GREATER BIRMINGHAM AND SOLIHULL LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP BOARD MEETING MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE DIRECTORS HELD:

Transcription

1 GREATER BIRMINGHAM AND SOLIHULL LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP BOARD MEETING MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE DIRECTORS HELD: Friday 15 th January :30 hrs Conference Aston, Main Building, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET ATTENDANCE Andy Street (Chair) Steve Hollis Patrick Hanlon Tracy Westall Anita Bhalla Simon Marks Alan Volkaerts Cllr John Clancy Cllr Gordon Alcott Cllr Richard Grosvenor Cllr Michael Wilcox Cllr Bob Sleigh Cllr Steve Claymore Cllr Bill Hartnett Mike Hopkins Cliff Allen John Lewis Partnership formerly of KPMG Handelsbanken SCC Creative City Partnership Arcadis (nee EC Harris) Jaguar Land Rover Leader, Birmingham City Council Cabinet Member, Cannock Chase District Council Leader, East Staffordshire BC Leader, Lichfield DC Leader, Solihull MBC Deputy Leader, Tamworth BC Leader, Redditch BC South & City College Birmingham City University IN ATTENDANCE Cllr Ian Courts Deputy Leader, Solihull MBC Paul Dransfield Birmingham City Council Michael Swift Birmingham City Council (item 3) Andy O Brien East Staffordshire Borough Council Michael Titchford Cannock Chase District Council Anne Brereton Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council Rachel Egan Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (item 10) Diane Tilley Lichfield District Council Cathy Gilbert University of Birmingham Dame Julia King Aston University (item 1) Graham Silk Hampson Holdings (item 9) Lewis Atter KPMG (item 15) Adam Mason KPMG (item 15) IN SUPPORT Katie Trout Mike Carr Jo Maguire Nick Glover GBS Manager GBSLEP Programme Delivery Director GBSLEP Marketing & Communications Manager GBS Officer APOLOGIES Andrew Cleaves Saqib Bhatti Cllr George Adamson Cllr John Campion Birmingham Metropolitan College Younis Bhatti & Co Leader, Cannock Chase DC Cabinet Member, Wyre Forest District Council Page 1 of 9

2 1 Welcome & Apologies 1.1 Dame Julia King welcomed the LEP Board to Aston University and gave a brief presentation on its 50 th anniversary year, including its record on social mobility and its role in developing pioneers for change. 1.2 Thanks were given to Dame Julia King of Aston University for hosting the Board meeting. 1.3 Apologies from Andrew Cleaves, Saqib Bhatti and Councillor George Adamson were received. 2 Notes/Matters Arising from the last meeting 27 th November The LEP Board agreed the draft notes of the last meeting. The following matters arising were outlined: Item Paragraph 2.2 Resourcing Katie Trout will become LEP Director on 29 th February 2016, with Mike Carr leaving post to become Pro-Vice Chancellor at Nottingham Trent University. The Board thanked Mike for driving positive change at the LEP, and particularly on the Midlands Engine piece. In addition, a draft structure for the LEP Executive has been developed and will now be tested with finance officers at Birmingham City Council. Board Directors were invited register interest in commenting on the structure before the formal recruitment process commences. 2.3 Para 4.2 West Midlands Combined Authority meetings have now been held with all non-constituent members and are being scheduled to take place with those that chose not to become non-constituent members. 2.4 Para 8.3 Competitive Positioning strategy documents are now in the final stages of development, with consideration now going into implementation. This will include using the brand at MIPIM in March and leveraging sectoral opportunities for its use. Further opportunities were sought from Board Directors. It was agreed that a report will be brought to the LEP Board meeting in March. 2.5 Para 12 Enterprise Zone Investment Plan the Investment Plan has been endorsed by the Supervisory Board. It was agreed that a report will be brought to the LEP Board meeting in March on the extension of the EZ to cover the Curzon area. LEP Board Katie Trout Marketing Birmingham Waheed Nazir 3. Strategy for Growth KPIs 3.1 Michael Swift attended the meeting to provide an update on the Strategy for Growth KPIs, LEP Performance Dashboard and GBSLEP Labour Market Briefing. In addition, a further paper on Lower Level Skills was included. 3.2 The Board noted performance against the KPIs dashboard, with no changes to the headline KPIs from the last period reported. 3.3 The Board also noted that the LEP s GVA figures will be published soon and that while figures from Solihull are expected to be positive, Page 2 of 9

3 the recently-published figures for Birmingham show less growth than the previous year. 3.4 The Board noted the Labour Market Briefing. 3.5 The Board noted the position with Lower Level Skills across GBSLEP. 3.6 In the discussion, it was noted that improving performance in this area is a priority for the LEP. 4. West Midlands Combined Authority 4.1 Katie Trout introduced the item, noting that it focuses on three key elements: formation of the WMCA, the Devolution Deal, and the WMCA Super SEP. 4.2 The Board noted the update on developments in relation to the formation of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). 4.3 The Board noted the work that has been undertaken since the proposed Devolution Deal was signed in November The Board noted progress in developing the WMCA Super SEP. 4.5 The Board noted that consultation will take place with constituent members, with a commitment to further, wider engagement with nonconstituent members. 4.6 The Board agreed to receive a further report on the West Midlands Devolution Agreement at the March meeting. WMCA 5. Midlands HS2 Growth Strategy Governance 5.1 Paul Dransfield introduced the paper, noting the need to align governance arrangements to keep step with regional and national developments. The key tasks for the Delivery Board will be to deliver an outline Implementation Plan to Government by 31 st January, with a final draft to be issued in late Spring; and also to move from a strategic role into a delivery role. 5.2 The LEP Board approved the HS2 Governance Structure as set out in Appendix A including the roles and responsibilities of the HS2 Delivery Board, HS2 Local Delivery Team and Local Delivery Bodies/Vehicles. The revised Governance Structure will now be taken the WMCA governance arrangements. 5.3 The Board agreed to the delegation of authority to the HS2 Delivery Board as set out in Annex 1 of Appendix A. The Delivery Board will lead on the creation and oversight of the Implementation Plan. 5.4 The Board agreed to act as the representative of the three LEPs within the Combined Authority in its role as the sponsor of the HS2 Midlands Growth Strategy. GBSLEP will represent the three West Midlands LEPs on the Delivery Board. 5.5 The Board approved the interim chair of the HS2 Delivery Board being the current chair of GBSLEP. Paul Dransfield HS2 Delivery Board Simon Marks Andy Street Page 3 of 9

4 5.6 In the discussion, the Board agreed to receive a further report on resource requirements for the HS2 Governance Structure. 5.7 In the discussion, the Board noted that a 40m allocation has been confirmed for the two sites of the National College for High Speed Rail. 6. GBSLEP SEP Refresh HS2 Delivery Board 6.1 Steve Hollis introduced the item, noting that the refresh of the SEP is the next stage in the development of the LEP s strategy, working closely with WMCA colleagues. 6.2 The Board agreed the proposed approach for refreshing the SEP, in particular the role for the Pillar Boards. The Pillar Boards will lead on the SEP refresh in respect of their areas of work. 6.3 The Board agreed that the refreshed document will be completed by June/July The Board noted the membership of the refreshed SEP Steering Group. 6.5 The Board agreed to the creation of a Challenge Group and agreed to suggest individuals to be invited to join it. Suggestions of potential representatives of national and international repute were welcomed. 6.6 The Board agreed to the creation of a task and finish group to focus specifically on the digital agenda. The Board welcomed the proposal, which could also inform further devolution proposals. Pillar Boards LEP Board 6.7 In the discussion, the Board welcomed the opportunity to further align the LEP s approach across the three Pillars, as was the opportunity to harness the thinking of the Sector Champions. 6.8 The Board also agreed to receive a further update on progress with the SEP Refresh at its next meeting. 7. Midlands Engine 7.1 Andy Street introduced this item, placing on record the LEP Board s formal thanks to Mike Carr and Daniel West for their efforts to date, particularly with the launch event. Mike agreed that the launch event was a great success, and that the Prospectus had been well-received by Government. Consideration is now turning to delivery. 7.2 The Board noted the progress being made in delivering the Midlands Engine and the role that the LEP has played to date. 7.3 The Board discussed the next steps regarding the Midlands Engine and feedback on these, with particular focus on the future role to be played by the LEP in the governance and implementation as well as the resourcing of the dedicated executive. 7.4 In the discussion, it was agreed that GBSLEP would recommit 20k resource to the Midlands Engine piece. 7.5 It was also agreed that further consideration should be given to establishing a clear communications strategy around the Midlands Engine in relation to the Combined Authority. The LEP Board agreed to receive a further paper on this at the meeting in March. Page 4 of 9

5 7.6 The suggestion that an interim Programme Director was being sought, potentially using a pro-bono arrangement with a private firm, was welcomed. 8. Report of the Nominations Committee 8.1 Andy Street introduced this item, placing on record the Board s regret that Tracy Westall would be stepping down and its thanks to her for progressing the Innovation agenda. 8.2 The Board appointed Cllr John Clancy as Birmingham City Council s Non-Executive Director on the LEP Board. 8.3 The Board noted that Tracy Westall will step down from the LEP Board following the end of her term of office at the end of April 2016 and recorded its thanks to her for her significant contribution to the LEP s agenda over the past three years. 8.4 The Board approved the recruitment of a new Non-Executive Director to lead on Innovation and that this process should be led by the Nominations Committee. 8.5 The Board agreed to start the process of recruiting a Deputy Chair for Delivery and that this process should be led by the Nominations Committee. The Board also agreed to suggest potential candidates for the role. 8.6 The Board agreed that the size of the LEP Board should be extended by one, to a maximum of 19 Directors, to enable this further Deputy Chair to be appointed. 8.7 The Board noted that this decision will require the LEP Company Members to approve a change to the Articles of Association and ask the and BCC Legal Services to action this request. The Articles of Association will be amended to extend the size of the LEP Board to 19 Directors, 10 of which from the private sector (an increase of one). 8.8 The Board approved the recruitment of private sector members to the Growing Businesses Sub-Group and the Access to Finance Sub-Group and that these processes should be led by Saqib Bhatti and Pat Hanlon as Director leads for these areas. 8.9 The Board approved the recruitment of a Construction Sector Champion and that this process should be led by Simon Marks as Director lead for Optimising Assets In the discussion, it was agreed that further discussions were required regarding local authority representation in interview panels. Nominations Committee Nominations Committee / LEP Board Katie Trout Saqib Bhatti / Pat Hanlon Simon Marks Katie Trout 9. Life Sciences Update 9.1 Steve Hollis introduced this item, and Graham Silk, to the LEP Board. Steve noted that the Institute of Translational Medicine a key part of one of the LEP Board s first pieces of business is now a reality, and is attracting top global talent. Steve noted that Greater Birmingham & Solihull has huge potential in this space. 9.2 Graham have a presentation to the LEP Board, which covered: Page 5 of 9

6 The submission to the Accelerated Access Review, which was published in the interim report. Some of the recommendations have been included. Meetings with the Minister for Life Sciences to discuss the life sciences offer in Birmingham. The possibility for the region to become a test-bed location for devolution Healthy and wealthy cities is an increasing focus for Government, which is looking to create a Life Sciences Hub in Birmingham. 9.3 Graham recommended that an expert with direct experience in Life Sciences should be sought, and the LEP Board agreed to receive a formal submission from Graham on this. 9.4 In the discussion, the Board thanked Graham for his leadership on this agenda and noted that Birmingham is the only place in the country with right mix of assets, demographics, skill levels and capital investment that can deliver a step change in this sector. 10. Employment & Skills Update 10.1 Alan Volkaerts introduced this item, which provided a broad update on areas of activity and the changing skills landscape in light of the formation of WMCA, the Devolution Deal and the Area-Based Review. Alan suggested that further alignment and prioritisation of key sectors and sector skills should take place through the SEP Refresh The Board noted the summary of progress from the Employment & Skills Board The Board noted the recent and imminent changes to the employment and skills landscape and the impact that this is likely to have on LEP employment and skills activity, including: Item 2 Graham Silk The increasing trend towards a learner / employer pays environment Preparation for devolution of the Adult Education Budget Employment support for the hardest to help Area-based Reviews Advanced Learner Loans The introduction of a Youth Obligation The National Careers Service will be refocused on new priority groups In the discussion, it was agreed that a representative of BIS West Midlands should be invited to the next meeting to update on the Apprenticeship Levy. 11. Area-Based Review of Birmingham and Solihull Colleges 11.1 Mike Hopkins introduced this item, noting that the Review is a Government initiative focussed on tackling financial issues across the further education estate rather than on aligning skills provision with economic ambitions. Mike noted that the programme has slipped, with the next report due on 27 th January, and that there are strong partnership working arrangements in place. Mike also noted that the Page 6 of 9

7 number of colleges is likely to reduce as an outcome of the review, and that there are agreements in principle to create a Joint Apprenticeship Company and a Joint Institute of Technology The Board noted the progress of the Review and identified issues to feed into the progress In the discussion, it was acknowledged that whilst there are financial matters that need to be resolved, there is also a broader strategic piece to ensure that the further education offer is aligned to the region s growth agenda It was agreed that Rachel Egan would assist with setting out the strategic piece It was agreed that this should feature as a major item on the agenda at the next Board meeting. Rachel Egan Work Coaches Initiative Andy Street introduced this as a positive piece of news for noting. The Board noted the successes of the 100 Work Coaches Initiative. 13. GBSLEP Finances A: Budget Monitor The Board noted the LEP Budget position to date, including budgets directly controlled by the LEP and funding streams being delivered across the LEP s geography. The Board noted that Government has committed to providing 250,000 Core Funding for LEPs in 2016/17, with further details to follow regarding Capacity Funding for 2016/17 and in subsequent years. The Board noted that the format of the report will be revised in consultation with the Board Director for Access to Finance. The Board noted the position to date regarding the Business Rate Pool. 13B: Company Accounts for Year Ending 31 st May 2015 The Board approved the company s dormant accounts for the year ending 31 st May 2015 in the form of a Balance Sheet and Directors Report for signature by the Chair for submission to the Company s members and filing at Companies House 14. Communications and Engagement The Board noted the appointment of Jo Maguire as the Marketing and Communications Manager for the GBSLEP. The Board noted recent communications activity since the last report, covering press and PR, stakeholder engagement and social media Page 7 of 9

8 activity. Item The Board agreed to contribute 5k towards a 2-day conference for creative businesses & policymakers being organised by the Creative City Partnership The Board noted future communications and engagement activities. 15 West Midlands Combined Authority Strategic Economic Plan Dynamic Economic Impact Model 15.1 Andy Street introduced Lewis Atter and Adam Mason to give a presentation on the Dynamic Economic Impact Model, which has been commissioned through the WMCA Super SEP Board to accelerate the understanding of modelling of the local economy The presentation covered: the approach to local economic modelling key strategic drivers (including payment by results, business rate devolution and capturing net national additionality) the increasing consideration of a more holistic approach to developing programmes. 16. European Structural Investment Fund Progress Update 16.1 The LEP Board noted the issues raised in the paper, including: National programmes Impact of requirements to undertake an ESIF refresh Progress on Rounds 1 and 2 of calls for proposals Update on Sustainable Urban Development Proposed JEREMIE Access to Finance financial instrument Devolution and Intermediate Body (IB) Status 16.2 The Board agreed to put this as a substantive item on the next agenda. ESIF Area Committee 17. Notes of Meetings: 17.1 The Board received and noted minutes from recent meetings: a) Optimising Assets 11/12/2015 b) Improving Connectivity 26/11/2015 c) GBS Growth Team 27/11/2015 d) Growing Business 01/12/ Conflicts of Interest 18.1 The Board noted the completed Conflicts of Interest form from Cllr John Clancy. Page 8 of 9

9 19. AOB 19.1 No other business was raised. Page 9 of 9