Issue - meetings

Matter for Decision

The Officer’s report provided an update on the activities of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority since the 1 July Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Committee.

Decision of Executive Councillor for Strategy and External Partnerships

i.     Noted the update provided on issues considered at the meetings of the Combined Authority held on the 31 July and 25 September 2019.

Following the meeting the Executive Councillor confirmed the following appointments to the Combined Authority Committees:

·        Skills Committee – Cllr Davey, (Cllr Sargeant Substitute)

·        Housing Committee – Cllr Sargeant (Cllr Davey Substitute)

·        Transport Committee – Cllr Massey (Cllr Sargeant Substitute)

·        Confirmed a change to the Labour substitute member for the Overview and Scrutiny committee from Cllr Davey to Cllr McQueen.

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Chief Executive.

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

     i.        Questioned how well the constituent Councils in the Combined Authority worked together.

    ii.        The Combined Authority’s economic review referred to 3 discreet economic sub-regions, which did not coincide with local authority boundaries.  For example the Greater Cambridgeshire economic review would include areas which fell under East Cambridgeshire District Council’s local authority area. 

The Executive Councillor said the following in response to Members’ questions:

     i.        The Combined Authority could work better with the constituent Councils.

    ii.        There needed to be greater strategic focus on the southern part of Cambridgeshire as a defined economic zone, both to our benefit as a city and to maximise benefits for the wider adjacent area.   Work under the Local Enterprise Partnership didn’t take Greater Cambridgeshire seriously enough in the past. The Combined Authority Local Industrial Strategy was a big step forward and looked at planning, sustainability, jobs, housing etc. East Cambridgeshire District Council had been originally invited to play a greater part in the Greater Cambridge Partnership (previously City Deal) but declined to do so at the time.  

The Chief Executive commented that the Combined Authority had taken a pragmatic approach when creating the economic sub-regions.

The Committee unanimously resolved to note the recommendations.

The Executive Councillor noted the recommendations.

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.