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Agenda and decisions

Venue: Room C502/C503 (Level 5), Birmingham City University, The Curzon Building, 4 Cardigan Street, Birmingham, B4 7BD

Contact: Dan Essex, Governance Services Manager 

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

Presented By: Chair

Decision:

Apologies for absence were received from Lee Barron (Midlands TUC), Councillor Mike Bird (Walsall), Jonathan Browning (Coventry & Warwickshire LEP), Councillor Patrick Harley (Dudley), Councillor David Humphreys (North Warwickshire), David Jamieson (West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner), Councillor Sebastian Lowe (Rugby), Councillor Peter Nutting (Shropshire), Councillor Izzi Seccombe (Warwickshire) and Stewart Towe (Black Country LEP).

3.

Chair's Remarks

Presented By: Chair

Decision:

(a)       The Mayor welcomed Kevin O’Keefe, recently appointed Chief Executive of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, to his first meeting.

 

(b)       The Mayor congratulated West Midlands Fire & Rescue Service on its recent ‘good’ assessment by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services.

4.

Minutes - 24 May 2019 pdf icon PDF 145 KB

Presented By: Chair

Decision:

Agreed as a correct record.

5.

Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 118 KB

Presented By: Chair

Decision:

Noted.

6.

Appointment of WMCA Boards and Committees etc 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 203 KB

Presented By: Chair

Decision:

(1)       The members nominated by constituent, non-constituent and observer member authorities, as updated at the meeting, to sit on the WMCA Board and its committees/sub-boards were noted.

 

(2)       Jonathan Browning was appointed Chair of the Strategic Economic Development Board, Councillor Kath Hartley was appointed Chair of the Transport Delivery Committee and a decision on the appointment of the Char of Overview & Scrutiny Committee was deferred until the next meeting on 26 July.

 

(3)       The appointments made by the Mayor as Portfolio Leads and Deputy Mayor were noted.

 

(4)       The timetable of meetings for 2019/20 was agreed.

 

(5)       Authority was delegated to the Monitoring Officer to approve any subsequent minor changes to the individual appointments made to boards/committees.

7.

Annual Planning and Performance: WMCA Annual Plan 2019/20 and State of the Region Analysis 2019 pdf icon PDF 145 KB

Presented By: Chair

Additional documents:

Decision:

(1)       The review of the West Midlands Combined Authority Annual Plan 2018/19 was noted.

 

(2)       The key findings from the ‘West Midlands State of the Region Report 2019’ was noted.

 

(3)       The WMCA Annual Plan 2019/20 was approved and endorsed, and authority was delegated to the Director of Strategy in consultation with the Mayor, to make any final amendments that took into account the decisions taken in respect of the other reports on the agenda for the WMCA Board on 28 June.

8.

Overview & Scrutiny Committee - Annual Report pdf icon PDF 113 KB

Presented By: Councillor Peter Hughes

Additional documents:

Decision:

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee 2018/19 annual report was noted.

9.

Governance of West Midlands Fire & Rescue Service - Update pdf icon PDF 134 KB

Presented By: Henry Kippin

Decision:

(1)       It was noted that there was not agreement amongst Constituent Councils to provide consent to the Statutory Order; and

 

(2)       It was noted that as a result, the Draft Statutory Order would not be laid before Parliament.

10.

West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy – Implementation pdf icon PDF 303 KB

Presented By: Councillor Ian Brookfield

Decision:

(1)       The proposed approach to implementation of the West Midlands Industrial Strategy was endorsed, and authority was delegated for the WMCA and the three LEPs to secure resource and progress delivery according to the approach set out in the report.

 

(2)       A further report would be received in the autumn once the outcome of the Spending Review was clear.

11.

Environment Portfolio – Re-fresh and Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 599 KB

Presented By: Councillor Ian Courts

Decision:

(1)       The position statement, evidence base for change and proposed next steps outlined in the report were noted.

 

(2)       The evidence base provided to support the negotiation of a regional carbon reduction target was noted.

 

(3)       A ‘climate emergency’ requiring urgent action was declared, and it was agreed to receive a further report at the next meeting on 26 July with a proposed regional target for carbon reduction and a report to a meeting in the Autumn setting out a practical action plan for delivery.

 

(3)       The proposed next step to begin a rapid programme of engagement to develop a collaborative action plan which brought the region together in both headline targets and practical actions on the ground was endorsed.

 

(4)       Member council officers were to be asked to support the development of this work as part of a collective re-fresh of the environmental portfolio and greater regional momentum on next steps.

12.

Coventry City Centre First – City of Culture pdf icon PDF 176 KB

Presented By: Councillor Bob Sleigh

Decision:

The award of £31.6m Devolution Deal funding to Coventry City Centre First City of Culture programme was approved. This application included a change control of funds of £11.6m from previously approved schemes and an additional £20m which was proposed to be moved from the Walsgrave and Binley development schemes.

13.

West Midlands Homelessness Taskforce - Update and Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 601 KB

Presented By: Councillor Yvonne Davies

Decision:

(1)       The update on the work of the West Midlands Homelessness Taskforce and its basis in cross-regional collaboration to support the statutory role of local authorities was noted.

 

(2)       The Taskforce’s proposed forward plan, including specific actions to add value around five key priority areas incorporating welfare reform, housing affordability, support for Housing First and public service collaboration, was endorsed.

 

(3)       The provision of oversight and accountability for the Taskforce within the mainstream portfolio arrangements of the WMCA, and via the scrutiny and support of the Members Advisory Group, was agreed.

14.

Vision for Bus Next Steps pdf icon PDF 169 KB

Presented By: Councillor Ian Ward

Additional documents:

Decision:

(1)       The development of an Outline Business Case to assess powers within the Bus Services Act 2017 to help improve bus services in the West Midlands was approved.

 

(2)       A commitment for a minimum Euro VI bus fleet by April 2021 to improve air quality in the area of the West Midlands Combined Authority, subject to funding, was endorsed.

 

(3)       The level of investment secured for improving bus emissions standards and partnership working undertaken to date was noted.

 

(4)       The proposed benefits of using an Enhanced Partnership for the delivery of Sprint in readiness for the Commonwealth Games and why this was the most suitable option for delivery of Sprint were noted.

 

(5)       Approval was given for Transport for West Midlands to give notice of the intention to prepare an Enhanced Partnership Plan and accompanying Enhanced Partnership Schemes as set out in section 138F of the Bus Services Act 2017.

 

(6)       Authority was delegated to the Transport Delivery Committee to oversee the development and subsequent ‘making’ of the Enhanced Partnership Plan and Schemes.

15.

Friday 26 July 2019 at 11.00am

Presented By: Chair

Decision:

The date of the next meeting was noted.