Decisions

Councillor Matt Jennings (non-constituent authorities) for Councillor Tony Jefferson.

Agreed as a correct record, subject to an amendment to minute no. 80 (‘WMCA Brownfield Land & Property Development Fund Dashboard’) to indicate that the funding commitments made by organisations to date in respect of the Commonwealth Games 2022 had resulted in a smaller funding gap than was previously expected.

Councillor Bob Sleigh declared an interest in ‘Investment Programme Update’ (item 6) due to him being a board member of UK Central Urban Growth Company.

Councillor Harman Banger (Wolverhampton), Councillor Tony Jefferson (no-constituent authorities) and Sue Summers (West Midlands Development Capital).

(1)       The approval of £2.96m funding for the first three years of the West Midlands Innovation Programme operational costs (Phase 1) was confirmed.

(2)       The additional detail on the anticipated outputs/outcomes, structure and planned activity of the West Midlands Innovation Programme Phase 1 was approved.

(3)       The progress made in the planning and preparation phase since the Investment Board approval on 24 June 2019 in establishing the structure and initiating delivery of the West Midlands Innovation Programme Phase 1 was noted.

The public and press were excluded from the remainder of the meeting.

(1)       The report was noted.

(2)       It was noted that Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council was now the accountable body for the Black Country Land & Property Investment Fund, and that the management costs associated with this would be carried into 2021/22 rather than accounted for in 2020/21.

The report was noted.

The report was noted.

(1)       The report was noted.

(2)       Where Legal Agreement had yet to be concluded six months from the approval by this board, it was agreed that the Investment Advisory Group be requested to review schemes to ensure that adequate progress was being made in drawing down the approved funding and that no new risks had emerged.

The status of the Investment Programme delivery was noted.

The minutes were noted.

The minutes were noted.

The report on the activity of the Youth Combined Authority was noted.

Friday 14 February 2020 at 11.00am

The minutes were approved.

The minutes were noted.

The minutes were noted.

The minutes were noted.

The minutes were noted.

The minutes were noted.

A forward plan of items to be considered at future meetings was noted.

The minutes were agreed as a correct record.

(1)       The progress to date on the establishment of the West Midlands Violence Reduction Unit - a collaborative regional approach to addressing violence, vulnerability and exploitation - was noted and welcomed.

(2)       The WMCA committed to actively working with the Violence Reduction Unit on its prevention agenda - including through agreements for each West Midlands authority to work with the Violence Reduction Unit in ways that added value, supported preventative work in local settings (including targeting funding to the right places), and could be held to account through appropriate local forums.

The report was noted, and the Portfolio Lead for Transport would provide a formal written response to the proposals contained within the report.

(1)       The progress to date on delivery against the Local Industrial Strategy and overall economic growth goals, including activity to ensure the economy was more inclusive and resilient to shocks, and that zero carbon priorities were embedded in all activity to deliver economic growth, was noted.

(2)       The more detailed approach being taken to implementing and managing delivery, including actions being taken to ensure delivery reflected the latest mid-year economic data and informed the future funding asks of Government, was agreed.

(3)       The next steps, outlined within the report, were agreed.

(1)       The climate green paper was received and endorsed as an important stage in a programme of collaboration, engagement and policy development to address the climate challenge in the West Midlands.

(2)       The next steps outlined within the report, including the development of an investment pipeline with priority investments as part of the Spending Review / Budget proposition to Government was agreed, and this collaborative task was delegated to the Environment Board, supported by the WMCA executive.

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(1)       The consolidated revenue budget monitoring position as at 30 November 2019 was noted.

(2)       The draft West Midlands Combined Authority consolidated revenue budget was approved for consultation. This included:

(a)       the budget requirement for transport delivery 2020/21 comprising three elements:

(i)         £114.7m a year to be funded from the existing transport levy mechanism;

(ii)        £1.4m to be funded from grant awarded by the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee; and

(iii)       a transfer from earmarked reserves of £3.65m.

(b)       the West Midlands Combined Authority Delivery budget requirement for 2020/21 of £142.0m comprising of six elements:

(i)         £125.8m Adult Education spending to be funded from Adult Education Budget funding devolved by the Department for Education;

(ii)        £8.3m to be funded from other devolution deal grants;

(iii)       £4.6m to be funded from Constituent Authority fees (fees to remain at the same level as 2019/20);

(iv)       £0.4m to be funded from Non-Constituent Authority and observer fees (fees to remain at the same level as 2019/20);

(v)        £2.2m to be funded from other income; and

(vi)       a transfer from reserves of £0.8m.

(3)       The Mayoral Office budget for 2020/21 of £0.8m, to be funded from additional confirmed Mayoral capacity funding of £0.8m, was approved for consultation and scrutiny.

(4)       It was noted that the Mayor had indicated that there would be no mayoral precept during the remainder of his current term of office.

(5)       An application to the Living Wage Foundation to become an accredited Real Living Wage employer was approved in principle.

(6)       The West Midlands Combined Authority’s indicative 5-year Medium Term Financial Plan was noted.

(7)       The draft Transport Capital Programme was approved for consultation.

(8)       The planned spend on the Investment Programme over the three-year period was noted.

(9)       It was approved that surplus cash balances generated from the Collective Investment Fund and Residential Investment Fund were used to support the West Midlands Combined Authority Delivery budget, thus minimising Constituent and Non-Constituent Authority contributions.

(10)     The matters identified by Overview and Scrutiny Committee that arose out of the Mayoral Q&A on 18 December 2019 were noted.

(1)       The financial position as at the end of November 2019 was noted.

(2)       It was noted that on 8 November 2019, regulations came into force retrospectively merging the West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority Pension Fund with the West Midlands Pension Fund, effective 1 April 2019.

(3)       The statement of assets and liabilities of the West Midlands Pension Fund and the West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority Pension Fund as at the date of transfer, set out in within the report, were noted.

(a)       The Chair congratulated David Stevens on his recent appointment as Chief Executive of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council.

(b)       The Chair welcomed Jackie Homan, recently appointed as the WMCA’s Head of Environment, to here first meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor George Adamson (Cannock Chase), Jonathan Browning (Coventry & Warwickshire LEP), Councillor Shaun Davies (Telford & Wrekin), Councillor Yvonne Davies (Sandwell), Councillor David Hitchiner (Herefordshire), Councillor Sebastian Lowe (Rugby), Councillor Peter Nutting (Shropshire), Tim Pile (Greater Birmingham & Solihull LEP) and Stewart Towe (Black Country LEP).