Agenda item

To receive and consider a briefing paper on the latest position in relation to the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Devolution Opportunities – Post Heseltine Review.

A report of Leeds City Region was submitted in relation to the potential devolution of funding to the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership by Government, in response to the Lord Heseltine Review.

Mr Colin Blackburn, Executive Officer, Customer Access and Performance ,  was in attendance and responded to Members’ queries and comments.

In his presentation, the Executive Officer specifically made reference to details of the potential devolution proposals  to Local Enterprise Partnerships and the bidding process would be announced in the Spending Review on 26th June 2013. He highlighted that it would be a national competitive process.

Discussion ensued on the contents of the report.

In summary, specific reference was made to a number of issues including:-

·  Clarification if the EU Structural Investment Fund was separate to the Transport Fund

(The Executive Officer responded that the LCR LEP would need to submit a Growth Plan for the EU funding by September 2013, and separate criteria rules would apply for the funding, but all individual projects locally would be put through a single assessment framework once developed. This would result in improved co-ordination and better funding packages)

·  Comment that whilst welcoming more devolution of resources from the centre concern that the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Policy  contribution to fund the proposed transport schemes in the region could result in an increase Council tax contribution of between 2% and 3%

·  The fact that funding for improved transport and other regeneration schemes was needed now to unlock brownfield sites in the city

·  Clarification of Government funding that would be made available over the next five years and what contribution the Councils would be expected to contribute towards the schemes identified and how viable they were

(The Executive Officer responded that this was not yet known but the LEP had already received £36m devolved funding to support business activity in the region. Housing and Regeneration had no budget at the present time but proposals may be included in the Spending Review announcement. He stated that the Transport Fund was based on a £10 billion Programme. Other Government projections remained unclear)

·  Clarification if the Council was still in competition with other local authorities and what track record of competitive bidding the Council had in this regard

(The Executive Officer responded and confirmed that there would be a competitive process and that it was envisaged that the Council and LCR would be in a good position as it was one of the most established Local Enterprise Partnerships in the Country with a good track record of delivery)

·  Clarification as to whether there is a deprivation indices in the city region which was used to weight areas with greater deprivation

(The Executive Officer responded that there was a Single Appraisal Framework being developed and existing models would be developed and built upon)

·  The need for the Scrutiny Board to influence policy in this area in view of the huge areas of deprivation within the city

RESOLVED-

a)  That the contents of the report be noted.

b)  That a report be submitted to the successor to this Scrutiny Board in the new municipal year following the Government’s announcement in its spending review on 26^th June 2013 as to its proposals for devolution and the Local Enterprise Partnership’s bidding process for funding.