Agenda item

To review the reports/decisions due to be considered at the 17 March 2023 meeting of the West of England Combined Authority Committee.

The Committee discussed the following reports due to be considered by the West of England Combined Authority Committee at its meeting on 17 March 2023:  Audit Action Plan: Feedback from Audit and Overview & Scrutiny Committees and progress report; Climate and Ecological Strategy and Action Plan 2023; and the West of England Combined Authority and Mayoral Budget Forecast Outturn 2022/2023.

The comments made by the Committee were collated and circulated to members of the West of England Combined Authority Committee in advance of its meeting. 

Agenda Item 15. Audit Action Plan: Feedback from Audit and Overview & Scrutiny Committees and progress report

Cllr Geoff Gollop explained that Grant Thornton had produced a Value for Money report in November and officers had prepared an action plan. Audit Committee rejected this and a revised plan was submitted in December 2022, seeking advice on how to move forward. This was the first stage of the process.

Solace have carried out their fact finding and summarised the challenges. For members’ benefit, it was fair to say the Solace report and the extent of the issues raised were larger than potentially anticipated. Looking at the views from members, it was not anticipated that enough resources would be available to achieve what was being suggested. The positive response from officers in recognising the problems identified and trying to engage in finding solutions was welcomed. It was an ongoing problem that the leadership wanted to resolve in a constructive way.

Cllr Steve Smith commented that the report was very good and covered a lot of issues. He said it was positive about the changes that the Interim Acting Chief Executive Officer had made.  However, he was not convinced that the delivery of every item on the action plan would solve the problem. The fundamental purpose of the Combined Authority should be to drive strategy which in turn drives tactical decisions, but it does not have a strategy. What we have is a series of running battles on every decision that comes along. He was not convinced the Constitution being amended to require unanimity equipped the CA to deliver on a strategy either. He felt that the structure and the Constitution needed to be looked at to deliver on the potential there.

Members expressed concerns about the time running out on North Somerset Council joining the Combined Authority. Operationally there were challenges though, such as relationships, the fate of the Local Enterprise Partnership, and elections. The Interim Director of Law and Governance (Monitoring Officer) reminded members that most of the Constitution provisions were hard wired into the Order which would require parliamentary or Secretary of State consideration. This Order was probably the most restrictive of all on what was the relationship and functions of the CA, but even if consensus was obtained, we would still have to go back to Government to ask it to change the statutory arrangements.

Members noted that financial reports needed to demonstrate how we achieve economic growth. Solace’s report did not mention green or carbon recovery or how the Constitution balances these.

The Interim Acting Chief Executive welcomed the Solace report and the further recommendations that would arise as it was all worked through. It presented a number of key areas requiring work, and the challenge was to determine how it would be resourced and who would lead. The Auditor had not commented on the action plan, and this was the first-time details had been put in since the 9 December 2022 meeting. He noted that Combined Authority officers would work closely with the officers in the UAs, in particular through the CEO’s group. There had also been a first meeting of Mayors & Leaders with one representative from each local authority.

Agenda item 10. Climate and Ecological Strategy and Action Plan 2023

The Head of Environment advised that this was a revision of the Climate and Ecological Strategy and Action Plan which had first been published in 2022. It was more of a regional collaboration in the climate and ecological space, with good engagement, and the team had sought to make sure the actions were more measurable with a SMART approach. This allowed residents to hold the Combined Authority to account. It captured successes and achievements over the last year as well as an ambition to expand the role of the regional strategy to include climate resilience. Within the paper, authorisation was also being sought for additional funding through the Green Recovery Fund.

Members requested an update on JLTP4 mentioned in the report and commented that it was hugely ambitious but there was a funding shortfall. There were things that they would support on Metrobus to Yate, and some things within the plan were more long-term solutions.

The Head of Environment explained that, from his perspective in relation to the revision of JLTP4, the team were still waiting for clarity on what the update would require. It would be essential that it included decarbonisation of the transport system.

The Interim Strategic Director for Infrastructure advised guidelines were awaited but expected in the next 3-6 months. The team would then start consultation early in 2024.

Members felt that the map showing the flood areas in 2025 showed a very large flooding area all along the coast (both sides) and also a lot of North Somerset. They were concerned that the plan did not take into account the fact that there are already existing sea defences. For instance, It was not showing the protection for Oldbury on Severn, from Aust Cliffs and Avonmouth, and the raising of banks to give an extra 60 years of protection. There were currently no plans from Aust to Sharpness and this would need work and the banks would need to be raised. (Page 32 of the report).

Members asked that, in relation to Green Business, could more specificity be provided on (for example) low carbon fuels and renewable energy. Disappointment was expressed in relation to Share bike who did not want to carry on, it was not quite clear whether what was coming was a service that would be offered by the Combined Authority or another company.  The Head of Environment confirmed that the team were looking for another company to provide this service.

Members noted that there was a hold on installing on-street residential lampposts. The Head of Environment confirmed that the team were getting closer to resolving this situation. The Interim Strategic Director for Infrastructure advised that a Full Business Case was being put to CEOs to discuss 250 ev-charging posts. The Combined Authority was currently in discussion with Bristol City Council on whether the CA should lead on that.

Members felt that they were not getting a sense of how much of what is going on will close the gap to 2030, and how much of that gap remains and what more would be required. The Head of Environment advised that in the narrative of the report it was clear that we are not going to get there unless there was a dramatic change at a national level. He commented that a new data person had been appointed, part of whose role would be to look at how we communicate the gap in delivery.

Members were happy to see communications about tree canopy cover, given that it was difficult to put trees in streets. It was noted that there had been a Bristol City Council motion last year where free trees would be given to people to put in their front gardens, however this had not been actioned to-date. 

It was noted that the workplace parking levy had been voted down in Bristol City Council last year. One of the issues was that businesses would relocate, so it would need to be a region-wide levy. The Head of Environment advised that the scheme had been notoriously difficult to implement across the country, and that it was about having a conversation as a region to open some of the doors.

He mentioned that one of the biggest assets for carbon capture were the moors which have locally shrunk by 0.5 metres so were absorbing less water. Members queried what actions could be taken to restore the moors for carbon capture and for wildlife as well. The Head of Environment said that the Strategy would identify areas and flood management, and it was a complicated but integrated conversation. He thought that having a regional strategy would help.

With the collapse of the SDS, members queried how Combined Authority officers were engaging with the Unitary Authorities on the drafting of Local Plans. The Head of Environment confirmed that his team had been consulted to ensure strategic themes were represented in the plans. The elements around the natural environment and planning the framework around these were key documents.

Members queried what the Combined Authority was doing as an organisation in terms of carbon intensity and having a carbon reduction plan. The Head of Environment explained that this was captured in the actions. The key part were big carbon contributions in infrastructure and how we build those pieces into investments. Consideration was also being given to training Combined Authority staff in carbon literacy so we could consider as an Authority how we embed the consideration of climate and carbon in what we do. It was suggested that an advisory Board, in addition to the existing Business/Skills and Transport/Planning & Housing Boards could be created to consider climate and ecological issues going forward. It was discussed and agreed that a Task and Finish group would be set up in the next few weeks to discuss various matters and this would be included.

Agenda Item 14. West of England Combined Authority and Mayoral Budget Forecast Outturn 2022/2023

Members agreed that the Task and Finish group should also discuss how the Committee would move forward on scrutinising the budget.

Appendix 1

Explanation of variance on Supported Bus Services budget 2022/23:

• The budget allocation for Supported Bus Services from the Transport Levy in 2022/23 was £3.059m.
• This budget reflected costs of the contracts operating during 2021/22 which would be subject to a re-tender exercise in early 2022 with a decision expected in April 2022 on contracts to be awarded from early September.
• Insufficient funding was available in the Transport Levy budget to cover a full year of contracts in 2022/23.
• The Combined Authority Committee in June 2022 resolved to extend all contracts by 7 months from September and run a new tender exercise in late 2022 for new contracts from April 2023.
• The cost of extending the contracts and replacing contracts that were handed back to us, as well as those covered when HCT folded, was £6.339m – this in part reflected the operators premium for the extension and needing to build in rising driver and fuel costs.
• Whilst additional contract costs were incurred in switching net cost contracts to gross cost to accommodate the Fares Package #1 initiative from September 2022, this additional cost is covered by the Bus Service Improvement Plan funding allocation.
• The figure of £9.32m in the paper is a gross spend against this budget line and will be reduced by around £2m once the S106, Bus Service Operator Grant and when our income from gross cost contracts is taken off.
• The remaining overspend on the Supported Bus Services budget allocation will be offset largely by the underspend on Concessionary Fares which stands at around £3.5m currently.

Note:  The Combined Authority Transport team are working through projections for next year as the concessionary fares reimbursement rate has still to be finalised. When this work is complete, the team can then provide more information on the 2023/24 budget expectations.