Agenda and minutes

Present: Councillors: T Swift (Calderdale MBC), S Hinchcliffe (City of Bradford MDC), R Cooper (Harrogate BC), P McBride (Kirklees MC), J Blake (Leeds City Council), S Siddons (Scarborough Borough Council), C Les (North Yorkshire CC) and K Aspen (City of York)

In Attendance: T Riordan (LCC), V Bradshaw (LCC), C Jolley (LCC), D Mitchell (City of York), A Taylor (WYCA), N Edwards (Scarborough Borough Council) and J Grieve (LCC)

To seek nominations for the election of Chair

RESOLVED – That Councillor T Swift be elected as Chair for the 2020/21 period.

To consider any appeals in accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2 of the Access to Information Rules (in the event of an Appeal the press and public will be excluded)

There were no appeals against refusal of inspection of documents.

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration.  (The special circumstances shall be specified in the minutes)

There were no late items of business identified.

To highlight reports or appendices which officers have identified as containing exempt information, and where officers consider that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons outlined in the report.

2  To consider whether or not to accept the officers recommendation in 

  respect of the above information.

3  If so, to formally pass the following resolution:-

RESOLVED – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following parts of the agenda designated as containing exempt information on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information, as follows:-

There were no items identified where it was considered necessary to exclude the press or public due to the confidential nature of the business to be considered.

To receive apologies for absence (If any)

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors: S Pandor (Kirklees MC) and D Jeffery (City of Wakefield MDC)

Councillor P McBride (Kirklees MC) was in attendance as a substitute Member.

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2000 and paragraphs 13 -18 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.  Also to declare any other significant interests which the Member wishes to declare in the public interest, in accordance with paragraphs 19 - 20 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interest made at the meeting.

To consider a report by the Chief Officer, Financial Services, Leeds City Council which sets out:

a)  The context in which the 2020/21 North and West Yorkshire Business Rates Pool has been set up;

b)  The governance arrangements and memorandum of understanding for the North and West Yorkshire Pool;

c)  The current position of the North and West Yorkshire Pool, including the estimated 2020/21 financial position and the latest income projections;

d)  The proposed allocation of funding for 2020/21.

(Report attached)

The Chief Officer Financial Services, Leeds City Council submitted a report which sets out:

a)  The context in which the 2020/21 North and West Yorkshire Business Rates Pool has been set up;

b)  The governance arrangements and memorandum of understanding for the North and West Yorkshire Pool;

c)  The current position of the North and West Yorkshire Pool, including the estimated 2020/21 financial position and the latest income projections;

d)  The proposed allocation of funding for 2020/21

In the discussion that followed Members were supportive of the proposal for the Joint Committee to consist of 9 Members, commenting on Table 2 of the report, “safety net threshold” Members were of the view that the risk for this year was minimal

RESOLVED –

a)  To note the context and structure of the 2020/21 North and West Yorkshire Business Rates Pool as described in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the submitted report

b)  To agree that the Joint Committee shall be made up of nine Members

c)  To approve the Memorandum of Understanding and Terms of Reference set out in Paragraph 3 and Appendices A and B of the submitted report

d)  To note the projected Pool income for 2020/21 as shown in Paragraph 4 of the submitted report

e)  To note the risks of breaching safety net as described in Paragraph 5 of the submitted report

f)  To approve the proposed allocation of projected income to member authorities at Paragraph 6.

The date and time of the next meeting, to be determined at a future date.

RESOLVED – That the date and time of the next meeting be determined at a future date