Agenda and minutes

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Venue: Committee Room 'D' - The Henry Bolingbroke Room, County Hall, Preston. View directions

Contact: Andy Milroy  Tel: 01772 530354 Email:  andy.milroy@lancashire.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcome and Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

The Chairman, David Taylor CBE, welcomed all to the meeting.  Apologies for absence were presented from Dennis Mendoros, Mark Smith, Claire Whelan, Mark Rawston, Councillor Simon Blackburn and Khalid Saifullah. It was noted that Councillor Ivan Taylor was attending on behalf of Councillor Simon Blackburn as an Observer.

2.

Minutes of the meeting held on 11th February 2019 pdf icon PDF 124 KB

Minutes:

Resolved:  That subject to the inclusion of Councillor Mark Townsend being recorded as present via telephone that the minutes of the meeting held on 11th February 2019 be approved as an accurate record and duly signed by the Interim Chairman.

3.

Matters Arising

Minutes:

Laura Sales, Company Secretary and Director of Corporate Services, Lancashire County Council provided an update on the Urban Development Fund considered at the previous Board meeting.  It was noted that further discussions have taken place with MHCLG, with it recommended that a further report be brought back to the 30th April 2019 Board meeting which includes independent legal advice on the proposed way forward.

 

Resolved:  The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership Board noted that a further report, with independent legal advice on the Urban Development Fund be brought to the 30th April 2019 Board meeting.

4.

Declaration of Interests pdf icon PDF 39 KB

Minutes:

None

5.

Local Business Preparation for Brexit pdf icon PDF 77 KB

Minutes:

Laura Sales presented a report (circulated) which provided a current position on Local Business Preparation for Brexit.  It was noted that the position remained unchanged from the reported position which contained local business concerns.

 

It was noted that the North Western Chamber of Commerce is in the process of organising a Business Preparation Brexit Event to which the LEP will be invited, details will be provided in due course.

 

One other point to note since report production there has been a Government announcement regarding additional funding to be looked at in accordance with Local Industrial Strategy's which the North West has been the largest recipient, further details will be provided to the Board when known.

 

Mick Gornall provided clarification that the nuclear fuel industry was prepared for Brexit following recent press coverage.

 

Resolved:  The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership Board noted the report and agreed to receive further updates on local business preparation for Brexit at future board meetings.

6.

Local Enterprise Partnership Review and Lancashire Local Growth Assurance Framework pdf icon PDF 111 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Stephen Young, Executive Director of Growth, Environment, Transport and Community Services, Lancashire County Council, presented a report (circulated) regarding the Local Enterprise Partnership Review and Lancashire Local Growth Assurance Framework.

 

The report provided an update from the work of the LEP Transition Working Group which consisted of LEP Directors Councillor Mark Townsend, Ann Dean, Miranda Barker and Jim Carter advised by officers from the Accountable Body Stephen Young, Laura Sales and Richard Kenny in addition to Paul Evans from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

 

Stephen gave a presentation that was broken down into eight areas as follows:

 

1.  Appointment of the "Top Team"

 

This covered the current status regarding the appointment of a new permanent Chair (the process for this appointment being led by Blackpool Council and subject to a separate report), followed by the appointment of a permanent Chief Executive.  It was also reported that Addleshaws, whom the LEP has already engaged as independent legal advisers, had been approached to provide an Interim Chief Executive solution until a new permanent Chief Executive is appointed.

 

It was agreed that the Section 151 Officer will obtain a CV for the Interim Chief Executive which will be shared with the Board.  The Interim Chief Executive will also be asked to arrange meetings with Directors at the earliest opportunity.

 

2.  The Accountable Body

 

Attention was drawn to the draft Accountable Body statement in the draft Local Growth Assurance Framework.  It was noted that the view of the Transition Working Group was to retain Lancashire County Council as the Accountable Body.

 

Some Board Members raised concerns over the wording of the Accountable Body statement, in particular paragraph 8 which references approval of the appointment of a Chair and Chief Executive. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy also had some discomfort about this.

 

The Section 151 Officer welcomed the helpful comments and stated that the company doesn't have a typical setup whereby the Shareholders (or Members) would carry the financial risks, the financial liability for the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership lies with the Accountable Body who therefore have a responsibility to protect their interests and those of taxpayers. This  needs to be taken into account.I In light of the concerns raised it was agreed that the Accountable Body statement will be reviewed and re-worded with a view to satisfying both the Directors of the company and the Accountable Body, with the suggestion that a veto may be more appropriate.

 

 

3.  Shareholder (Company Member) Options

 

It was highlighted that not making a change Lancashire County Council being the sole member of the company was not an option and would not be compliant with the requirements of the Government guidance.

 

There were no changes proposed to the company structure by the Transition Working Group, therefore the proposals considered regarding Company Structure at the previous Board meetings which were to retain the existing Private Company Limited by Guarantee structure but to add additional Company Members, still stands.

 

The Transition Working Group recommended that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Update on Recruitment of LEP Chair pdf icon PDF 75 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Mark Tower, Director of Governance, Blackpool Council, presented a report (circulated) which updated the Board on the recruitment process for the appointment of a new permanent LEP Chair.

 

It was noted that an updated job description for the new Chair was included in the report pack.  In addition, it was noted that Proventure have been working within the previously agreed process with a view to progressing to a "rolling longlist" which was recommended is considered by the LEP Transition Working Group to create a shortlist, which will then be passed over to the Appointments Panel.

 

With regard to the Appointments Panel, Graham Cowley, proposed that Councillor Phil Riley be one of the two nominated public sector director nominees, which was approved by the Board.  In accordance with the report the other public sector director was recommended to be the director from the accountable body, County Councillor Geoff Driver.

 

It was also noted that it is envisaged that final interviews will be held either week commencing 8th April 2019 or week commencing 15th April 2019.

 

Resolved:  The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership Board:

 

(i)  Confirmed the latest version of the job description attached at Appendix A.

 

(ii)  Noted the progress made with regard to recruitment of the LEP Chair.

 

(iii)  Confirm that members of the Transition Group consider the proposed longlisted candidates put forward by Proventure (co-ordinated by Blackpool Council); and

 

(iv)  Agree to form an Appointments Panel to undertake the shortlisting and final interviews, comprising 2 public sector directors (approving that they be Councillor Phil Riley and County Councillor Geoff Driver) and 3 private sector directors, to be identified.

11.

Terms of Reference for the Skills and Employment Advisory Panel & Update Regarding Lancashire's Digital Skills Partnership

Minutes:

It was determined that the information contained within this report was no longer private and confidential and could therefore be considered in the Part I open to press and public section of the meeting.

 

Dr Michele Lawty-Jones, Skills Hub Director, presented a report (circulated) regarding revised Terms of Reference for the new Skills and Employment Advisory Panel and provided an update regarding Lancashire's Digital Skills Partnership.

 

Resolved:  The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership Board

 

(i)  Approved the Terms of Reference for the proposed Skills and Employment Advisory Panel and the proposed membership of Cllr Mark Townsend, Dean Langton and Dr Lis Smith; and

 

(ii)  Noted the successful proposal submitted to the Digital Skills Innovation Fund.

8.

Any Other Business

Minutes:

None

9.

Date of Next Meeting

The next LEP Board meeting is scheduled to be held on 30th April 2019 at 4:30pm, venue to be confirmed (will not be County Hall, Preston).

Minutes:

It was noted that the next LEP Board meeting is scheduled to be held on 30th April 2019 at 4:30pm, Dave Holmes, Director, BAE Systems, offered to host the Board meeting at the Academy for Skills and Knowledge, Samlesbury.

10.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

The Board is asked to consider whether, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, it considers that the public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 as indicated against the heading to the item.

Minutes:

Agenda item not required to be considered.