the website fairly recently

Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups) - 0:55:32

combined it so that wouldn't help either. because all of the support you have particularly e-mail somebody to get, and I wanted to get some details to pass on to somebody and I can find it so that we don't know, but I think it's just keep going out there and mean what I think you have that is quite a strength but West OK you do up the growth managers who we talk to as many people as anybody.

getting to keep. get out and think about

what we're we're delighted. Members of businesses congregating with is around things like service offices. It is round from the network itself and any growth managers know this, and I think that they're the people to armed with this information and hope you all start spinning out, but

it could be more visible on the website would be one thing. I think

that thank you Bernie and I know the team are trying to make. You know

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:56:12

the business support that is available, more visible or simple, and amplify investment, getting new businesses that there are parts of the LEP net working in that as well. I think, specifically on the on the energy point, you know, whilst we have allocated I'm looking at paragraph

2.1, point

3, we've allocated a million,

and we might just want to consider Councillor Andorran the next big committee whether we continue to push up to that limit or whether we ask the question, Is there anything else that we could offer with the 400,000 remaining that might actually sort of support, you know more businesses and recognising that this is a sort of a state of flux as well.

please do not bring in Phil who I think he wants to come on on that point and then Councillor Angela,

Phil Witcherley, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:56:54

finally, thank you for that feedback and I think we hear that point and we have we observe that point around and they've added the availability of people knowing about this their support.

thanks for the kind words about the great managers, which is obviously one route I think just to flag the team are working on launching a web page which will which also suggest the solution as well them so well, so we'll work it out, but I think we need to probably continue our conversations with organisations particularly like yours and the FSB and the FSB channels and we do that I think we need to do that bit more

so I just want to say that,

thank you for that, and Councillor Hinchcliffe

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:57:29

yeah obviously mention a little bit in the landmark on the report, but

Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 0:57:33

not an awful lot of him, employment and skills, and I think that is an area where was Combined Authority is traditionally quite strong and

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 0:57:37

think about what can we do on that point, I know if you look at the stats that were on lots of different arenas

you'll see that in a worthless losses going up, in fact so as more people not employed, not claim benefits but not employed, and that is an issue.

and the skills levels still need improvement, and if we've got a shortage of people in the lead market, that's because we've got people, but we're just not trained them up quick enough or well enough in the areas there need to be skilled up to get a job. So there's a there's an obvious disconnect there isn't that public sector is always trying to bridge, but I think it is the more we can do on the skills agenda. I would ask, where are they for it as a Combined Authority, to make sure that more of that those people who are as workers at the moment can't get those opportunities, that we need them to fill

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 0:58:30

there was a very. for fair and balanced comment. Councillor Geoff and Tom, I know you want to come in and then, and I'll bring Tom in, to respond to some of those

Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 0:58:38

yeah just I was going to make similar point to capsule inch cliffs and just that I think the team you know are very aware of that. He OHU

Phil Witcherley, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:58:47

we're working with and I do think it's one of those areas where we were in this sort of period of uncertainty and flux and have been for

Tom Riordan - 0:58:53

a while, and now it looks like we're gonna be for a bit longer. So in those circumstances investment tends to gravitate to those places where they sort of know what they're gonna get and they can reduce the risk and one way they can do that is by us given them confidence that they're going to have the labour market and they're going to have the access to people you know coming through, and that is, I think, that's an area that we can actively work during this period to to help our prospects collectively and it links to the point about I was making about development and you know again once people know that there's a pipeline that's that clear and you know then they know there's gonna be. you know things happening in this part of the world over a prolonged period of time. They tend to base more people here, they once people are based here, they recruit

better because you know you just you're not just going for one project, you know that there are a number of projects in the system and that was what was great about UK reef for us because we're able to showcase that quite literally, so I think maybe I just think both of those are areas where I think the business support workers has been set as a real strength of the CA and something that we should continue. What it's, that is that skills and development side where you know we need to just get that visibility, it may be about what we do in and how we're doing it collectively and this part of the world being somewhere that's a safe haven for investment.

Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 1:00:24

thank you, Tom or anything that's skills point, the way we're picking up, I think we we will pick that up, I think, with our private sector

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:00:30

vice-chair on skills Shirley, and maybe the skills committee could be a.

a good point for that conversation to carry on Tom Wood, let's come back in on that conversation before we just wrapped this item up, yeah, just

just very quickly or on on the skull, sir, on the economic inactivity

Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 1:00:42

point.

a previous previous meetings, we have

Thomas Purvis, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:00:49

delved into that a bit more, the the part of the challenge with that is the debt is just not as frequent as other debt, so as we get new debt, so that tends to be when when we added in but just two things to flag what one is the business survey that was already mentioned earlier on, where we do ask things like what what skills barriers exist do you offer things like apprenticeships, graduate schemes, those types of things,

so over the summer we'll be collecting that, so that would be good, a good indicator, and also

we're about to start writing the annual state of the region report, which, for people that have seen this before, it's a very, very long document, but it basically covers every sort of issue that you know committees will will cover and it all it will be in one place with dashboards and it will cover things like skills issue, so looking at qualification levels, looking at things like vacancies, why these labour shortages are things like that, so so there is more to come on this

Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 1:01:43

thank you Tom and and just if I just pass to trace first and then and then to Phil and

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:01:48

just to say that we're looking at the

interactive.

Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 1:01:54

There's a lot of conversations going on nationally about who are these people and there does seem to be an increase in those who are ill

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:02:01

waiting for appointments for operations so they might want to go back to work, but currently they just can't work so it's very hard to get that data as an egg but we're definitely it's trying to work out who they are but also just around the skills. we are trying lots of ways to enable people to get the skills that they need, so just a couple of examples I think might be worth sharing one is bus driver recruitment, we've been able to use that money

skills money to go into communities like one in Bradford home would, I think it is the community centre open up that community centre for the first time in years. recruit drivers, and then there's now Stay and Play and cooking classes there also using the apprenticeship levy share scheme as the, for example, have they funded 10 early years? Teachers to go on to the next level really helps us with our family's support. But

recently 11 PCSOs funded by Asda apprenticeship share scheme. We're trying really creative ways to use it, but fundamentally, five skills, funding streams and different programmes, often with different deadlines, different criteria, different departments, it is too chaotic, so we are really. That's why we're pressing so hard for that trailblazer to get the skills you know give us that give us their power and the money to deliver absolutely what you're talking about, for the businesses in Bradford and across West Yorkshire, because businesses are telling us what they need and we are stymied because of this myriad of schemes and so on. So I just wanted to share with you my misery around this and that I know I know is a priority for business

thank you and Councillor Hinchcliffe, you want to come back

on register. Are we is still

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:03:54

doing this sort of briefings with colleges across the region about led

Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 1:04:00

market surveys and skills requires. We still do in that hour on a

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 1:04:03

regular basis, because I think that is really useful thing. The Combined Authority does in terms of that, that intelligence across the region saying what's out there to inform the curriculum thing, and I think from a skills point of view is level 1 and 2 that we need funding more than anything really, I know everybody wants to fill fund Level 3 so low employment level 3 per year, but the going at level 1 to get level 3, so so some of that from as much of that as possible can fund. That would be great. Thank you.

Thank you. There's no, not just economic insights, but also the transport insights as well. Sort of going on his back so can I just

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:04:41

come to you to wrap that up and and I'll move us from the update into the economic strategy over

this, potentially quite a large conversation on skills that we're

Phil Witcherley, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:04:49

going to delve into mostly to absolutely kind of a level 1 and 2 skills point and employment supports really really important. we do have, and we have, and it's been alluded to by others, a series of different programmes, one of which is employment, West Yorkshire, which is based in the local authority that community level support around that, which is part of the answer but also just to just to flag,

looking at the needs of businesses and how we support the changing demands of businesses is something we've been working hard on over the last year or two and we've been developing a series of

series of interventions either linked to the boot camps which are looking at upskilling people that are looking at job changes.

and into different sectors and supporting them into that, but also there is a package of things that that are around the digital green and business sector that are coming to the next CA for approval, which is responding to work that we've been doing in the employment and skills committee where bidding local authorities and work we've been doing in business with the business community

also linked to the local skills improvement plan that I know many of you are involved with.

thank you very much for, and thank you for that summary of the

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:05:57

discussion. I think an important one to follow up on on skills, absolutely

9 Economic Strategy

OK, so it's a moving onto the economic strategy from the other, which is item 9 on the agenda. I know we have been discussing as a board progress on economic strategy for it for a while. I think it's been very integrated into the work of the West Yorkshire Plan which, as we know from the

sooner or later agenda item, is here and will be launched on Friday. I think the team have been very busy. You know building the evidence base, especially on sectors, so we were being asked, as opposed to notes the the presentation which is in Appendix 1 and also comments on the approach so

I was expecting Sarah to be here to make it a pass to you to try to do this in the interim. Can we just take this as read, but maybe just call out some highlights so that we could start the the conversation

so yesterday Joe has had to talk about the kind of highlights and the

Phil Witcherley, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:06:53

other is great, which is great, I wasn't gonna say much more and I think actually some of the conversation we've had about the role of the private sector in influencing our strategy and feeding our ambition. I just want to say a couple of things, one of which is, whilst the paper itself alludes to this, being anchored to the mission. One if you like, I think it, it's a bit naive to think they'll it will just be mission. One is the the economic agenda is much wider than that and will touch on everything from from health to the environment, to skills, and the other thing to say is in terms of our own

kind of architecture of strategies. This will clearly be overarching both our approach to business support and employment and skills and other barriers, the business and the economy face that require kind of public sector intervention and partnership working, and at that point I just want to hand over to Jay-Z gonna say a few high level things about the attached detailed document

thanks Bill yeah, I was just going to say a little bit about the

Mitchell McCombe - 1:07:49

process of evidence gathering and then the plans for consultation.

Jo Barham, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:07:55

some of which is set out in the the slide pack that were circulated as part the papers, so we are refreshing

the West Yorkshire economic assessment that was undertaken in 2019 as part of the development of a local industrial strategy which was government policy at the time so some of that information is updated annually as part state of the region but where it hasn't if there is new data available since 2019 we are refreshing that

there's gonna be new.

we didn't know forecasts provided when the process of procuring a new regional economic model, we are working with Data City to do some mapping of the new economy in West Yorkshire building on a national piece of work they did with the Centre for cities thinktank, we're working closely with the West Yorkshire universities on a a call for evidence there. they've got some funding specifically to work with policymakers to support their policymaking process, and we're looking at a few areas where we think the academic evidence base can really support this work, so we're hoping to get some further deep-dyed from them on childcare issues, what that means for the West Yorkshire economy, the impact on business, the impact on people wanting to go into the labour market and also the the sector itself.

they're going to help us look at the informal economy and what that means in West Yorkshire and the implications for the formal economy in terms of that that relationship, and they're also going to look at the future of work with a specific focus on a I what that means for the region, the challenges but also the opportunities and sort of linking that back to the childcare issue in terms of what it means for those sectors that are much more face-to-face involved caring what kind of a I transformation could do.

we are commissioning some work on inward investment to refreshing inward investment strategy, so we haven't had an inward investment and strategy since 2014 so, post Brexit, post pandemic, what does that look like, but that is something that we are, we are going to commission external experts to to do for us.

there's a lot of work ongoing to integrate health into this, it's something that the local authorities are working very closely with us on it and engaging with our colleagues.

from ICB and their public health consultant that we now have

at the Combined Authority and a big part of this is actually looking at our existing policies and strategies around skills, innovation, digital or business productivity, making sure they sort of align well and and updating where where they need to be so in terms of consultation then just briefly

we're working closely with all of the local authorities collaboratively but also individual events in each of the districts.

colleagues

in a director working on an ID strategy is Mr. Paul, but we really want to join that up with this work, because obviously the two things are really closely aligned, so we had a an away day recently that Asma attended and had some really great conversation there so the next step that we want to do for that is for it to join up that work and do some stakeholder mapping so. we know the stakeholders that we usually speak to, that we engage with, but thinking about some those groups that we haven't traditionally spoken to engage with and you know what we need to do to involve them in this, how can we understand the challenges and how they can can support this work so there's gonna be a process of of the stakeholder mapping taking place,

so the barrios of workshops and things being planned over the summer.

and hopefully, if

kind of the evidence collection is completed and we get these stakeholder events in place, we can start to do some drafting in the autumn.

so I think it would be really welcome to get input from members of the board, whether that's attendance at workshops or setting up specific events and things to support the development of this,

I'll I'll.

thank you, Joe and just just

before I opened

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:11:50

it up to, because I guess I'm just like to reflect one of the earlier conversations about the wider private sector community and just making sure that all of the private sector members who are part of all of the decision making committees are sort of added to that. Stakeholder engagement session are actively engaged with as I as I know they will be, but you know making sure that we keep you know going round that process mostly so they know what's going on and they feel that they can contribute to those really important conversations on economic strategy.

So, based on the update from Phil and Joe, are there any comments? We're being asked to sort of note this approach and sort of comment on how we could make it better Councillor interact.

I know Shirley is not here today, but I'm sure she was

she'd talk about

Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 1:12:35

the fact that preferred university has gotten, a large number of are

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 1:12:40

undergraduates in anywhere in the country and I think that there is a piece in the Yorkshire Post this weekend that was talking about future 9, what what skills undergraduates need and what the future holds so that just speaking some of those undergraduates at Bradford University would be really interesting actually as part of the development of the

Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 1:12:59

economic strategy, I would suggest I also heard much about e dash businesswoman home from asthma. What what that was what that was about and

that's lovely.

a perfect segue. That's

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:13:10

how it's going to. I was just going to give you my views on attending.

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 1:13:15

Thank you for the invitation to attend the away day, I have to say I

Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 1:13:20

was blown away by the number of initiatives held internally within your organisation are certainly been talking about them ever since. I've come away from the aware day, and the mantra for me was more about when we look at stakeholders and business, it's we're doing it ourselves, and we therefore

are relaying this and the policies that we're riding and the initiatives that were taking forward. So for me it was brilliant to be there and just witness what's going on internally, because that is what you're expressing. Your values are and that's the business

as a business there aligned with my values, so when you come to me with collaboration for stakeholders, etc I think you should be speaking about that because you automatically get that by in,

so maybe the comes could be a little bit better around that because I didn't know until I attended how many initiatives are running internally and how inclusive the organisation kind of is on a different level so well done in the way it was run as well, I just think the informal way in which Phil went about,

the whole day actually added value,

and that could be something that we could take away from future meetings as well because they worked well.

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:14:30

well, that's great feedback and and also the points on communicating that as well, and Phil you'd like to know, I just wanted to say.

the things one of which was you know that, particularly the South

Phil Witcherley, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:14:39

Asian women, the work in our team, we really really valued to being there and really talking to you about the day and and and vivid kind of you insight, and I think another thing is we're talking about that board, private sector members being involved in our work, I think there's a there's a case study there about getting to meet and the wider teams rather than just the senior people that sit round this table and see our delivery and action. So I think we took away at that and we want to do more of that kind of thing as a Department and I'll certainly was only thinking about that.

thank you for honey, I think let's come along,

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:15:11

but you'll be pleased to know these are the notes of Becky made for me so.

Cllr Shabir Pandor (Kirklees Council) - 1:15:16

ship. This three things she raised at that, I think are worth is just bringing up. Her first was about when you looked definitely should

Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups) - 1:15:24

clusters on to page 74 notes, and she was handed the class of the more they look like the just around similar site, similar type businesses not looking at the SIC codes rather than actually looking at true clusters around in the supply chains or R and D infrastructure. Things like that, so I think that the thing that shaking particularly could help, and I think some of the thinking of an actor, but the national thinker on that another thing she looked at and will be devoted to trade investment and will look at

exports. It doesn't it'd be quite useful, I think, to look at, I say I think she thinks to look at

EU and non-EU and how that's changed and also look at the size of businesses, because obviously we hear that it's the smaller businesses who have stopped exporting so its application in West Yorkshire. So what what sets us are going to mean for our strategy and the following, which I think is probably until the came up already with around skills, but it is around the underemployment and, in particular, graduates doing non-graduate jobs and Israel issue there now, and it's only way of measuring that or working out what sort of an issue it is was promised and what we do about it are the three things

it's just to say on the customer, and so that's

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:16:33

that is why we thought the Data City dashboard, because they use them

Mitchell McCombe - 1:16:36

a different way of categorising businesses, so moving away from the

Jo Barham, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:16:40

sick coat, so we'll be able to draw some of that out through the that date to sit in our society.

thank you, Bonnie Becky and Joe

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:16:50

I also just like to raise the point on university so that the mayor and I were actually at the dinner with all of the vice chancellors, all their substitutes last night, and we talked about not just the West Yorkshire Plan but the economic strategy

Bradford did indeed talk about their strengths in a I.

and all

and all were very, very

keen to contribute to that as ancestors recognise the huge role there are you know, higher education sector plays for the economy generally and to sort of quantify that, or a little bit more Phil, I think you wanted to to come in.

just kind of wrap up a few points and and I think it's an excellent

Phil Witcherley, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:17:28

suggestion for Councillor Hinchcliffe, we often talk about the I student sets them and the Department of Bradford and their leadership that. and I think, getting voices of people who are gonna be the skills that, if the the the labour market for in an industry, that's really really growing and a sector, that's really growing, is really really important,

and then and beneath some of your points around exports,

we are developing in tandem and the business committee is looking at this as well the

and inward investment strategy and we have a trade strategy as well, and I think it's important we look at all of this in the round and look at the barriers, particularly through four different types of companies to export because that's that's one of our major drivers of growth and there are some challenges there, so I think we need to hear that point in terms of our next steps.

Nicky.

just read this already sad thing here, and the skills which was

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:18:18

around. we are a significant number of people who are excluded from the labour market.

Nicky Chance-Thompson (Private Sector Representative) - 1:18:23

this kind of getting industry to think about how they bring people on board, but we need a bit like the work have been doing this weekend through Leeds Beckett.

quite often, this is helping women into leadership. People feel that they can't do something, they don't have that ambition or aware with all to think about getting the skills or getting the things that they need to get into better paid work or work at all,

so how how to we approach those people themselves? How do we actually approach the people we want to get into the workforce and encourage them to do some of these things, and if that is that part of this strategy, as is something that perhaps is gonna, sit a more local level on probably answering the question and people in here know the answer, but it just struck me. That's a really sad thing to read. So how do we now help people have that ambition have that motivation, aspiration to have access to some of these things? Sorry, that's just

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:19:20

regulation Phasma saw your hand up, but only if it was a link point. I let me bring you in now and then I'll pass medical notes

and Nikki cannot storm or thunder a little bit great minds. That's

Emma Longbottom, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:19:27

good is good, because I literally was gonna, ask the question about the SWOT analysis and the childcare question. Particularly, I think

Fatima Khan-Shah - 1:19:35

there's an opportunity with the Fair Work Charter, isn't there and how we utilise that strategically to address some of the inequality? But I also wonder whether the network were starting to form in the name of the may ever West

comment on the economy call it where we, which is women of West Yorkshire, were in the world West Yorkshire, where setting up which will address as a strategic forum where women coming together to explore some of the issues but also strategically to combine

expertise, insights and share good practice to address some of these barriers to, so I think there's a role here for the LEP actually about how we support women and not just women, because many equally experienced said also other areas of inequality when it comes to access work. It goes back to your point may as well about people that are waiting due to ill-health, to come into the workplace, and I think there's some work to do with fireworks. Shelter, that how we utilise that as a lever for a conversation with the wider West Yorkshire sector about how we can support people to work in a really inclusive way.

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:20:36

great. Thank you, and are a good tag-team extra-care. I certainly

that's, I'm sure

we will bat in backfill.

Do you want to just wrap up

yeah are excellent points and not a not stupid points not to be

Phil Witcherley, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:20:44

questions either

niche, so you'd be sent about that, so I think the barriers to work it's really important part of the economic strategy. When I talked about I talked about skills and employment

I think all those points are heard and I think kind of that input will be really valued that you talk about childcare is clearly something that is a huge barrier to many people, many women in particular, but many people broadly in terms of access to the labour market and access to reach their full potential

and will link into their work are to where we are now developing our thoughts on the delivery of that

I think another point I'd make on top of all of that is just don't forget the people who are actually in work and some of the challenges they have with health as well whether that's their kind of mental health present here as,

you know, musculoskeletal, all sorts of issues, and

I think that is something that I know the the NHS and various places have been working on and I think it's something that that we need to be mindful as well. So it's not just the people that can't have access

Phil Witcherley, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:21:40

to to work, but also people are in

in in work, but can't

reach their full potential,

and that could

be because they can't

get childcare for the full hours they need or it could be because of their the challenges they have their mental health issues, but it does the evidence to suggest that the two major issues are stress anxiety, the free measurements of stress anxiety and musculoskeletal issues are the three big things that we need to work on.

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:22:07

OK, thank you, Phil and everyone we were asked to note the update and provide as member, and I think that conversation has been very, very helpful, my suggestion is, we keep the conversation alive for the September meeting as well. and about that too, it's into the agenda

10 Investment Zones

if we move on to Item. 10, which is on investments owns, and I think this serves to provide an update on on quite an interesting policy area. It's something that was

announced back in September, there's been a lot of governmental changes since then, but then you know it's it's something that's available only for them CIA's,

it's about 80 million pounds offer over five years, but I think importantly it's also a signal that it can bring a bit of strength for for for the region, so we're being asked to note this paper and provide feedback on some of the revenue focused incentives. Phil can I ask you to introduce some of the detail, please,

yeah, and it's really timely moments

Phil Witcherley, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:23:02

have this conversation because we are in the middle of discussing this both across the region and we've been working with local

authorities

the university and higher education sector, and also were planning to a series of business

engagement this week and over the next few weeks on this,

to make sure

we're putting

kind of our best foot forward

in terms of our case to government and also we're delivering the best package of things we can possibly do to meet these outcomes, I think just kind of starting with

the why this has been.

we are one of a number of regions across the country that have got a got this, this isn't a classic where competing with the other areas where we have this, we just need to work out and organise

how we do this in our and our region and they're designed

broadly to deliver three broad outcomes,

one of which is increased rates of innovation.

one and the other is to level

at the UK regions, but also the third one in this links to Tom's presentation, about a key challenge in terms of our productivity nationally, but the level of business investment in the country, not something. I know that the nationally as a big a huge issue

relate to our party's increasing level of private sector investment, giving that confidence

that do that,

what we've done it already is, we've been working to develop with a range of partners what our proposition is as a region. So we were. It was set out, there were five sectors or clusters of sectors where we were asked to give a a view about which sectors we championed and they sectors were

life sciences, creative industries, green industries, advanced manufacturing

and digital, and we decided after after discussion that. we couldn't put forward just one of those sectors and we decided to put forward to other sectors which were digital and health side of house, our firm innovation, but that was linked to life sciences and there's a crossover there in terms of digital health and that one and that that we put that proposal into government and we are still waiting for the formal feedback from government but informal feedback from government on our proposal in terms of clusters of sectors has been really positive

and and there has been a view that we are kind of a bit further than some of the other areas which is great to hear.

and

the next step is for us to think about the the kind of mix of what are can replace interventions might be, whether that's kind of a capital investments or taking advantage of either

business rates, retention relief and and tax incentives linked to sites and revenue interventions around business support skills related to these these priority sectors sectors.

and we are working with local authorities, universities and businesses on those things, and we, as I said at the start of this, where we've got sessions in the coming weeks to to look at this where we have invited businesses who are in the relevant sectors to come in and feed in their views and we're working really really closely with

all the local authorities and all your colleagues on this

to help work and develop that so it's just really even as a for information paper it's really timely. opportunities for us as a board to reflect on this and give some stairs, which we can pass through to the team as we develop these conversations.

thank you for I agree, it's a title timely updates, and I think the

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:26:18

the unique

nature of digital health for for our region, with five out of the six NHS headquarters sort of based here is is a really compelling proposition, so can I just

ask for for

the private sector, members, you know across all of the committees what is the best way to engage? You know beyond, you know, instant feedback today, how can we continue to make sure that we're shaping? As this conversation progresses to autumn, I believe where we will have a final proposals. Government

Phil Witcherley, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:26:49

so I'd suggest I suggest kind of if there's a few Broadway, so there's the the most obvious way would probably be to

if you if you're aware of, and we can, we can share the list of businesses, we've invited to the digital and the health tech workshops if if you're aware of additional businesses, do you think should be involved in that from your networks then please? then please kind of hand that to the team and I'll get the team to circulate that two to two board members,

the second way is to feed in comments and discuss with us directly, but I'd rather have given the partnership nature of this work I'd rather the discussions happen in a broad open partnership way,

so I think that that that's how we probably would prefer to to have this dialogue and,

and independent this as we go through.

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:27:36

for very clear for all, so are there any initial comments from any board members now on this paper, which was primarily there for information as an update, but just reflecting Phil's ask?

I know I'm not seeing any hands Nicky,

and thank you ma I was just considering

Nicky Chance-Thompson (Private Sector Representative) - 1:27:55

the five sectors which are within investment zone, I think quite a lot of regions are looking at these as well,

particularly health and life sciences.

I'm just thinking I've been to a lot of roundtables about levelling up, and it just seems to be lots of various are all doing the same thing and it could be a bit of a race to the bottom if we're not careful rather than sort of more horizon thinking about what we might go out, and I just wondered how much of this will be thought about from a northern perspective rather than just from a West Yorkshire perspective so that we are,

we can't grow, what's not there, but how how do we ensure that we're not too much in competition, perhaps cannibalising the North in some ways by ongoing at the same areas? So it's a big question, fill my apologies, but

I'm just trying to think of a panels and approach to this. How how might we decide, what's a priority and and what we go out?

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:28:56

Thank you, Nicky, you know the pan-regional approach is is very much for not just the MP 11, but also the convention of the North is is sort of trying to bring across. So maybe I just bring you into talk about the pan-regional

just to reassure you Nicky that the mayors were in those early conversations discussing what they were gonna, prioritise what was

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:29:13

very interesting. There was one of them, one of the

missions from government was culture and creativity and you can't make it work with the structure of the investment zones. So we were, we were challenged by government. Why aren't you doing creativity type? Well, you tell us how we're going to make it work then, because currently this isn't. This is putting a around ball in a square hole, so we we were very mindful of what other NCAs were doing as well. To your point, we absolutely didn't want to all be doing health tech because then wage clustering, and it won't appeal to government so, and bearing in mind it's over five years this morning, so it's a long time. It's a long haul Sid sounds like a lot for over five years is sort of put into a little bit more perspective, thanks Hill

Co Councillor Hinchcliffe

yeah

just that.

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:30:06

re-emphasise pulmonary that

Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 1:30:10

this is a small amount of money and actually will do it are why I

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 1:30:13

think probably so we've got plans, we've got a deal of 1.6 billion, it's less now with inflation, so actually we do need businesses and universities and local authorities to work more closely together to really power our economy and anything we can get from government to enable us through that great, but we should have our own plans, our own vision and destination. That's why they were shot, she plans to make sure make things happen here and if we can use investment as an initiative to help that, then fine, but we should be very clear about what what we need to do here, for me is about making sure our universities as close to our businesses as possible, and that's where you get that magic of growth

while some driven investments as a sort of one policy element, but we can use, but we've got a much broader approach that will be in in our

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:31:00

economic strategy.

OK,

11 Committees Update Report

so I will move us now on to Item number 11, which is committee updates and can I suggest we've got updates from each of the Committees in the paper, but I will give the opportunity for either chairs or Deputy chairs of the committees to give any updates by exception,

so to back, because I think we can all read you know, what's in the paper, so if there's anything, that's happened since then or anything that doesn't jump out from the paper we wish to, but otherwise we'll move on so on the business economy and innovation Committee, Councillor Pandor, Is there anything further to add

so the last, the last beat Committee covered a few things, some of

Phil Witcherley, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:31:48

which we've actually talked about in this meeting says the first first one here was

you remember, we'd been discussing the northern gritstone investments. The last B committee discussed that 1.5 million Northern Grestone investment, which we've now made. We also talked about which we reflected on earlier the beginning of us, developing an eco equality, diversity and inclusion strategy for the business support function

and which is going to be aligned to the wider work of the economic strategy. And we've the other two things are worth updating on are the fact we provided and that the committee provided some feedback to the Combined authorities approach to how we might do business support differently. Now that we've exited the EU and the restrictions are a different about the types of businesses we can support,

and we're going to be having a further shock to discuss that further with committee members, and then finally we brought for the first time for a while the the inward investment performance and began the work to develop the inward investment strategy, about how we shape and direct our resources on investment going forward,

for thank you for that update, so on climate, energy and the

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:32:58

environment, and we met in March. I think the overall theme to say, as we've we've spent a few years perhaps discussing strategy and approach, and now the committee is moving into decision making and approvals which is really great to see. So there was an approval for just over 2 million pounds of funding for better neighbourhoods programme and then also a smaller amounts 366,000 for a solar project to put a solar panels on seven of our combined authorities, bus stations, which I think is yes, a small step, but a but a demonstrable action, but that we're doing you know to take this seriously

if we move to culture, heritage and and sports mayor, is there any further update,

and never we didn't have a formal meeting, and thank you very much niche for loanees that beautiful, the beautiful peaceful to have our

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:33:49

our meeting and I was really thrilled to be able to have what felt like a bit of a task and finish group.

a moment where we could really discuss trailblazers, investment zones, our ambitions for the northern cultural corridor

and to to get a whole bunch of creatives, creative problem-solving in a room, so it was really well run by yourself, thank you so much and they are the tasks that you gave as Ross are really good.

and I think coming out of that, we've we, we had some takeaways about

how we go to next steps around culture,

so it was good, it was good and I would encourage.

other committee chairs to move around the region because it was, it was interesting how, even in the culture committee there were people who had never been to the peaceful track where have you been and so I would encourage other committee chairs to move around as well

as great and a great idea Senator to move them employment and skills. I don't think we have either the chair or vice-chair here, but the the

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:34:53

committee met and and considered reports on adult skills, green jobs and future funding. Also, I think the Chambers of Commerce led a discussion on the Elsa, the local school improvement plan and just starting to think about how that ambition is, is we're progressing towards it, and perhaps we're where we need to go for

4 place, regeneration, housing, Councillor Scully,

and thank you I want to be congratulated of this committee to be

Cllr Jane Scullion (Calderdale Council) - 1:35:25

congratulated on the we managed to get two meetings in out and so good productivity of this committee, and just wanted to mention the strategic place, partnership with homes, England really crucial, pivotal moment in terms of different kinds of homes, affordable homes for people for people in West Yorkshire very important we also spent some time talking about local digital park partnerships and Dishes blueprint for West Yorkshire. but something that was a highlight that perhaps isn't mentioned or run this table very often is actually work, that the Combined Authority and the districts were doing around dementia services, particular relation to housing, and we had some lovely inspiring stories about kind of given our ageing population. instead of dementia really

is actually the waiting house and it is of, were

people supportive,

and there are three, but all that know,

Keith

Scott.

heaps

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:36:28

a fan wants to

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:36:33

done. on edge.

homes,

bus works.

what

I thought.

as to think that thank you very much.

I thank you for them.

I'm sure means least transport.

and I

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:36:59

am also settled for a drink.

Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 1:37:03

I also do a lot on both

which obviously

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 1:37:09

challenging given the cuts, however, are out to focus just for the future on to the rail strategy as well, which were consulted over the summer. We still have a very positive rail ambitions for the whole region. Obviously, we need to do some work with government to make sure they share those, but we we definitely want to make sure we put our case well and that rail strategies can be very much part of conversations. We have with Network Rail about prioritise investment, etc so please do have a look at that when it comes and also

we announced this week that Rail North is gonna be chaired by Andy Burnham, West Yorkshire mayor, and I'm going to second the Rose Vice Chair for West Yorkshire. which I think is a good cross northern approach to the committee and I'm very much looking forward to working with Andy Burnham and the committee, thank you.

thank you, Councillor Insha, and having had the pleasure of sitting on

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:38:01

Transport for the North for for a few years, I know how much investment and progress we need on that agenda. I'm delighted to see you appointed as Deputy Chairman and working to make something happen on that important Trenance, transparent land via Bradford.

12 West Yorkshire Plan

So great okay, that's that paper. The last substantive paper that we have on our agenda is on the West Yorkshire Plan Item 12 we've been referencing this throughout the meeting. I think you know this is seen as a shared vision and narrative, primarily for us to talk to governments and to talk to regional partners about it's already been approved by the CA in May. It's launching this Friday. We're just being asked to endorse this, but Alan would you like to add anything further to add to that, because I know we've we've discussed it previously

I probably don't even don't have much to add, it's already been discussed here and it was discussed in draft by all of the CA

Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:38:58

committees and we had a wide range of input from stakeholders across the region over the last few months, and Tom mentioned earlier the state of the region re annual report we produce. it's clearly one of

Alan Reiss, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:39:12

one of the questions being OK, we've set ourselves submissions, how are we now going to measure ourselves against them, and the intention will be that the state of the region report is used as an annual stocktake of where we are against each of the emissions but otherwise

I would like to see the board's endorsement of the West Yorkshire Plan. Thank you,

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:39:32

thank you Alan, and are there any comments or questions for Alan

on the West Yorkshire Plan

bonnet

Cllr Shabir Pandor (Kirklees Council) - 1:39:39

and I feel it is going to go and so one of my first meeting in a when we met on with their the best we're all a bit surprised to see

Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups) - 1:39:44

completed already because we were involved in very early discussions and then we were told at some point it will come back and have another look at it and for me is if it's appeared and I don't think we we looked at and then there's much

in it we would be changed off the grid, but we just have a

concern that we didn't get a chance to to feed in in the way we would normally have,

I know it's been a real time of change and everything is up in the air at the minute, but I think.

yeah, do I just hope in future that there's better?

work with all the different stakeholders. We get more of a chance to say, even if he does something interesting, having the chance to say I think, is quite important in challenging orthodox intelligent thought, so there's anything, and if I'd make one substantive point on it, I'd just

but also I'd say, with the missions I think we really need to be careful. We don't separate sustainability and the environment from the economy, because if it's not, if if, if it anything, we do

in an economy if it isn't sustainably better than what went before while we supporting it, why we want it in letters that we need to think if there is a need to do that, so that was my points

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:40:49

that thank you bye Ian on on your substantive point I I've been mentioning very similar things it is not just about sustainability on the economy but it's also about a better economy has other inputs on safety. on health. So so it is entirely linked, but I entirely agree with somebody, I think, on the points of engagement and I know officers have been trying, I would maybe just like to highlight. There was one business records meeting that we were due to have, I think train strikes got in the way of

and there were a couple of other things so as well. I think you know, on behalf of about all of us I get in, there are some apologies there on on the engagement, but notes that we want to, of course, engage our business recruits and we very much look forward to being part of that and I think importantly, developing that economic strategy be on mission while

yeah, so we've been good in the past and I'm sure it's when things, but it's just important to note that when it does go wrong or not wrong, but we're not happy, we don't even say, as we do say, we're not

Cllr Shabir Pandor (Kirklees Council) - 1:41:38

happy with how it's gone this time, but let's make sure we don't do it again it is up to us as well, you know if we don't turn up to meetings and it's awful as well, it's not what might this?

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:41:46

excellent nights at

the Super,

Cllr Shabir Pandor (Kirklees Council) - 1:41:50

OK any other points on West George plan.

13 Draft Minutes of the Combined Authority held on 16 March 2023

14 Date of Next Meeting

Mr Mark Roberts, Interim Chair LEP Board - 1:41:54

notes that that concludes the the May meeting we've got in the pack for information draft minutes from the Combined Authority held on the 16th of March, and then we've got the dates for the next meeting, the next formal meeting. I should now say in public on the 29th of November, but I think there we have an action for the next meeting that will be held in a more sort of informal, discussing setting, probably somewhere difference to Wellington House to be happening in September, so jet. Just once again, thank you very much for not just today but for you know helping shape. You know the LEP agenda. You know for me over the last six years it's been a real pleasure to be part of it and I hope we can now all go a little early and enjoy some sunshine finishers officer thanks