Agenda item

To seek approval for Investment Fund Feasibility and Development Funding applications and change requests for schemes within the current approved programme.

WECA Committee approved the following:

1.    Approve the funding application for the development of the HIF business case as set out in Appendix 1 and allocate up to £1m resource from the Investment Fund.

2.    Approve the funding applications for the development of skills capital projects by Bath and SGS Colleges as set out in Appendix 2 and allocate up to £1.19m resource from the Investment Fund.

3.    Approve the scheme changes requested as set out in Appendix 4 including allocating an additional £400k from the Investment Fund to support development of business cases for the key transport schemes supporting the Joint Spatial Plan.

4.    Approve that the WECA Chief Executive, in consultation with myself as WECA Mayor, be delegated authority to approve the allocation of this funding to relevant activities and that the S151 Officer be authorised to make all necessary amendments to the WECA Budget and the Mayoral Budget for 2018/19 to support the allocation of this funding.

5.    Approve that the authority to submit the HIF bid is delegated to the WECA Director of Infrastructure in consultation with equivalent Directors in B&NES and Bristol and the relevant s.151s in the three Authorities.

The Chair introduced the next paper on the Investment Fund Programme. The report seeks approval for Investment Fund Feasibility and Development Funding applications and change requests for schemes within the current approved programme. The report recommended that the committee approve:

·       The funding application for the development of the HIF business case as set out in Appendix 1 of the report and allocate up to £1m resource from the Investment Fund.

·       The funding applications for the development of skills capital projects by Bath and SGS Colleges as set out in Appendix 2 of the report and allocate up to £1.19m resource from the Investment Fund.

·       The scheme changes requested as set out in Appendix 4 of the report including allocating an additional £400k from the Investment Fund to support development of business cases for the key transport schemes supporting the Joint Spatial Plan.

·       That the WECA Chief Executive, in consultation with the Regional Mayor, be delegated authority to approve the allocation of this funding to relevant activities and that the S151 Officer be authorised to make all necessary amendments to the WECA Budget and the Mayoral Budget for 2018/19 to support the allocation of this funding.

·       That authority to submit the HIF bid is delegated to the WECA Director of Infrastructure in consultation with equivalent Directors in Bath and North East Somerset and Bristol and the relevant s.151s in the three Authorities.

The Chair moved the recommendations.

Cllr Tim Warren seconded the recommendations, commenting that he was happy to support investment in the area that would improve the lives of many.

Cllr Mhairi Threlfall stated that she supported all the proposals, drawing particular attention to the Temple Meads to Keynsham package and felt it was positive we could all work together. 

Cllr Toby Savage commented that he was pleased to see the HIF fund bid taking shape, in particular to Paragraph 9 of the report which welcomes the work WECA are doing with South Gloucestershire. His second point drew attention to Paragraph 14 regarding the funding for a full business case on STEAM business centre, and felt this is a good example of joint working.

The Chair moved to the voting which he confirmed would be in line with the constitution, stating that recommendations 1 – 3 required a unanimous vote of the constituent councils excluding the WECA Mayor.

On being put to the vote the motion was carried unanimously by the constituent councils excluding the WECA Mayor.

Resolved:

1.    Approve the funding application for the development of the HIF business case as set out in Appendix 1 and allocate up to £1m resource from the Investment Fund.

2.    Approve the funding applications for the development of skills capital projects by Bath and SGS Colleges as set out in Appendix 2 and allocate up to £1.19m resource from the Investment Fund.

3.    Approve the scheme changes requested as set out in Appendix 4 including allocating an additional £400k from the Investment Fund to support development of business cases for the key transport schemes supporting the Joint Spatial Plan.

Recommendations 4 – 5 required a majority decision of the three local authorities and the Combined Authority Mayor.

On being put to the vote the motion was carried unanimously by the three local authorities.

Resolved:

4.    Approve that the WECA Chief Executive, in consultation with myself as WECA Mayor, be delegated authority to approve the allocation of this funding to relevant activities and that the S151 Officer be authorised to make all necessary amendments to the WECA Budget and the Mayoral Budget for 2018/19 to support the allocation of this funding.

Approve that the authority to submit the HIF bid is delegated to the WECA Director of Infrastructure in consultation with equivalent Directors in B&NES and Bristol and the relevant s.151s in the three Authorities.