Agenda and minutes

Members of the public are welcome to attend our meetings to watch them in person at any of the venues across the County. Publicly accessible meetings held in County Hall will be webcast, which means they are available to be watched live or recorded on our website. Please see our webcasting notice here. The Committee may, in certain circumstances, resolve to hold part of the meeting in private. If this is the case, you will be required to leave the meeting.

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, Edwin Booth, welcomed all to the meeting.  Apologies for absence were presented from Richard Evans and Councillor Stuart Hirst.  It was noted that LEP Performance Committee Member, Councillor Peter Rankin, was in attendance as an Observer.

2.

Minutes of the meeting held on 2nd February 2016 pdf icon PDF 108 KB

Minutes:

Resolved:  The minutes of the Board meeting held on 2nd February 2016 were approved as an accurate record and signed by the Chairman.

3.

Matters Arising

Minutes:

None

4.

Declarations of Interest pdf icon PDF 39 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Declarations of Interest were made by Dave Holmes (Item 14), Professor Mark Smith (Item 14), Councillor Mark Townsend (Item 13) and Councillor Phil Riley (Item 13).  The Board agreed that the interests did not require any Directors to be excluded from those items and that the relevant declaration forms be completed and published with the minutes.

5.

National Review of LEPs and LEP Assurance Frameworks pdf icon PDF 74 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Kathryn Molloy, Head of Service LEP Coordination, Lancashire County Council presented a report (circulated) regarding the National Review of LEPs and LEP Assurance Frameworks.

 

It was reported that that National Review flagged up a minor governance item requiring correction regarding the publication of Directors Interests.  It was noted that this had now been corrected and all LEP Director Interests were published on the LEP website and would continue to be published on a meeting by meeting basis.

 

There were no major issues raised as a result of the National Review or with the LEP Assurance Framework.

 

Resolved:  The Board:

 

(i)  Noted the findings of the National Audit Office Report into Local Enterprise Partnerships.

 

(ii)  Noted the findings of the Government's Internal Audit and those of the North West Office of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in respect of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership's Assurance Framework and the actions taken by the LEP to address any gaps identified, and;

 

(iii)  Agreed that a formal annual review of the LEP's Assurance Framework be undertaken by the Board in June of each year.

6.

LEP Governance and Sub Committees Report pdf icon PDF 101 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Andy Milroy, Company Services Officer, Lancashire County Council presented a report (circulated) that updated the LEP Board on governance matters and the recent meetings of the LEP Committees.

 

It was reported that Terms of Reference for five of the LEP Committees were presented for Board approval, minor revisions had been made to quorums and substitutes.

 

In addition, the Board was notified of five vacancies in Committee membership and was asked to consider filling those vacancies.  In this regard it was agreed that Councillor Simon Blackburn be appointed to fill one of the two vacancies  on the Enterprise Zone Governance Committee.  The Board agreed to consider the other four vacancies with the Chairman inviting Directors to consider if they would wish to put themselves forward. 

 

Resolved:  The Board:

 

(i)  Approved the five revised Committee Terms of Reference as presented at Appendices 'A' to 'E'.

 

(ii)  Agreed to appoint Councillor Simon Blackburn to the Enterprise Zone Governance Committee and requested that Directors give consideration to putting themselves forward to fill the remaining four Committee vacancies, and;

 

(iii)  Noted the updates provided in the report in relation to the Committees of the LEP.

7.

Science and Innovation Audit (Verbal Update)

Minutes:

Professor Mark Smith, Vice Chancellor, Lancaster University and LEP Director provided a verbal update on the Science and Innovation Audit.  It was reported that following the submission of Lancashire's bid , the Business Secretary and Science Minister had selected the Sheffield City Region and Lancashire as one of the UK's first Science Innovation Audit sites to identify investment opportunities and enhance research innovation and infrastructure across Britain.

 

The bid is one of five chose for the first Science and Innovation Audits and that Lancashire had been placed in the "pathfinder group".

 

Resolved:  The Board noted the verbal update regarding the Science and Innovation Audit.

8.

LEP Marketing and Communications Report pdf icon PDF 118 KB

Minutes:

Martin Kelly, Director of Economic Development, Lancashire County Council presented a report (circulated) which updated the LEP Board on the developing strategic marketing proposition for Lancashire.

 

Resolved:  The Board:

 

(i)  Noted the contents of this report, in particular the work of Thinking Place and SKV Communications.

 

(ii)  Approved the proposed approach to continuing to develop a strategic marketing proposition for Lancashire, as set out in this report.

 

(iii)  Delegated authority to Lancashire County Council's Director of Economic Development and the Chief Executive of Marketing Lancashire to progress with the outputs required from this project, and;

 

(iv)  Noted that the Chief Executive of Marketing Lancashire, as the LEP’s Media Communications and PR lead, will continue to provide regular updates to the LEP Board on the work programmes and outputs of the appointed consultants.

9.

Growth Deal - Transport Scheme - Blackpool Tramway - Conditional Approval Report pdf icon PDF 70 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Kathryn Molloy presented a report (circulated) which sought LEP Board approval to a Growth Deal Transport Scheme – Blackpool Tramway.

 

It was reported that, at this stage, the LEP Board was asked to consider the Outline Business Case report prepared by Jacobs and grant the scheme conditional approval.

 

It was noted that earlier in the day, the Transport for Lancashire Committee had met, and, had agreed to recommend the scheme for approval by the LEP Board.

 

Resolved:  The Board considered the Outline Business Case and agreed to grant the Blackpool Tramway Extension scheme conditional approval.

10.

Combined Authority Update pdf icon PDF 68 KB

Minutes:

Councillor Mark Townsend, Leader of Burnley Borough Council and LEP Director, presented a report on behalf of Lancashire Leaders (circulated) regarding the latest development of the Combined Authority for Lancashire.

 

It was noted that almost 2000 responses were received to the public consultation exercise on the Combined Authority proposals with 70% agreeing that a Combined Authority is right for Lancashire.  It was also noted that 35 businesses responded to the consultation.  Throughout March and April 2016 Lancashire Leaders are taking reports to their respective decision making meetings recommending that their council become a constituent member of a Lancashire Combined Authority.

 

In addition, officers are currently drafting a constitution for the Combined Authority, working towards the principles of the Scheme of Goverannce for a shadow Combined Authority to be in place from July 2016.

 

Resolved:  The Board noted the report, welcomed the progress made and agreed to continue to support Lancashire Leaders in developing the Combined Authority and devolution proposals.

11.

Any Other Business

Minutes:

None

12.

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting of the LEP Board is scheduled for Tuesday 14th June 2016, 6pm, County Hall, Preston.

Minutes:

It was noted that the next LEP Board meeting was scheduled to be held on Tuesday 14th June 2016, 6pm, County Hall, Preston.

Part II

At this point the LEP Board approved that the meeting move into Part II, Private and Confidential to consider the remaining items which contained exempt information provided in confidence as defined in the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  It was considered that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

13.

Lancashire Growth Deal Report

Minutes:

Kathryn Molloy presented a report (circulated) which provided an update on the progress of the Lancashire Growth Deal highlighting each of the schemes contained within the report.

 

Resolved:  The Board:

 

(i)  Approved a maximum allocation of £1.7m of Growth Deal funding to Burnley Vision Park on the basis of the recommendations set out in paragraph 2.10 of the report.

 

(ii)  Approved a maximum allocation of £451k of Growth Deal funding to The Making Rooms scheme on the basis of the recommendations set out in paragraph 3.8 of this report.

 

(iii)  Approved a maximum allocation of £250k of Growth Deal funding to the Café Northcote scheme on the basis of the recommendations set out in paragraph 4.8 of this report; and

 

(iv)  Agreed that the terms of the Growth Deal funding will not include, as a mandatory requirement, BREEAM accreditation, provided that appropriate alternative quality checks are put in place.

14.

Skills Capital Report

Minutes:

Dr Michele Lawty-Jones, LEP Skills Hub Coordinator, Lancashire County Council presented a report (circulated) regarding Skills Capital projects.

 

Resolved:  The LEP Board approved the recommendations from the Skills and Employment Board in relation to the six business cases which had been appraised, as set out at Appendix 'B' to the report.

15.

LEP Finance / Budget Report

Minutes:

The Chairman, Edwin Booth and County Councillor Jennifer Mein, Leader of Lancashire County Council presented a report (circulated) regarding the LEP Budget funding proposals for 2016 / 17 and 2017 / 18.

 

Resolved:  The Board approved the recommendations as set out in the confidential report regarding the LEP Budget funding proposals for 2016 / 17 and 2017 / 18.