West Yorkshire Combined Authority - Thursday 19 September 2024, 11:00am - West Yorkshire Combined Authority Webcasting

West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Thursday, 19th September 2024 at 11:00am 

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  1. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
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  1. Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Caroline Norreys
  3. Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
  4. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  5. Cllr Martin Love Bradford Council
  6. Cllr Ben Burton (York Council)
  7. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  8. Angela Taylor, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  9. Jessica McNeil West Yorkshire Combined Authority
  10. Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  11. Cllr Sue Holdsworth (Calderdale Council)
  12. Cllr Jane Scullion (Calderdale Council)
  13. Cllr Denise Jeffrey, Chair (Wakefield Council)
  14. Myles Larrington, Committee Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  15. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  16. Myles Larrington, Committee Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  17. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
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  1. Caroline Norreys
  2. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
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  1. Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
  2. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  3. Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  4. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  5. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  6. Cllr Rebecca Poulsen Bradford Council
  7. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  8. Cllr Martin Love Bradford Council
  9. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  10. Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  11. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  12. Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  13. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  14. Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  15. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  16. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
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  1. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  2. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  3. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  4. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  5. Presentation Slides
  6. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  7. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  8. Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
  9. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  10. Cllr Sue Holdsworth (Calderdale Council)
  11. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  12. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  13. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
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  1. Angela Taylor, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
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  1. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  2. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  3. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  4. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  5. Cllr Rebecca Poulsen Bradford Council
  6. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  7. Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  8. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  9. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  10. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
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  1. Jessica McNeil West Yorkshire Combined Authority
  2. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  3. Cllr Jane Scullion (Calderdale Council)
  4. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  5. Jessica McNeil West Yorkshire Combined Authority
  6. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  7. Jessica McNeil West Yorkshire Combined Authority
  8. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  9. Cllr Ben Burton (York Council)
  10. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  11. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  12. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  13. Cllr Rebecca Poulsen Bradford Council
  14. Jessica McNeil West Yorkshire Combined Authority
  15. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  16. Jessica McNeil West Yorkshire Combined Authority
  17. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  18. Jessica McNeil West Yorkshire Combined Authority
  19. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  20. Cllr Martin Love Bradford Council
  21. Jessica McNeil West Yorkshire Combined Authority
  22. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  23. Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
  24. Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  25. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  26. Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  27. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  28. Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  29. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  30. Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  31. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  32. Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  33. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
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  1. Angela Taylor, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  3. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  4. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  5. Angela Taylor, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  6. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
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  1. Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council)
  2. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
  3. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  4. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
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  1. Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
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  1. Webcast Finished

1 Apologies for Absence

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:00:00
Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:00:02
Caroline Norreys - 0:00:11
Ben still choose echo the Combined Authority, Caroline noise Assistant Director legal governance and compliance Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council.
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 0:00:13
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:00:16
James Lewis later, police Council molten love bouncing member from Bradford council Green party.
Cllr Martin Love Bradford Council - 0:00:22
Rebecca Poulsen early the Conservative group on Bradford council, an alternate member today.
Councillor Barry Anderson for litter, the council were here as the Chair of Scrutiny.
Cllr Ben Burton (York Council) - 0:00:35
unburden from City of York Council, covering for Claire Douglas,
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:00:41
Felix coming up with a Dr for inclusive and cannot be skills, and culture of the Combined Authority.
Angela Taylor, Director Finance and Commercial Services Combined Authority.
Angela Taylor, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:00:49
just McNeil, head of home, energy, West Yorkshire, Combined Authority.
Jessica McNeil West Yorkshire Combined Authority - 0:00:54
Good morning and take Hoskins Interim director at passenger experienced losses at the Combined Authority.
Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:01:03
promoting of Simon was an Executive Director for Transport running on race Chief operating Officer Combined Authority.
Cllr Sue Holdsworth (Calderdale Council) - 0:01:12
I am sue holds with political balance member Anne Liberal Democrats courthouse.
Cllr Jane Scullion (Calderdale Council) - 0:01:20
Cllr Denise Jeffrey, Chair (Wakefield Council) - 0:01:23
Jane skeleton leader of coded all Council Denise Jeffery leader of Wakefield council,
Miles, Irish and Committee Services.
Myles Larrington, Committee Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:01:28
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:01:34
thank you super so welcome Latin welcome Ben and just to remind everybody that in order for it to be recorded on the tape we can hear you please use the ins.
the combat thank you, OK, don't miles any apologies,
Myles Larrington, Committee Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:01:50
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:01:54
apologies for absence had been received from Councillor Claire Douglas, Councillor Alan Lamb and Mandy, Richard, thank you so much, and to do any Members have interest they wish to declare on any item on the agenda, no thank you so much item 4 minutes of the 25th July 2024 any comments or questions on the minutes from the previous meeting.
are we happy to confirm that these are an accurate record we are, thank you so much OK, moving on to item 5 Mayor's update, or you may have seen today that it was announced that hollandaise riding and Lincolnshire have agreed their devolution deals, so that will be the whole of Yorkshire.
I will have Mayor's by next year, so it's a good day for devolution. I just thought I would alert alert you to that breaking news. Sorry 2024 saw the 10th anniversary of the first ever meeting of the Combined Authority it took place on the 1st of April 2014 back in the mists of time. The anniversary was overlooked, as you know, because of that small matter of mayoral elections, but given the items on today's agenda, the progress we're making to agree further devolved powers with this government, I just wanted to make sure that we marked to that. Sometimes people feel that because I've been there for three years, that we are a new mayoral combined authority and it is 10 years since we became Combined Authority and something to celebrate
and that partnership has remained extremely strong and we've delivered on projects across the region that truly matter to the public. Investing in and improving our transport network with new railway stations, Low Moor in Bradford Kirkstall Forge in Leeds as well as improvements to others, including Castleford. We made it easier for buses to get around the region. Dozens of bus priority schemes park and rides invested to protect the region from flooding, with incredible new schemes protecting homes and businesses, such as my them, Road and across the Calder Valley, supported tens of thousands of businesses to grow and expand and attracted countless others to invest in new operations, including, of course, Channel 4 just round the corner. We've invested heavily to improve skills and employment opportunities for people across West Yorkshire, and since the devolution deal was secured, we've been able to go even further, delivering new homes, using our brownfield housing fund to unlock sites that would otherwise have been built, taking buses back into public control while investing in new routes and keeping those fares. Low walking are making significant progress on the delivery of mass transit, with the initial route option consultation still alive for another week or so, creating jobs, making greater investments in skills, and honestly, I could go on and on that. Our partnership is only as strong at today as it was 10 years ago because of our constant willingness to renew it and to evolve as we look towards new powers from the English devolution Bill and securing that all important single settlement with government, we do need to evolve again, one maintaining that strength of partnership

5 Mayor's Update

and that's what several items on the agenda today are about, not least our local growth plan. That Felix will talk you through a new ways of managing our portfolio, showing how we're ensuring that we are fit and ready for the future. Continuing the direction I have given to this organisation to deliver, deliver deliver and, as I say, the faces around this table on the same faces that were round the table 10 years ago. I think Tom Riordan might have been the last Chief Executive standing from those early days of the partnership, and it would be remiss of us not to for the record acknowledge his contribution to the region here, as he moves into his new role at the Department of Health, and I think I'm probably safe in saying that not all the faces around the table today will be the same faces around the table in 10 years' time, but we have a duty to ensure that the partnership is fit and strong for those that followers and that West Yorkshire is the right powers, responsibilities and freedoms befitting our status as the fourth largest urban area in the country,

6 Appointments to the Combined Authority and Committees

Caroline Norreys - 0:06:39
so thank you for giving me the opportunity to just reflect on that 10 year anniversary and the depth and width of our partnership and how we, by working together, can deliver so much more for our region. So, moving on to item 6, appointments to the Combined Authority and Committees at this paper notes the changes, as I mentioned, to the CA membership. Can I ask at Carolyn Norris to run through the changes that are in the paper? Please, thank you ma yes, this. This report is to formally note some of the changes in the membership of the Combined Authority with Councillor Pattison being the constituent council appointed member with Councillor Cook as her as a substitute, and as a consequence of that we have a new political Balance Member, which is Councillor love and with Councillor Andrew Cooper as his substitute, so those those are for noting and for the minutes, and we also seek here and approval for the appointment of Councillor Pattison to the Finance resources and corporate Committee, which is a matter for the for the Combined Authority to do and then finally, the report para 3.12 note some of the changes to our Committee membership that have been made in between the cycle of meetings and for for for noting thank you Chair,
thank you so much are Members happy to agree the recommendations in the report.

7 Bradford Interchange Update

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:07:32
we aren't good, thank you so much moving on to item 7, Bradford Interchange update.
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 0:08:56
look, I know that the closure of the bus station has caused real hardship for the people of Bradford and West Yorkshire and again put on record my thanks to the public for their patients in what has been a really difficult few months. As report confirms, the right decision was made earlier earlier this year to close the interchange due to very real safety concerns. However, I am encouraged by the survey findings summarised in the paper in front of us now I know we're all relieved that it can be reopened once mitigations have been implemented, and although we will need to confirm the decision at our next meeting, I'm looking forward to the interchange been safely welcoming passengers again some time in the new year. The surveys also highlight that the interchange is coming to the end of its design life. As the report says, we are now working in partnership with the Council, took to look at a longer term plan for an alternative bus station facility in the city centre, one that will provide the best integration with a new rail station and, of course, are exciting plans for mass transit. Can I ask Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, as Chair of the Transport Committee, to speak to the report, and then I'll come to Dave Haskins, our director of passenger experiencing assets, to take us through the recommendations and then open it up for questions. Thank you Susan, thank you ma.
it has been obviously hugely frustrating for the people of Bradford district, and indeed West Yorkshire who use Brayford in Cheshire on a regular basis, whilst the interchange has been closed, so when the news came out was at last week there was a collective sigh of relief, I think from Bradford districts to think that actually the endless insight and it is actually going to be reopened.
obviously, if it the key thing now is when and how quickly can it be reopened and the Office of the October meeting will give us more detail on that, and there will be a further report which Transport Committee as well, I think also in the paper it just outlines the future at all as well, of course, talking about a new interchange in the sort of medium to long-term really,
to connect with mass transit, so you have bus interchanging with Trump, which is great to see and beloved, let's see that investment in Bradford ready for that mass transit operation which will transform the fortunes of West Yorkshire, but in the short medium term, obviously just relieved to have this news and it will Olivia a lot of the issues that residents and businesses alike have been experiencing, so I'll just move on to Simon then to go through the detail of the paper thank you are, is it Dave yeah?
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:10:21
Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:10:28
thank you, Simon, if you do the introduction and that outcomes are offering data, I just wanted to stress, first of all, an organisation level that both myself fans.
Lordship team as a whole continued to see this as our single most important customer issue for the organisation, as both you and Councillor Hinchcliffe touched on, we have.
we've introduced a situation which has been disruptive for customers.
that is, that is not something that we want to be able to oversee again as as an organisation, and so, as Councillor Hinchcliffe has has pointed out, in the report, we set out how the new transport leadership arrangements, which you agreed at the last meeting of the Combined Authority,
are built around learning lessons from this particular experience we have already appointed, and an boarded a new Head of assets into the function who is now working to establish a contemporary asset management process inside the organisation to ensure that we can mitigate against such an experience again and there is a a significant recovery programme that,
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:12:19
we've continued to run through the year, and that will now clearly move on on the back of the issue set out in the report today, and my colleague Dave Haskins with with some really close and great support from colleagues in the Council, has overseen this programme, so I'll pass across the day so that he can explain where we move from here. Thanks Dave OK, I'll try not to repeat too much of what was in the opening remarks which which are particularly useful and, as I said, the changes at the end of its design life. So with input it can have the, it can have an extended operational life, and that's where we're at at the moment, there's a balance to be struck between what more we need to do to understand what investment is required in the short and medium term to maintain a safe operational environment against where we go in the long term for the for the facility. As you said already the survey, so you have some initial findings from the surveys. The surveys are still ongoing. We do have a draft report received, which are working through which, as we said, points towards a pathway for states, reopening with which it, which is good news for customers going forward this. This is subject to some implementing some some mitigation that we are working through satisfying due diligence and, obviously, health and safety considerations and requirements.
and ensuring that a clear monitoring regime can be put in place over time, and to this end, we've we've appointed experts at global law, firm Kennedys, with expertise in insurance liability, to support us in that who are currently undertaking. An independent review of the Jacobs report
getting advice around particularly safety requirements, so we need to we need to need to do in terms of mitigation and minimising risks. Going forward are alongside that. We've got a comprehensive work plan under way to make sure we have the quickest possible state of readiness, subject to the above and subject to getting to a point at the end of October where we can make, hopefully, a positive decision about reopening, I'll just to flag really a route out. Reopening a bus station is not just a straightforward process, rear its reactivating a building has been closed for nearly a year and there are some there may be. Some potential rectification works, required series of of lots of checks to undertake as well, and monitoring plans to develop and implement plus, of course, managing a revised bus operations in the city centre and making sure they can work effectively and efficiently, and we have the right level of
passenger information to sit alongside that.
and and we are also dealing with tenant related issues. People who have leases within within the building so we've got we've got a real focus on how we can do this over the coming coming period, doing as much as we can to minimise impacts on passengers. As we've already said, a report would be brought forward to the October meeting and how this will be looking to bring reports for Transport Committee in mid October for wider discussion but leading into all of this and making a decision will we will be setting up to see at some sequencing of briefings, including how we can ensure that Combined Authority Members and others as required are familiar with the building in relation to what is described in the report? It is a very complex building on it.
I understand that just reading a report does not bring it to life and help you understand the complexities of what we're dealing with here, so I just want to give that reassurance that we want to help members walk through that going forward in the next stage of the process, thank you.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:15:07
thank you, David, Ford, for new members just to add to the complexity of the building itself, it is a concrete slab over avoid and the buses are on top of the slab, so we had to make absolutely certain that there that we had all the information about health and safety was we were making these decisions but,
can we open this up from a wider conversation, Councillor Paulson,
Cllr Rebecca Poulsen Bradford Council - 0:15:45
thank you Mervyn, thank you for the update report, there is so much we can say about the interchange, and we've had it raised at our full council that you have pretty much cross-party consensus that this hasn't been handled very well.
and the passengers and the bus users are Bradford are really really suffering, it isn't helped with the transforming cities work that's going on as well, trying to navigate, and if it's trying to navigate their way to the right bus, stop in Bradford it is very, very difficult and people have been in tears, people have been lost, please tell me how I get a bus to wherever
so I'm glad we've got an update report. Finally, I mean a couple of things I'll just focus on from shareholders have got questions on this as well is the decision making process in October? It's very woolly in the report. Who is making the decision. Is it the Board members here is that officers is that the mare is it a combination? So what what is that decision-making process and the responsibility for that because I've been asking and I'm glad days mentioned about walking members through the building, it is a complex building, if you've never actually used it before I've been asking that we need a site visit for Members here and I'm sure some of the transport committee would appreciate that because we need to know if it's gonna be partially opened. Initially, how that experience will be for bus users and for the operators as well, how the safety will be looked at. What mitigation is being put in and reading it in a report isn't good enough we need to actually see how that will fit together. It has to open safely. That is the number one requirement, and it has to provide the service that the people of Bradford deserves going forward. They've suffered so much and we're going into winter now it's not gonna be a great few months in Bradford for them, so really I want clarity over the decision making process and how that will work going forward and we will if we are making the decision here, we need all the information I have asked for a copy of the Jacobs report. It's not been forthcoming because apparently it's interim at the moment, but we need that information if we are making that decision.
and also as a as a Bradford councillor. The communication is being shocking. I'm afraid my guru got two hours' notice of a briefing about this this way. That's it's just not good enough. We should now have briefing booked him. We know when the October see a meeting is, it should be booked in and on a lead, councillors lot briefing as well, and they've still not had their briefing, so please can we have clarity over decision-making and can we have a proper communication over what is a key decision and really impacts the people of Bradford? Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Coulson
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:18:25
any comments from Councillor.
thank you.
Cllr Martin Love Bradford Council - 0:18:32
I fully support what Rebecca has just been saying, but would also ask you to look at the interim measures that have been put in place over the past few months because ask how these were actually being monitored because the as Rebecca has said that there is a lot of confusion amongst the bus users in Bradford another point I'd like to Rose's the
the situation regarding the retailers, who actually I've had to shut down the retail, that in the the interchange itself we've actually had to shut down and under, if compensation for them, but it is being considered and, if not, why not?
I would hope that in the October meeting.
report, we will get a bit more detail about the costs of all this, and now we've got a monthly cost in this in this report and and a promise that there will be more financial information in the next one, but I'd hope that we could get a bit more detail in that.
I would like to reiterate what what Rebecca has been saying, communication with Brayford elected members has been sporadic at best, and at times it's been we've had months of silence.
you know we have to go fishing for for any information that we can possibly get.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:20:00
and finally, I'd like to ask is the decision that will be made on October the first will that be the final decision or we will be pushing things further back to the December meeting, thank you, thank you and good just regarding the silence. This is not a as of any and decides keep people out of the process, things had to be done properly and these surveys do take time. So there's no point just saying well, the we're still waiting, we're still waiting. So just to reassure you, that is no disrespect to you as Councillors, that we were also as frustrated as you that we wanted to make sure we can make these decisions as swiftly as possible, but to underscore what Rebecca has said that the safety of the public has got to be certainly are as Combined Authority in number one focus hasn't it, because, do Councillor Hinchcliffe point this isn't just a Bradford issue? This is for all of the people of West Yorkshire and so many actually use the interchange that don't live in Bradford, but work there. So really important, and particularly the on street support, has been something that I've Y. You weren't here, but we have been raising this as something that we could do better for the on street, and I feel that we've put more bodies on the ground and are all credit to those members of staff in the absolute cycling, torrential rain, or almost 10 hours of rain have been stood there, helping the public, so it is a team effort to try and get this resolved. It's not ideal, I would definitely not have wanted this to happen,
and we are learning from the experience that we've gone through and certainly having an asset manager now I think he's going to give us a lessons learnt point of view where we can say we're not going to have this again are we gonna make sure that all the assets that we do have whether they are affected by climate change or aid or whatever that we have that consolidated view across the whole of our estate because absolutely nobody wants this particularly as Rebecca said with them?
transforming cities work going on in the central Bradford as well, just compounded the misery for the travelling public, so I do I do see of frustration, but it is in no way manufactured, it is, but we were genuinely waiting for details, but I'll come to Simon and then I'll come to burn about the
Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:22:17
the phasing of decision-making, because we are the CA making the decision, but I'll let Ben talks through that, Sir Simon, thank you sorry 0, to pick one a couple of words or Menlo of I'll let them pick up the issue of from taking the the decision.
we, in terms of the management and oversight of all arrangements, both both the interim arrangements.
the survey work and
forward thinking in terms of of recovery plans.
we've established and maintained right through the system, both Golden Silver command arrangements I have chaired.
the Gold command Dave his Chad, Silver command, we've had interaction from a number of leading members of the Council, who've given us a huge amount of that time to walk around the streets with those it's taken a number of issues we spent.
quite a significant amount of time as well, bringing in local access groups and so as to re address specific issues in that regard, as well as bringing together on a weekly basis our colleagues from the bus operators, as well as hopes to get feedback from the frontline that is not suggest that everything out there has has been perfect, but what I can assure members is that we have not sat back and assume that that we put,
the best arrangements are in place from the outset we have sought to address them throughout and I am very happy to totally members afterwards around, specifically, is on Member interaction.
and how we might continue to improve on that.
going forwards, there is an ongoing communication and engagement with all tenants in the facility, I don't think it's appropriate for me in a public meeting to go into what that will mean.
in terms of their commercial arrangements with us going forwards, but I can assure members and that all tenants are in very regular dialogue with those.
and that clearly we will be
exploring with them a clear account of the impact on their business and how that is dressed in an appropriate manner,
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:24:52
thank you, I wonder, Sammy if you can address the point regarding money.
Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:25:00
yeah, that was that was raised as a question yet so s, so there are clearly arrangements within the contractual agreements that we have, with all of all of that that tenants Chloe if members.
seek than I could make sure that secretly in private
for the next meeting, recognising the commercial considerations and that we can bring our biases and assurance to Members on that particular point.
thank you so much and then regarding the decision-making process.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:25:34
Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:25:37
thank you Chair, and just to add to add my voice to the to frustration and then and the
the disruption. This has caused passengers across across West Yorkshire because, as the message is not just the Bedford issue, this is it's a West Yorkshire strategic facility and and we are doing our level best to add to to to bring before members the decisions around whether to to to open or not, I should stress that and the the decision to to open will come to the Commons authorities. I think and Caroline can correct me if you think I gave you this earlier this wrong, but the the the decision around, should we reopen Exchange is a Combined Authority decision. As you, as you know, our intention is to bring that to. The next Combined Authority in October is helpful that we that you've agreed to hold Combined Authority meetings more frequently, because that does allow us to move the with with more speed, the decision that the issues that the surveys have been addressing is it is a different one, that's much more round health and safety and and they cannot be reopened, and that's the question the that we'd be looking at in terms of the the the safety of of the users of the facilitate facility, be they members of the public, bus operators are on our own staff, so so once we are satisfied as officers that it can be reopened, then we bring to the Combined Authority the decision of should it be reopened and, as Simon said, we will bring all the information that you need to make that decision. Some of it will, by its very nature, be we confidential and would have to accept that as part of a as part of the pack that will come your way and as Simon and Dave have said, there will be leading that process, though the will
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:28:01
allow you to visit the site if if, if that's necessary Nico, look all the relevant documents but but that's her plan, the I would draw attention also to to the points that that Davis made around the complex series of activities that have to happen to breach safely back into operation if a decision is taken at the end of October to reopen it, and we'll mapped out in the in the paper as well, that that sets, alongside, as David said, the inspection monitoring regime that will also need to be to be put in place. Thank you so much, hopefully, that will let them answered some of the questions raised, and I think I think the future for Bradford is so bright. This has been a really difficult issue for us all as a Combined Authority, because we are getting on with mass transit, bringing buses back into public control. This has been very
intense and resource heavy and I am looking forward to being able to make that decision about ensuring that the travelling public in Bradford can get about because of course the clock is also taking on Bradford City of culture which you some of you may have been at the launch or a week or so ago which was phenomenal we want to celebrate all the brilliant things that are happening in Bradford and hopefully as a CA can get to a resolution on this.
bearing in mind health and safety is our number one issue for the travelling public and again apologies to the people who use the interchange for all of the disruption and thank them for their patients, Okido, so are we happy to?
have the conclusion so far to endorse his conclusions and that to understand that a further report will be presented to the CA in October, updating members on the interview intervening activity, including the outcome of further expert advice, yes, thank you so much Okido, moving on to the local growth plan,
are next up is our update on the progress we're making to develop the West Yorkshire Plan, the growth Plan. As you know, it was a manifesto commitment of mine that in the first six months of my tenure, we would deliver a growth Plan and we are continuing to engage with government on both a political and official level, showing our priorities and ambitions for our economy and the work we're doing will feed into the development of the national industrial strategy, which will provide a framework for how the government will drive growth across the country. So the report outlines the work we've done to develop. Our key priorities also highlights the collaborative efforts that are driving long-term growth in our region. if I may, I'd like to come to Councillor James Lewis as Chair of the business economy and innovation committee to introduce the report and then over to Philip, can we on profile our director of inclusive economy skills and culture to talk us through and I think Felix you have a few slides and that you could talk to so James,
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:30:30
thanks mate, also, if you weren't before feeling, because I do not think this is clearly a really important piece of work in terms of setting our direction and also.

8 Draft Local Growth Plan

working with the government on how we can unlock the resources and powers we need to continue delivering is still very much work in progress moving very quickly, and I think it's really great opportunity for the authority to have some input now biff as won't be moving really quickly to get in the final version together so I suggest we move on to Felix his presentation please thank you so much Felix,
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:31:03
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:31:06
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:31:10
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:31:23
Presentation Slides - 0:31:30
thank you very much. Mayor are run through a few slides, just to give members a sense of where we are in the work we're doing bus Bush right. At the top of it, is worth reiterating the points made by the work currently underway. We're working very closely with our partners in central government to make sure we put in a submission that will feed into the national Industrial Strategy, but also form a key part of a single settled mental illness. Issues that we've been having and are part of that work is refining and narrowing and holding Garner priorities in line with government expectations and given a clear sense of how we will unlock the current barriers that we feel we have asked for any evidence to ensure we can deliver growth
this submission to government is due at some point in October, we're not quite sure yet what the data will be and we continue to engage with your with officers across a local authority partners and with with with, and I employers and partners to make sure we put our best foot forward here.
and wrapped around that is their comments meant that may have made Adrian her campaign to publish a local growth plan within six months of her re-election, so as part of the work we're doing, we will publish a fuller white Begbies document which will pick up all that with aspirations and our priorities to make sure we have attached document to refer to you and to follow as we deliver the West Yorkshire Plan so to come to the slide deck then the first point to make and it's really not for me,
again in Bonn adopted Yorkshire mine to tell you what West Yorkshire, what West Yorkshire story is vile, but the evidence and or other conversations we've had or lead to a really, please that can be described as historically and now as a key meeting place of people of ideas at topography our landscape at the rivers that flow through West Yorkshire give rise to certain types of industry because it made sense for them to be here and where services grew especially in Leeds was not by accident is because those industries needed somewhere to be to trade in financial services and business services grew around that and that,
landscape. That's a programme that economic history has dictated, where people live, where people work, where they travel to and from, and so were our transport infrastructure has grown. It was important to hold that in our minds as we go out as we go through this, because West Yorkshire, as we currently have it as a fantastic economy, is worth over 60 60 billion pounds 66 billion pounds at last count and we've got renounced strength, historic and current in many different sectors in financial and professional services. We are the biggest financial centre outside London, in all of England, employing 27 with 27,000 businesses employing almost 300,000 people are Bank of England has recently announced as growing or Ted County over the next few years to 500. The financial Conduct Authority is here the infrastructure bank, as here we've got key infrastructure bodies in that finance, space, bees here, and it's not by accident, and it is a similar story in health
where the NHS is based here in other nations apparatus policy making when it comes to health is based here in our region and born out of that is then are growing strengths using large deter in health tech in med-tech when it comes to diagnostics when it comes to devices when it comes to using detail to answer large got their big questions we've always had keystones in manufacturing we've got fantastic companies here with really deep specialism in textiles in glass-making in Wakefield.
in what and furniture products in automotive products that supply either feed this uplighting file to motif industry around the country.
green industries, wind turbines, aeronautics, West Yorkshire is playing a key role across all the sectors and the specialism within that are continuing to grow final point I'll make around training and education with a 7 universities, 7 F colleges, several independent training providers,
we have the nation's only specialise Building College here we've got key strengths here that we should rightly be proud of.
however, we also have challenges, we also have various to our growth.
our economy is smaller than it needs to be, then it should be given the size of our population and then lie in the nature of industry that we have, our productivity has for too long been too low, which meant we've not generated as much prosperity for their people who live here as we could to many people within West Yorkshire do not have the skills that they need to be able to progress or do you can have a carer static area and to progress in those carers?
or even though we have 100,000 businesses, that is still almost 20,000 fewer than it needs to be yes, we have 1.2 million people in our labour market are we have 40,000 fewer jobs than we should have, so we do have challenges and a key challenge and are pinning all of that is the lack of transport connectivity.
so in developing this look on growth Plan, we have understood, through the evidence, what our key strengths are we've through that worked through what underlying barriers to growth and where the key opportunities could be, and, as I said just now, transport and connectivity is a key barrier.
no part of the world is growing, the economy, improved productivity without improved or transform connectivity, and particularly between Leeds and Bradford, that conurbation is home to 1.3 million people were when we say we polycentric region, most of the city regions and combined authority areas around the country will have one big city we've got to and other supporting cities and towns.
by the connectivity between those places,
it's not up to scratch and is a key barrier to grow, I've mentioned skills and other points to make us around investment, especially over you know, over the last 10 15 years, but really longer than that, there has been a chronic underinvestment in a in our businesses any now.
public infrastructure, this holds back growth, it's not just to deal with transport, is to do with unlocking key sites is to do with housing in the right places, at end and transport, digital connectivity and other bits of infrastructure needed to unlock growth in our places.
in response to this, and you see in the diagram with the three the five Grealish.
boxes there, we've sets out five broad priority areas that we look into focus on in developing this piece of work, so I will not well, I'm not going to too much detail, but I'll just take them very quickly. In turn, so to unlock growth in our targeted, Sir sect, in our key sectors to deep in the the complexity in our economy. It's important that we work really closely with our business as we attract more businesses to come here, and there are a number of number of areas that we are considering. There is work underway, far advanced to transform how we engage with businesses to make sure we are using the ecosystem as well as we could, so that we are adding value where we when we act and we are not duplicating watching this system. It's important that we turn our so obtained provision network into a true triple helix organisation that will host or House a centre of excellence or innovation, which will focus on rapid development and quaff commercialisation of ideas. We not short of good ideas here, but too many times, the they're wither on the vine, because it takes too long, or we don't have the infrastructure to back it, to make sure it can be commercial amounts quickly enough. It's important that we look at not just the sectors we are good at right now by where the opportunities are going forward and how we can then focus on those opportunities across West Yorkshire to bring us to do our places. It's important that we have soft London programmes or business has coming in
to be able to land here few comfortable here to grow here, to expand into recruit and be prosperous here, it's important that we tap the talents of all the people who live here, which is where we are already working very closely with our BME residents here, innovators, entrepreneurs to make sure we are plugged into the system and it does not feel like they are not part of what's going here going on here and we asked we support them to be successful in skills we are working.
on the West Yorkshire promise, which was a key commitment on that, the mere me the focus is on making sure that young people in jobseeker's at the soft skills that they need have opportunity to be able to get into.
placements and internships and apprenticeships. Another opportunity, but to do that with a soft skills that employers say they need them to hop and setting ourselves are to be able to support them. We're looking at technical pathways and making sure the at clear and simple for people to navigate when somebody's going through the traditional route doing GCSE level going to university was added on need and want explaining it to them. But if you go through a technical route for whatever reason, it tends to be quite complex and difficult, and it's important it's on us to make sure this is clarified for parents, for learners and for employers, so people can navigate
the conversation will be having about transport and plans that we've got for bus franchising for mass transit and others will not be deliverable if we don't have skilled people to to take.
the the employment opportunities to have carers and upon occupation as their we will not be maximising the opportunity if this apply to you and it's not set-up, so it's important again.
if you, colleagues, especially, are telling us that the countries with their challenge, because they've got huge due to shortages in the key occupations, it's important that we work with them to address these challenges so that our people can get the opportunities they need and the supply chain can rise up to it. And finally in in Wakefield for example, higher education attainment is about almost 20% points beloved, where the national average that cannot continue too much talent being wasted, and it's important that we said we were. We look at that when we talk about supporting our policies to thrive. We've already launched our manage, West Yorkshire, and that's beginning to take root and will have a paper on that shortly. It's also important that we invest to un-rock are key
employment sites J, to unlock housing in our key sites were working on, I'm nature Recovery, to make sure we are respecting our environment and we are regenerating our environment and not degrading it.
and then I've spoken about transport already are on mass transit around franchising these are key things, this is how we are characterising the key priorities across across West Yorkshire, the final slide, our share, is just to draw attention to how we beginning to think through the corridors of opportunities in West Yorkshire, so if you can excuse my very terrible par PowerPoint add their the arrows they are supposed to show.
I mentioned Leeds Bradford and then on to Halifax them on towards router Manchester, a key corridor where, and what about 1.3 million people live with, you know in that Leeds, Bradford space and loan.
it's important that we address the barriers that have referred to the priorities that I've talked to and focused on focus on these key, that key corridor between Leeds, Bradford and onto Halifax whether the the Transpennine route upgrade is underway towards Huddersfield Lincoln into Manchester this releases connectivity and releases productivity yeah allows us to justify investments in the key employment sites in the housing sites, likewise thus central line between Leeds sweeping through Dewsbury towards Huddersfield and then further on to us I have a South Yorkshire or Greater Manchester, it's really important that we again we unlock opportunities in that corridor to make sure people that live there comma access the opportunity to make sure a land values.
rise to their level, where investors have been encouraged to invest in our key places and, finally, between Leeds and Wakefield.
so, in conclusion, the evidence is quite clear, as I said, we have great strengths, imagine good opportunities that we need to cut capitalise on the consensus, however, around our key barriers crystallising around, there was three places, three areas that I talked about skills underinvestment in transport connectivity and saw the headline priorities have picked up, I've picked the 5 headline priorities that we are focusing on and how we shaping does not work with government. This look, a good plan, will drive how we prioritise what we prioritise what we invested in the period ahead when it comes from regeneration, skills, transport and the wider economy. So I hope give this gives you
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:45:34
a good idea of where we are, we'll be doing absolutely now and what you can expect in the in the weeks ahead, so thank you so much Phoenix and how you distill the amount of work that's gone on into a few slides, I don't know but as unbelievable I understand there is a massive amount of work underneath those slides but it is not done in isolation either the West Yorkshire Plan 2040 also informs the growth plan
and will help us really have that gross lens, as we looked at the next four years, at least one, if not further, so let's start with some a conversation so Susan.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:46:05
yeah just really wanted to welcome this plan, and obviously the new government has got a real drive for growth, that's where we're gonna excellent public services in the future, and we in West Yorkshire once we very much part of that national plans of this is really time, let's make sure we've got a good pitch to government.
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 0:46:21
and we can all see ourselves reflected in this plan, I think I note thank you for all, I know a lot of work has gone on this and sense of consultation with their local authorities as well, and it's coming together really well and from Bradford point of view obviously there's 11 billion pound our productivity gap across West Yorkshire and Bradford 6 billion of that and therefore is really important.
the that transport connectivity that feel it's referred to there, which is the real driver for economic growth, is improved in Bradford and and I we've made tremendous progress about, you know convincing governments. The we need this station and that's been collected on the mainline train line for the first time in our history is going to Ma rid transformer our economy and it's great to have that certainty going forward and we have underemployment in Bradford as well. Actually, of course, we have people who have great skills have degrees, but on access in the jobs. I commence you it with their degree training, so that's obviously making sure that more businesses come who can employ those
qualified people and the mass transit is so important as well, that we've talked about connecting a West Yorkshire via mass transit, so, along with the train line, are wrong, along with mass transit, along with buses back in public control, you can really see all comments again. The now really driving economic growth and, as I said, that that corridors map that you put up there as well, also just demonstrators, that all those arrows go to Leeds and Leeds station needs extra capacity. So I think, if any, if Gove ever need convincing about that, there is obviously all those arrows point delete station and
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:48:08
go for it all to work out where we do need to get that resolved as well, so thank you, thank you, Transport is so key to our growth strategy and certainly, as you say Susan, that those graduates.
who struggled to get well-paid jobs.
locally might want to have access to jobs in Leeds, but also, more importantly, people who live in Leeds might also want to access great job from PWC, for example, in Bradford, so we have got to get that Transport piece right and that connectivity between Leeds and Bradford that agglomeration is just done is an opportunity that we cannot.
we cannot ignore, and I think that's going to be key to our growth.
any further comments. Yes, Rebecca and then says yes, cycle wacko, thank you to Phoenix in the team. Are incredible amount of work has gone into this and a really useful presentation, so thank you for that. Just obviously, you said this needs to go in at some time in October should be to be determined, yet sort of what are the next steps from that from that submission. Has there been like national, you know, requirements or something for the growth plans defeated us into a national plan, or will it need to come back and have been work done to put in any requirements that may come out the government later
thank you, I'll take care service question and then come back to you failing.
Cllr Sue Holdsworth (Calderdale Council) - 0:49:26
thank you ma am I've got a question, is slightly rhetorical in your report, Phoenix on you noted that investment, public and private in West Yorkshire diverged from the national average following the financial crash of 2008 and particularly in the last decade. I wondered what you thought. The reason for that was why aware now to point well in a way we need to play catch up, because I remember when we were the motorway city of the 70s and Lead was a boomtown. What what change to make us depart from the the norm in terms of attracting investment to the city, and the second question is to what extent do you think the withdraw funding for HS2 from the north of England and of course Leeds in particular has caused it to be a less attractive regional area for people to invest in?
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:50:31
so thank you, thank you Phoenix, I would say Leeds is a Britain to approve it and certainly if you saw the 13,000 people for UK brief, they were also very excited about the opportunities in Leeds, but it is is a thoughtful point so Phoenix,
thank you for after GoMentum in terms of Manchester's.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:50:49
as I said, we don't know exactly the don't have an exact date yet for submission to government, we just know he'd be at some point in October, there will then be a process at Central government, I'm sure, with input from us, to develop the National Industrial Strategy which we expect to be launched in the first half of next year but again I don't have any specific details there.
we will come back to the October meeting here if, at that point, because I think he's 31st October, so you know likelihood we would have put in a submission to government which will follow the story that I've just talked today, I will come back with that report and with what that wider look on with plan for West Yorkshire looks like and you would have had opportunities to go through that before before we come from we don't have a datasets for launching that report yet, but are we expecting to be this side of Christmas?
and what we expect is that this admission to government will be one of our primary tools in our conversation to establish when a single settlement will look like which we expect to be announced in the March budget at this point, but I'm looking at people who know a lot more about this than I am I do and maybe there might be some corner of some of the dates about Broadlay that is generally that we are on in terms of underinvestment.
I'll have had a couple of get guesses, I suppose the first point to make is we are not necessarily unique across the North, so we we did divergent, we have that varied from the national average at the national average is driven primarily by investment in the South which stop exacerbates that's split and so West Yorkshire is gross fixed capital formation which is are,
technical speak for how much investment is going into our economy, West Yorkshire's care will be knows will not be different to the north-east, the north-west parts of the Midlands, one of the key things we observed coming out of the 2008 crash was that companies attended to invest more in people in hiring people than investing in capital because it's easier to reverse that investment.
than if you've bought grid big piece of kit.
however, to grow productivity, you do need to invest in capital, so the UK's productivity curve diverged from the rest of the developed world post the crash, partly because of a lack of investment in capital in the UK, and given the North South divide you know difference in in investment in in the north compared to this out we just bore
began brunt of that one, but that needs to be reversed, what we are doing, though, is to make sure that to back this look of with plan and to make sure we can deliver it.
we cannot and should not rely solely also heavily on public sector investment, important as that is it's important that we crowding and we leverage private investment to to to into our places because there's a lot more money there and they can you know the private sector will invest in a wide range of areas once we can give them the confidence that our economy investing in our economy will lead to returns for them so,
crowding in private investment is an important trick that we have to pull off to be able to deliver the growth plan.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:54:39
thank you so much for that detail, really helpful. Thank you, Felix, on one of the ways the week we can do it in the focus on, for example, female lead businesses who unfortunately the goo. The numbers are going in the wrong direction, that it was 2 p in every pound for a female lead business from venture capital, and now it's 1.8 p, so it's going in absolute the wrong direction. So if we can intervene in these spaces we can get growth, but also to the wider point about the north. That's why we get a Mayor's mayors are going to be the absolute agents of change, growing the economy more regionally to offset that in inequity between the north and the south, so this is this is you know what it says on the tin mayors are gonna, grow regional economies,

9 Managing the Combined Authority’s Portfolio

with people like Felix and all the clever people in our organisation, we're hopefully going to do that, so thank you, so are we happy to note this government engagement and endorsed local growth plan development so far we are, thank you so much perfect, moving on to Item 9 and I am very aware that I would like us to finish at 1.00 because I know colleagues,
around the table have plans so item 9, as I mentioned earlier, this is about ensuring our partnership and processes are fit for the Pew for the future, and this asks for the CIA's support to take forward new ways of working to manage our capital and revenue projects and programmes, and it builds on the paper that we saw in July about us making sure our focus is on delivery of the projects but that we need across West Yorkshire. Could I ask Angela Taylor, Director of Finance and Commercial to take us through the recommendations? Thank you, Angela
Angela Taylor, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:56:28
thank you, Mayor, and I will take heed of of the the request to try to keep a focus on the key points, so after that introduction I think it's probably safest to jump straight to paragraph 3, point to in the paper sets out the key.
points from the report that we brought in July, so that's the sort of scene setting background what we are then proposing in terms of next steps he sent set out in paragraph 3 15.
the key to what we're trying to achieve here is a focus on delivery, it is about moving away from having we pressured transport capital programmes, and we need to make sure we don't have too many projects to deliver in effect and make sure we're moving fast on the right projects to get them into delivery.
so paragraph 3 15, so Texas border step from July. It talks about the need for us to move away from protecting allocations for projects. Doesn't mean this project would happen, but it is there on a pipeline, we need to try and make sure we've got the best projects coming forward and not constrain our decision making, because we're keeping money aside for projects that are not close to being delivered, potentially things changed from when listen to put together and we need to keep on top of it, and we're also looking at what we how we manage the
development funding and contingency and sharpening that a little, but we are absolutely committed to ensuring that, once projects do get too deeply for that delivery point that funding is guaranteed,
so wanted to get to that point, the money is there, but we do expect them then to to be tightly managed, to deliver within time within budget and get that delivering message out there in terms of next steps, we will work through the fine detail of this if Members are content with this or direction of travel and endorse these and this approach will work through this with partner authorities.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:58:29
and and make sure we are all clear on how we make this happen in practice and get that focus, as we said, on getting the right projects forward at pace and get them into delivery. Happy for questions. Thank you thanks, and just to reiterate, this is about delivery. They're not sitting on projects because we said we would and that projects that now no longer chime with our ambitions and our vision for our region, and it's about being flexible and iterating
do you know chain changing circumstances, different political landscape and so on and potentially different priorities, so I really value the way that we have all collectively approach, this changes not always easy, but I think it's been a really good example of our collective effort to deliver for the people of West Yorkshire any comments on new ways of delivery.
no, thank you, so hopefully we are happy then to notes the pressures on the CIA's delivery portfolio and to endorse the proposal to the new revise ways of working.

16 Employment Support and Business Start-up Support

Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 0:59:51
lovely thank you so much item. 10 employment support and business start-up. Now this is about our employment support and business start-up programmes that are delivered in partnership with the private local authorities it it outlines how we're providing funding certainty, so no cliff edges of the employment West, Yorkshire and enterprise West Yorkshire programmes to ensure that they continue to be delivered. Could I ask Councillor James Lewis to introduce the report and then I'll come to fix to talk through recommendations. Thanks, I forget forgo straightforward HMO super Felix, I'll do mothers revered work in the spirit of Whorlton
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 0:59:55
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:59:59
the paper, as the Mercedes was subtle, is to ensure that we are able to provide reassurance to our partners, especially our local authority.
partners
and to make sure that these important programmes continue post March 2025.
implements West Yorkshire, is our framework and that delivery vehicle to provide employment support to our residents to make sure everybody who needs any form of support to be able to get into work to progress into work to stay in work has the support to be able to do so.
we know, and we expect further information from central government.
around for when it comes to central support, we expecting some funding from central government on a programme called universal support. However, with the change in government will have a summer, the new government is taking its time to understand that and to work through what the guidance will be and whether and how to devolve these to us and all of that, so the it is entirely possible that there might be some delays in that respect, which is why it's important that we bring this bit by hearing to provide that reassurance that if there is any delay, the Combined Authority will find a way to make sure the programme continues here, and people who need the support do get the support. What is important to note is that we are being evidence, let here, as you would expect, so we know the evidence is very clear that health lead economic inactivity is the big area is growing and there isn't a lot of provision, so we will make sure we pivoted this as much as possible as much as is reasonable to take at to take account of of what the evidence is seen related to that is Enterprise West Yorkshire, and specifically, the startup
programme there, we currently have provision for five start-up managers who work across the region to support individuals, entrepreneurs, innovators who want to start a business and to help them access the support they need. This paper seeking approval for us to be able to continue that provision post March 2025 in advance of the look outwith plan work come to
concluding this has, because again, we need to provide that reassurance as people's contracts come to an end in case you know, people begin to feel that they need to look elsewhere.
as I said when I was talking about, I look at the look on growth Plan we do need, we are about 18 to 20,000 businesses shot, and so it's important that we do not lose this results, which is dedicated to helping us helping people set up businesses here and enable them to to be prosperous, it creates jobs here, so that's why we've brought this paper any seeking a delegation then from you to the head of paid service to Ben to.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:03:18
endeavour and the operational side. We have the approval that we need before you know. If that approval falls in between meeting cycles, we can't get on with that without having to wait for a meeting, so I hope that is helpful. Thank you so experiences and this certainty is really important. We've had far too many stop-start programmes, short term programmes that don't build trust and confidence. So I hope that we can all agree that this is very welcome to provide that certainty when we're faced with this cliff edge, so can we
Cllr Rebecca Poulsen Bradford Council - 1:03:44
approve the recommendation of Councillor Poulsen just just a couple of quick queries on this one them are there. Outcomes for both the employment support and the business start-up support like KPIs versa, because it's really important that this works and the support is there and the yeah we're putting this funding in to keep it going, and we really need to make sure we're getting bang for our buck on this, you know to feed into the previous presentation and have we looked at what other what the local authorities are doing, so there's no duplication and we are actually filling the needs gaps here. With these two
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:04:19
decisions thank you, so much, Rebecca can spend there may be failings.
Ben Still, Chief Executive (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:04:24
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:04:49
J, thank you to the to the suggests there are performance metrics and indeed there is a scrutiny meeting tomorrow. Aware a full set of performance ratings are being are being brought and Philip in his team made very sure there's no duplication between local authority activity and the see activity. That is one stage I would argue, beyond that, in the central, it's a fully co-ordinated programme between the CIA and the local authorities were doing the local delivery on the ground, but also just to reassure you, Councillor Pulse and that anything that doesn't work. We're not she, I'm getting rid of it because we're not going to waste time and money on things that have no impact, because our mission is growth, and if it's not going to help us, then we think again anything tired Felix
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:05:06
thank you, Mayor, I will reiterate the MO. The models of implements restructure in particular users, is that the Combined Authority working with partners sets the overall direction using the evidence and then conditions and in particular, Commissioner, local authority partners, to the Leader Local delivery. So we making sure there's no duplication, where the weather can sometimes be duplication, is where national provision is commissioned above us without as being involved in that, and then we sometimes have to pivoting tweak what we're doing to to cover the ground in terms of the metrics, absolutely so, just very quickly, to Che throughout that we had a target of making sure you know reaching about 7,700 people in in the last year we are already over 9,600, we haven't satisfaction rate of 91%, the evidence that we haven't value evaluation that is currently underway by the imagine of evidence showing that for every pound spent on off-limits West Yorkshire, we get him back more than 5, almost 6 pounds into a column, so we have this and other metrics that will be following to make sure we we. We understand that value for money position, and we can be, as sure you as a decision makers and the investment that we're making and is similar to the start-up managers.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:06:21
and certainly elsewhere from Yorkshire, we understand the value of money and we want a bang for our buck, don't we said thank you very much, and so are we happy to endorse what we've heard and also that we can confirm the delegation, the of the delegation to the Head of Service to approve the change request for Enterprise West Yorkshire,
and employment West Yorkshire if required, in line with future guidance from Central government, especially regarding universal support, another work in health policy decisions subject to the approval of the Combined Authority budget.

10 Project Approvals

Jessica McNeil West Yorkshire Combined Authority - 1:07:31
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:07:35
Cllr Jane Scullion (Calderdale Council) - 1:07:47
happy to do so. Thank you so much Okido. Moving on to 11, A project approvals investment priority for tackling the climate, emergency and environmental sustainability. We've two reports today. This report provides details of two schemes being recommended to the CA for progression through the assurance process. So can I come to decimate, Neil our Head of Home energy, West Yorkshire, new title for the programme to take us through the recommendations before he opened up to comments? Thank you yes, thank you may do you want to come in Councillor scullion first, or did you want to apologies? I am so sorry Jayne, I've been used to maybe you an absence, but now you're here I give you the whole floor, please. Councillor, skeleton apologies. Thank you. I shall try not to take offence but as as you know, I've been off for about seven months and I'm very pleased to be back in some back in train and very pleased to be bringing this report and I will hand over to suggest
I just wanted to, by way of introduction to this report just say one or two things, and the first is to reiterate and apologies because you will have heard this before, but the region West Yorkshire's housing is responsible for approximately 30% of the region's total carbon emissions and the majority that actually comes from the use of fossil fuels to heat homes so you can see that the need to retrofits our homes is, you know is greater in West Yorkshire than almost anywhere else and of course we have a lot of pre 1919 old cold stone houses hard to insulate and really hard to heat and hard to retrofit that's the challenge in front of us.
and, as the mayor says, we've now got,
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:09:51
what was the better homes hub and is now the one stop shop. I hope we're finished with remaining with that renaming relaunching things, but the one stop shop. I think it's important to see that this initiative will be a platform for all West Yorkshire residents, regardless of tenure, so it's not just about social housing, it's about all kinds, all kinds of tenure, and indeed appearing to landlords. We want to encourage landlords to take up this advice, free, impartial advice. I think one of the other things to say by way of introduction and won't go into the detail of the things it is going to offer, but actually one of the key things that this is going to offer is actually but accreditation about giving people some sort of assurance in terms of the quality, because this is new to many people, people like myself as a householder, you don't necessarily know what to buy, where to go, what suitable for your type of property that assurance and quality accreditation, actually, I think, is something that will be really useful over the coming years will handle Mayor, if I can suggest, thank you, thank you. I'm before coming suggests I welcome to yourself Councillor button because I know you're doing something a little bit similar New York.
so it might be interesting, I was just has gone through her report just to here a little bit about what you know learnings across the whole of the North, so yes,
Jessica McNeil West Yorkshire Combined Authority - 1:10:12
thank you may have good afternoon. So as Councillor Golton has said, and the One Stop, Shop forms part of our new programme which is called Home energy, West Yorkshire, and that's the Combined authorities programme to deliver domestic retrofit across West Yorkshire. We currently have a number of of outlive activities in our social housing, decarbonisation fund, low interest, loan residential collective buying scheme was sold together and working with our local authority partners to deliver Area based schemes. The one stop shop as Councillor Gunning has advised will be a platform for all West Yorkshire residents encompassing all of those that haven't currently and being involved with retro fit. It will offer free, impartial advice, raise awareness and information on domestic retrofit and energy efficient solutions such as solar panels, eSOS heat pumps, energy efficient windows and ventilation to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
it will also help to mitigate financial barriers that often prevent households from undertaking retrofit projects by offering advice about and connecting households with available grants, incentives and financing options for funding retrofit measures the one stop shop will also facilitate retrofit planning and installation of retrofit measures, insulation services offered will cover a wide range of energy efficient solutions such as various types of insulation, battery storage, solar thermal systems, low carbon heating systems and energy efficient windows.
we have been working closely with UK, I be Advisory Service, to ensure the delivery model and contract requirements, a one-stop-shop achieved, the desired outputs and outcomes and impacts, helping check the right structure and scope for West Yorkshire.
the One Stop Shop will be the key one of the key interventions raising trust, awareness and support will be central platform and tool as we continue to develop and promote products and projects needed to facilitate domestic retrofit delivery at scale.
initial marketing focus will be on those who are willing and able to pay, and though to recognise the climate emergency position that we are in and that they can play their part through domestic retrofit measures to their homes, we've had some very positive, updates are coming through our residential collecting bank scheme and these household can be encouraged into action by information regarding the financial and environmental benefits.
through transparent tender process we will appoint a contractor to manage and deliver the One Stop Shop and its services to ensure efficient delivery and value for money and are sustainable model.
the one stop shop would be supported by an accredited network of experts to implement works and ensure all measures are completed in line with established industry standards.
just moving on to the recommendations, as the mayor has noted, we have to there but I'll deal with the second one first and that's in regard to the funding sought today to run the one stop shop service for the first 5 years so we're seeking just over 10.5 million pounds and that's to secure a managing agent outsource results to run the service for the first 5 years. It also include some additional resource that will come into the home energy West Yorkshire service to manage that relationship without managing agent and also the supporting contracts that will have in place around the digital platform and the marketing and Communications partner that we will engage with.
the second request that we've required here today, that's coming to the Committee is, as I've noted, Home energy West Yorkshire is a broad programme covering one-stop-shop at plus others and were seeking additional development costs 400,000 pounds and that's to develop a package of financial incentives that offers retrofit barrier support alongside client support for the programme to develop a long-term plan for intervention and a 10 year social housing pon, thank you.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:14:06
thank you so much. I think it's really exciting, and I was at number 11 at Rachel Reeves, women are women, leaders, reception, and I was talking about the one stop shop, there's a lot of excitement about it, but also a question about trust in the quality of the products and so on. I wonder just if you could just give us a bit of reassurance that we, we are embarking on something that obviously then has an end user and to ensure that they get quality and something that's a a proper product and not cowboys that we have seen far too many headline 7 way.
Jessica McNeil West Yorkshire Combined Authority - 1:14:45
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:15:14
Cllr Ben Burton (York Council) - 1:15:40
we have yes, thank you ma, absolutely all of the so our managing agent contract will be appointed to run the service on our behalf, and that will also be subcontracted to installers, but all installers will have to ensure that they are adhering to and can supply evidence that they are delivering installations to clear industry standards the due diligence side of that will be thorough and robust through our procurement process to ensure that we are offering quality, reliable, trustworthy services to all residents within West Yorkshire. Thank you. And our supply chain is robust as well that we have so many businesses in West Yorkshire that are building a grant Wilson air source, heat pumps as well, so to try and encourage people to not buy in from China and elsewhere, but to make sure that we get that supply chain them. Part of this great good news story. So thank you very much for the work you've done on it, and thank you, Councillor scowling on the leadership that you've shown with this project. So Ben have we missed anything? Are you doing anything in York that we're missing out on yeah, while not being lifted out on? I think it's very similar, but you are free to come in my my other jobs outside the Council is actually retrofit so it's a good winter to hop it on, but I just want to pick up a lot of our language is around environment, which is obviously great officers, is what sort of a benefit to retrofit in terms of health and wellbeing and income in people's pockets at the end of the day after the work has been done, so I think it's not to lose track of that in York very similar. The One Stop Shop picks up for, we've got where we were lucky in a smaller area of 0 and advanced charity sector in this area, so we're working more closely with them but
at some point is aligning that on the Council's work and then were also to splendid not with the UK to pipeline as well simultaneous Lucas lots of funding stream for therein off-gas properties, so it's just kind of blending those two things as they go forward but,
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:16:37
yeah, overall it's massive challenge, so as much as we can do to share learning as we go forward is the name thing for us to thank you for that, and I wasn't aware that you're the jobless in bedroom, let's hope a bit of a.
confidence of interest, potentially, but maybe not lots of expertise, but I would say that when we're talking about the growth plan, is it correct helix that our green sector in West Yorkshire we are growing faster than anywhere else in the country is a 8 billion and by 2026 is gonna be 11 billion of value to our region?
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:17:10
is this an exam question you weren't ready for, I will not say no to that at add, I can't see that we grew faster than anywhere else, but it is growing quite quickly, yes, in the specific areas that we've got core competencies in around some of the component parts in some green-tech,
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:17:47
speech as well because we've got tech and digital competence across the economy, it lends itself very well to the green space, so that is growing will whether we are growing faster than anywhere else in the icon in the country. I think I'll I'll pass on that for that I am going to find the press headlined and I'm gonna send it to your feelings and we're going to share it with every member of the Committee
so that we can celebrate all the good news Okido any further comments, yes, Councillor Pulse
yes, thank you, thank you for the report, I think we've we've discussed this previously with the concerns about the so many cowboys out there offering this service and people don't know who to trust when they come in and say you need this this and this on a truly on the retrofit in a lot of our older yeah housing we've got.
Cllr Rebecca Poulsen Bradford Council - 1:18:16
one thing I mean, it sounds and grey and that it's open to everybody, to come and do it. But in 3.5 in the report it says it's aiming to achieve a minimum of 121 homes upgrading in five years and 917 assessments in five years. It doesn't seem very high because I would imagine if this is going to be reliable service where the Combined Authority is backing and funding it. People will want those assessments and we've got we, we've got a lot of properties and a lot of people out there, so across five local authorities, 900 assessments in five years doesn't seem very many if that's in the contract, because I think
there's gonna be a lot of demand for this, I just wondered if there was any white where those figures have come from yeah, thank you Councillor.
Jessica McNeil West Yorkshire Combined Authority - 1:19:06
yes, we're very cautious, have the figures that are in there, we've taken a lots of conversation with colleagues in Manchester, Oxford, Bristol, who have an existing one, stop shops and along with the advice that we've had with the UK, I be such services can be and have tended to be slow to embed and take-up and interest and awareness from colleagues at from residents and so those are purely minimum targets we will be expecting those to be reached beyond.
those, but we've putting some minimum targets to ensure that we get those outputs and outcomes of enabling that transfer. We've seen some very good data, particularly coming through our residential collective bank scheme, where, when residents are given the tools and the options and availability to do something, those numbers have been very encouraging, so they will be minimum numbers, but learning from where we've had some engagement with other one-stop-shop services, it's building that recognition. I think the first couple of years are likely to be slow but will build that awareness that trust that integration and that engagement with residents over the years to make sure that those figures are achieved and actually go beyond that.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:20:21
thank you, and I'm I'm with Rebecca on this that we have to be as ambitious as possible to get as many people to buy into the the the change that they can see in their home, but I am reassured as well by the collective buying scheme for solar panels I was really shocked at the incredible numbers of people who are very interested in doing it as a as a group of houses to get a better deal out is in the thousands that wasn't a.
Jessica McNeil West Yorkshire Combined Authority - 1:20:49
Peter, yes, I have some figures actually just from today, so in total 4,293 homes registered as interested in coming forward for the residential collective buying scheme, of those 944 homes have paid for and will be undertaken a survey we have already had 220 21 of those surveys confirmed and we've had two installations already completed with 49 booked in to take place, so and that's a growing figure that's running until the end of March so on that data.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:21:25
we'll be able to see some great figures coming through, and also people have been accessing the alone opportunity as well to them by the solar panels, so our offer is a 3 60 offer that is very reassuring, yes, it is may yet we've had so far we've had 50 applications for loans.
Jessica McNeil West Yorkshire Combined Authority - 1:21:40
and we're working through those in terms of the due diligence and the Appraisals', the loan is for domestic retrofit measures only so that the the context, but there is a lot of correlation between the loans that are coming through and households wanting to install the solar panels so that knowledge and and data is coming through, Sir hence the minimal levels and expecting those to grow considerably over the first 5 years super, thank you any further comments, Councillor love just briefly.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:22:07
Cllr Martin Love Bradford Council - 1:22:11
what will be a reporting mechanism for you to report back on to the appropriate committee or to ourselves?
as progress goes a long over the next five years.
Jessica McNeil West Yorkshire Combined Authority - 1:22:21
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:22:32
yes, will be getting monthly data through our managing agents so we can bring those as often as as requested and will bring those to the climate committee also, so we'll have regular monitoring of outputs and data, absolutely and of course those minutes are available for people to just check Super thank you, thank you for your work and leadership on this.
I think it's it's
often seen as a risk a new project like this, but I think if you don't take risks you don't achieve, so I think it's something that I'm very excited about and very proud the West Yorkshire is leading in such a or or a dynamic way so can we approve the schemes outlined to progress through to the assurance process with the approval of the Combined Authority's funding contribution and future assurance pathways and approval routes?
all happy to approve that is super, thank you, so much to the next project approval requires is for schemes that are being recommended to the CA for progression through the assurance process, if I could ask Councillor Hinchcliffe.
and then I'll come to Simon to talk us through these approvals,
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 1:23:32
yes, at briefly, then, all these sorts of good schemes that we need to get through transport is the core of what we do here at the Combined Authority, obviously would really benefit of the bus service improvement, one is that we've had through.
and also the mess farce was the first in the country to achieve that to plan bus fare, so we wait to see what happens next, of course, we're all fingers crossed for what has happened in the budget 13th October, it will have to see and pass over to them for the detail of the reports, thank you.
Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:24:02
thank you very much, so the first of the four elements relates to the bus service improvement plan and it builds on an update Republic took to the 24th of May Transport Committee.
setting out the progress or against the the the plan.
and I am very much really reflects, realised costs now against the the Beat at programme, both realise costs in the context of real contractual cost, inflation that we have been seen through the tendered services, budgets are, and also realised, costs in the context of,
what has, over time, become a slightly changed environment around the mayor's fares framework, with mess affairs, of course, now being followed up at a national level with a a national affairs regime, and therefore the proposal that we have worked up and taken through the the assurance framework with the sport of of the Transport Committee looks to.
balance are available Bizet funds to reflect a
or a need for us to continue to maintain a 2 pounds for in line with the National Farmers' Policy, for us to continue to maintain the Safer travel partnership and at and the real benefits that that we are now seeing.
through that partnership whilst at the same time safeguarding
funds for network or enhancement, as Councillor Hinchcliffe rightly points out, this takes us to the end of the calendar year, we are an and have been for several months now in.
Ernest dialogue with De F T colleagues around.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:26:38
a continuation process for the National first regime extending into next year they recognise that as a priority, not only for West Yorkshire but but for a number of areas around the country, and we will need to act quite urgently on the back of confirmation of funds through the 30th of October budget statement it in terms of putting arrangements in place for the subsequent calendar year shall I pause while you take the recommendations on that thank you so much and so that's the bus service improvement plan recommendation are we happy to have we got any comments on that?
Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:26:55
no, thank you, so we are happy to approve the recommendation, thank you so much, so C R S T S Highways, yes, thank you, so the second sets of recommendations relates to some adjustments that we are seeking to make to the ongoing five-year highways and active travel Asset Management and enhancement programme and any fact they reflect to charge items.
so one is or two types of change item, the the first is that we have been successful as West Yorkshire partners in receiving an additional 9.2 6 6 million pounds through and additional road reserves informed that was set up through the network North.
policy arrangement, and therefore we are in, we have agreed with partners that we should subsume those funds into this ongoing programme and and there is an adjustment in terms of allocations across the fight partners to reflect that, and the second is the opportunity for us to bring forward some of the funds.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:28:05
Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:28:18
for schemes in in Leeds and Kirkley so that we can support timely at an early delivery, thank you so much. Any comments were happy to tenants, recommendations super, thank you, and then is it one final one, Simon person, I am afraid, is to yet Ultimo, since the first is is is change request a gate, the see are SDS network management and engagement programme that is focused on,
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:28:46
Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:28:50
our urban traffic control systems, again we've been successful in securing an additional 507 thousand pounds grant from a discrete traffic signal obsolescence grant fund, the detail of which I won't go into right now, as I was at the bottom of a sofa or down the side, I'm I'm aware we've sets out and allocation across the five authorities which we've agreed with colleagues.
deeper thank you, and this is all traffic light management as well, isn't it, we are happy to approve.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:29:02
Simon Warburton, Executive Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:29:06
lovely thank you, I'm leaving an and finally we have I skipped coming forward for progression through decision Point 2 so.
we are concerned that there's a show, an assurance, strategic outline case and supportive now of Bradford council's request.
to draw down an additional 2.7 0 9 million pounds for ongoing business case, development preparations, and we're recommending that we
I also great indicative approval of the 20 million pounds allocation to the scheme, which of the the release of which clearly would only be subject to the receipt of an assured business case in due course.
thank you any comments happy to approve.

11 Procurement Reform and Amendments to Contracts Standing Orders

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:30:04
super, thank you all so much lovely moving on to Item 12 procurement reform and amendments to contract Standing orders at this paper was produced in anticipation of the go live of the new procurement act on the 28th of October and our need to have revised regulations in place to ensure our compliance with this new legislation in the last few days, Cabinet officers and asked to delay to the implementation date. But can I ask Councillor Taylor to take us through the recommendation and what's happened in the past week? Thank you enter
Angela Taylor, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:30:43
yes, thank you ma, so we brought this paper to ensure that we could bring revised contract Standing orders to the Committee for approval ahead of 28th of October. The next date of this Committee is at 31st of October. We've been timed out from bringing them to this meeting, because much of the legislation and the detail has only emerged over the summer Cabinet Office been doing briefings throughout July and August on the contents of the Act, sorry papers sets out what we need to do to what we believe we need to do to comply with the Act. The the procurement Act is intended to create simpler, more flexible, more effective procurement, and it brings with it a greater need for planning and transparency with which is obviously not a bad thing.
and we really anticipated in the sort of changes that there might be required, so the paper set out that in the in the main body of the paper,
we've also take that, as we have not changed this review generally, how can we operate for comparing as you as we do periodically with local partners and making sure our processes are as tight as good as effective as they can be, so we use the procurement actors as an opportunity thought for any other change at the same time?
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:32:45
after we published this paper, the Cabinet Office announced a delay to the 28th of February, and this is to enable them to bring in a new national procurement strategy. So it doesn't take our eye off the ball. We still want to make sure our procurement is is fit for purpose, but we don't need to actually put in place new contract Standing orders now until and just ahead of February. We need in our current version, are fit for purpose and we need to keep using them. So in terms of the recommendations in front of you, the second recommendation was seeking a delegation to enable us to make changes and what I would suggest is that we bring instead the revised contract Standing orders to this meeting in December or indeed January. However, agendas work with, but there is an opportune to bring them back in time for approval now, and if you're comfortable with that, we will make that change to the recommendation. Thank you so much, I wonder I'd just at this point, Philip, if you wanted to just talk to the A B procurement, just to just to share that with the CIA colleagues,
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:32:56
to be taught them procurement, yet Ardivachar as Members will nor was sent her briefly roam, so you should have of other information that we have at this point that we are able to share. We had to abandon the 6 million pounds 7 million pounds or 4 67 million pounds a MB procurement because there were some issues in the procurement process as far as I'm risks to the Combined Authority that meant we had to act, so we've done that. We've communicated that. Obviously this has no, I is far from ideal and and boo, obviously Robin, not being a situation like this. The reassurance we can give you is that the rest of the AB budget, the 60 million office 67 million, is being
commissioned out to our partners a few cottages, local authority partners, etc and that is progressing, without any issues, their other skills and adults, training budgets, that we have like bootcamps and free courses for jobs in other such provision also progressing with no such issues at all, so this is
it is very unfortunate and regrettable.
decision that we had to make, but it's by no means.
is the majority of commissioning in this space, and most of our commissioning Brook progressing. We are put in mitigation measures in place, as we said, in their briefing that came round until where we are able to extend or expand grant provision that we have with existing partners. We are doing that and we're doing that to make sure that all residents were hoping or expecting to take advantage of. These can still do that and do that with reputable providers like or if he cottages, including at St some al-Fateh, who provided as very few, but also our Local Authority partners. We are also looking at what extra procurement we can get out
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:35:18
in the next few months, to bridge any gaps that we identify, so that's that's what's under where we are hoping to bring a paper to you in at the October meeting, where we can provide a bit more for comprehensive view of what's happening and what mitigation we put in place. Thank you so much Felix, because what's important for me, particularly when we've just heard about the growth plan, is that we need to make sure that everybody is ready and has the skills and qualifications they need to move onto the next step. So that was our priority in the in the circumstance that that learners will not be affected and they will have other offers, and there will be supported into the next phase of learning. Thank you any comments on this, yes, Councillor fulsome yeah, can I just check, I don't seem to have had this briefing or did it just go to full members or did alternates receive it as well, because I haven't got anything and also will the while the review of procurement stop this issue happening in the future,
thank you will check on whether you've not been sent the briefing or not will just to make sure that you do get it.
once this meeting finishes will make sure you get it,
Angela Taylor, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:36:17
if you would Angela ask or answer the last part, yet with that, we have done a lessons learned on the the AV procurement. It doesn't look on the service that actually the contract Standing orders were not complied with. I think that some of the the devil of the detail in the execution of the detailed process underneath it, so so some of the work is about refreshing processes, making sure people are fully sighted on unhealthy do it. If there is anything we will obviously pick it up in a in the review of contract Standing orders, but they in effect provide the overarching compliant framework beneath that. There's a lot of processes and systems within it, and it appears to be at that level, but the some of the challenges were
were identified,
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:36:53
thank you in the good news story, of course, is 60 million plus money has gone out to adult education to give people an opportunity to get those better-paid jobs.
Okido, thank you. Any further comments are we happy to note and endorse the scope of the intention of the upcoming changes to the contract Standing orders. We are thank you and are we I am happy to approve that you're going to bring it to the next meeting for further conversation some for sign off.

12 Merger of the Business, Economy and Innovation Committee with the Employment and Skills Committee

lovely thank you so much Okido, moving on to the merger of the business economy and innovation committee, with employment and skills Committee, as it says that this is about merging two committed to form a new economy Committee with a clear purpose to enhance coherence in delivering our strategic priorities, particularly those aligned with the local growth plan and the paper detailed the draft terms of reference, proposed membership and rationale for this merger. If I could come to Councillor Lewis as Chair of the Committee and then I'll continue Phillips
thank you ma, and this is a paintbrush Paul.
Cllr James Lewis (Leeds City Council) - 1:37:59
since the streetscene cybercafe came until combined authority of chaired both Committees, it's clear that as quite an overlapping work stream around at the to on the two areas of focus were closely linked, both in the most important bit for me is an area where we've had a really strong buy-in from private sector.
private sector and other organisations represented on the committee is actually bringing it together, to be able to have a Committee where we can look at what we need to do, what the data saying and where, actually, we could have an impact on how black discussion with both,
educational institutions, training provided as a private sector business representative groups around the table and have that as a single discussion in one place, I think is really what we need to take the growth plan for, we've we've already discussed today how quite often
economic growth and attracting good employers and supported good employers to grow with relying on having a skilled workforce and bringing that together in one place is a is a good idea, so I support the paper, thank you so much at Phoenix.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:39:11
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:39:15
it is contrary, thank you are trying to repeat everything, the overlap was very obvious tension and bringing these two Committees together reach sense to us, and we, we hope, you feel able to approve it.
we've brought in a paper in the last meeting where you are put it in principle since then we've been to the the two committees met in a joint session and had a really good meeting in the paper you've got now sets out our plans for how the new Committee called the economy Committee will be constituted, so the proposal is for Councillor Lowe as to chair the economy Committee for Professor Shirley condone, who is currently the deputy chair of the skills and employment and skills committee to be the deputy chair of this new economic committee. The paper sets out some of the Member's membership
and we are expecting to populates this work will continue to go on to make sure why we assemble a group of people, that we need to assemble for this economy Committee to do its work.
Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:40:12
thank you so much, and I'd just like to put on record my thanks to all of the committee. Members of all of our services are working incredibly hard to deliver for our region, but this committee is it absolutely central alongside the others as well, but if we're going to grow our economy, I think bringing skills together in this in under this one heading is really important because every business adviser talks about a skills gap and trying to struggling to recruit the right skilled workforce to boost and to support their plans for growth. So I think it's a good step

13 Governance and Risk Management

and I'm really happy to approve it, but are we happy to approve the proposal and merging business economy and innovation with employment and skills committee we are super, thank you so much okay, governance and risk management, two important documents for consideration, firstly, the draft annual governance statement which looks back over the previous financial year and forwards to this financial year highlighting significant governance issues and areas for improvement setting out the governance improvement plan, the second document is an updated Risk Management Strategy set within the context of further changes to be adopted during the course of this year.
Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:41:34
could I ask Alan Reece our Chief operating Officer, takes three recommendations, thank you very much for, as you said, the covers these two covers these two documents, both had been considered by the governance and audit committee, who have provided their comments and supported at the annual governance statement publication is a statutory requirement there goes with our accounts.
the
as you said, it reflects both changes that we have already put in place and also the areas of improvement over the coming year, some of the changes that we have made re or A and R, and continue to make our around.
aiming to accelerate delivery through changes to our delegations, greater empowerment and accountability. Over the last 12 months, we've improved the public reporting of compliance across a range of issues which gets published for the governance and audit committee, and then there are also changes to risk management reflected in the annual governance statement. Second document is then the Risk Management Strategy. This at this point, this is a light touch. Review, reflecting changes to roles and responsibilities is being looked at more thoroughly. We've recently reflecting the expansion in the organisations, responsibilities and scope of budget, and so on. We've recently bolstered our risk management capacity
specialist capacity within the organisation and Va Va. The team are now reviewing the risk management strategy and we'll be bringing forward some further recommendations which we will bring to the Combined Authority in due course. I just wanted also to mention because it's not reflected in this report that the Corporate Risk Register, which sets out what the key risks to the organisation actually are and what the mitigations are in place to tackle those risks, continues to be regularly published and discussed at the governance and audit committee. So it doesn't form part of this report, but in terms of operationalising this and working with members on how we are managing risk, and that continues to be a regular item at governance and audit committee. Thank you. Thank you so much any comments

14 Minutes for Information

15 Date of the Next Meeting

Mayor Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire - 1:43:38
yeah, thank you, sir, are we happy to approve? Add the draft annual governance statement on Appendix 1 for publication as part of the annual accounts and to adopt the Risk Management Strategy at Appendix II? We are lovely. Thank you so finally, minutes for information, as we mentioned earlier, the minutes of other Committees are or are available and published on our website. Thank you. Thank you to everybody. That's come today and for your contributions and just remind members. The next meeting is the 31st of October, is at Halloween, dear yeah, no costumes were required
so 31st of October and it will be after the the statements, which is the 30th of May, so we'll be able to maybe mop up some of that thinking as well, thank you so much, I'll see you on the 31st.
thank you very much miles.