Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

The Chair welcomed Leaders and apologies were noted as above.

The Mayor noted the focus on Devolution from the new Government, and the opportunities this presented for South Yorkshire, such as Local Growth Plans and improving public transport, and a new way of Mayors working more closely with Government.

He added that Northern Mayors had launched the Manifesto of the North, united behind the brand of ‘the Great North’.

The Mayor spoke against the recent violent disorder and praised volunteers in the community and police for their efforts. He added that work was needed to bring communities together and that he himself alongside the local councils have a role to play in supporting that.

The Mayor noted that the Tour of Britain came through South Yorkshire last week and was a resounding success. The Mayor passed on his thanks to the Leaders for all the work their Councils have done to support the Tour and put on a good show.

Finally, the Mayor highlighted that the first beds have now been delivered as part of Safe Place to Sleep: Beds for Babies project in conjunction with the charity Baby Basics, and he was privileged to be there and meet the first recipient.

To determine whether there are any additional items of business which by reason of special circumstances the Chair is of the opinion should be considered at the meeting; the reason(s) for such urgency to be stated.

None.

To identify where resolutions may be moved to exclude the public and press.  (For items marked * the public and press may be excluded from the meeting.)

None.

None.

None.

None.

N Slack presented the following question:

The current Government seems no more likely to ease the burden of austerity on local councils than the last. As a result councils are having to further clamp down on spending, or else engage with the competitive funding rounds available to them.

This is proving a disaster for the county's heritage assets. Sheffield has seen two unique heritage buildings demolished and another on the verge. Rotherham has had to sell a heritage asset on the condition it be demolished in fear of future consequences if it was not. Barnsley had to gain support from Historic England to save an endangered element of Cannon Hall. Doncaster's 125 year old, grade 2 Grand Theatre, empty for 30 years has been sold at auction for less than £80,000. An indication of its parlous condition.

These are only scratching the surface of heritage assets lost or endangered through underfunding for the sector, despite the fact it generates economically positive results for the region, worth £200m (Gross Value Added) and employing 6,400 people.

Will the SYMCA commit to a support package for the heritage sector worth a guaranteed percentage of Regional Investment funds received per annum?

Will the SYMCA encourage local councils to commit a proportion of their Community Infrastructure Levy monies to the same support package?

Can the SYMCA look at a means of supporting heritage organisations to underwrite cash flow issues that can arise in such bids, even when successful?

This makes a huge difference to organisations trying to attract funding from other external sources (National Heritage Lottery Fund, Architectural Heritage Fund, etc.).

The Mayor thanked the member of the public for their work championing heritage in the region and spoke about the dire financial situation that the new Government had inherited from the previous one. He added that the new Government had indicated that they wanted to move away from competitive bidding processes for funding, and that the Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) was engaged in conversations about single pot funding which would provide more control over the funding received to spend on MCA priorities more effectively.

He agreed that historic and heritage assets in the region were facing challenges but highlighted examples of those buildings that had been restored and brought back to use, such as Wentworth Woodhouse and the old High School for Girls in Doncaster. Examples of ongoing projects at Castlegate in Sheffield were also highlighted.

The Mayor identified a lack of resources and funding available for heritage projects, but expressed a strong desire to do more., He committed to raising the issue with funders such as Heritage Lottery Fund to better understand the how this can be addressed locally.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 4^th June 2024 be agreed as a true and accurate record.

The Chair welcomed and introduced the new Director of Legal and Governance (Monitoring Officer).

RESOLVED that Board Members:

1. Note the publication of the English Devolution Bill and the opportunities this presents South Yorkshire.

2. Note the work underway to prepare the work on a Local Growth Plan.

3. Note the work being undertaken to ensure the MCA is prepared for the devolution of new powers and resources.

4. Note the intention to develop a submission to the spending review focused on securing resources to deliver agreed MCA priorities, based on a one-year settlement for 2025-26, then a three-year single settlement deal from 2026.

A report on the English Devolution Bill was presented.

The Director of Development, Collaboration and Culture explained that a White Paper on Devolution was expected in the coming weeks. Although there was uncertainty as to what precisely would be contained within the Bill, commitments around Single Settlements were expected, as well as a standardised approach to Devolution deals. It was noted that the elements contained in the Level 4 Devolution agreement made in March by the MCA with the previous Government, were expected to be seen in the Bill.

The Local Growth Plan was also discussed, noting the statutory nature of the document and that work has started internally on progressing this.

RESOLVED that Board members are asked to:

1. Note the publication of the English Devolution Bill and the opportunities this presents South Yorkshire.

2. Note the work underway to prepare work on a Local Growth Plan.

3. Note the work being undertaken to ensure the MCA is prepared for the devolution of new powers and resources.

4. Note the intention to develop a submission to the spending review focused on securing resources to deliver agreed MCA priorities, based on a one-year settlement for 2025-26, then a three-year single settlement deal from 2026.

RESOLVED That the Board:

1.    Note the update on year one activity of the South Yorkshire Investment Zone.

2.    Indicate if additional detail is required on any specific element of the Investment Zone.

A progress update on the South Yorkshire Investment Zone was presented.

The Director of Growth and Sector Development updated that the initial tranche of funding for the Investment Zone had been received in May 2024, and a Memorandum of Understanding was signed to secure the £80m over a five-year period. Since then, work has been ongoing with partners to identify interventions across three key areas; increasing demand for support, business eco-system interventions and a responsive fund to attract further investments.

RESOLVED that the Board:

1.    Note the update on year one activity of the South Yorkshire Investment Zone.

2.    Indicate if additional detail is required on any specific element of the Investment Zone.

RESOLVED That the Board:

1.    Endorse the Pathways to Work Commission’s report and its national recommendations in full.

2.    Commit to the regional recommendations in the report.

3.    Commit to work collaboratively across South Yorkshire to further develop the next phase of the proof-of-concept proposals and commit to work closely with central government to identify funding for a pilot.

An update on the Pathways to Work scheme was presented.

The Leader of Barnsley MBC explained that economic inactivity was an historical issue in the region and spanned generations. It was also discussed that economic inactivity is now a national issue, not only impacting post-industrial communities but bringing serious challenges to the Government’s pursuit of growth. The Commission found that there are substantive challenges faced by those attempting to re-enter the work force, which included health, caring responsibilities, transport issues and educational issues.

The report provides a range of recommendations and suggests an appropriate methodology to employing a more personalised approach to tackling inactivity. This could have national implications for best practice.

It was noted that discussions were being held with Government for support to launch a pilot programme across South Yorkshire using a multi-disciplinary approach.

Leaders gave thanks for the work on this programme and welcomed the collaboration across all four Local Authorities.

RESOLVED that the Board:

1.    Endorse the Pathways to Work Commission’s report and its national recommendations in full.

2.    Commit to the regional recommendations in the report.

3.    Commit to work collaboratively across South Yorkshire to further develop the next phase of the proof-of-concept proposals and commit to work closely with central government to identify funding for a pilot.

RESOLVED That the Board note the Capital Investment Programme 2023/24 Outturn Report.

The Capital Outturn Report was presented.

The Director of Programme Delivery provided a summary of the report, noting developments across the region, and the record levels of investment which had been made.

A discussion was held welcoming the report, noting that it was a testament to hard work happening in the region.

RESOLVED That the Board note the Capital Investment Programme 2023/24 Outturn Report

RESOLVED

That the Board approve:

1.    Note the process and identified budget issues for the forthcoming financial year.

2.    Approve the proposals to transfer £5m of anticipated additional Treasury Management income into reserve.

3.    Approve the revised Treasury Management Strategy.

4.    Approve the granting of a long-lease to the City of Doncaster Council for a part of the Mexborough mini-interchange site; and,

5.     Approve the Commercial Street Bridge works at estimated cost of £0.60m to be funded from capital receipts.

An update was given on the 2025/26 Budget.

The Executive Director of Resources and Investment explained that the paper was the first in a series of budget reports across the financial year. There was a significant degree of uncertainty in terms of funding streams for the MCA. The importance of the continuation of the Shared Prosperity Fund was highlighted. Representation has been made to Government for continuation of funding and the MCA will await the decisions made in the Autumn Budget. It was also noted that the Police and Crime budget was included for the first time.

RESOLVED that the Board approve:

1.    Note the process and identified budget issues for the forthcoming financial year.

2.    Approve the proposals to transfer £5m of anticipated additional Treasury Management income into reserve.

3.    Approve the revised Treasury Management Strategy.

4.    Approve the granting of a long-lease to the City of Doncaster Council for a part of the Mexborough mini-interchange site; and,

5.    Approve the Commercial Street Bridge works at estimated cost of £0.60m to be funded from capital receipts.

RESOLVED That the Board approves:

1.    Progression of Attercliffe Waterside to post Outline Business Case (OBC) in principle approval for up to £4.4m grant to Attercliffe Waterside Limited, subject to the conditions set out in Assurance Summary A.

2.    Progression of South Yorkshire Innovation Fund Full Business Case (FBC) to full approval and award of £3m grant to Sheffield Hallam University, subject to the conditions set out in Assurance Summary B;

3.    Progression of Worsbrough to Wombwell TPT Links Business Justification Case (BJC) to full approval and award of £1.33m grant to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, subject to the conditions set out in Assurance Summary C;

4.    Delegate authority to the Head of Paid Service in consultation with Mayor Ros Jones - in her position as the Portfolio Lead for Housing & Infrastructure - for consideration of the following:

(a)  Progression of Snail Yard  from BJC to full approval and award of £0.35m grant to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council as detailed in section 1.6;

(b)  Progression of Templeborough Business Zone (Town Deal Fund) from BJC to full approval and award of £1.78m grant to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council as detailed in section 1.7;

5.    Delegate authority to the Head of Paid Service in consultation with Mayor Oliver Coppard - in his position as the Portfolio Lead for Economic Growth - for consideration of the following:

(c)  Progression of Sports Legacy Institute to post OBC in principle approval for up to £2m to Westfield Health Limited as detailed in section 1.8;

6.    Acceptance of up to £2m grant from Department for Transport (DfT) for the Intelligent Traffic Management Fund programme;

7.    Acceptance of £0.02m grant from DEFRA for the Biodiversity Net Gain programme;

8.    Acceptance of £1.96m revenue and £0.64m capital grant from Arts Council for the Music Hub Investment programme;

9.    Acceptance of £0.07m each from the four Local Authorities and the Environment Agency, £0.05m from Yorkshire Water, and £0.4m from Yorkshire Regional Flood Coastal Committee (£0.87m in total) for the Connected by Water programme;

10.Change request for Future High Streets Fund; and

11.Delegate authority to the Head of Paid Service in consultation with the Section 73 and Monitoring Officer to enter into legal agreements for the points above.

A Programme Approvals report was presented to the Board.

The Executive Director of Resources and Investment explained that the MCA was seeking approval, and delegated authority, for a number of schemes.

Leaders commented that the schemes were very positive developments for the region.

RESOLVED That the Board approves:

1.    Progression of Attercliffe Waterside to post Outline Business Case (OBC) in principle approval for up to £4.4m grant to Attercliffe Waterside Limited, subject to the conditions set out in Assurance Summary A.

2.    Progression of South Yorkshire Innovation Fund Full Business Case (FBC) to full approval and award of £3m grant to Sheffield Hallam University, subject to the conditions set out in Assurance Summary B;

3.    Progression of Worsbrough to Wombwell TPT Links Business Justification Case (BJC) to full approval and award of £1.33m grant to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, subject to the conditions set out in Assurance Summary C;

1.    Delegate authority to the Head of Paid Service in consultation with Mayor Ros Jones - in her position as the Portfolio Lead for Housing & Infrastructure - for consideration of the following:

(a)  Progression of Snail Yard  from BJC to full approval and award of £0.35m grant to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council as detailed in section 1.6;

(b)  Progression of Templeborough Business Zone (Town Deal Fund) from BJC to full approval and award of £1.78m grant to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council as detailed in section 1.7;

2.    Delegate authority to the Head of Paid Service in consultation with Mayor Oliver Coppard - in his position as the Portfolio Lead for Economic Growth - for consideration of the following:

(c)  Progression of Sports Legacy Institute to post OBC in principle approval for up to £2m to Westfield Health Limited as detailed in section 1.8;

3.    Acceptance of up to £2m grant from Department for Transport (DfT) for the Intelligent Traffic Management Fund programme;

4.    Acceptance of £0.02m grant from DEFRA for the Biodiversity Net Gain programme;

5.    Acceptance of £1.96m revenue and £0.64m capital grant from Arts Council for the Music Hub Investment programme;

6.    Acceptance of £0.07m each from the four Local Authorities and the Environment Agency, £0.05m from Yorkshire Water, and £0.4m from Yorkshire Regional Flood Coastal Committee (£0.87m in total) for the Connected by Water programme;

7.    Change request for Future High Streets Fund; and

8.    Delegate authority to the Head of Paid Service in consultation with the Section 73 and Monitoring Officer to enter into legal agreements for the points above.

RESOLVED That the Board:

1.    Delegate authority to the Executive Director, Growth, Business and Skills, in consultation with the Portfolio Lead for Skills and Employment, Section 73 and Monitoring Officer to agree revised in year increases to ASF and FCFJ grant and procured learning organisations, in line with the proposed performance management flexibilities from 2023/24 academic year onwards.

2.    Approve an allocation of up to £1m from ASF reserves to fund overperformance in academic year 2023/24 if total delivery exceeds annual allocation.

3.    Note the decision of the Head of Paid Service made in consultation with the Portfolio Lead for Skills and Employment to make an application for up to £5m of funding from the Department of Education to deliver Skills Bootcamps Wave 6 made as a matter of urgency to meet the deadline for grant applications of the 31st August 2024.

4.    Delegate authority to the Executive Director, Growth, Business and Skills, in consultation with the Portfolio Lead for Skills and Employment, Section 73 and Monitoring Officer to accept grant from the Department for Education (DfE) for up to £5m to deliver Skills Bootcamps Wave 6 in financial year 2025/26.

5.    Note the decision of the Head of Paid Service made in consultation with the Portfolio Lead for Skills and Employment to provide indicative figures for up to £3m of funding from the Department for Work and Pensions to deliver an extension to the Working Win (Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care) programme. The decision to extend IPSPC is subject to Ministerial approval within the Department for Work and Pensions

6.    Delegate authority to the Executive Director, Growth, Business and Skills, in consultation with the Portfolio Lead for Skills and Employment, Section 73 and Monitoring Officer to agree a final proposal, and if successful accept grant from the Department for Work and Pensions for up to £3m to deliver an extended Working Win (Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care) programme across financial years 2024/25 – 2026/27.

7.    Delegate authority to the Head of Paid Service in consultation with the Section 73 and Monitoring Officer to accept grant, negotiate the terms and approve entering into legal agreements for the schemes above.

A report on Skills Programme Approvals was presented.

The Director of Skills identified two bids submitted to Government:

1.    Skills Bootcamp and,

2.    Working Win.

In addition, approval was sought on a number of matters to employ greater flexibility within the Adult Skills Fund to increase delivery. It was noted that there had been a significant improvement in delivery across the region since the MCA has taken control of the devolved funding.

RESOLVED That the Board:

1.    Delegate authority to the Executive Director, Growth, Business and Skills, in consultation with the Portfolio Lead for Skills and Employment, Section 73 and Monitoring Officer to agree revised in year increases to ASF and FCFJ grant and procured learning organisations, in line with the proposed performance management flexibilities from 2023/24 academic year onwards.

2.    Approve an allocation of up to £1m from ASF reserves to fund overperformance in academic year 2023/24 if total delivery exceeds annual allocation.

3.    Note the decision of the Head of Paid Service made in consultation with the Portfolio Lead for Skills and Employment to make an application for up to £5m of funding from the Department of Education to deliver Skills Bootcamps Wave 6 made as a matter of urgency to meet the deadline for grant applications of the 31st August 2024.

4.    Delegate authority to the Executive Director, Growth, Business and Skills, in consultation with the Portfolio Lead for Skills and Employment, Section 73 and Monitoring Officer to accept grant from the Department for Education (DfE) for up to £5m to deliver Skills Bootcamps Wave 6 in financial year 2025/26.

5.    Note the decision of the Head of Paid Service made in consultation with the Portfolio Lead for Skills and Employment to provide indicative figures for up to £3m of funding from the Department for Work and Pensions to deliver an extension to the Working Win (Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care) programme. The decision to extend IPSPC is subject to Ministerial approval within the Department for Work and Pensions

6.    Delegate authority to the Executive Director, Growth, Business and Skills, in consultation with the Portfolio Lead for Skills and Employment, Section 73 and Monitoring Officer to agree a final proposal, and if successful accept grant from the Department for Work and Pensions for up to £3m to deliver an extended Working Win (Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care) programme across financial years 2024/25 – 2026/27.

Delegate authority to the Head of Paid Service in consultation with the Section 73 and Monitoring Officer to accept grant, negotiate the terms and approve entering into legal agreements for the schemes above.

RESOLVED That the Board note the decisions and delegations made.

The Delegated Authority Report was presented.

RESOLVED That the Board note the decisions and delegations made.