Agenda item

The Board considered a report of the Chief Executive which provided an update on the establishment of a Combined Authority for the Liverpool City Region from 1 April 2014.

The Board was advised that Liverpool City Region (LCR) conducted a Review of Strategic Governance in 2013 (the review), to assess whether the arrangements for economic development, regeneration and transport as they stood, should continue. It was reported that the establishment of a Combined Authority for the LCR was best placed to support business to grow, create jobs and to secure an improvement in the City Region’s economic conditions.

It was noted that the remit of the Combined Authority for LCR would be those strategic economic development, regeneration, transport, housing and employment and skills functions, which could be better delivered collaboratively across the LCR. The review concluded that the Combined Authority would discharge thematic functions, the arrangements for which were set out in the report.

The report also set out the arrangements for the following matters:-

·       Appointments to the Combined Authority and its Structure

·       Resource Implications

·       Legal Implications

It was proposed that for Halton, the Leader be nominated as the representative to the Combined Authority, with the Deputy Leader as substitute. A Transport Sub-Committee, (to be known as the Merseytravel Committee), would provide operational input and leadership around transport issues. Halton would appoint its two Members to this Committee, as part of the Outside Bodies appointments process. It was further noted that as part of the Combined Authority’s functions, an Audit Committee would be established as well as a Standards Committee; the latter would meet as required. In addition, a Scrutiny Pool, drawn from the Constituent Councils, would include Opposition Members to reflect the combined political make-up of the 6 authorities and achieve political balance.

The first meeting of the Combined Authority would take place on 1 April 2014.

The Board noted the following documents, attached to the report, for approval:-

·       A Constitution for the Combined Authority, which had been developed by Legal and Democratic Services Officers from all LCR Councils and Merseytravel; and

·       The Operating Agreement which set out how the Combined Authority would work alongside the 6 constituent Councils, Merseytravel and the Local Enterprise Partnership to deliver its functions.

RESOLVED: That Council be recommended to

1)    confirm its previous decision that the Council should formally become a constituent member of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority;

2)    note the position on the making of the Orders as attached in Appendix 1 and the Parliamentary process currently in train;

3)    endorse the Constitution for the Combined Authority as attached in Appendix 2;

4)    approve the Operating Agreement for the Combined Authority as attached in Appendix 3;

5)    approve the arrangements set out in the report to appoint members to the Combined Authority and its Committees ;

6)    note that no allowances (other than travel and subsistence) will be paid to Members of the Combined Authority, the Scrutiny Pool and other Committees and Boards, with the exception of the Merseytravel Committee;

7)    agree that the payment of allowances for co-opted members of the Transport Committee will be dealt with in accordance with the current Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority Scheme and the Council’s own scheme be amended accordingly;

8)    note that a review of the Combined Authority’s arrangements will be undertaken during the first year and reported to the Combined Authority’s Annual General Meeting in 2015; and

9)    agree that approval to make any technical amendments to the Constitution and Operating Agreement for the Combined Authority and any other associated requirements to achieve the creation of the Combined Authority is delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council.