Consultation on the Liverpool City Region Review of Strategic Governance Presentation to Elected Members 14 th August 2013 Outline of presentation The review of Strategic Governance options for the City Region is now open for consultation Consulting on a City Region Combined Authority This will require a draft Legal Scheme to potentially create the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority This will be supported by a strong Communications Plan. Review of Strategic Governance Options The review has been conducted in line with statutory requirements The main aim is to improve: The exercise of statutory functions relating to economic development, regeneration and transport; The effectiveness and efficiency of transport; and The economic conditions in the area. New Government funding arrangements will be competitive and require City Region / LEP submissions Approach Liverpool City Region already has a successful track record of working together Joint strategies exist for housing, economic development and transport A review of economic evidence is underway to support the Local Growth Plan at the request of Government Consultation with stakeholders Options assessment based upon the information collected
Statutory Powers for a Combined Authority Options considered Option 1 Option 2 status quo establishing a Supervisory Board Option 3 establishing an Economic Prosperity Board Option 4 establishing a Combined Authority Option appraisal (1) Option appraisal (2) Governance Review Recommendation for consultation Liverpool City Region should establish a Combined Authority model of governance relating to economic development, regeneration and transport pursuant to Section 103 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, to support economic growth. Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority shall be dissolved pursuant to Section 91 of the Local Transport Act 2009 and its functions transferred to the new Combined Authority Strategic transport powers should be transferred from Halton Borough Council to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Potential role for a Liverpool City Region Combined Authority The Combined Authority would: bring together key strategic decision making powers into a single body, exercising appropriate strategic transport and economic development functions to maximise the impact of what we do provide a visible, stable and statutory body act as the accountable body for the City Region to support the functions it is discharging attract devolved powers and resources from Government to facilitate local economic growth. have no additional resource implications for constituent Councils and its operation would be expected to be at least cost neutral
Functions and arrangements Outcomes Economic Development (1) Jobs and economic growth for the Liverpool City Region Setting the strategic economic vision, outcomes, and aligning strategic priorities for the Liverpool City Region Providing a single evidence base in place to support and inform strategic decision making Agreeing an integrated growth plan and inward investment strategy Co-ordinating the international economic inward investment strategy Economic Development (2) Co-ordinating strategic place based marketing across the Liverpool City Region as a whole Developing a strategic pipeline of projects to attract financial and wider support Making decisions with regard to the Liverpool City Region Investment Framework, to include the Single Local Growth Fund, European funding and Growing Places Fund Transport (1) Setting the long term strategic transport vision and priorities for the Liverpool City Region Agreeing the development and approval of a single, City Region Local Transport Plan. Supporting the Single Local Growth Plan to deliver the strategic economic vision and outcomes Aligning transport investment with inward investment activity across the Liverpool City Region Transport (2) Strategic decisions relating to the Integrated Transport Block and Highway Maintenance funds Ensuring strategic traffic and highway management co-ordination across the City Region
Assuming the role of the Local Transport Body in respect of major transport schemes Setting the transport levy for the City Region Strategic Housing and Land Based Assets Prioritising the strategic housing investment plan that delivers housing led economic development for the City region Informing land use and land based investment opportunities across the City Region to support economic growth Co-ordinating and encouraging housing growth and delivery across the City Region to ensure both future and existing needs are met in a sustainable manner Preparing an assessment of housing conditions across the Liverpool City Region to encourage investment (e.g. Decent Homes and Private Sector Stock Condition) Employment and Skills (1) Setting the long term Employment and Skills strategy and priorities for the labour market, including the implementation of Skills for Growth agreements Developing work focused approaches for vulnerable people and communities Increasing the involvement of businesses to provide apprenticeships and skills programmes Delivering personalised support to overcome barriers to employment (including transport and skills) Identifying the skills needs of businesses and communicating to schools, colleges, learning providers and Universities Legal scheme (1) Single Member appointed from each constituent Council Dissolution of Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority Unanimous support required for: Co-option of additional Members Making amendments to the scheme Merseytravel to act as executive body for transport Legal scheme (2)
Scrutiny pool to be established Functions: Economic development Transport Strategic housing and publicly owned land based assets Employment and skills Funding The core principle in determining the levy shall be that the total contribution from each constituent authority for funding transport services for the year does not exceed the equivalent cost for the year as it would have been calculated under previous arrangements Consultation Stakeholder consultation on these documents will run from 2 August 2013 to 6 September 2013. Focus on whether the proposal emanating from the governance review will meet the statutory tests: The exercise of statutory functions relating to economic development, regeneration and transport; The effectiveness and efficiency of transport; and The economic conditions in the area. Will be collated centrally and reviewed by an Officer Working Group Recommendations Members views are sought on the following recommendations: Are you happy to move towards a Combined Authority? Are you content with the findings/evidence base from the Liverpool City Region Strategic Governance Review for consultation purposes (Circulated on email, 7/8/13) Are you content with the Outline of the Potential Role of a Liverpool City Region Combined Authority report for consultation purposes (Circulated on email, 7/8/13) Are you content with the draft Scheme for the establishment of a Combined Authority for the Liverpool City Region for consultation purposes (Circulated on email, 7/8/13) Is this anything else you wish to be taken into consideration?
Communications Consultation is taking place across the City Region The details are on the Council s web site All staff have been informed through the Council s notice-board Partner organisations will be consulted on separately Next steps (1) Each local authority to hold local consultation event(s) Arrangements for scrutiny to be developed for approval Due diligence to confirm the financial and legal robustness of the Scheme During consultation period responses will be analysed by the Officer-led working group and a final version of the documents produced and reported back to Cabinets/Executive Next steps (2) City Region Cabinet: 10 th September 2013 St Helens Cabinet, Friday, 13 th September 2013 Submission to Council, Wednesday, 18 th September 2013 Submission to Government: 30 September 2013 Government review and statutory consultation: October 2013 March 2014 Constituent Councils to confirm membership: March 2014 Potential start date for possible Combined Authority: April 2014