Local democracy

Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Remote

Contact: Adrian Tumber 

Items
No. Item

6.

CHAIR

Minutes:

The City Solicitor informed Members of Council that as the Lord Mayor was not able to attend the meeting and that the Deputy Lord Mayor had an unreliable remote connection Councillor Michael Johnson would be the Chair for the meeting.

7.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of the Lord Mayor and Councillors Riaz Ahmed, Bibby, Gibbons, Goodall, Herd, Mukhtar and Swallow.

8.

DISCLOSURES OF INTEREST pdf icon PDF 52 KB

(Members Code of Conduct - Part 4A of the Constitution)

 

To receive disclosures of interests from members and co-opted members on matters to be considered at the meeting. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

 

An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting when it becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

 

Notes:

 

(1)       Members may remain in the meeting and take part fully in discussion and voting unless the interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest or an interest which the Member feels would call into question their compliance with the wider principles set out in the Code of Conduct.  Disclosable pecuniary interests relate to the Member concerned or their spouse/partner.

 

(2)       Members in arrears of Council Tax by more than two months must not vote in decisions on, or which might affect, budget calculations, and must disclose at the meeting that this restriction applies to them.  A failure to comply with these requirements is a criminal offence under section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. 

 

(3)       Members are also welcome to disclose interests which are not disclosable pecuniary interests but which they consider should be made in the interest of clarity.

 

(4)       Officers must disclose interests in accordance with Council Standing Order 44.

 

Minutes:

The following declarations on the basis of transparency were received:

 

West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA)

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe – Chair of the WYCA (and Governance & Audit Committee/Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Board/Leeds City Region Partnership Committee)

Councillor Imran Khan (alternate) (and on Employment & Skills Panel/Governance & Audit Committee alternate/ Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Board alternate/Leeds City Region Partnership Committee alternate)

Councillor Rebecca Poulsen

Councillor Debbie Davies (alternate)

 

WYCA – Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Safraz Nazir 

Councillor Rosie Watson

Councillor Geoff Winnard

Alternates

Councillor Joanne Dodds

Councillor Carol Thirkill

Councillor Naveed Riaz

 

WYCA – Transport Committee

Councillor Sinead Engel

Councillor Hassan Khan

Councillor Taj Salam

Councillor Mike Ellis

 

West Yorkshire & York Investment Committee (and Business Innovation & Growth Panel, Inclusive Growth & Public Policy Panel, Place Panel and Business Investment Panel)

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw

 

Green Economy Panel

Councillor Sarah Ferriby

 

Other declarations:

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe – was a shortlisted candidate for the Labour Party for West Yorkshire Mayor

Councillor Taj Salam – employed by the First Group

 

ACTION:        City Solicitor

 

9.

WRITTEN ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE LORD MAYOR (Standing Order 4) pdf icon PDF 90 KB

(To be circulated before the meeting).

Minutes:

APPRECIATION FOR THE COVID-19 RESPONSE

 

The Lord Mayor recognised that everyone had endured many months of distress and anguish as the district, and the country, had responded to the national health emergency. However, the residents of Bradford had pulled together in a quite extraordinary way to help break the chains of infection and provide support within communities. 

 

The dedication of staff in delivering and maintaining the provision of vital services had been truly humbling.  So many had gone above and beyond what could be expected of them, even working weekends in order to keep the “show on the road”. 

 

Many teams had increased pressures as colleagues had to take time off and self-isolate as they or members of their household had become ill or exhibited symptoms of the virus.  Some will have lost friends and loved ones, yet their strong commitment to the community never dimmed for a moment. 

 

The response during the first lockdown to assist homeless people and those who were shielding or from vulnerable groups had been particularly striking.

 

The District was now in a second period of heightened restrictions, but the Lord Mayor recognised that the resolve of staff, working together with our fantastic partners in the business, voluntary and charitable sectors, would stand us in very good stead.

 

Some outstanding work had taken place to increase engagement and support within our communities and, moving into the difficult winter months, it was essential that people continued to stay at home, follow the guidance, protect the NHS and help reduce rates of infection.

 

The Lord Mayor placed on record her heartfelt thanks to everyone who had played their part so magnificently in helping to tackle this crisis and the complex demands it was making on us. They had done an exceptional job in very difficult and trying circumstances and the Lord Mayor applauded them for it.

10.

INSPECTION OF REPORTS AND BACKGROUND PAPERS

(Access to Information Procedure Rules – Part 3B of the Constitution)

 

Reports and background papers for agenda items may be inspected by contacting the person shown after each agenda item.  Certain reports and background papers may be restricted. 

 

Any request to remove the restriction on a report or background paper should be made to the relevant Strategic Director or Assistant Director whose name is shown on the front page of the report. 

 

If that request is refused, there is a right of appeal to this meeting. 

 

Please contact the officer shown below in advance of the meeting if you wish to appeal. 

 

(Adrian Tumber - 01274 432435)

 

Minutes:

There were no restricted documents.

11.

WEST YORKSHIRE DEVOLUTION pdf icon PDF 135 KB

The West Yorkshire “minded-to” Devolution Deal was announced as part of the Budget on 11 March 2020. Subject to statutory processes, this will lead to the adoption of a mayoral combined authority model with additional functions. 

 

At their meetings in September, the Combined Authority and each Constituent Council:

·      Considered the outcome of the public consultation on the Scheme, which was undertaken jointly by the Constituent Councils and the Combined Authority; and

·      Resolved to submit the summary of the consultation responses to the Secretary of State.

 

Subsequently the consultation summary report, along with representations from Leeds City Council and Kirklees Council, were submitted to the Secretary of State. This submission, along with the Scheme have then been used to draft the Order.

 

Following these approvals the report of the Chief Executive (Executive Document “CO”) seeks to:

·      Consent in principle to the draft Order, to establish a mayoral combined authority and associated changes as set out in the ‘minded to’ Devolution Deal.

·      Delegate authority to the Managing Director of the Combined Authority, in consultation with the Leader and Chief Executive of CBMDC and each Constituent Council and the Chair of the Combined Authority, to finalise and consent to the final draft of the Order further to any technical issues which may arise.

 

The Executive is meeting earlier in the day before Council on 24 November and is being asked to agree the following recommendation:

 

Recommended –

 

(1)       To consider and comment on the content of this report, along with the draft Order.

 

(2)       To consent in principle to the draft Order, to establish a mayoral combined authority and associated changes as set out in the ‘minded to’ Devolution Deal.

 

(3)       To delegate authority to the Managing Director of the Combined Authority, in consultation with the Leader and Chief Executive and the Chair of the Combined Authority, to finalise and consent to the final draft of the Order further to any technical issues which may arise.

 

(4)       To note the updated timetable set out in Appendix 1 to this report and the next steps which are subject to the consent being given by the Constituent Councils and Combined Authority, to the Order that the Secretary of State will lay in Parliament in December 2020.

 

(5)     To refer this report and appendices to Council to consider, provide any comments, and endorse the Executive decisions taken.

 

(6)       To resolve that this decision is exempt from call-in on the grounds of urgency, for the reasons set out in paragraph 6.1 of this report.

 

                                                            (Kersten England, Chief Executive)

 

Note:

 

The Executive is meeting before Council on 24 November and will make a recommendation for Council to consider. That recommendation will be e-mailed to all Councillors in advance of the meeting of Council and will be published on the Council’s website.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

On 11 March 2020, the Chancellor announced a “minded to” Mayoral Devolution Deal for the West Yorkshire area (which covered the Local Authority areas of Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale). The report of the Chief Executive (Executive Document “CO”) set out the process that had taken place to date including consultation on the draft proposals. At the meetings of the Executive and Council on 8 September 2020 the responses to the draft proposals were considered and along with the other constituent authorities agreed to submit a summary of the responses to the Secretary of State for Communities in order to progress the West Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Devolution Deal.

 

The Secretary of State had delivered the draft Order and the Executive had resolved to consent in principle to establishing a mayoral combined authority and associated changes as set out in the ‘minded to’ Devolution Deal, and to delegate authority to the Managing Director of the Combined Authority, in consultation with the Leader and Chief Executive of CBMDC and the other  Constituent Councils and the Chair of the Combined Authority, to finalise and consent to the final draft of the Order. Council was asked to consider and comment on the report of the Chief Executive and the draft Order.

 

Resolved –

 

That Council considered and commented on the content of Executive Document “CO”, along with the draft Order and endorsed the resolution of the Executive on West Yorkshire Devolution as set out below:

 

(1)       Executive consented in principle to the draft Order to establish a mayoral combined authority and associated changes as set out in the ‘minded to’ Devolution Deal.

 

(2)       That authority be delegated to the Managing Director of the Combined Authority, in consultation with the Leader and Chief Executive and the Chair of the Combined Authority, to finalise and consent to the final draft of the Order further to any technical issues which may arise.

 

(3)       That the updated timetable set out in Appendix 1 to Document “CO” be noted and the next steps which are subject to the consent being given by the Constituent Councils and Combined Authority, to the Order that the Secretary of State will lay in Parliament in December 2020.

 

ACTION: Chief Executive