Agenda and draft minutes

The Chair to welcome members of the Committee, officers, any external witnesses, and the public to the meeting and introduce committee members, officers and witnesses who are present.

Councillor Marland welcomed attendees to the meeting.

To approve, and the Chair to sign as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting of the Central Area Growth Board held on 12 December 2023.

RESOLVED :

That the Minutes of the meeting of the Central Area Growth Board held on the 12 December 2023 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

To approve, and the Chair to sign as a correct record, the Exempt Minutes of the meeting of the Central Area Growth Board held on 12 December 2023.

RESOLVED :

That the Exempt Minutes of the meeting of the Central Area Growth Board held on the 12 December 2023 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Councillors to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests, other registerable interests, or non-registerable interests (including other pecuniary interests) they may have in the business to be transacted, and officers to declare any interests they may have in any contract to be considered.

None received.

To receive an update on the LEP transition.

The Board received an update on the LEP transition following decisions made at the 12 December 2023 meeting.  Officers at West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) had been working with colleagues at SEMLEP on the transition arrangements including TUPE arrangements for nineteen staff.  Draft Heads of Terms were being progressed and WNC had recently reported to their Executive to approve transition arrangements.  It was noted that a report on the Heads of Term would need to be agreed by each authority via their executive.  Future governance would need to be considered, which potentially could mean the establishment of a Joint Committee.  It was further noted that in addition to the transition work that meetings had been held with business representatives as to arrangements going forward.  Further information on this would be provided in a later item.

The report recommended that a further meeting of the Board may be needed to confirm management fees, residual body costs and transfer costs and provide assurances to WNC going forward.

Members suggested that the principle was that existing LEP services would be migrated across to WNC and that any future liability would be covered from the LEP reserves and it was not intended that any future liabilities would be covered by any of the authorities. It was noted that WNC required formal reassurance from the authorities that those reserves would be retained for any liabilities.  It was further noted that the Board had already agreed a formal review after six months specifically with regard to the financial position.

RESOLVED:

1.             That the Growth Board:

a)      note the update contained within this report;

b)      agree in principle to establish a Joint Committee, and request that arrangements to do so are progressed by the respective Monitoring Officers in consultation with the Leaders of the member authorities; and

c)      consider the desirability of a further meeting in March/early April.

To receive an update on the proposed business engagement plans.

The Board received an update on the plans as to how to incorporate ‘the voice of businesses’ in future arrangements.  It was noted that the Government had published additional guidance setting out further detail on how they expected this to work and it was further noted that the CAGB had identified at their last meeting the importance of engagement with business stakeholders on draft proposals.  There was an expectation from the Government that local authorities would create or continue to engage with an economic growth board and that membership of the Board would be selected through an open and transparent process.  The Government had also set out some detail on the type of organisations that they considered could form membership of the Board.

Officers advised that engagement with local stakeholders had been undertaken with the existing SEMPLEP Board and other groups such as the business engagement group and business leaders.  Feedback from this engagement indicated that there was a strong desire for business support to continue and reassurance was sought that the growth board would consider under new arrangements.  It was indicated that it was important the board had a clear purpose and remit to ensure businesses engaged with it and a recognition of the ongoing importance of the skills agenda to businesses.  Feedback indicated that the size of the board needed to be large enough to be representative but small enough for voices to be heard.

It was anticipated that recruitment to the Board would begin in mid-April but that it was likely that it would not be operational until June so some thought may need to be given to transition arrangements such as the Growth Hub Board continuing to provide oversight and the Careers Hub establishing a steering committee as well as the Business Board providing representation to provide business input particularly into the development of the new economic strategy. 

It was queried as to what would be on the agenda of the advisory Business Board and it was understood that one of the first requirements would be to create or update an Economic Strategy for the region and for it to also be allowed to develop its own work programme.  It was further suggested that the Chair of the advisory board might also be a member of the Oxford to Cambridge Pan Regional Partnership.

It was raised as to whether it was thought necessary for a representative of one of the six local authority leaders and a senior officer to be on the advisory board and that expectations would also need to be managed as to the limited officer time and funding availability as opposed to those boards that may be in areas that have a devolution deal in place.

It was highlighted by one of the associate members that compared to the proposals occurring in other parts of the country it was considered that in this area that the level of business engagement proposed going forward was weaker, there was no identifiable independent leadership role  ...  view the full minutes text for item CGB22

To receive an update on the branding exercise.

The Board received a presentation from Whistlejacket on the results of the recent rebranding exercise.

It was indicated that while members were keen to move at pace and agree a new name by the end of March, the fall back position was to continue to use the South East Midlands branding.  It was noted that any new name should be transferrable to a combined authority.

RESOLVED:

1.      The Growth Board agreed:

a)      That Leaders note the update provided by Whistlejacket at the 14 February meeting.

b)      That in light of the findings, that a second stage of the naming and branding work is undertaken to rebrand the area of the six unitary authorities with a new name.

c)      That the new name and brand should constitute a clean break from previous titles.

d)      That the branding work should conclude as quickly as possible, noting the SEMLEP close date of the end of March 2024.

e)      That a Leaders meeting is arranged before the end of February for Whistlejacket to present the next stage of the branding working.

f)       That if the new brand is not ready by March 2024, that a fall back position of using the current ‘South East Midlands’ branding, be investigated.