Agenda and minutes

The Metro Mayor reported that it was international Workers’ Memorial Day, which marked deaths of people in work, the majority of which were caused by a lack of priority given by their employer to their safety, and which accounted for more deaths every year than war. The Metro Mayor invited those in attendance to take part in a minute’s silence in remembrance of those who had died in work and to resolve to redouble efforts to improve workers’ rights and safety at work.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of:

LCR Combined Authority

Mayor Joanne Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool City Council

Councillor Ian Maher, Leader of Sefton Borough Council

Councillor Frazer Lake, Deputy Mayor of Liverpool City Council

Co-opted Members

Emily Spurrell – Merseyside Police & Crime Commissioner

Associate Member

Councillor Russ Bowden, Leader of Warrington Council

Deputy Portfolio Holders

Councillor Marion Atkinson

Councillor Kate Groucutt

Councillor Trish Hardy

Councillor Shelly Powell

Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins

Councillor Carla Thomas

No declarations of interest were received.

RESOLVED – That the Minutes of the meeting of the LCR Combined Authority held on 3 March 2023 were agreed as a correct record.

To receive updates from the Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor.

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram provided Members with an update on his recent activities and key developments since the last meeting of the LCR Combined Authority.

The Metro Mayor referred to the upcoming local elections taking place across the City Region, and in particular to the ‘all out’ elections in Wirral and Liverpool.

Specifically in relation to Liverpool, the Metro Mayor paid tribute to Mayor Joanne Anderson who would be standing down from the City Council as it moved back to a Leader and Cabinet system. The Metro Mayor acknowledged the difficult circumstances in which she had assumed office, but commended her for leading the City through a turbulent period and for making history as the first black, female city leader in the UK.

On behalf of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Council Leaders, the Metro Mayor wished Mayor Anderson the best in her future endeavours.

The Metro Mayor continued by highlighting the introduction of the requirement for voters to show ID at polling stations in order to address what the government described as ‘voter fraud’, commenting that the Electoral Commission identified only nine convictions and six police cautions issued in relation to electoral fraud in the past five years, which was less than the number of Ministers forced from office for wrongdoing during the same period, but without any tightening measures to address malfeasance.

The Metro Mayor stated that the requirement was most likely to impact working-class people and those from minority ethnic backgrounds as part of more than two million people who would be excluded from the democratic process because they did not have valid photo identification and as a result of a ‘solution’ to a problem that demonstrably did not exist, but which amounted to gerrymandering of the electoral system.

The Metro Mayor reported on the recent visit by King Charles and the Queen Consort to Central Library to mark its twinning with a library in Odessa. Over 300 libraries had been destroyed during the conflict with Russia and the twinning was a gesture of solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

The Royal visit also marked the start of events ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest. The Metro Mayor highlighted the efforts all over the City with the decorations in the colours and symbols of Ukraine including the buses, trains, and soon to be on the ferry as well. Hosting the contest was an opportunity to promote the region on the global stage and build a lasting legacy for residents.

In addition to Eurovision, the Metro Mayor highlighted his attendance with a local delegation to MIPIM, seeking to attract investment into projects such as the Freeport and Liverpool and Wirral Waters.

The Metro Mayor thanked colleagues in the Liverpool Place Partnership for their hard work in developing the programme for the event and stated that he was looking forward to attending the UK REiiF in Leeds in May, where he would be speaking about the Combined Authority’s inclusive growth agenda. 

The Metro Mayor provided an update  ...  view the full minutes text for item 135.

To exclude the press and public from the meeting during consideration of the specified appendices listed below in order to prevent the disclosure of information ‘not for publication’

RESOLVED – That, in accordance with 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), to prevent the disclosure of information ‘not for publication’, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following specified appendices listed for the reasons specified, in the event that the content of the appendices need to be discussed:

To consider a report of the Executive Director for Investment & Delivery and the Portfolio Holders for Business Support and for Policy, Reform & Resources.

The Combined Authority considered a report of the Executive Director for Investment & Delivery and the Portfolio Holders for Business Support and for Policy, Reform & Resources that set out detailed proposals for the integration of the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) into the Combined Authority by 30 June 2023, in accordance with Government guidance, and how the new arrangements would enable the ‘Business Voice’ to be integrated into the Combined Authority’s approach to economic development.

The Metro Mayor paid tribute to the LEP Board, and in particular to Asif Hamed MBE, its current Chair, for their commitment to helping improve business performance across the City Region since 2011.

The Metro Mayor also thanked Mark Basnett and his colleagues at the Growth Platform for their work in supporting the LEP.

Asif Hamid, Chair of the LEP and the Portfolio Holder for Business Support, expressed gratitude for the opportunity he’d had as both member and Chair of the LEP Board to work with business and other partners in the City Region to help overcome challenges for local businesses and create jobs. He went on to describe the proposals for the new ‘Business Voice’ arrangements including continued representation at the Combined Authority. The proposals had been subject to extensive consultation and discussion with existing LEP stakeholders and he commended them to the meeting for approval.

RESOLVED – That in relation to the integration of the Local Enterprise Partnership into the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority:-

(a)    the integration of the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) functions outlined in the report into the Combined Authority be approved;

(b)    the formation of a Business and Enterprise Board to provide a “voice for business” in the Liverpool City Region be approved;

(c)    that the date for achieving (a) and (b) above is 30th June 2023 be noted and authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Investment and Delivery, in consultation with the Chief Legal Officer and the Executive Director for Corporate Services,  to carry out such steps as considered necessary or appropriate for integration and board formation, including:

(i)   development of Terms of Reference and the membership for the Business and Enterprise Board and any sub-boards;

(ii)  acceptance and application of funding from Government linked to the completion of LEP integration and the delivery of the business voice function; and

(iii)  development of arrangements for an eligible representative of the Liverpool City Region business community to join the Combined Authority as a non-voting member;

(d)    it be noted that the recommendations set out above will require certain administrative and governance changes as part of their implementation, which will be brought to a future meeting for approval; and

(e)    in relation to Growing Places Fund receipts:

(i)   the previous decision of the LEP Board to apply these funds to costs related to LEP transition be noted,

(ii)  the ongoing use of these funds for this purpose following the transfer of responsibility for their allocation to the Combined Authority as part of LEP integration be approved; and

(iii)  authority be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 137.

To consider a report of the Executive Director for Investment & Delivery and the Portfolio Holder for Housing & Spatial Planning

The Combined Authority considered a report of the Executive Director for Investment & Delivery and the Portfolio Holder for Housing & Spatial Planning setting out the position on the use of Home Upgrade Grant 1 funding and reporting on the successful bid for Home Upgrade Grant 2 funding, with proposals to allocate of the £10.5m received from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing & Spatial Planning highlighted the significant progress made in retrofitting properties through working with social landlords to make homes more energy efficient and thereby helping to save residents money when costs were rising. The delivery of the Grant 1 programme showed how the Combined Authority was leading in this important area.

RESOLVED – That in relation to the Homes Update Grant

a)         the progress made towards achieving the Home Upgrade Grant 1 programme be noted;

b)         the acceptance of Home Upgrade Grant 2 funding of £10.5m from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero be noted;

c)          authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Investment & Delivery in consultation with the Executive Director for Corporate Services and the Monitoring Officer to accept any automatic future performance uplift;

d)         authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Investment & Delivery in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Spatial Planning, the Executive Director for Corporate Services and the Monitoring Officer to make such adjustments to funding allocations and agreements, delivery arrangements and programming of works as may be required to deliver Home Upgrade Grant 2 outcomes in an effective and efficient manner across the Liverpool City Region.

To consider a report of the Executive Director for Place and the Deputy Portfolio Holder for Transport & Air Quality

NOTE: this item contains information that is ‘not for publication’ within its appendices. The press and public will need to be excluded from the meeting in the event the content needs to be discussed.

The Combined Authority considered a report of the Executive Director for Place and the Deputy Portfolio Holder for Transport & Air Quality that sought approval for the disbursement of funding received from Active Travel England for their Fund 4 for disbursement to the six constituent local authorities of the City Region, and for approval of the change control process for Active Travel Fund 3.

The Deputy Portfolio Holder for Transport & Air Quality welcomed the successful bid for funding, and commended officers for their hard work in preparing the bid against a challenging timescale.

(Note: the report contained confidential information within its appendices)

RESOLVED – That in relation to the Active Travel Fund Tranche 4 funding:

(a)           the details set out in confidential Appendix 1;

(b)           the disbursement of the Active Travel Fund 4 allocations as set out in the confidential Appendices 1 and 2 be approved; and

(c)           the Change Control process for Active Travel Fund 3 and the detail contained in confidential Appendix 1 be noted.

To consider a report of the Executive Director for Investment & Delivery and the Portfolio Holder for Inclusive Economy & Third Sector

The Combined Authority considered a report of the Executive Director for Investment & Delivery and the Portfolio Holder for Inclusive Economy & Third Sector seeking approval for material changes to the controls for the Smart Ticketing project, previously considered by the Combined Authority in December 2019 and July 2020.

The Metro Mayor stressed the importance of a developing smart ticketing solution in creating a modern public transport system.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to the material changes to Strategic Investment Fund project for Smart Ticketing as requested by Merseytravel comprising an extension of time for completion of the Project to 31st December 2024 and additional funding of £1.7m to further develop and implement a rail accounted based ticketing solution.

To consider a report of the Monitoring Officer and the Portfolio Holder for Policy, Reform & Resources.

The Combined Authority considered a report of the Monitoring Officer and the Portfolio Holder for Policy, Reform & Resources setting out a programme of Combined Authority and committee meetings for the 2023/24 municipal year.

RESOLVED – That the programme of meetings of the Combined Authority and its Committees for the 2023/24 Municipal Year as set out in Appendix 1 of the report be approved.

Members of the public will be given the opportunity to ask questions which have been submitted in accordance with Meetings Standing Orders No. 11. A period of 30 minutes will be allocated for this item. Copies of valid questions will be circulated at the meeting.

Members of the public who wish to submit questions are asked to contact Democratic Services either by:

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 0151 330 1330

In writing: Democratic Services, LCR Combined Authority, PO Box 1976, No. 1 Mann Island, Liverpool, L3 1BP.

A proforma will be supplied for the submission of public questions which for this meeting must be returned by 5.00pm on Monday, 24 April 2023.

There were no public questions submitted.

Members of the public who wish to submit a single position or statement in accordance with Meetings Standing Orders No. 11 are asked to contact Democratic Services either by:

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 0151 330 1330

In writing: Democratic Services, LCR Combined Authority, PO Box 1976, No. 1 Mann Island, Liverpool, L3 1BP.

The single petition or statement for this meeting must be returned by 5.00pm on Monday, 24 April 2023.

There were no petitions or statements submitted by members of the public.

RESOLVED – That the draft Minutes of the Appointments & Disciplinary Committee held on 18 November 2022 be noted.

RESOLVED – That the draft Minutes of the Audit & Governance Committee held on 25 January 2023 be noted.

RESOLVED – That the Minutes of the Transport Committee held on 18 January 2023 be noted.