Agenda item

Note: no decisions were taken on this item of business.

The Combined Authority Committee considered the annual business report (agenda item 9).

The Chair moved the report recommendations.

Mayor Rees then moved an amendment as follows:

That the following be added to the report:

“As the West of England Combined Authority transitions from its first Mayoral term, it would be appropriate to undertake an internal Governance Review to better understand what has worked well over the last four years, and those areas where we can come together further to deliver improved collaborative working to the greater benefit of our area. This would also recognise that over this period the external environment has changed significantly, and new ways of working may now be more appropriate in facing the challenges and opportunities ahead. It is important this work is focussed and delivered at pace so any recommendations can be put into practice quickly, that it is jointly owned by the West of England Combined Authority and the three constituent local authorities, and is independently supported to enable an equality of voice.

Additional recommendation: A formal internal review is undertaken to make recommendations on improvements to joint working led by the Chief Executives of the constituent bodies. That up to £100k is set aside to support the commissioning of any work that may be required, and summary findings are reported back to committee in October.”

The amendment was seconded by Councillor Savage.

The amendment was then debated.

Mayor Rees commented that in moving the amendment, he felt it was an opportune time to reflect on how the Combined Authority could operate more effectively and be in the best position to face the challenges ahead.  As indicated in the amendment, the external environment had changed significantly and new ways of working may now be more appropriate in facing the challenges and the opportunities to come.  The Combined Authority had delivered some wins since its inception, but it was important to recognise there is always room for improvement; this would form the focus of the proposed governance review.

Councillor Savage stated that as the Combined Authority was now moving from a first-term of 4 years to a second-term, it was important to now take the opportunity to review processes, policies and culture; all of these were currently based around the first-term experience of having to create an organisation from scratch.  The Combined Authority now needed to step up a gear or more in terms of delivery.  The proposed review would provide the opportunity to be able to share experiences of the first 4 years and look at how this could be improved on for the next 4 years, with the aim of enhancing delivery.  In his view, it was reasonable to start this process now and resource it appropriately.

Cllr Guy suggested that in terms of timing, the election of a new Metro Mayor meant that this was an appropriate time to carry out a review. It was important to build on the work and delivery that had already been achieved by the Combined Authority, but also to focus on those areas that could be improved and ensure that the authority was in the best position to respond to the challenges faced, including responding to funding opportunities from the government.

Professor West commented that the government was currently conducting a national review of Local Enterprise Partnerships; given the ongoing relationship and collaborative nature of work between Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships, it may be more appropriate to consider how any review might fit in this context; ultimately, it will be essential to ensure a continued, effective and meaningful, collaborative approach to the challenges faced.

It was noted that the report recommendations had not been seconded prior to the amendment being moved.

Following discussion, Mayor Rees then moved the report recommendations, including the amendment as follows:

That the following be added to the report:

“As the West of England Combined Authority transitions from its first Mayoral term, it would be appropriate to undertake an internal Governance Review to better understand what has worked well over the last four years, and those areas where we can come together further to deliver improved collaborative working to the greater benefit of our area. This would also recognise that over this period the external environment has changed significantly, and new ways of working may now be more appropriate in facing the challenges and opportunities ahead. It is important this work is focussed and delivered at pace so any recommendations can be put into practice quickly, that it is jointly owned by the West of England Combined Authority and the three constituent local authorities, and is independently supported to enable an equality of voice.

Additional recommendation: A formal internal review is undertaken to make recommendations on improvements to joint working led by the Chief Executives of the constituent bodies. That up to £100k is set aside to support the commissioning of any work that may be required, and summary findings are reported back to committee in October.”

This motion, including the amendment, was seconded by Councillor Savage.

The Metro Mayor advised that he was not supportive of the motion including the amendment as proposed. He commented that in his view, spending £100k of taxpayers' money on an internal review was not the right or appropriate thing to do during this crucial time for the region’s recovery.  He felt that local people were expecting the Combined Authority to instead be getting on with the key priorities of investing in jobs and skills, improving transport and tackling the climate emergency.

On being put to the vote, 3 members (Mayor Rees, Councillor Savage and Councillor Guy) voted for the motion including the amendment, with the Chair voting against the motion including the amendment.

The motion was therefore not carried as there was not a unanimous vote including the vote of the Metro Mayor in support of the motion.

No decisions were therefore taken on this item of business.