West Yorkshire Combined Authority - Thursday 1 February 2024, 11:00am - Feedback Tab - West Yorkshire Combined Authority Webcasting

West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Thursday, 1st February 2024 at 11:00am

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Speaking:

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Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire

1 Apologies for Absence

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Cllr Jane Scullion (Calderdale Council)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire

2 Declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

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3 Exempt Information - Possible Exclusion of the Press and Public

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4 Minutes of the Meeting of the Combined Authority held on 7 December 2023

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CA - December - Draft Minutes

5 Business Planning and Budget 2024/25

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Melanie Corcoran, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Angela Taylor, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr Alan Lamb Leeds City Council
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr Jane Scullion (Calderdale Council)
Cllr Cathy Scott (Kirklees Council)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Caroline Allen, Deputy Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Caroline Allen, Deputy Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr Rebecca Poulsen Bradford Council
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr Rebecca Poulsen Bradford Council
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr Rebecca Poulsen Bradford Council
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Melanie Corcoran, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr Stewart Golton Leeds City Council
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Melanie Corcoran, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Angela Taylor, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire

6 UK Shared Prosperity Fund

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Item 6 - UKSPF

Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr Rebecca Poulsen Bradford Council
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr Jane Scullion (Calderdale Council)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr Alan Lamb Leeds City Council
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Mandy Ridyard (West Yorkshire Business Board)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire

7 Level 4 Devolution

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Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Cllr Stewart Golton Leeds City Council
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Caroline Allen, Deputy Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr Stewart Golton Leeds City Council
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr Rebecca Poulsen Bradford Council
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr Alan Lamb Leeds City Council
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire

8 Project Approvals

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Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr Stewart Golton Leeds City Council
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire

8 a) Cross-Cutting Project Approvals

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Item 8a - Project Approvals - Cross Cutting

8 b) Transport Project Approvals

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Item 8b - Project Approvals - Investment Priority 5

Angela Taylor, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Melanie Corcoran, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Cllr Alan Lamb Leeds City Council
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire

9 Inclusivity Champion Workplan

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Item 9 - Mayor's Inclusivity Champion Workplan

Fatima Khan-Shah (Inclusivity Champion)
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Fatima Khan-Shah (Inclusivity Champion)
Fatima Khan-Shah (Inclusivity Champion)
Cllr Stewart Golton Leeds City Council
Fatima Khan-Shah (Inclusivity Champion)
Cllr Stewart Golton Leeds City Council
Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Mandy Ridyard (West Yorkshire Business Board)
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)

10 Committee Membership

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Item 10 - Committee Membership

Caroline Allen, Deputy Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
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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.

1 Apologies for Absence

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:00:00

the agreeing our budget, an update on level 4 Divo, as well as project approvals for some really important transport projects across our region, I would say a little bit more about the budget when we get to that item, so thank you for your patience on the item, but let's get on with the meeting Ben any apologies.

and we received apologies from Councillor Douglas and Councillor Geoffrey lovely, thank you so much, so we don't have representative from York, so correct yeah or Wakefield lovely.

thank you so much declarations of interest, any members have interests they wish to declare on any item Jane Councillor Skelton, thank you, I want to declare an interest in concessionary fares because I'm in

Cllr Jane Scullion (Calderdale Council) - 0:00:45

receipt of a concessionary fare card for senior citizens, thank you

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:00:52

nobody can believe it, nobody can believe it what moisturiser do you use?

2 Declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

3 Exempt Information - Possible Exclusion of the Press and Public

4 Minutes of the Meeting of the Combined Authority held on 7 December 2023

For Decision

5 Business Planning and Budget 2024/25

OK, OK, thank you moving on to Item 3, exclusion of press and public no items requiring exclusion, thank you, or item 4 minutes of December 7th 2023 any comments or questions note, thank you. Can we confirm these as an accurate record? Yes, thank you moving on item 5 business planning and budget so as I mentioned that I'd like to just say a few words as this is so important to our region.

and given the significance, I think I'm hoping that the committee will indulge me, as we discussed before this meeting. We know the challenges facing local government after 14 years of continued cuts to finances, combined with increasing cost pressures caused by demands on social care and inflation. Local authorities, not just here but up and down the country, are simply running out of money and councils in West Yorkshire are not immune. I don't need to tell anybody around this table that you are making impossible decisions to balance your budgets. We collectively have been pushing government for additional support and they seem to have finally listened with an extra 500 million announced last week. But, as Councillor Lewis said, this is a case of too little, too late.

this is no way for government to support vital local public services. Funding needs to be put on a longer-term sustainable footing and not funded on a whim year to year. Whilst the Combined Authority doesn't face the same financial pressures as our local authority partners, we are still affected by cost inflation and restricted funding, where focused collectively on delivery against the West Yorkshire Plan and launched last year our commitment to creating a brighter West Yorkshire that works for all. Now the budget in front of you sets out how we are spending 866 million pounds against the five missions that we have set ourselves. This year's budget is significantly larger than previous years and that reflects the positive impact devolution has had on our region and the extra resources having a mayor brings its also balanced budget, thanks to careful management of our finances and a prudent change to how we're approaching capitalisation of project costs, releasing pressures on the transport levy and enabling us to focus revenue resources to deliver against our transformative missions. The bulk of our spending next year will be on transport. It's after all, where the majority of our capital programme is committed, we are continuing our progress to deliver mass transit with plans out to public consultation. Later this year we'll be discussing an update on the programme when we next meet March, the 14th. We're also continuing our investment to improve bus services across the region, keeping fares affordable, extending the 2 pound single fare cap to March 2025, which we know has helped increase the number of people travelling by bus, investing in bus priority schemes across the region to improve reliability and investing in new routes and services to improve frequency of services with new routes, beginning in Wakefield later this month, we've also made provision in our next year's budget to deal with costs associated with Bradford Interchange. I shall be aware the bus facility at the interchange was closed due to public safety concerns from the end of business. On Thursday, the 4th of January 2024 a piece of concrete had fallen into. The underground car park underneath the bus interchange on the 22 of December, which resulted in an immediate closure of the car park, a series of inspections were made following the fall as a result of those inspections and further heavy rain and adverse weather conditions. The decision was made to close the whole bus interchange with the primary reason being to ensure no member of the public was put in danger since the closure and initial inspections being conducted by an expert surveyor team, they verbally advised that the health and safety risk of reopening the bus station in its current condition is not advised a full surveys in preparation which will require extensive work, the Combined Authority issue further public information on Friday 19th of January to confirm that the bus station will remain closed for least the next two months, this will allow time for the structure as a whole to be examined and full remediation plan to be developed.

the Combined Authority has been working closely with our partners on a daily basis with Bradford Council to mitigate the impact on passengers with an emergency plan kicking in and Jacobs Well, car park, quickly introduced as a temporary layover. Can I thank bus users in Bradford who have adapted brilliantly to the temporary measures that have been put in place and for their patients. Whilst we urgently address the problems at the interchange. I'd also like to thank the officer teams that the Combined Authority and Bradford Council who have been working incredibly hard, often in freezing temperatures, to put the emergency measures in place. I've tasked the team to continue to improve public facing communications and information about the temporary measures. As I know the things that were stood up in haste could have been improved. The Transport Committee were given an update on the situation at their meeting on Monday where working with Bradford to find an appropriate moment to brief all members of the Council. Now this closure has already incurred some costs for both the Combined Authority and the Council and we've established a mechanism to capture these costs and make provision for these to be covered by the Combined Authority, and for an initial provision has been set aside in the budget in front of us today with a fuller report being prepared for our next meeting in March when we next meet will also be receiving a report on the outcome of the bus franchising consultation and I'll be taking the decision on the future of buses in our region whether I take the decision to franchise buses or go with an improved enhanced partnership, we want to deliver further improvements both to bus services our region deserves and there'd be more details provided at our next meeting how we will transition to that but, as you will know, were more than just transport, we're continuing to invest in our skills programmes supporting more than 75,000 people to learn new skills since 2022 were continuing to back culture for all, backing our years of culture, Bradford as UK's City of culture in 2025 and supporting our creative industries to flourish. We're tackling the climate emergency, delivering on our promise of a greener West Yorkshire, helping residents to retrofit their homes, businesses to decarbonise their processes and our transport network to go green will continue to back our businesses to grow and create jobs back in booming sectors, in health, tech, digital and manufacturing and delivering on the investment zone. We've secured from government and will continue my focus on keeping women and girls safe, maintaining our investment in a new team of police community safety officers, support officers dedicated to West Yorkshire boss network, maintaining the Mayor's Community Safety Fund, putting cash seized from criminals back into the hands of the community. We can't do any of this alone. We work in partnership with the councils around this table and I've already referenced the challenges you are facing and this budget recognises that, as we've discussed at the end of last year, we're keeping the transport levy frozen. Whilst, as you know, others around the country are increasing it and later in, the agenda will be approving 50 million pounds of capacity funding to councils, to help deliver on our collective priorities that we know are so vital

I want to end by referencing two other things ahead of us this year. This is a budget being set ahead of the second ever West Yorkshire mayoral election and the Combined Authority has made provision to cover those costs. Those costs, I might add, would come down should a general election be declared on the same day, but whether that happens? Well, that remains to be seen whenever the general election is held. We may well have a change of government. If that happens, we'll have to ensure that teams here are at the Combined Authority, are flexible enough to respond to new opportunities. That may come our way and I have tasked Ben and his direct team to keep that in mind, whatever the outcome of the election is. So after that introduction. Thank you again for your patients. Can I pass to Angela to talk us through the business plan and budget in more detail? Thank you, Angela

thank you ma setting out a very complex picture, there are successes,

Melanie Corcoran, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:09:33

ambitions and challenges.

I'll run briefly through the paper and take highlighting the key points and then happy, then, to take any questions or comments any of you may have.

to start with, the business plan and budget follow on from the position that was considered in December, it had input along the way from finance resource corporate committee, from review from opening Scrutiny, Committee governance and audit committee members have

Angela Taylor, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:10:00

considered the reserves and Treasury Management Statement and there's been engage with local authorities through finance directors.

the first part of the paper sets out the is this plans, I am informed plans on a page, so the pre the multi year business outcomes previously considered by the Combined Authority have now been developed into detailed business plans for each directorate and with a wealth of detail in terms of individual actions deliverables, accountable officers for them.

the the information in Appendix 1 summarises these as plans on a page for each of the directorates and one for the corporate centre.

if these are approved today, we will use that to shape the outward-facing corporate plan that will come back in draft for your consideration in March.

at the paper then goes through the the budget that's needed to support those activities, so we have the revised outturn for the current year, which shows a small surplus after allowing for the transfer of investment income in support of the capital programme shall come back to later we then shown in Appendix 3 the total spend anticipated for next year bringing together both capital and revenue in one place and shown against the corporate priorities which is the 866 million the Mayor referenced earlier.

which is over 200 million more than we are expecting to spend this year appendix for them pulls out the revenue element of that within that we have the assumption that the transport levy continues unchanged, it has been at this level for a number of years and we are,

against the crowds who are increasing transport levels in other parts of the region, we do, however, recognise that the challenges are local authorities having setting budgets, so we are seeking to manage with the levy unchanged and a small portion of that going to support the local contribution needed for the West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund as we've done in previous years.

within that revenue budget, we're also drawing down the last of the transport reserve we set up to support on tenant service pressures. We have a statutory duty to deliver the English National concessionary travel scheme where we agree, and bus bus operators for carrying seniors and disabled that uses over a third of the levy, and that is money that comes from yourself. There is no direct government support for that. We supplement that with the young person's concession of 10 million, and then a big chunk of the rest of the transport levy goes on bus tendered services, where we are supplementing routes that operators deem non-commercial

but which are needed by our communities and that budget continues to be under pressure and every year, through both inflation and increased demand

we also include the budget, support for access bus services and for school services, and we've also committed to undertake a review with our partners about the way in which schools transport is provided and funded, and we will be setting out a plan shortly on how we intend to do that for working with people around this table and beyond to do that.

appendix 5 gives the indicative capital programme and indicative funding for the next four years the moment it sets out the funding we know we have. It clearly has some gaps at the end of that period where current funding comes to an end and the focus of going out to ensuring we we deliver the programmes we've committed government if that will help shape the success of future bids for funding such as a city region, sustainable transport settlement, around 2 and and obviously I must Transit

requirements which are coming forward to the next meeting. There are significant inflation pressures in that capital programme, that's, partly due to the the the time, lag between and plans and costings being drawn up and the high inflation we've seen in the last few years, but also just because of the the the time that often elapses between putting bids together and actual delivery happening, things changing the world around those projects come back and often need additional funding, so we are, we are seeking to try to

deliver that full programme of programme projects across the region, with our partners, and to that end, we have allocated out the investment income that we have earned due to the some of the cash balances we have had through the the timing of the capital grant. We've allocated up to the capital funds across the four years and we will be continuing to review that and ensure we use that to best effect. And we've also sought to maximise capitalisation or staffing costs, for example, and internal costs, so we can reduce the revenue burden on on partners. Therefore, also prior to Treasury Management Strategy, which said before and was considered by amendments, governance and audit committee last month, who endorsed it and also the general reserves position, which is not being increased but is clearly at a high risk of being required in coming year. Given the risks that

and continue to face the authority, so in conclusion, we will be continuing to monitor the budget closely reporting back regularly to both Combined Authority and finance resources and corporate committee.

there are a number of moving parts of this budget, some of which are still very much moving, not least Bradford Interchange, which the Mayor mentioned earlier and was flagged in the paper we are.

monitoring gathering the emerging costs and, and we hope to bring an update to the next meeting and how we will provide for that within budget, and we're also seeking to establish a longer term financial strategy.

to demonstrate how we can best manage and deploy the funding for ourselves and our partners and in the longer term, and we're also looking at efficiency and value for money metrics in conjunction with finance directors, and there's a a note on that at Appendix 7, so while we do present a balanced budget today for 24 25,

we will need to start planning immediately for how we tackle the budget gap in the subsequent years and adapt for those changes that, as the Mayor highlighted and where, in a year of change, we need to be agile and adapt to that and we'll be bringing reports back to address that as the year progresses I'm happy to hand back on at that point to the Mayor and,

any questions or comments, thank you, thank you, Angela, and if you've

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:16:24

not had time to look at those plans on a page, it's definitely worth a close look, there's a huge amount of work, that's gone, that's going on underneath that permanent page, but that just shows our ambition and we eat our determination to move at speed to make as we all agree that brighter West Yorkshire,

OK, so any thoughts on the budget.

yeah so Councillor Lamb, Councillor Paulson, Councillor Golton,

yeah, thank you Mayor, and can I just start by thanking Angela and the officer team for the work that they've done on the budget and for the

Cllr Alan Lamb Leeds City Council - 0:16:57

time they've made available to us and to answer our questions and and help us with our understanding is greatly appreciated. So I just wanted to say that to start with, I'm gonna propose a couple of modest amendments to watch in front of us but just in response to the things you said at the start Mayor, some of which I agree with some of which not so much

in terms of the national context, I do agree with you that there needs to be a change in how local government is financed, giving longer-term certainty waiting until late in December to see how much money you've got for the for the year ahead really isn't satisfactory or a good way to do things. It's been that way for a long time and it needs to change there. Isn't a were there's not enough money in local councils? I have been part of the lobbying efforts to try and get more, and I was pleased that something came last week. I agree it wasn't enough, but it was better than the nothing

and it was a start

where perhaps we start to diverge is, if you talk to senior officers in councils across the region privately and in this place as well,

there is an acceptance, there is enough money in the system, it's just not in the right places.

you, you may look at me blankly but.

as yet they may not go on the record to say that, but privately they do think that there's there's a lot of money around in the system, it's very different coming here from our council in our council we come from Executive meetings where there is a real struggle to find the money to pay for vital services that people depend on here it feels very different, it feels we're looking for things to find to spend all the money that we have.

so that's my opinion, Matthew will obviously disagree with that. I think it is time for much smarter conversations, not just between Combined Authority and councils, but also the health sector who haven't been asked to make the same kind of efficiencies and savings that councils have been asked to make repeatedly year after year. There is more capacity and flexibility within that system to work together. There is duplication across partners and there's a risk. We'll come onto level 4 devolution later on, that we're gonna go even further with that duplication, with different groups and organisations looking to do similar things and all creating bureaucracies and

and officers and teams to deal with those things and adding expense where it's not needed. So I think there's more, this Combined Authority can do to support local councils now and our colleagues around the table will say they've had who said that you dismiss impossible decisions to make. Well, I think there's an easy one. I think there's a bit of money from the 800 million plus budget here that could go back to local councils and really help them to protect some of the things that are being done, that I don't think would need to be done. So my proposed amendment is that we reduce the transport levy by 10 million pounds. I think there's enough money and capacity within the rest of the budget to make up and deliver those projects with efficiencies and while it's not specific to the budget, I think we should commit here that we take seven and a half million pounds of the unallocated gainshare funding to distribute to local councils to enable them to be able to protect frontline services and not do things like introduce district centre parking charges and introduce charges for or increased fees and charges or closed leisure centres and libraries and services. That people absolutely depend on a lot of the things in this budget are nice to do things the things councils are having to do. I think people absolutely depend on and while this wouldn't solve the budget challenge or pressure for each council, it would help them enormously as a roughly leads, a share of that combination will be 5.8 million, which I think Councillor Lewis could do a huge amount more to protect vital services for people, and I don't really people think. People in West Yorkshire would notice the difference that it would make to the budgets that were setting here today, so that's my proposed amendments with the reasons why thank

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:21:12

you. Thank you, Councillor Lamb, and just to remind the Councillor that you remember the 51 million that we've redistributed and that we are about to approve 15 million as additional from the gainshare for extra capacity. We just to remind the Councillor that the Combined Authority has a different role to local authorities. We are looking at transformation to our region so that we can end the bulk of our money is for transport and we have to have that dedicated vision about how we improve transport in West Yorkshire, because you will not get people to jobs, to opportunities, to colleges, to grow our economy so that people have more money in their pocket. If we don't have that,

it that brilliant transport network that we all collectively share that ambition, but I am sure that there are local authority partners that might like to just before you come back to you, Councillor Paulson, who would like to respond to to your further comments, if I, if I may, Councillor Lamb, very quick, yes, go ahead. I'm talking about about one and a half per cent of the budget here, which is a very minor efficiency compared to what everybody else 70. I fully understand all the things I didn't need reminding, and I'm well aware of how the budget works and what our role is. One and a half per cent is what I'm talking about, which would make a huge difference to the residents we all represent. Thank you, Councillor and Councillor Golton

thank you, and thank you to Councillor Lamb.

Cllr Jane Scullion (Calderdale Council) - 0:22:38

I was just I was smiling mini, as you were talking about officers doing a bit of grumbling, we've all got officers who do a bit of grumbling here in the Combined Authority and hearing each local authority, I think, would be a pity to mistake the grumbling that goes on for rigorous analysis of what's happening to us in terms of local government finance.

Councillor Lamb is absolutely right to pinpoint the situation and the very, very temporary and insufficient additional help that the Government's given us, but actually, in some ways what Councillor Lamb is proposing is exactly what central government have been doing, which is basically one-off payments, one-off funds and so on and I think as a combined authority we have got real responsibility.

not just in the here and now spending in terms of building things out here and no, but actually thinking about the stewardship for the future, and much of what we're doing is actually about the stewardship for the future, of how we want West Yorkshire to be so lovely and attractive and sparkly and dangly the proposal is in terms of this year I'm not prepared to fetter the future of our children and our grandchildren for one-off extra extra pots actually we have to also exercise stewardship for the future. Thank you, Councillor Scott,

Cathy Scott (Kirklees Council) - 0:24:13

thank you off, I think some of the comments I think Councillor Lamb made is absolutely lobbying government for the lack of funding, so I'm quite surprised at that so, looking across this budget paper, I think tackling the financial crisis has been a privacy for the last eight months across all local authorities and within the Combined Authority. The paper does set it out that the combined authority is dealing with the crisis across their work areas and the programmes, as well as setting out a business plan for the future. The key is investing in our future our infrastructures to enable things to happen.

raiding the cupboard is not gonna resolve this issue, we need to be very, very prudent, and I think we are making decisions here that are for the future of all local authorities and I think our time would be better spent asking the government to give funding in a timely fashion in a timely manner and allow awards rather than screen scrambling for piecemeal so.

I totally disagree with some of the things you said it is about, yes, we are struggling as local authorities, but equally you should be articulating your voice back to government, to say we need the funding now.

thank you Councillor, any further comments.

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:25:32

OK, so them do have a PR, you have an amendment that you want to propose, you will need a seconder.

Councillor possible, second, I wonder if you could talk us through it, Caroline.

thank you, yes, Councillor M Lamb, has proposed an amendment, I think,

Caroline Allen, Deputy Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:25:50

to recommendation 10.5 in terms of the size of the transport levy, not amendment to the recommendation has been seconded so in accordance with our procedure rules.

is appropriate at this point to take a vote on whether that amendment

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:26:11

is supported or not, thank you, if that, if that amendment is supported, that would become the recommendation in the paper.

Caroline Allen, Deputy Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:26:15

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:26:19

as a seconder would Councillor Paulson like to speak? Are we going on to other topics after the bout or yes, we are, which we're dealing

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:26:26

with this issue. That's for now yeah, then I fully support it. I, I

Cllr Rebecca Poulsen Bradford Council - 0:26:29

can't believe that some of the leaders of councils think this is. We're not talking about slashing the combined authority budget in half here, and we're talking about a small amount to go to actually help in the local authorities, and I think it makes perfect sense. I think Alan has said it very, very eloquently and clearly or exactly what why the reason is for this, so I would be very, very surprised if the leaders of the councils across West Yorkshire don't support something that absolutely makes sense. Thank you, Councillor Paulson, so we'll

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:26:58

take it to a vote and those in favour of the amendment

those against the amendment.

the amendment falls, thank you so, moving on Councillor Paulson, you had further comments.

Cllr Rebecca Poulsen Bradford Council - 0:27:19

yes, a few issues on the Bradford Interchange, firstly, on a financial side, you said there'll be another report coming in March, shabbily just about the funding on this, because offices are not just the funding of the WYCA funding, that's the loss of income and costs to Bradford Council we've lost a key car park in the city centre is one

one item which is impacting on local residents, businesses, et cetera.

so are we looking at that? Funding coming from the existing transport pop, or are we looking at reserves for the costs of the interchange and then there will be the no doubt repair costs. I assume once we know what the problem is, so that's sort of on on the finance side of it, but I'm really really disappointed with a combined authority over how this has been handled. I'm afraid and communicating to myself as a board member, it took nearly two weeks for anybody to come back to me with any update when I asked about what was happening with this, I've had to chase up thinking that 2 x three times to get any information from the Combined Authority, and then I got a small report two weeks ago and that's all it was raised our full council meeting and there was dissatisfaction across the whole Chamber of the council about the poor communication. I'm glad it has eventually gone to Transport Committee on Monday because I think there's a lot of people have a lot to say about it. People understand that things happen,

there are problems, concrete, falls, there's lots of queries, but has there been a lack of maintenance on the building, anybody has not been is quite unusual designed building, so you know what what is a maintenance position on it, why did the concrete for but the simple thing that communication really has been very, very poor and I really hope that we can all learn from that and particularly Bradford councillors want to know what is happening.

to just be sent a 5 line. Press statement from the Combined Authority is not a good enough briefing, I'm afraid, so I'm sorry to have to

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:29:23

bring negativity, but the finance and then obviously can we improve

Cllr Rebecca Poulsen Bradford Council - 0:29:27

the situation on Commons. Thank you, thank you. So to question says

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:29:31

Angela first, then Simon, if thank you, I think you, you spelled out

Melanie Corcoran, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:29:33

exactly why we haven't brought costs to you today. It is a complex set of interact into relationships that we need to address. So we are very much gathering information across a number of different fronts on the

actual and expected exposure from all from all aspects, so we are looking, as you say at, although the elements you talked about and we will be looking at then a range of options of how that is funded, depending on what those costs.

end up being, but rest assured we are, we are in the midst of trying to gather those and will bring them in a sort of contained way, making sure we've captured everything and with solutions and options of how we proceed Simon might like to thank you when he picks up assignment

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:30:17

then Councillor Hinchcliffe,

Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:30:22

thank you ma, so I as a or as I have done in between I, I apologise to Councillor Dawson if at any point she's.

she's felt less than well briefed on the situation and we are putting arrangements in place, and in that regard I think the one element that I would just like to stress his in addition to

press material that we've provided, we have put significant effort into ensuring that our customer information is very, very regularly updated, using all the channels available to us, and in that regard we've also had a terrific sport from vii from colleagues in the Council, but it should also know actually terrific support from colleagues in the rail industry as well with Northern Rail having a

provided space for us in that facility said it as quickly as possible, we could get a interim travel centre presence back up and round, but I do note Councillor Paulson's comments, and I can assure you that we will ensure the old members are regularly briefed. Thank you. This obviously happened over the Christmas period as well, which can't have

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:31:35

been helpful. Councillor Hinchcliffe,

Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:31:42

can you yes, so this is something as catapult says. We were debated at Transport Committee earlier this week and also at Full Council. Actually, I've included a melodious report. Sorry, I think we've all said, obviously, the communications needs more regularly if there's

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 0:31:57

nothing to say is best just to do something, just capable updated one, and there are a lot of unknowns at the moment about the situation as why the surveyors therein. My understanding is to look at what the structures like a and plan for the future, and I know the mayor is very keen to make sure that we will also keep 2025 in mind and make sure there's a great welcome for people come into the district during that year. So this is a priority. Isn't it? Mayor for the Philip Combined Authority to make sure this matter is resolved, one way, although as quickly as possible, and it needs short, medium and long-term plans for the building, and at the moment I don't suppose there's enough information for anybody will start making assumptions about what that looks like, but as soon as is information available, then absolutely it should be shared, so it can. I'll have a look, it is a crucial bit of infrastructure, for our city centre and for our district and of course, the timing with other regeneration works that are gone around the city is inconvenience.

really for for the city, for the districts and, of course, members of the travelling public, so it is important for all of us, and I think we all recognise that, to get this resolved and a way forward as quickly as possible, thank you.

and just to reiterate, this cannot hold back the ambitions of Bradford

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:33:13

for the city of culture 2025, and we are tasked with making sure that that that happens any further comments on the budget, no thank you, sir, as Councillor Golton apologies.

thanks mate, first of all, I'd like to vacuum up in terms of the proposal that was put very shortly to spark counselling, and that's the process, well, a little bit of prior notification is good manners, usually especially for other parties agreeing subject to your discussions.

however, the principle is that this is a combined authority which it's

Cllr Stewart Golton Leeds City Council - 0:33:53

legitimacy, comes from the election of the Mayor, and it is the mayor's priorities that the budget should be focused upon and she will be judged by the delivery of those priorities, and for this to be seen as some kind of regional honeypot is a danger, I think because it ends up becoming something akin to laundering of public money and we already have problems with the governance between the individual local authorities and the combined authority in terms of knowing when a decision has been taken and by whom and making sure you get value for money. So I am more than happy for the money to stay where it is, but to enhance the transparency of how it is spent on our behalf.

at the end of the day, the majority of this is delegated money, which comes from central government and has rules in wrapped around it already, and it's our job to make sure that those rules are applied with the greatest level of

equity for the people of West Yorkshire, which is what brings me to one of my comments really on the on the budget, I I look at the courtesy impact assessment, it was very brief and it was very broad, and this forward plan budget obviously covers a lot of subject matter and I think it would be useful for our new inclusion. Lead to talk to us about how we can do better, actually interim, because there's so many things in here, for instance, the discussion we had about concessionary travel, there is a big campaign from bus fare to say, actually it should be extended because it discriminates against working age, disabled people, and it discriminates against retired people who have to access health appointments, for instance, which don't sit within our restricted timetable, and that doesn't get a reference at all in the court impact assessment. So I think we need to think of a better way of doing that and then, secondly, there is a particular one and it's to do with the bus franchising. I'm very much in support of the Mayor's

efforts to get us to a franchise model, in fact, have been a little bit frustrated, it hasn't been a bit quicker.

but there is a worry for mean here where it talks about how the costs, if you are successful in terms of this financial year.

they haven't been associated within the budget in terms of a budget line, but I understand that they could be up to 5 million pounds so it's come out of reserves and if it does so, what impact does that have on the reserves because there are later items where we are redistributing funds and it would be good to know that they're not they couldn't be needed for something else.

and this is from I represent, a community which has had transport.

schemes cut back through to inflation pressures, so there are a lot of costs in there that appear out of nowhere that you weren't anticipating when, when schemes got.

planned and to have a 5 million pound holding that hasn't been attributed in a budget is for me quite a big risk

thank you, Councillor Golton, I'll come to Ben on the D, I point, but.

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:37:14

just to reiterate, the decision is gonna be made March, the 14, so obviously there's no way that Angela and her team canal can allocate budgets for something that is.

the decision has yet to be made, but Angela, if you could come to that point,

yes, thank you, as you say that the decision hasn't yet been made,

Melanie Corcoran, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:37:37

we're aware, obviously, that we will have to move.

in an agile way to to adjust our budget accordingly and the business

Angela Taylor, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:37:46

case sets out the figure that Councillor Golton quoted, the business case also set out a range of options of where that funding could come from and will be pursuing those options and coming back with a revised budget in due course those options included use of reserves, use of borrowing potential gainshare,

there may be others, and there will be the key ones at that point, but we need to weave that into the budget and, depending on the decision, will depend on the costs.

so we will be, we will be back with that at a future date when we've had opportunity to consider the impact of the decision once it is made, thank you and of course, inclusive to champions joining us

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:38:22

later, so it's something that we could potentially raised with her but Ben

thank you, Chair, t t t.

sorry, Councillor Golton, I think, might make some really helpful and

Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:38:32

sensible points. The the back of the Anthony at Annex 8 in in the packs got the full stage, 1 each-way, A assessment that that that Sarah lead on for us and of course that is high level. Given the nature of the paper, given the nature of the of the budget and, of course, individual Ecuador's would be done on individual policies and projects as they are developed by stage 1 and and stage 2, so so there's a at this point. I don't think the intention was to give more than one overview, but you were absolutely right that we could do more. We could bring out more of the impact, the the key thing for us. I think

is to ensure that the D D I and E accurate assessments are about how our policies and how the projects enhance those outcomes, not not just deal with any negative impacts, and that's the kind of thing that we need to be looking at going forward, so take your point about doing more would absolutely pick that up going forwards but please don't think that it that it wasn't a major consideration in all of the work that we've done and indeed in the in the development itself.

thank you so much good OK, let's weak if we could take a vote on the

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:39:42

budget and the recommendations from a 10.1 to 10.12 can I see a show of hands who are ready to approve the budget.

6 UK Shared Prosperity Fund

and those against the budget and abstentions, thank you so much, so the budget is passed, thank you so much, colleagues, moving on to Item 6, which is the shared prosperity fund, this report provides a further update on progress since implementing the West. Yorkshire, a UK SB f, look investment plans. This includes our core UK SDF and multiplied programme and the rural fund. This paper seeks to approve a delegation to the Chief Executive to authorise the final list of successful projects selected in response to pillar 3 people and skills invitation to bid in consultation with myself following the conclusion of the assessment process this month to a maximum of 10 million, and this is needed to deliver this at speed so we can benefit our communities and allow delivery to commence the 1st of April 2024. The people and skills strand is a key part of the funding. Our ambitions to create a more prosperous and inclusive economy interventions funded will help to reduce barriers to employment, supporting people to access jobs and education. So we're hopeful we can see an exciting portfolio of projects starting to deliver, to compliment the good work already going on in our region. So can I hand over to Sarah Eaton, our director of strategy comes an intelligence, who'll give us a few headlines. Thank you.

thank you, Mayor, I'll just run through some key elements in the

Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:41:25

paper, the will provide additional background in terms despite those recommendations, but it was colleagues or whether there were currently three pillows in the UK shared prosperity fund that are set out in the papers are and the paper details our total allocation for for UK SDF for West Yorkshire so there's approximately 79 million in the

about 68 million therefore course B F, and about 11 million in-depth, multiply plus an additional 2.5 million there for the for the rural fund, and that gives a total allocation of round 82 million pounds just in support from information about the pillar 3, which is one of the the the main focus of the paper today in July and see a

can have approved the the invitation to bid for pillar 3 and, following on from that, that that pillar 3 set out three main objectives which are set out in the paper round, reducing levels of economic inactivity, supporting people furthest away from the labour market and supporting local outreach to fund gaps in local skills provision so quite an important part of o of the programme of work, so just in terms of that application round I am an open, transparent application round was launched in October.

him to the value of 10 million pounds and close in January of this year as set out there and as you'll see within that that that kind of paper there is.

description of the selection process that we're going through at the moment to enable us to deliver that that the on time relay and to kind of move forward from April, that delegation is really important to allow us to kind of set off from the 1st of April with the the candidate selection of the projects that were that we want to to kind of progress with, so that's one of the key recommendations of the papers around it is around that delegation really.

but I'll come on to some of the challenges in the fund are in in a in a short while the paper also sets out the core UK SDF progress today and you'll see there that about 80 am 5% at the UK SDF allocation of 65 million has now been contracted out so there's been some good progress and can commit in committed spend for four core SDF and I think well that good progress has been made, I think one of the key challenges for us,

as colleagues are probably aware, the delays to the programme launch and the have made it really challenging, I think, for four projects to kind of delivering get a puff on the ground, so we've got some challenges there in terms of kind of spending within the the the the the short envelope Tamsin regard to to kind of deliver. There's also been challenges with intervention rates and the the the kind of capital and revenue allocations, and, obviously, changes to guidance that have happened during this period of times. A real pressure on on areas to fill to get to kind of get delivering, but we have committed to spend so that's a really good progress from from local authorities in terms of can have progressing plans forward

and I think just in terms of from mounting pressure, I think not just from this area, but from other areas the government is as now notified is that we can call of Cabinet underspend forward, so that is that is a

a good thing, but clearly we've still got that pressure to spend as we move forward, the paper also sets out some really good purpose around multiply in terms of some of the delivery of key elements of that programme in there which is really heartening to say and you'll see there, for example, you know that 84% of participants, for example they will receive mass training of report and the increase in confidence, so that's good that that programme is starting to deliver on the ground, that's really really important, I think, for us to to kind of know in this paper.

I think, thirdly, the the the last element of the papers about the rural fund and we're seeking some kind of changes to the operating model in the rural fund, particularly because, despite the fact that we've gone out, we've got got a lot of new people who are really interested in delivering against this this fund, we've not managed to kind of.

spend that are completely at the moment, so I think one of the recommendations here is around how we kind of changed the operating model, to make sure that we can get more of projects from rural areas coming forward and you'll see in there that some of the key key things changes to the apartment that we're looking for is an increase in intervention rates, make this more attractive to cut perhaps projects out there, but also to try and think about the maximum increase in the grant from 50,000 to 100,000 pounds. We're hoping that that will increase the number of projects that are coming forward

and I'll stop there, may I just in terms of the key points, thank you, thank you, Sarah, and just to keep reflecting on the fact that it's

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:45:48

two thirds of what were the EU fundings equivalent, it's also incredibly complicated and it was late, so this is proving incredibly challenging and also SMEs which are,

the majority of

having the time to take to actually bid in a complex process, I think him increasing the opportunity probably makes it an awful lot of sense, any comments on the UK SDF

Councillor Paulson,

thank you ma am just specifically on the rural one, I'd read this

Cllr Rebecca Poulsen Bradford Council - 0:46:29

before meetings and frustration about how this is being advertised out, particularly the the visitor economy, the tourism infrastructure, food processing, and I think I asked at a previous meeting it said there were workshops or one per local authority.

I did ask you know where they were and how they were advertised, so it would be good to have that detail on them.

it's quite disappointing 14% of the available funds being allocated, and there's a lot of organisations out there that really would benefit from from this funding, I know recently, at the last Bronte Country Partnership meeting, where a lot of our visitor organisations attending paper like the National Trust etc go to this they knew nothing about this and I think that's really disappointing.

so I really think we need to do more to push this, we need to be out where the key visitor attractions are in those areas and we need to be out talking to people and working with the local authority with tourism teams, etc to make sure we're in the right place talking to the right people because I think there's an awful lot that people could benefit from this that just don't know anything about it and it's such a shame thank you and that's obviously really great.

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:47:47

approach, Councillor Paulson, that people do need to know more about this, and one of the challenges of the combined authority is often that we're doing amazing stuff, but people are too busy to see or read or venue open e-mails and so on. But Sarah, I wonder if you could just reflect on that, yes, we have gone away and I'd look at some of the

Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:48:08

marketing that's been done. There has been extensive kind of promotion of the scheme looked at where the events are like, and share the the detail after the meeting. Councillor Poulsen, in particular in Bradford

at an event in in October at portfolio community centre, so there's been a range of events between September and November of last year in terms of the whether it has been publicised, lots of work with the council, growth managers around promotional events or social media networking channels to work with the National farmers Union. So there's been quite a lot of activity take place, so we hope in the that that has generated more interest and that interest will then result in applications coming forward, but that is something that is of concern, and it's something that we are continuing to try and promote through through the key channels that we've got. I will share the detail just so you can see that. Thank you and Councillor Paulson,

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:48:58

thank you too, for being such an advocate for the programme, because, of course, as Councillors, you are speaking regularly to

your community and for every meeting for you to say have you applied for this is obviously going to be incredibly helpful, Councillor Scullion, and then Councillor Lamb.

thank you.

Cllr Jane Scullion (Calderdale Council) - 0:49:16

we can be hard into detail in terms of fishing awareness of this funding, on myself, of being quipping officers in terms of making sure that

they they knew about it and it has been widely circulated, I've seen on all kinds of social media, and so and 18 businesses in Calderdale have applied and three have been successful, and I think it is really really difficult within the criteria and within the timescale ready it's not easy but keep up the good work.

thank you, Councillor Lamb, and then Mandy yeah, thank you ma the bit

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:49:56

Cllr Alan Lamb Leeds City Council - 0:50:00

of feedback I've had from businesses locally is similar to what you alluded to, is it's just very difficult to write the bids are very complicated and it's quite a skill.

writing these things, and if people don't haven't done having their organisation.

it's it's difficult and I've seen a few examples where they've they have put a bid in, I've been rejected and when the feedback comes, the service by all means have another go, because we think you've you're eligible, but the quality of your bid isn't sufficient. I just wonder if there's a step we can put in to help people before the bids considered and say actually you need to do a bit more work. These are the the gaps if that feedback could be given the feedbacks offered afterwards, but it's too late then, if that feedback process could come in the interim, and so you could do a bit more work to strengthen it, and if you did, you'd probably qualify just wonder if that's something practical, we could do to help people just get that feedback in before a decision is made, but doesn't this also underscore the point that devolution

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:51:03

why are we having to jump through these hoops that actually relatively 2.5 million pound for a rural fund when businesses are busy just trying to keep their heads above water, at just, give us that deeper devolution, that single settlement, thank you, I'll come back to you in a moment Sarah but Mandy,

if you've got further comments, yes, I think it underpins an awful lot

Mandy Ridyard (West Yorkshire Business Board) - 0:51:27

about what we're doing. There has been a lot of marketing on that, but the simplification of the business offer and the understanding as Councillor Lamb mentioned is really helpful and it is great to see in the West Yorkshire Plan further up the notes that that simplification is something that we're looking at on a West Yorkshire perspective but with a local nylon, so I think hopefully the work we'll do will start to make that easier for businesses in the region. Thank you, thank you, and at as is always the way when they're governmental

7 Level 4 Devolution

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:51:54

hoops we have to jump through. It's very frustrating. We could maybe make it easier if we had control ourselves. Sarah, I think some of

Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:52:05

that support has been provided, but I think that we, we are definitely looking at this funding on what we can do, so I'll take that away and suggest that as something that we could perhaps now building over the the current mums, really that that kind of just the step for people who perhaps haven't put one in and you know not being successful how we can support them, so your Deputy Taylor, thank you so much, aikido

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:52:24

key. We're all happy to note the recommendations. Yes, thank you so much OK, dogs out back to you again, Sarah, on level 4 devolution item 7. This report provides an overview of the level 4 diva framework published by government last November. The framework is the conclusion of a lot of work by colleagues in the UK mayors. This is the new name for the M 10 because we will be getting more mayors onstream

soonish to burn this.

the group have been persuading government to give mayoral combined authorities that rep that are ready and or mature additional powers. As chair of UK mayors, I led that conversation with government alongside Ben as the Chief Lead Chief Executive, and can I put on record my thanks to you Ben, for the leadership that he's shown at short notice to get us to a point where we can have a level 4 framework that this doesn't impact us. This also impacts other mayors and the what we've done is going to be really welcome from them, so thank you so much Ben for that work. The framework allows the Combined Authority to apply to access and new powers, functions and flexibilities. Although it doesn't go far enough, we want that single settlement that we've seen in the trailblazer deals in Greater Manchester and West Midlands. It is a bridge and a stepping stone towards a single settlement that we absolutely need. The report outlines the work we've done in partnership with councils to develop West Yorkshire, as response to the framework, and can I thank my council colleagues in the Combined Authority and councils working at such pace on this, and as a result of this work, I am pleased to confirm that I and the five leaders around the table sent a joint letter to Michael Gove earlier this week expressing our interest in opening a negotiation to secure Level 4 status. A good news story for our region. Can I hand over to Sarah Eaton to talk us through

Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:54:32

thank you ma, so just in terms of paper, the paper gives a brief overview of the the level 4 devolution framework and, as the marriage has said, we see this as a stepping stone that that deeper devolution doesn't given as everything that we would have hoped in terms of a trailblazer day or boys at that really good start.

in terms of taking the work forward, and I think some of the challenges that we've talked about today highlight the need for cadre moving in this general direction, so just in terms of the framework, there's some key highlights in there.

of significance, I think he's are the things that we've been talking about says that funding simplification, so you've seen in those highlights.

the offer of two consolidated pots there, both the D-lock funding and for transport funding, which would be very much welcomed, but also some other ha other highlights in.

identified in the paper and particularly, for example, removal of gainshare gateway review so that re reduction in potential bureaucracy that we get it from a national level and that much more of an opportunity to kind of look at evaluation from a local level which would be really important for us in terms of moving forward from an employment and skills perspective a further commitment towards a more devolved adult skills system and, for example, housing land that local ownership of the affordable homes programme next 0 kind of

that devolve in of Nazi-era funding, including kind of retrofitting money and for public health, and you concurrent power to kind of take on the public health duties. So there's a range of offers and flexibilities within that paper that set out. I think the other thing to point out is that this is an or an ongoing process, or there are other opportunities in there that are highlighted in you'll see there that it makes reference to technical adjustments to historic legislation. I think this is something that we can look at over the coming period, but that is looking at where we've perhaps had

you know, old legislation that is now not fit for purpose in terms of the work that we wanted to take forward, so there's an example in that.

satire around decisions around where the location of roundabouts isn't made by the secretary of state, and actually why can't we do that at that local level? So there are things that we can be exploring of this current period and I think the the other relevant there to say, because it's a framework, is that we can now take on any powers or or or responsibilities flexibilities that other areas of have kind of taken up should we wish to do so. The paper also sets out some of the kind of process timeline on readiness conditions that we need to meet

and there's a list set out in the paper. I think one of the the big issues that arose around how we provide confidence in our capacity, governance and the culture that we've got, and there's a we've got a really strong track record in this region of delivery, and that is gonna, set us in in good stead really for taking forward forward the deal. You'll also see there that kind of ministerial decisions around proving this will be taken in the round, but as a key part of this there are other elements which I'll touch on in the paper linked to the the Scrutiny protocol, which will need to satisfy them in terms of taking the work forward in terms of the application process and the deadlines of 31st of January. So it was it was yesterday and as the mess that we we have now submitted, a letter areas were allowed to submit later

but there is no guarantee of when that decision would then be made, so we've tried to really proactive and and kind of move it forward and that it's been, you know, done in partnership with with all of the the the councils in or in the area that's been really important factor in taking this work forward in terms of getting the benefits for the region as a whole, so in terms of these discussions that have taken place, the mayor and local authority leaders agreed that they would want to proceed with a full range of,

activity set out in the LA in the that Level 4 framework, and that was reported to the the Finance resources and corporate committee on the 18th of January, the letter as since been published now, and you will have had it in a pack that has been in circulated you, you'll be able to see the full contents of that I think what it seemed really important to know is that this is the start of the process.

and while that initial submission is is kind of setting out our intent, there's a lot more work to do and, if not a final step this. This is just mark in that kind of intent to kind of progress and look forward, and we will need to do quite a bit of work as we move forward to kind of go through that deal and do that negotiation process with central government. So just in terms of some of the other key activity that set out in there, one of the the main readiness conditions is that we would need to kind of implement Scrutiny protocol that was published at the same time and that the level for devolution framework was published them, and it's a key condition and the guidance states that we would need to implement that scrutiny protocol from one year onwards, from Co Canavan secretary of state agreeing that we can progress. I think we've got a bit more ambition in this area in terms of taking this forward, but the protocol intends to kind of show that accountable that insurance is 18 key principles in that

that are really trying to kindly get to that perspective, and there are two further areas that we'd meet. We need to be looking at, which is around potentially a single committee structure and the introduction of Mayor's question time, which we know we've already started to implement the Scrutiny Committee of been looking at this since November. They have set up a working group and they met on the 29th of January. They're also meeting on the 16th of February to look at how they consider the proposals and review feedback from stakeholders, and they'll be fetching their reports at their next Scrutiny Committee March and will also be putting a report back here.

on the 14th March, the Combined Authority for approval, and I think the plan is that we would want to kind of progress quite rapidly with some of those proposals and implement them from June, so so kind of doing that in advance of when we actually need to do that, to enable us to do that. You'll see in the paper that there's made reference there to the Independent Renumeration Panel, and that's to ensure that we have got sufficient time for any changes that might be proposed and to implement recommendations at June 2020 24. It's recommended that there's an Independent Remuneration Panel be convened to review any allowances that might arise as a result of Canada. The processes that are agreed and that's required by legislation for the first candidate that I think just important to know that we've been developing this work and you'll see set out in the paper, there is an outline of the work that we do need them around. Improving our partnership arrangements and the principles within which we're working out. I think that's really important, owing to in terms of the journey that we're going on, this is a different way of working and if we do get

closer to that single settlement, it will require us to work in different ways, and that is really important, that we've reviewed the partnership arrangements. I think some of the comments around duplication, we do not want to be duplicated. Things that are happening to the the principles are have been designed to sit alongside some of the work that we're doing so you'll see there around sovereignty, protecting the interests of local authorities and that subsidiarity and devolution, you know, we're not here to kind of duplicate work, that's at all, that is happening to local authorities, and we've got to work quite carefully to do that and it's about partnership stuff. It is very important in terms of taking this work forward

I just draw people's attention to that that that section in the paper, so just in terms of next steps.

we have now submitted the letter to government local councils and are going away, and they are taking this back to their own council's own for ratification.

we'll be taking further discussions with the government in how we're gonna implement this moving forward, and we'll be doing that in partnership with we with councils, but it solves that further work that I've outlined around the scrutiny protocol, which is going to be really important in terms of Calais progressing. But I'll stop that hammer just in terms of that. Thank you for that Keogh, comprehensive

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:02:05

overview of the paper, really really welcome, and just to also say we had our first Mayor's question time, which is one of the expected Scrutiny. Parts of the jigsaw and the people of Wakefield are lovely, although I had some good questions, some robust questions and we are on our next one is in Calderdale in Halifax, at the Piece Hall, so could I ask Councillors to alert their constituents to these question times because there's an opportunity for the public to ask direct, challenging questions to myself and I'm very grateful to colleagues such as our inclusivity, champion our Deputy Mayor and council leaders who also attended and colleagues, such as Simon, to talk to, or to transport questions for their support at the scrutiny events. So it's a really good step forward for that transparency. You'll know as your mayor and as your colleague says, transparency is really really important, and the ability to scrutinise decisions is the only way forward for moralities, and I'm always in the market for further scrutiny, so any thoughts on level 4. Yes, Councillor Golton,

Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:03:20

thanks mate.

I am very glad that we're going forward for him and I know a lot of work has gone into it, so I want to share the

gratitude to officers for having done it, I wonder this conversation

Cllr Stewart Golton Leeds City Council - 1:03:39

has been had over a consistent period or very recently.

there has been controversy around the Teeside works and the involvement of an elected Mayor there, and one of the key issues was around the transparency of decision making, and I would like to have some reassurance that the Scrutiny discussions which are being had,

are ones which are inclusive and that we're not just following the guidance from government and that we actually think about how we can have our own better level of transparency and scrutiny I mean, for instance, at the very beginning this combined authority has multiparty representation which a lot of them do not and it sort and it's good to have that.

challenge at the very beginning, one of the weaknesses that we have in our current scrutiny process, for instance, is that the only people who can call in a decision at the Combined Authority are people who are sitting on a Scrutiny Board already which sought it sort of feels counterintuitive to the outside world being able to challenges

I like the idea of of mace questions.

but they can become potentially a PR opportunity, and one of the more basic things that we can respond to, as LA Combined Authority, is to take seriously direct correspondence via e-mail and post, for instance, because I think there is a real problem in terms of who you are corresponding with and the accountability to deliver a response and on whose response that that is so I think if that could be incorporated within this there would be a much stronger sustainable institution GU going forward.

thank you, I just want a couple of things, we have people who respond

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:05:36

to e-mails on a daily basis and actually the inbox is full Ann, as questions that are then supported by policy, to get good good answers for the members of the public, also my Deputy Mayor halls surgeries,

myself and my Deputy Mayor are on message to the Mayor on BBC Radio Leeds, that I think it could be any question about anything and regarding the PR exercise. I'm not sure being in front of the public is a PR exercise. Let me tell you there are some pretty challenging questions and if it was a PR exercise, maybe I'd have or omitted some of those questions, but I think what's important and to your point about Teeside. It is really important to inform the public that they can trust leaders who are delivering at scale for the public. So if you have further suggestions about how we can do that, obviously that is of interest to me as well, but Ben would you like to come in

Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:06:39

thank you sorry, so I think and wanted to respond to the point about the decide report, Councillor Golton, I think your points are well

Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:06:48

made, of course we take that report very seriously and, as you would expect, we are,

reviewing that in the in the sense of

how does how do the findings from a formal investigation translate into the way we do things in West Yorkshire? I think that the thing that I would add to your to your analysis of the situation was that some of the challenges were in the fairly complicated company structures that were set up in relation to the combined authority and some of the other public bodies in Teeside. We don't have that kind of structure here but

looking at where we're going in terms of kind of potential arrangements for the Combined Authority in the future, we can't rule that out, and so would absolutely want to learn the lessons and make sure that we've got the strong governance in place. I don't know whether Caroline wanted to say anything further about that, but you can rest assured that it's it's a big thing on our agenda and if I

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:07:45

just may say just about Teesside particularly that the UK Mayors is a cross-party group, we work really well together and to deliver. We all have very similar challenges and it is always disappointing that we don't get the Mayor of

he has vowed to come and join, because we would then, as mayors also know a little bit more about what's going on and I help and advise each other as we do for things to avoid things to do and amplify. It is a great group of people who represent 22 million people and I think that cross-party way of working has given us better outcomes. That is the only way to do it at a mayoral level at Caroline, is there anything you wanted to add, or I think only briefly that you know that

Caroline Allen, Deputy Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:08:28

there's been a plethora of reports. Haven't you know, in terms of failings and Inter in governance, is is crucial in terms of good governance. Les that accountability framework throughout is is is an integral part of that, and I suppose when you look at the Teesside report it is a complexity in terms of how that's grown and how those gaps are formed, particularly in terms of maybe assumptions about what, what's in scope, what's in role for different different parts of that and the and the companies.

so I think it is now a good time for us to actually make sure that we've got our governance. We're growing as an organisation that good governance gross and is able to have that robustness for us at the moment and that we are ready for whatever steps we take going forward, that we've actually got the bedrock, so it is it. It is a key part of my role, working with colleagues here, but we do scrutinise as officers each of these reports that come forward and actually sort of play, devil's advocate in terms of that check and challenge back.

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:09:36

Thank you and level form must be attached to our transparency, scrutiny and good governance that has got to be the threshold for that majority. I wanted to come to Councillor Hinchcliffe visit on this point yeah Katherine ask if they'll come back to Councillor Golton

just I think it would be useful actually to look at a north-east example at Tees Valley example when it is a lesson learned exercise,

Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:09:57

really because also we don't want to be there as West Yorkshire

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 1:10:01

Combined Authority, so it's always just useful learning from what others may have learned before us and put anything right before it goes wrong, so it will be used to wash. It have a look at that I mean just after bits Combined Authority meeting but as a development opportunity for all of us, I think thank you, I think that's not a bad

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:10:16

idea actually, thank you, Councillor Golton, thank you. I really welcome I just as a point of information on the correspondence issue

Cllr Stewart Golton Leeds City Council - 1:10:25

I wouldn't have such a confidence in the level of

efficacy in the correspondence aspect.

I have been told a couple of times now if I want some very basic data that I should put in a Freedom of information request now I know that freedom of information requests are very expensive processes for local authorities and I would think that we'd hope to avoid it wherever possible within a combined authority level, so I just think it's one of those things that we need to have a have a look at. I think the

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:11:01

point about data being open and available is something that I've raised

with Sarah at coming into our own organisation and having a dashboard of of where we're at, I think, is really important as well, it's a piece of work that we're looking at.

Sarah, do you want to comment on that on the request for data?

yeah, I think obviously we are trying to look at it does depend, it

Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:11:25

does depend on what it is, but we are trying to so can't get to a point where we're looking at open data as part of a work across teams, so that is something that obviously being relatively new that's from one of my priorities to be looking at over this coming period really so yeah in terms of how we can do that.

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:11:43

thank you Ben well, I think, as Councillor Golton said, I would be concerned if that's the food, but you're getting in in requests for information from the organisation that the the the standard we want us

Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:11:51

to is to have a publication scheme that ensures that all the relevant data is published and is transparent so and then a request and then dealt with his as sensibly as we can be without reverting to formal requests or under efallai of all the environmental regulations so,

so we will take that way and, as you say, as I said, I am a little bit concerned that that is her that that's an issue and Councillor Golton,

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:12:14

if you have examples, please do feed them back because it's really important. Obviously the papers are all online, everything is open and transparent, but if you have exact examples, then of course escalate them to us. OK, OK, I guess, Councillor Paulson yeah, thank you going back to the report really because I spoke up its sidelines but yeah

Cllr Rebecca Poulsen Bradford Council - 1:12:37

obviously welcome the the deeper devolution discussions have gone up. I was slightly surprised, though, because the first I knew about the discussions with the local authorities was reading these papers, so none of the officers in Bradford had actually briefed myself on the conversations that had gone on and I finally got a briefing note late last night.

so there has not been great the you know the discussion, that's gone on about this,

some of it seems slightly.

lack of detail, and I hope this will come out, for instance the duplication Sara mentioned, we don't want duplication, fully agree, but we've got things like public health taxi licensing listed in the report which obviously what local authorities do so there are concerns about how is this going to work not much detail in this and I've not been party to any discussions at council level on it so I don't know what's being said and discussed.

so it would be good to know and obviously the Scrutiny Board there will be one board from what I understand from the report, so would that be made up of a mixture of councillors and other individuals, maybe from business or local organisations, I'm not sure on that one and then the the section on the

technical adjustments goes into things like pensions. Now I haven't got a problem, I, I think it's pretty bad that the Mayor doesn't get the option to pay into a pension given the the police and crime commissioners camp, I don't quite understand why local authority leaders and other councillors are wrong in that document as well, because Councillors don't get a pension so

it just seems a bit unsure some of this survey if you can answer any of the

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:14:22

and Sarah then, Ben applicant, I'll pick up some points that could be

Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:14:26

clogged up with colleagues on ultimately others compulsive, but, but just in terms of public health, I think the conversations that we've had with government is this is a conquering power, so it will be a power that will be held jointly with local authorities. It's not taking away the powers from local authorities, it's it's about how the Combined Authority builds in a public health

there are considerations into his work and we've already started for that work within the Combined Authority already, this is about a health in all policies approach, so this isn't about duplicating activity that is done within local authorities at all, and on the work we do in partnership will be significant in terms of making sure that we do crossover that line really, it's about applying for the same principles that local authorities have got into the work that we do so, for example, if we are developing transport schemes, how will we making sure that we're considering things like air quality within those transport schemes? So that's the kind of approach that we're looking at here and we've had some real successes around joint work around in a health in relation to to kind of work programmes as well. So he's kind of building on on that, so I think we're a bit of a headache ahead of the game on that so not intended technology implicate Amanda to to Simon around taxis

Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:15:43

sir, so the paper paper makes clear that government has set out a series of suggested areas, one in level 4 deals, but for transport we, along with another a number of

transport bodies are buys in marrow.

combined authorities have been very clear with D F T that that we see no need 4 foot for that provision one, and that actually what we would much rather see is a somewhat too address some of the implications of a legislation of a number of years ago which has brought about the registering of large numbers of private hire vehicles.

outside of the local authority areas that they most operated, so Members will be well aware of the number of Wolverhampton.

licence plates in particular operate or are around West Yorkshire, so I can assure Members that it isn't an item that the that we are

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:16:57

pressing for thank you and Councillor Hinchcliffe and then N and O.

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 1:17:02

thank you yeah, so first of all I'll say, Councillor Coulson, you should be briefed by West Yorkshire Combined Authority officers of Bradford Council both, in fact, so that does need to be sorted out future, I think this process has gone through at the speed of not saying it because the government had quite a and impetus to get it through quite quickly, so we've not had a great deal of time to talk about it as our team either so.

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 1:17:27

this is, I think, an opening gambit, it's not afraid to complete, is gonna be lied to my understanding is gonna lead to a series of conversations in government about which bits we want and which bits we think are less favourable to the to the region and this is a sort of a direct sort of pick a mixed template, I think and then for a will we'll talk from there but it is best to be in it rather than to just say no to everything straight away.

we want to show we are positive about devolution, and also we want to be able to make quicker decisions with less bureaucracy at regional level, to be able to make sure our economy can fly quicker and, and I think this would give us, that is my understanding, but of course we're now at the same stage of a lot of other combined authorities, saying about what does it actually mean on the ground and therefore I think now are obviously a good time to pick up with other members of the Combined Authority to make sure your your sighted on those issues as well as we go forward. Thank you. Thank you, because it wasn't

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:18:20

universally welcomed at number 10, though we wanted to make sure that we were, as as Councillor Hinchcliffe said, we've got to be in this game

we've got to have that bridge to that that trailblazer settlement.

to to get that flexibility and that funding pot that we can get better outcomes at a better cost price, so more value for money when we control the budget, so Ben Alan and then back to yourself, Councillor Lamb.

actually check Councillor Ian, to give us made the bottom is gonna be Alan.

Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:18:57

Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:19:00

thank you, I just went to responsible question about pensions, so there is a there is an inequity in the in the current position, whereby mayors with PCC functions don't have access to a pension, but police and crime commissioners do, and I think a growing record growing recognition that there is also inequity between holders of public office locally versus holders of public office nationally, so if you compare the position of PCCs and MPs, government ministers et cetera,

pair that, with the increasing level of responsibility that's being given to elected mayors, et cetera, then there's a, then there's a case for it, which is being raised with government. That then raises the question about other elected members locally, and there is a there is a growing body of voices across the across the country, raising the question of pension entitlement for local elected members, particularly considering it as a potential barrier to standing for public office. So

that's so that's whether whether the

where the question is being raised through this mechanism, okay,

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:20:08

thank you, and certainly I've been speaking to to actually too many young Councillors in lightwell, what's the future, and I don't have a pension and the work is relentless. Everybody knows where you live and you're not being paid a lot of money and the cost of living crisis is great so anything we can do in that space is important. Yes, Benn sorry, there was one other point Councillor Golton, which is

Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:20:26

that the technical adjustments area is there because of of two things that the

that will be part of the level 4 negotiations, one was essentially official, saying, are there, things that are that cause a problem locally that can be fixed with the devolution process, and that's why you've got the beginning of a technical adjustment list though there are undoubtedly other things as well, but that's the stats the starting position it doesn't mean a copy of the things that read it in and the other is that.

the framework also allows us to look across our other them see EIS, and whether where they have got powers or responsibilities, that we don't have a look or whether they'd be right for West Yorkshire as well and again we need to go through that process, but also there is the challenge that some of the expected changes come only at the end

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:21:16

of the trailblazer pilot, which is 2026, so we are pushing to say Well, we want to start on smart ticketing, or we've already started this work. Why? We haven't to wait for outcomes from Manchester or GM, so there's a lot of work to be done, but we needed to get those letters in. We needed to show that we were. We, you know, we gather, wants further devolution, Uchida so Councillor Lamb, last question

Cllr Alan Lamb Leeds City Council - 1:21:42

back to you, yeah, thank you, yeah, it's just on the point. I'm several people made a point of cross-party working and the importance of it at a mayoral level is important here, as well as it's a bit disappointing that opposition members of the sport weren't involved in the discussions and the letter and the process, and we're here to help yeah, I'm sure we're irritating at times being here.

that's part of our job, yes, but I don't have for a second, every elected Member around this table wants the very best for the people they represent, and the fact that our parties in government, at the minute means with our involvement it can become more powerful. Sorry, I hope, going forward that perhaps learning that the letter has gone in this meeting is perhaps not the right way things should be done about

trips should be done, and I'd like to think we are here to help and can work with you to try and make these arguments more power, does a lot to welcome things few concerning things, but we should be working together to do the best for the people we represent, Councillor Lamb,

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:22:45

you just voted against the Budget, but I'm not can I take that as a personal slight Councillor Lewis, thank you I'm not going to enter into a debate about whether Councillor Lamb is irritating or not, but I do

Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 1:22:54

I do, I do think that there is an irony in being picked up a little bit in this discussion around the fact that we're having devolution negotiations, about what what's right offer, the people of West Yorkshire set against a timetable and a list of areas that are being set down that's being set down for us and I don't want to let that.

let that point go in the meeting, I still think it's really important this is a

this is a you know, we have to be in the room for this stuffed, I want to go forward and think what we're agreeing it is it start, that is to start that process, I'm sure we'd all want different things, a lot more than is being offered by the government in the sort of that.

and slotting us all into silos at different levels rather than saying actually what's right for different areas? We know that combined authorities are increasingly diverse group of areas around the country, but I do think it's the right thing to move. I don't think it's the right thing that they want to be part of this process. I think it would have been very difficult for us to be outside the room and unjustified that, and I hope it can move forward on on that basis, May

thank you so much for that concluding remark Oakdale.

8 Project Approvals

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:24:07

are we, or are we happy to note the publication level for Diva framework and the work that is taking place to prepare West Yorkshire? As response we are lovely and note the Scrutiny protocol, the ongoing work, including the convening of independent remuneration panel yeah, good stuff, thank you for moving on to Item 8, A cross cutting project approvals. It's this is concerning the gainshare capacity funding. The approval seeks an additional 15 million to provide continued support for our partner councils to progress economic development, work and pipeline development. Can I invite Sarah just to talk to this item, yet it will try to be brief and countries have been speaking well

Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:24:49

so as if the paper is seeking approval for that that about 50 million additional capacity funding, I'll just run through a little bit the background don't just to provide context, so in due 2021 and the approach to the single investment fund and the the West Yorkshire investment strategy was endorsed and the West and the West sets out the investment priorities which are outlined in the paper there, which I am sure colleagues were completely familiar with, and they are multidimensional and complimentary, and there is underpinned by three cross cutting priorities round tackling inequality, inclusive growth and tackling the climate emergency.

and as colleagues are aware, there's a number of priority projects and programmes that identified as focusing intervention within within those those kind of priorities and the capacity funding is one key element in terms of being able to to support the Combined Authority and local councils, in particular, to deliver that comprehensive pat line of schemes and it is absolutely essential in terms of being able to candidate deliver ambitions. So it was agreed in 2022 that, or approximately 11.4 million would be allocated out across financial year 2022 23 to 24 25 to kind of boost that capacity willing to make sure that we could deliver. I am on the pat lines that we've kind of got got got in place. I think, as we know, that the the challenges that we've currently got financially

across our customer, medium particular local councils, it is it has increased and this proposal is around trying to further boost at capacity funding to enable us to come to take forward those programmes and projects that we wanted to to deliver benefits for the area so essentially the paper seeking that for a further 15 million pound the paper kind of breaks down that funding proposed funding for the future I think previously it was allocated on it was just distributed out.

OBR, that 1.9 million for each local authority the 50 million is them, and it is proposed that that is done on a per population basis, so the figures are outlined in the paper mayor in terms of the allocations and the increases that that would mean I'll stop speaking next bit the

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:26:59

detail is one, thank you, so it's only just to confirm that there's and this goes to councils only not to ourselves.

I think originally the the the first tranche of funding there was an

Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:27:10

element, therefore, for the combined authority is the second amount is is purely for allocation to local councils, good stuff up, Councillor Golton.

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:27:17

thanks ma am.

this is the paper I referred to earlier around how you could be

Cllr Stewart Golton Leeds City Council - 1:27:28

perceived for laundering of public money, the wording in the paper is strange in terms of what it hopes to achieve it just talks about creating capacity for pipelines, and I have.

I have a thing about pipeline decision making, I don't think anybody knows exactly what it is.

but it's very short on specifics in terms of what the money is intended for and and what success looks like and.

it talks about how a report has already gone to the West Yorkshire political leadership group. I'm assuming the members of that group are in this room, but it excludes the likes of me, Councillor Lamb and Councillor Poulsen, so we haven't had access to that report, which has been sent to that group, and therefore we haven't got any idea about what kind of schemes this extra funding, which is being sent over to councils to add capacity is actually being delivered and when examples are provided in the report in Leeds, for instance, it talks about Leeds 2023 which has finished, and this is keeps your funding, so it's it's a very problematic paper and it, and it gets back to that problem. We said earlier about transferring money from one organisation to another without some

transparent level of reporting is is problematic, it does, however, talk about a project manager, and it would be useful to know whether that project manager will be reporting to all members of the wicker board on the progress of these projects, thank you Councillor, but

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:29:11

also just to remind you we are all see them.

it's not one organisation over here and other organisation over that we're all members, it is a family, so we're all trying to be as helpful as possible.

who would like to comment on this Benn?

thank you, Councillor Golton, sorry so.

Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:29:33

I guess what I would say is that the that this is about adding capacity to the project teams that are developing the future pipeline of projects and the the original.

objective here was such that we would have a pipeline of, I guess you called shovel-ready or other projects ready to go when, when there were central government competitions that required places to move very rapidly and that that remains the goal, and I think it is important that,

as as we refer back to any conversations, the Combined Authority needs to look long term at the future of West Yorkshire, we need to understand what those project priorities would look like, and this funding is to help achieve that.

what what we have in in the past suffered from is that the teams in the Combined Authority, any local authorities that were developing those pipelines, were often the same teams that were delivering the projects themselves and often getting pulled from pillar to post when other competitions,

or or or arose so so the intention of the capacity fund is to provide that kind of dedicated funding for authorities to begin to bring forward those projects. That's why it's slightly non-specific, because it will emerge what those projects are depending upon what the the objectives are both for the local authorities in question and for the Combined Authority.

and so I it's the attempts to give that certainty that allows local authorities to plan such that they're not always having to react to the immediate circumstances, and for that we think it is a very valuable we will, of course bring back reports on how the money has been spent and what it is contributing to as the western world develops.

thank you so much any further comments.

8 a) Cross-Cutting Project Approvals

8 b) Transport Project Approvals

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:31:20

Good stuff and obviously, as Councillor Lewis has heard about regarding Leeds 2023 and that will be addressed so we can approve the scheme to continue in delivering full approval of the combined authorities, additional funding contribution and the recommendation as set out in the report or good, thank you so much. Moving on to item 8 be transport project approvals were seeking approval for the revised funding allocations for Kirkley Transport Fund projects the change if approved will affect.

the funding allocations for 8 schemes as detailed in the report and before I invite Melanie, Corker and director of transport policy and delivery to talk us through the changes, can I just say to Melanie this is your last see a meeting before we lose you to South Yorkshire. There are losses there gain absolutely, so I wanted to put on record my thanks for your service over the many years that you've worked here at the Sea, A the advice you provided me and colleagues since I was elected and honestly we all wish you the very best of luck going forward into the future.

and just to be better than us and the hearing much Yorkshire, I just Melanie over to you, thank you very much Ma and thanks for your kind words, so just in terms of this approvals paper, by way of background,

Angela Taylor, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:32:41

we are working with all partners on a continuous basis looking at how best to deliver schemes within our programmes and we do an annual review on each of our significant programmes and you may recall that we did an inflation review that that looked across Transport Fund anti CF and a little bit of C or SDS.

which are the three of our largest transport capital programmes, and that has had significant effects on the schemes that we still have in the programme. So this time round we didn't do a wholescale financial review on the programme, we looked at milestone reviews and we looked at how schemes were performing, but with with care police council we identified a number of schemes where either the scheme was on site or it was about to go on site, or they were about to come up to a decision point where there was insufficient funding to do that, so that has then triggered a review to look at the Kirkley schemes and we've brought forward this package of 8 schemes where we want to look at the allocations that are given against each individual scheme. So just very briefly going through that the list so Mirfield to Jews, brutal Leeds. This is a joint scheme looking at active travel

on the the Coakley's side of the joint scheme with Leeds, so there is work still progressing on the Leeds side. On the Kirkley side, we agreed that we would take the scheme to outline business case, there is further funding that's required. The scheme will pause and it will go on to our pipeline so that we've got an opportunity to take a scheme forward into a future funding programme. We've then got Essex 2 9

this is the Halifax to Huddersfield key corridor and fears 5 Ainley Top, so there were elements of the scheme. Again we have looked at each scheme to look at where we could reduce costs. There was an element of the scheme where residents didn't want that element of the scheme to progress. There's there's a proposal here, where that that comes out of the scheme so that we all look into value engineer. However, there are still increased costs because of the inflation costs now and the position that we're in, but also having delayed the procurement and the construction of that scheme. Obviously, costs are still continuing to arise

Huddersfield Southern corridors. This was part of the corridor improvement programme

we did receive the L T N 1 20 guidance around active travel, while the scheme was being developed that resulted in redesign, we've then had increasing cost pressures.

the revised FBC has now been submitted, but there is an increased request in terms of funding North Quay. Please orbital wrote. This was one of the transformation schemes and again this is a request to draw

Melanie Corcoran, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:35:38

down now the remaining balance of the the funding that's approved for that scheme and then Holmfirth town centre. We've got a proposal here to improve accessibility into and around the town centre and at the moment that the footpaths are so narrow, it's difficult to walk on them, let alone with a primary, a wheelchair or mobility scooter, and there are some safety issues there, so we need to make it easier for people to get around there and it is. It is quite a a visitor attraction as well, so we need to make sure that that it's safer in the town centre.

so again, there is an increased ask, we have value engineered.

as we reached de sculpt the scheme, the costs are then still going up because of inflation pressures, so we find ourselves in a very difficult position where we are delivering less for increased funding on a lot of our capital programmes and the the next one similar, so we've got a 62 smart corridor this one is on site are largely complete.

but again unforeseen costs, some third party costs and some issues that are still ongoing, so there's still some work there were that there is now a funding gap, we've then got to connect phase 3. This is one that we agreed to pause when we got to OBC. There is still some further funding required to get to OBC, and similarly Essex 2 9 from Huddersfield Town Centre down to Waterloo junction. There's some development work ongoing but there's still some further funding required to get to OBC, and then finally a 62 corridor, a 62 Cooper Bridge, so it's the junction where the year 62 meets Essex for four and then there's a link to the motorway and across to Brighouse so that junction, it is really significant and its significance getting in and out of Huddersfield

it's a significant scheme and potentially at this stage the costs have gone up significantly as well, in line with the others.

the proposal here is that we look at a reduced scope and we look at if you like, a phase 1 of the Cooper Bridge scheme, so council officers are working on what well, ideally, a change request initially, but also a revised outline business case to show what can be achieved if we significantly disc up the scheme and we would be looking at identifying bus journey improvement times. So it's it's, it's quite significant for us that corridor and it will be subject to that business case coming in. But the proposal is that if you like, we shrink that the scope of the scheme that is currently in the Transport Fund, so the overall that the net change him it balances out within the programme. So the proposal is that we address all of those relocations for Coakley's council and actually we will continue to work with other partners and again maybe bring reviews forward with with other partners to

there have been implications on the amount of match funding that is available as well, which then has had an in, or an impact on, the scope of the schemes as well, so that the recommendations are set out in paragraph 4.4 9 so there's a table with all the schemes that changes in allocation and that the the recommendations letter thank you, thank you so much can I congratulate you as well on the way that

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:39:20

we've been able to team and ladle at these projects because delivery delivered delivery from our local authority partners we're happy to approve these recommendations, good stuff, thank you so much, Councillor Lamb, yet

Cllr Alan Lamb Leeds City Council - 1:39:39

and I appreciate the report and the explanations I am not familiar with with three schemes and I don't feel that enough information personally to say yeah, I'm happy to say I support an extra 20 million pounds going out and I don't know if there's a way scrutiny can be more involved to get more information because I suspect we're gonna be having similar papers coming back for all of the local authorities and it's inflation pressures all sorts of things I personally, that feels enough information just to sit here and not through that much additional money, thank you, Councillor Lamb, is it at your abstention noted?

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:40:15

yes, thank you so much, we're happy to approve moving forward, thank you so much.

9 Inclusivity Champion Workplan

thank you OK, moving on and apologies were having to rattle through as.

a train work waits for no woman, so I will make sure that we are good and pithy moving on to add our next item, inclusivity champion, really pleased to welcome Fatima Khan Shah to the first meeting of the Combined Authority is such an important area of work and to lead our direct and direct our inclusion activity, ensure that economic recovery benefits absolutely everyone, and it just shows how committed leaders in West Yorkshire are to tackling inequalities, celebrating and building on its many significant strengths, including diversity of places and people. So without further ado over to yourself, Fatima, to talk us through the development of inclusivity champion highlights

Fatima Khan-Shah (Inclusivity Champion) - 1:41:13

thank you me. A bereavement is not often referred to as a train, but I'll take that because I'll do whatever it takes to get the job done. Is it fair to say that I'm really excited to be here because I really am, I think there's just so much to talk about and so much activity has been going on, and it's also a great chance to meet some new people and to hopefully start some new relationship. So I'm gonna go straight into it, may Brabants are mindful of the time and the first thing is just to give you a little bit of a context of what is the role of the inclusivity champions. So if I could have the next slide, please apologies to people that I've already discussed this with and are sick of, hearing, the remix up, the same song, but for those of you that and you are watching online that the whole purpose of the inclusivity champion was very much an aspiration between the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, which is a consortium of organisations providers, commissioners, delivering health and care services and the combined authority and their infinite wisdom. Recognising that health is wealth and wealth is health, and there's an opportunity here to really work in partnership with each other, to address some of the issues that are mutually beneficial and having somebody with a foot in both camps can really really add value. There's also something about recognition that there are some deliverables that would actually be beneficial for both organisations if we focused on inclusivity or structural inequalities as a common thread in all the work that we do, as well as where possible, developing or looking at other opportunities to maximise impact, and I think everybody knows that relationships are really really important, but take a lot of time to invest in, but having these connected ways of work and a really embodying what we say when we mean a real change, happens when we all work enables us to make change, happen at pace, and I hope that this report shows you that changes happening at pace?

so if we could move on to the next line, I think the first thing that I would always say is if those of you that are not familiar with the work of the Health and Care Partnership, please do take a look if someone stopped me on the street outside Wellington House and asked me what my day job was, I'd say, positive disruptor, but also somebody committed to delivering a 10 system ambitions on behalf of the health and care partnership, and they range on things like addressing health inequalities, making sure that we get cancer diagnosis as earlier, but it also talks about diversity in leadership. It talks about sustainability of the economy, and he also talks about climate change, and if you compare them with the maize 10 pledges, then clearly you know she was ahead of the game when the intersectionality was really recognised, and actually there's lots of opportunities. So with that in mind, there was an agreement that went to the Health and Care Partnership Board, which is the highest level of decision making in the health and care system which has representation from our amazing leaders on there, too, and there was an agreement to sort of share resources, which is myself and a couple of other individuals to focus on sort of for specific areas, but also others where they made sense to do so. The first one was really recognising the economic growth and how that is really important to address people's lived experience of inequality, but there's also something of recognising that if we truly want to address the climate emergency and the impact that has on people's health and wellbeing than doing that, with the lens of inclusion, really adds value and a really simple example of that is when we were recently having an engagement conversation on the big climate chat, the overwhelming bit of feedback was safety and the fact that, yeah, I'm more than happy to use transport if I don't feel safe, using the transport or I can't get on the transport or accessible. How am I going to support my contribution to the climate? Emergency and poverty was also a really important part. Of that conversation, and then there are the obvious areas of making sure that we tackle structural inequalities, but also, as I said, really maximising the FO's focus on the wider determinants of health

so if you move on to the next slide and I am gonna be quite pacy to give you all a chance to have a conversation about this, what I did was I tried to as much as I can get out everywhere, I think a lot of people were sick of the sight of my face on virtual webinars or face-to-face meetings and what we tried to do was to co-create a plan while doing the plan so building a bridge while you were on it which is complicated at best, and what we wanted to do was to create something that didn't duplicate existing work, but also really embodied the aspiration and the ambition that you all have for West Yorkshire. So I remember when I was applying for this job and I watched the Combined Authority meetings on the webcast. I once counted ambition 10 times in a meeting, so we don't just talk about ambition, we think about it, we do it in every decision that we make, but in order to be truly ambitious, we need to make sure that we're making the right decisions that include safety, that are fair for everyone and improves outcomes for everybody within West Yorkshire and as we know, that is not currently the case because, depending on where you live, your life expectancy could drop, depending on whether you are somebody that lives in a certain borough with an ethnicity that is ethnically diverse. That again reduces your life expectancy, and if you are somebody that is living in that borough, with an ethnically diverse background and with a disability, then you might not get passports, so that to me is something that we really need to focus on using our collective resources, because that's not right is it, and there are things within our gift that we can really do to support it, but in order to do that and you, as elected Members, know this far better than I do, we need to support people to help create the decisions that we're going to take and therefore meet their needs, and in order to do that, we need the rooms that decisions are being taken to be more diverse and to make sure that the people contribute to those conversations are diverse. It's only by then that we can address the inequalities, and if you go back to the COVID pandemic, which is still alive in my memory, I've still got the bags per minute. There is something about recognising that the interventions we were doing prior to this were not reaching everyone, and it required us to work differently. It required us to use innovation, but also to work with individuals and organisations in a very, very different way. There's an opportunity to harness the learning from that and capitalise on it, to support the work that we aspire to do in this organisation as well as the health and care partnership. But it isn't just me, obviously I've worked really closely with the amazing Monday vigil because we know that if we get this right, that includes us creating an economy that is productive, that thrives and if the economy is thriving and that means people's quality of life is better and by default, their health outcomes are even better

another element to a thriving economy is a cohesive society. If people don't feel comfortable or able to thrive or contribute to communities that really really matters a massive impact to the economy, so it's therefore in our interest to really support social cohesion and in order to do that we've got to focus on discrimination that also enables us to work with communities to support their resilience. And I'm looking at Jane when I say this, but Calderdale already is next level when it comes to resilience, and one of the amazing things I had when I had the kind invitation to visit your cabinet was the assets that you utilise the community organisations that pulled together and really supported the local authority when it comes to supporting in times of adversity. And that's a fantastic example of the creativity, the innovation and the sustainable change that has already taken place across our region that I'm hoping to harness and amplify across the region. So if we move on to the next slide,

what we tried to do while building the bridge. At the same time. Next, one place was to focus on five areas, which was really hard for me because I'm a lady who wants to change the world and I wanted to focus on 10, but a very wise person who sat down there called Ma Braben said, No, no Fatima, we need to focus, so we've focused initially on five elements. I was fed back through the initial conversations. The first one, as I've already alluded to, is the importance of working with the voluntary community and social enterprise sector. Part of that is the learning from the current pandemic and their utilisation of connections to grassroots communities, their ability to amplify really important messages, safe vaccinations or right now, for example, in the measles pandemic, they are instrumental in being those trusted ambassadors of messages that people will listen to them, because sometimes it's not the messages, it is the messenger. There's also a real recognition that we need to support them during these challenging financial times, because we know that many organisations are experiencing specific financial challenges, but also support them to be sustainable. So if you're thinking about those really small grassroots organisations that don't have the infrastructure to go for all those different bids,

of the larger ones will say the Big Lottery. There's an opportunity for us as an organisation to support them with the appropriate infrastructure to enable them to access funds, as well as the funds provided by the combined authorities, various schemes. If you think about providing advice and support, well, that's really obvious. Isn't it, but there's also something about having a seat at the table to influence decision-making, and I'm really fortunate, particularly within the health and care partnership, that I am a member of the integrated care board, perhaps a seat at their partnership board and their system leadership forums to enable not only the decisions they take to be those with the inclusive lens, but also to influence their thinking and to be more aspirational when it comes to the agenda of inclusion. We have to be really honest about the fact that advocating for equality sometimes comes with personal and professional risk. It can also be really hard for some of our leaders to do, and that advice and insight really supports them. Of some of the challenging instances that we've recently seen, bearing in mind the recent few months in the coat of the Palestinian and Israeli conflict. But the Ukrainian conflict is another example of how actually leaders are instrumental in supporting people that work within their organisations, as well as utilise their services in creating those inclusive services. Another element of that is the importance of a diverse workforce. So if you've got a workforce that is reflective of its communities, that community is more likely to use it because it delivers it in a way that they need them to, but also improves their outcomes, and they feel comfortable and trustworthy to access it, and we know that there is a real time low when it comes to people's perceptions of the public sector and their trust in the public sector. So supporting leaders with this really complicated agenda with a sophisticated work is crucial towards creating a West Yorkshire that is not only at the forefront of the country, but hopefully the world. But then again I said I was ambitious, didn't know, and then we're talking about advocating for social justice and it's really building on the incredible work that has been started by the organisation and this leadership. So things like the male behavioural change campaign and the just don't, which is

received millions of views on YouTube and has had an amazing reception, but there are also other campaigns, such as the route out racism campaign that was initially started a couple of years ago and we were looking at phase 2, but also the NHS sexual health charter which is something that we are really mindful of for organisations and people that are delivering services within the community paramedics in particular have got reportedly high incidence.

of being impacted by this agenda, so working with those organisations as a particular focus and will continue to be so, and then you've got that we own what we create element of the plan which is ensuring that groups within communities that are seldom heard and seldom participate in the work that we do either in the Combined Authority or the Health and Care Partnership feel a real change in their ability to engage but also the impact of their contributions, and this is being done in a variety of ways. One is the staff networks and convenient people together to influence change. Another is working with existing mechanisms of engagement to influence the way that they're working, sharing contacts, being an ambassador for the organisations

we're also using different platforms to engage with different individuals and different conduits for different messages and on that journey, as somebody is always looking for feedback and touch points. Some of the messages that came back was this is really broad. There's lots of stuff in here and there's a little bit of lack of clarity of what exactly the inclusivity champion is doing and how I can support that particular role. So as an organisation and as a leader, that's always trying to be iterative of the process that was always bear in mind through all the conversations and engagement that I had. So if you go on to the next line, that's just a snapshot of the sort of external facing, but obviously being a proud member of the Combined Authority, what we were also doing was supporting some internal work led by officers within this organisation. So, for example, the way in which we recruit

and work with our workforce about the way in which we develop our talent and harness that talent and keep them by the way in which we engage and involve people on behalf of the work that we're doing within this organisation, the current III plan and the deliverables of that, as well as working with the Executive leaders within this organisation and their relationship with the staff networks. We've also recently had some really big influential conversations about our economic strategy, the housing strategy, but also based on feedback from a visit that I had to the Lead Cabinet. Really making sure that children and young people are considered in all the decisions we make, because quite often, although they are 20% of our population and 100% of our future, they're not often routinely considered in the action and decisions that we take so again, real iterative process and, as a consequence, if we could move on to the next slide, we've revised the work plan in a way to make it a little bit clearer. So the deliverables are the same, nothing has changed, except the way in which we framed it, so if anybody stopped me on the street and said, Fatima, what exactly do you do

the three bits above are what I would say so you know, I'm here to build capability to change practice and help deliver more inclusive outcomes, and the reason why that's really important is because we need to show the added value of the inclusivity agenda, particularly at the moment when there is a lot of conversation about, why do we have it and what value does it bring? There's also something about the fact that inclusive leadership is instrumental to all that we do, and we can't forget the people that work within our organisations, who are often sharing with us their experiences, not always positive and trying to support them to be harnessed, that change in a way that not only benefits them but the organisation and what we deliver. There's also the aspiration that Tracy is always at the forefront of which is advocating for a more inclusive and fairer West Yorkshire, so how that will be done is very much an amalgamation of the five jigsaw slides that you saw, so providing advice and support to senior leadership, which is the inclusive leadership and the expert advice pulled into one area. Then there is the power by including the VCC and creating opportunities for people who don't normally hear from, will be covered within the convenient networks part and then the final one about developing partnerships and enabling joint working is the societal justice. So what I've tried to do is make it as clear as possible put it on a card, put it on a lanyard. You know exactly what the inclusive to champion is here to do, and if we move on to solve the final slide, what we're trying to do is by demonstrating impacts. I've already talked it through a lot of things that we've already done and but what I'm trying to do now to demonstrate that, even though we're building the bridges we're going along, we're making a lot of progress, so we've clearly got some very good contractors. One of them is making sure that the partners are engaged in the work really working, collaboratively with a number of diverse BCC organisations and then connected them into the work of things like the climate chat, the mass transit work, the inclusive economic strategy and also the newly established women of West Yorkshire network, which has currently got 350 members last night, but it is still growing every single day, which is fantastic. Obviously we've got the next event which is taking place on the 8th of March and I'd really welcome women analyse if they're available to come and join us in Leeds

there's also recognising how we can support existing work programmes to look at things through the lens of inclusion and looking forward, as well as building on existing good practice and, as you know, digital and a is something that is causing a lot of consternation and concern amongst certain groups about the equality implications of that. So one of the things I've started to do is to chair that particular group really supporting the work they're doing and also contributing to a number of forums to ensure that the decisions that we're taking are truly truly inclusive and tackle some of the systemic issues within society. So if we move on to the next lad, and I promise you, I'm gonna stop talking very soon, there's also the importance of championing that inclusive workforce, and I can't talk about that without talking about the incredible Fair Work charter and the amazing work that colleagues within this organisation have put in to create that and, as we know, we've already got 47 adopters, which is amazing but we're not going to stop there. There's also the implementation of the inclusive recruitment toolkit which was something that was created by the health and care partnership, and recognising that one in five of public sector employees are pupils that balance work and caring responsibilities as well as one in three in the NHS, so there's real importance of adopting the working carers passport as well. Sorry to jump in just while you've caught your breath, it's an amazing

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:57:26

presentation Fatemeh thank you but I have to catch the train, so I'm handing off the chair to Councillor Lewis, but luckily I've seen the slides and can I congratulate you for the the dynamism that you've brought to this role. Thank you, but James is now in the chair thanks

I promise Councillor Lewis, I'll be really really quick so again

Fatima Khan-Shah (Inclusivity Champion) - 1:57:46

talking about the recognition and intersectionality between health and wealth, I've also taken on the responsibility of senior responsible officer for the health inclusion network, so that is a very practical forum by which we're integrating the wider determinants of health and the health agenda in a forum where we can really make progress on the agenda. Like I've described, we've also just attended the graduation ceremony of cohort two of the West Yorkshire fellowship and launch cohort 3, so that is definitely going full throttle as well, so like I said we're not only talking about the agenda, we're delivering tangible outcomes, so people can see the value added and then the final slide a promise.

is advocating for a more inclusive West Yorkshire. So what we're trying to do here is facilitating convenience spaces that people feel psychologically safe to contribute and influence. Conversations that we need to have so a variety of mechanisms are we're doing which you can see on the screen really influencing the engagement strategy, as I've just described, but also as a member of the NHS Assembly, the King's Fund and other national forums really trying to influence policy before it comes to West Yorkshire, which is just as important as well and as being part of the incredible leadership team that we've got in the Combined Authority working with those other leaders to ensure that everything that we're doing is in the interests of a more inclusive and fairer at West Yorkshire, so I'm gonna pause there, Councillor Lewis, with just three questions on the next slide, which is just to stimulate the conversation

because I am somebody who is always keen to learn from others, and one of the things I'd like to do is to connect with other individuals at the table that I've not had a chance to meet yet, and to get some feedback about how we can continue to collaborate together how I can support you but also how we can continue to collaborate in partnership to maintain the momentum but more importantly to deliver the change and I'll stop there.

thank you already coming through the ball, Councillor Golton, please.

Fatima Khan-Shah (Inclusivity Champion) - 1:59:40

thanks to you, and if you'll excuse me, I will answer those questions

Cllr Stewart Golton Leeds City Council - 1:59:43

because I don't think we've got time for a workshop, but I can I can ask questions on the paper if I can actually get me out and you can answer the questions via e-mail afterwards as well if you don't feel you've got the time today I mean right page 1 3 8,

there was a long list of bulletpoints of stuff that you've done.

and I am particularly interested in the last two bullet points on their, because one of the things we have discussed today is this is a very large organisation, it has a budget of 800 million quid, and a lot of that is to do with transport and its physical infrastructure and one of the problems that we have as decision-makers is making sure that all of the equality impacts are properly assessed but the reporting that we get isn't.

in a sophisticated manner. Do you see what I mean, so we haven't got the confidence that all the questions have been asked that they should have, so it says here that you are working collaboratively with the communications and engagement team to ensure that the Mau Mau I would ask the question time supported the development of the approach towards the development of a diverse and inclusive consultation and engagement strategy. So how do we know, for instance, that when a scheme is going out or were discussing concessionary fares, or whatever that we've actually talked to people of lived experience and the we've had to think about which equates to characteristics might potentially most need to be

engage with on a meaningful manner. So, for instance, we're used to having consultation where you asked something like, did you walk here or did you take the bus here or did you get the car here, but that tells you nothing unless you know why they made that choice absolutely yeah, so that's what I'm wanting to understand is what do you think hasn't been done very well so far? Yeah, you think could be improved and really a bit question, but as we will all have to talk a lot, I'm gonna try and keep it short. I think the first answer to your question is. We are currently working on the inclusive engagement strategy, so

Fatima Khan-Shah (Inclusivity Champion) - 2:01:53

it's about to go through the governance processes. It hasn't been published yet and therefore hasn't been implemented on a specific agenda of Buster mass transit. One of the first things, as part of my role, is advising the team on the engagement. Was you don't need to speak to the people on the buses you need to speak to the people that aren't getting the buses and find out why you also need to go and see what the data is telling you and where the gaps are in the date. So when it comes to your engagement and involvement and you also need to use a variety of mechanisms, because if you like my children, they're not going to answer a survey, they're not going to respond to your e-mail. In fact, if I went up and had a chat with you, no disrespect, Councillor Golton, you might not even want to talk to me. So there's something about how we use the appropriate stakeholders and mechanisms to ensure that people have got the opportunity to influence this where they are, but what we've always done in the health and care and local government, if I may say with respect, is we've done it in a way that suits us, so my aspiration is to try and influence a new way of working where we start to evolve and it won't happen overnight because we're turning the Titanic here. Aren't we? What we do want to do is with examples like mass transit and the big climate chat and the economic strategy is showed the added benefit of working in a slightly different way and how that intelligence can improve the service we finally deliver and the uptake and outcomes of the people utilising it. Does that answer your question? I tried to be to the point. Yes, it was very encouraging. Thank you

thank you.

question

hesitates quickly and to welcome the report. Obviously, and I think you know, it is her and to all of us in that the whole purpose of the

Cllr Stewart Golton Leeds City Council - 2:03:25

whole organisation is to be levelling up the region actually, and that's what we need to ask ourselves constantly, are we doing that every day? Are we making sure that those people who are furthest away from economic opportunities are now closer to it? Because of the

Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 2:03:39

actions of the whole Combined Authority? Fatemeh can only do so much

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 2:03:44

on our own, but it is for the whole of the combined authority needs to work towards that aim and and obviously that will benefit places like Bradford where there is high structural disadvantage given we've got

a number of communities from all parts of the world who settled in Bradford and actually may have been there for generations now create wealth themselves, but we need to make sure we're inclusive and organisation in what we deliver and make sure we have a positive outcome for levelling up in West Yorkshire.

Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 2:04:14

thank you, Susan, does anybody else want to come in?

Monday, please let me just say thank you for your enthusiasm and for the dedication he has shown to put in that report, I think it's

Mandy Ridyard (West Yorkshire Business Board) - 2:04:25

fantastic, it's something that we obviously all want, so what well done Fatima.

great thank you, I don't see anybody else wanted to come in, so show

Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 2:04:36

are happy to note the report and thank you for your presentation, so we'll just move on to the last paper on the agenda today, which is the committee membership.

10 Committee Membership

then they wish to comment on the committee membership paper, Caroline, please just very quickly, as the paper is clear on the face of it,

Caroline Allen, Deputy Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 2:04:58

that's just in addition to make so in terms of the recommendation 1.3 termination of appointments by Hercules to Transport and economy Scrutiny Committee we have had verbal update since then for the nomination, so for the purposes of the the decision today and the minutes they are for the Berkeley's nomination for transport committee and transport committee engagement lead is Councillor Matthew McLoughlin and Councillor Yusra Hussain for the economy Scrutiny post so that that's just an additional point to the recommendations as set out in that report.

thank you great, thank you, everybody happy or very happy with that.