Decisions

Resolved that:

1.    That the West Midlands Combined Authority accept Accountable Body status for £14m of funding from the Department of Energy, Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to continue to deliver the pilot Business Energy Assessment Service (BEAS) for another year be approved;

2.    That authority be delegated to the WMCA Section 73 Officer to accept the funding awarded from DESNZ, subject to the finalised terms and conditions of this funding being acceptable be agreed;

3.    £5.45m of budgeted WMCA resources supplement the programme as detailed within Section 7 of the report be approved and

4.    Authority for onward funding and commissioning, be delegated to the WMCA Executive Director of Strategy, Economy & Net Zero in conjunction with the WMCA Section 73 Officer and Director of Law, Governance and Audit be agreed.

Resolved that:

1.    The business case relating to the extension of the Global West Midlands Programme for 12 months, from 1^st April 2025 to 31^st March 2026 be approved;

2.    On 15 November 2024, the WMCA Board approved the allocation of £7.25m for the transitional 2025/26 financial year, subject to the necessary Integrated Settlement confirmations which have now been received be noted;

3.    Subject to approval of the full revenue budget by the WMCA Board on 14 March 2025, the WMCA resources identified in this paper will become available to the West Midlands Growth Company be noted and

4.    Approval be given to enter into agreement (via the variation of the current agreement )to reflect the addition in time and funding.

Resolved that:

In accordance with s100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business as they are likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information as specified in the paragraphs of the Act.

Resolved that:

The report be noted.

Resolved that:

The report be noted.

Resolved that:

The report be noted.

Noted.

Resolved that:

1.    Approval under delegated authority by WMCA Officers of the business case submission disclosed at Section 4 of the report be noted;

2.    The WMCA Investment Programme funding status and current affordable limit as outlined at Section 4 of the report be noted and

3.    The Regional Investment Programme delivery update detailed within this report and appendices (including the project-level summary within the WMCA Investment Programme dashboard at Appendix 2) be noted.

The minutes of the meeting held on13 January 2025 were approved as a correct record.

To be confirmed following the WMCA Board AGM on 12 June 2025.

(1)      The progress of programme delivery since the last meeting of the board was noted.

(2)      The Year 1 Review was endorsed, enabling officers to submit a formal report to the Ministry of Housing Communities & Local Government to satisfy Annual Delivery Plan requirements.

(3)      Minor amendments to anticipated outputs from the West Midlands Investment Zone, as agreed with the Ministry of Housing Communities & Local Government, were approved and would inform any subsequent change request to the programme business case.

Agreed as a correct record.

The Chair thanked the University of Wolverhampton for hosting this meeting of the board, and stressed the value in members seeing first-hand the significant work being undertaken within the investment zone site.

Councillor Adrian Andrew (Walsall), Councillor Ian Davison (Warwick) and Councillor Steve Evans (Wolverhampton).

The Strategic Delivery Plan was endorsed for the implementation of the West Midlands Investment Zone for 2025/06.