Issue - meetings

To consider the report pf the Director of Communities and Environment which seeks support for the decision of the Groundwork Leeds Board to merge with Groundwork Wakefield and North Yorkshire to form a new organisation ‘Groundwork Yorkshire’ that will operate on a regional level.

The Director of Communities and Environment submitted a report which sought the Executive Board’s support for the decision of the Groundwork Leeds Board to merge with Groundwork Wakefield and North Yorkshire in order to form a new organisation entitled, ‘Groundwork Yorkshire’ that would operate on a regional level.

Responding to a Member’s enquiry, the Board was provided with clarification and reassurance regarding the status of a property on the balance sheet of Groundwork Leeds which was located in Morley, with it being noted that the property would transfer to Groundwork Yorkshire as part of the merger.

Further to this, responding to another enquiry regarding an existing liability in the form of a loan between Groundwork Wakefield and Wakefield Council, it was also noted that a legal agreement was in place confirming that the loan was specifically secured against a site in Wakefield, and as such would have no effect upon the building in Morley. In conclusion, officers undertook to provide the Member in question with a further briefing note on such matters.

RESOLVED -

(a)  That the decision of the Groundwork Leeds Board to merge with Groundwork Wakefield and Groundwork North Yorkshire, be supported; 

(b)  That in endorsing the decision of the Groundwork Leeds Board (above), approval be given for Leeds City Council to dissolve its company membership of Groundwork Leeds and become a company member of Groundwork Yorkshire; 

(c)  That the establishment of a Leeds Local Groundwork Partnership Board be approved, in order to provide local input into schemes and programmes that are to be developed in Leeds in partnership with Groundwork Yorkshire post-merger; 

(d)  That the necessary authority be delegated to the Director for Communities and Environment, the Chief Officer Financial Services and the City Solicitor in order to enable those officers to conclude the final agreement of the deed of transfer and any other agreement needed to formalise and complete the transfer process.

(Under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.5, Councillor Golton required it to be recorded that he abstained from voting on the decisions referred to within this minute)