Agenda and minutes

In the event of a fire, please await direction from staff who will assist with the evacuation.   Please do not return to the building until instructed to do so by the fire warden(s).

The Chair thanked Bath and North East Somerset Council for hosting the meeting, welcomed attendees to the meeting and introduced his colleagues around the table:

• Mayor Marvin Rees, Bristol City Council
• Councillor Tim Warren, Leader, Bath and North East Somerset Council.
• Councillor Jon Hunt, attending on behalf of Councillor Toby Savage, Leader, South Gloucestershire Council

The evacuation procedure for the venue was then announced by the Chair.

The Chair then informed everybody present that the meeting was being recorded and that the recording would be available to view after the meeting on the Combined Authority website. Any individuals present who did not wish to be filmed were asked to indicate this.

It was noted that apologies had been received from Cllr Toby Savage, Leader, South Gloucestershire Council, Professor Steve West, the Chair of the Local Enterprise Partnership Board and Councillor Stephen Clarke, Chair of the Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Members who consider that they have an interest to declare are asked to: a) State the item number in which they have an interest, b) The nature of the interest, c) Whether the interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest, non-disclosable pecuniary interest or non-pecuniary interest. Any Member who is unsure about the above should seek advice from the Monitoring Officer prior to the meeting in order to expedite matters at the meeting itself.

No declarations of interest were declared.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the West of England Combined Authority Committee held on 30 November 2018 as a correct record.

The committee RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the West of England Combined Authority Committee held on 30 November 2018 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To receive any announcements from the Chair of the West of England Combined Authority Committee.

The Chair shared the following news about the Combined Authority’s recent activities:

• The first major trial of the 5G Smart Tourism project had proved to be a great success at the Roman Baths in December, with visitors trying out futuristic technology which immersed them in the site’s rich history.  This was a tremendous boost as the authority moved ahead with further trials to develop 5G technology and the opportunities this brings for the ambitions to become a smart region.
• He had welcomed the Business Secretary Greg Clark to the West of England to announce the new sector deal between the aerospace industry and government, including a direct £15 million investment in the region. This further investment and ongoing support will help the development of the Local Industrial Strategy which will help set the course for the continued success of the West of England.
• A further boost had come with the announcement that the authority will be receiving £1.35m from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport to support creative businesses in the region. This new funding will be used to help creative industries grow by improving access to expert knowledge and experience as well as supporting businesses through training and advice on securing investment.

To receive any comments from the Chair of the Local Enterprise Partnership Board.

None for this meeting.

To receive any comments from the Chair of the WECA Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

None for this meeting.

If you wish to present a petition or make a statement at this meeting, you are

required to submit this by 12 noon on the working day before the meeting by email

to democratic.services@westofengland-ca.gov.uk

For this meeting, this means that your petition/statement must be received in

this office by 12 noon on Thursday 17 January 2019 at the latest.

If you wish to ask a question at the meeting, you are required to submit the

question in writing to democratic.services@westofengland-ca.gov.uk by no later

than 3 working days before the meeting. For this meeting, this means that your

question(s) must be received in this office by the end of Monday 14 January

2019.

In presenting any statements at the meeting, members of the public are

generally permitted to speak for up to 3 minutes each. The total time available

for this session is 30 minutes so at the discretion of the Chair, speaking time

may sometimes be reduced depending on how many public items are received.

Please note that all public items will be circulated in advance of the meeting to

the committee members.

The Chair advised that 3 questions had been submitted in advance of this meeting, as follows:

1. Question from Stephen Williams - subject: Mayoral budget 2019-20
2. Question from Lucy Hellier - subject: Spatial Plan/Mayoral budget - carbon neutral targets
3. Question from Sam Morris - subject: Mayor budget - highways and transport grants

It was noted that the full text of the questions and the replies sent to the questioners in advance of this meeting would be available to view on the Combined Authority’s website following the meeting.

The Chair then advised that one petition had been submitted in advance of this meeting, as follows:

• Petition from Councillors Tim Kent and Harriet Clough, Bristol City Council

Subject: Call to reinstate services to the Oatlands Avenue bus stops on Bamfield in Whitchurch by agreeing to allow MetroBus service M1 to stop at these bus stops.

The Chair then advised that 5 statements had been received, and circulated to committee members in advance of the meeting, as follows:

1. Adam Reynolds - subject: Cycling and walking infrastructure
2. David Redgewell - subject: Light rail and bus issues
3. David Redgewell - subject: Public funding for bus services
4. Hilary Burn - subject: Bristol airport
5. Christina Biggs - subject: Infrastructure and investment delivery plan

Those in attendance were given the opportunity to present their statements.  It was noted that the full text of the statements would be available to view on the Combined Authority’s website following the meeting.

Any member of the West of England Combined Authority may present a petition at a West of England Combined Authority Committee meeting.

No petitions had been notified for this meeting.

To receive the proposed budget for the West of England Combined Authority Mayoral functions for 2019-20.

Information note:

·         The Combined Authorities (Finance) Order 2017 requires that the Combined Authority Mayor “must, before 1^st February in any financial year, notify the Combined Authority of the Mayor’s draft budget in relation to the following financial year.”

·         This report sets out the detail of the proposed budget for the WECA Mayoral functions for 2019-20.

·         There is no decision to be taken at this 18 January meeting of the WECA Committee; the budget will be determined at the WECA Committee meeting to be held on 1 February 2019.

The committee received and considered a report (information item) setting out the proposed budget for the Combined Authority Mayoral functions for 2019-20.

In introducing the report, the Chair commented:

1. The Mayoral Budget related to those functions falling under the specific responsibility of the Mayor in accordance with the West of England Combined Authority Order 2017. For 2019/20, these functions primarily related to the payment of Highways and Transport Capital grants.

2. The budget proposal also included the Mayoral office costs and expenses, and administrative election costs.

3. The funding for the Mayoral budget came from the Retained Local Business Rates Pilot, (which met the majority of the transport costs) and a contribution from the West of England Combined Authority Investment Fund.

4. As required by the Combined Authorities (Finance) Order 2017, as Mayor, he kept a fund (known as the Mayor’s General Fund) in relation to receipts arising, and liabilities incurred, in the exercise of Mayoral general functions.

5. The £17.5m transport grants were being passported directly out to local authorities which reflected the same practice adopted for the last two financial years; and

6. The overall reduction in the Mayoral budget reflected the phasing of two year revenue spend on transport and JSP feasibility studies where costs of £2.775m were approved to be spent in 2018/19 - reducing to £1.221m in 2019/20.

The committee RESOLVED:

That the Combined Authority Mayoral budget proposals for 2019-20 be noted.

Details of any decisions taken at this meeting and the draft minutes of this meeting will be published on the West of England Combined Authority website as soon as possible after the meeting.

In closing the meeting, the Chair advised that the draft minutes of the meeting would be published as soon as possible on the Combined Authority website.