Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

There were no apologies.

Declarations of Interest by individual Members in relation to any item of business on the agenda.

Cllr Lelliott declared a non-pecuniary interest in item 6.

None.

None.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 2 July 2020 be agreed as a true record.

This item was a restricted item by virtue of paragraph 3 of Schedule 12a of the Local Government Act 1972.

A report was considered which sought approval of one scheme with a value of £2.8m for Local Growth Fund funding and sought delegated authority to the Head of Paid Service in consultation with the S73 and Monitoring Officer to enter into legal agreements for the scheme.

The project would deliver two further phases of flood defence works critical to enabling the wider mixed use development which aimed to deliver 105,000 square feet of new floorspace.  Full details of the project were included within the report.

The project was considered to have a good strategic fit with the Strategic Economic Plan which focused on delivering enabling infrastructure to deliver transformational schemes.  The project was considered able to deliver within the LGF timeframe.

In light of COVID-19 impact on leisure developments the Board asked that the MCA receive clarity on the current level of certainty that future commercial developments will be forthcoming.

RESOLVED – That the Board:

a)            Approve the progression of the project as set out in the report for the MCA to award a £2.8m grant (which consisted of £1.5m existing loan being converted to a grant and an additional grant of £1.3m) from the Local Growth Fund subject to the conditions set out in the Appraisal Panel Summary Table attached as an Appendix to the report.

b)         Delegate authority to the Head of Paid Service, in consultation with the S73 and Monitoring Officer, to enter into legal agreements for the scheme.

A report was submitted which provided an update on the recent announcements for devolved funding to support infrastructure projects in the SCR and outlined the projects that would be brought to future Infrastructure Board meetings for decision.

The Board was informed that on 30^th June 2020, the Government launched ‘A New Deal for Britain’ which was a key part of the Government’s strategy for economic recovery following Covid-19.

As part of the strategy, £33.6m of capital funding had been allocated to the SCR MCA for supporting immediately deliverable infrastructure schemes.

The £33.6m was funded from the Government’s ‘Getting Building Fund’ and had been allocated for a prioritised programme of major capital infrastructure schemes that were ‘shovel ready’, along with a further £40m from the Government’s ‘Brownfield Housing Fund’ for a programme of housing schemes on brownfield sites over the next 5 years.

The prioritised list of schemes agreed with Government were set out at Appendix 1 to the report, the schemes that were shaded were the nine schemes that were under the remit of the Infrastructure Board.

Members noted that all schemes were progressing straight to the Full Business Case with a view to completion as soon as possible, ready for approval.  This was important if the 18-month delivery timescale was to be met.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

A report was submitted which presented the SCR Renewal Action Plan (RAP) and set out the actions being undertaken to implement the Plan in terms of the Infrastructure Place elements.

The Board noted that the RAP focused on three main areas of action:

• People – invest to ensure local people have the opportunity to develop their skills and to find, stay and progress at work.
• Employers – invest to ensure employers can survive, adapt and thrive.
• Places – invest to create jobs and thriving places in a way that reduces inequality and enhances the environment.

Members were informed that the Infrastructure Board was tasked with overseeing activities related to two of the four ‘Place’ themed interventions.

• Investment Programme 1 – Covid-19 Spatial Adaptation
• Investment Programme 3 – Shovel Ready Schemes

A summary of actions and activities already underway and planned was set out within the report.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

A report was submitted which presented the GatewayEast Economic Blueprint.

The Board were reminded that the Sheffield City Region LEP and MCA recognised the strategic importance of Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) to the future economic growth of the region.  This was captured in the draft Strategic Economic Plan which identified the Airport and the surrounding GatewayEast site as a key growth area.

Members noted that it had been agreed that there was a need to work with Peel Group, the owners of the airport to begin to set out a statement of intention on how the next stage of growth would be achieved.  The report now considered and the accompanying draft GatewayEast Blueprint had been endorsed at the LEP Board in July as the first step in that process.

The GatewayEast Economic Blueprint set out a roadmap for developing the innovation cluster opportunity structured around five themes.  These were:

1.  Developing a high value innovation cluster.

2.  Sustainability

3.  Connectivity

4.  Land and Development

5.  Airside Growth

The Blueprint also set out what Peel, the MCA/LEP and Doncaster MBC would collaborate on over the coming years to bring forward the growth cluster.

The draft GatewayEast Economic Blueprint was attached at Appendix 1 to the report.  Members were informed that, if agreed by the MCA at its next meeting in September, further detailed work would be undertaken to take forward the five workstreams identified, including the infrastructure package required to achieve the shared objectives set out in the Blueprint.

RESOLVED – That the Board endorse the GatewayEast Economic Blueprint and the progression of the workstreams identified.

The Board considered the Infrastructure Performance Dashboard which provided up to date performance information on the Infrastructure programme delivered on behalf of the LEP and MCA.

The Board considered the Infrastructure Delivery Plan Dashboard.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

The Board considered its Forward Plan.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

The SCR Transport Board agenda was submitted for consideration.

REOLVED – That the SCR Transport Board agenda be noted.

None.