Agenda item

To consider a number of recommendations from Council regarding a combined authority for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area with a directly elected Mayor.

i.  consent to the Secretary of State making an Order to establish the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (Appendix 1A of the submitted report, circulated separate to the Agenda);

ii.  consent to the Council being a constituent member of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority with effect from the commencement date determined by the final Order;

iii.  authorise the Managing Director, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to consent to the final draft Order and associated documents, specifically:

a.  to agree minor drafting amendments to the Combined Authority Order to be laid before Parliament;

b.  to consent to the Council being included within the draft Parliamentary Order thereby reflecting this Council’s decision;

iv.  authorise the Combined Authority to have a power to issue a levy to the constituent Councils in respect of any financial year. (This will be subject to the inclusion of a unanimity clause in the Combined Authority constitution on this specific matter);

v.  recommend to the Combined Authority that the costs of establishing the Combined Authority, holding the elections in May 2017 and running the Combined Authority (including Mayoral Office) for 2016/17 and 2017/18 are funded from the gain share grant provided by Government (as outlined in paragraph 13.9 of the submitted report);

vi.  appoint the Executive Leader of Council to act as the Council's appointee to the Shadow Combined Authority and once established, to the Combined Authority;

vii.  appoint Councillor D Brown to act as the substitute to the above (ref (vi));

viii.  note the outcome of the public consultation on the establishment of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority as outlined in paragraph 6.1 and 6.2 and Appendices 2A - 2D of the submitted report;

ix.  note the timetable for the implementation of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough devolution Order as summarised in paragraph 8.1 of the submitted report;

x.  note the Government's response to the outline business case for Housing capital investment funds secured as part of the devolution deal as set out in Appendix 3 of the submitted report;

xi.  agree in principle, for a protocol requiring the Council Executive Leader and the representative on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to report to each meeting of Council setting out the activities and decisions related to their respective roles within the Combined Authority;

xii.  request that the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Corporate Governance Committee engage their fellow committee members with a view to devising and agreeing the wording of a protocol for inclusion in the Council’s Constitution.

The Cabinet received a report by the Managing Director (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) to enable the Cabinet to endorse and approve a number of recommendations relating to a Combined Authority across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area, with a directly elected Mayor.

Having already been discussed by the Council Meeting on 16 November 2016 (Minute No.44 refers), it was noted that East Cambridgeshire District Council had approved the recommendations at their Council meeting on 16 November 2016, the Cabinet at Fenland District Council were considering the recommendations the same day as Huntingdonshire and South Cambridgeshire District Council had deferred their Cabinet meeting due to IT difficulties.

The meeting of Council had allowed the Cabinet to have regard to the discussions of and the will of Council when considering whether to approve the recommendations as detailed in the Officer’s report.  Whereupon, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  i.  to consent to the Secretary of State making an Order to establish the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (Appendix 1A of the submitted report, circulated separate to the Agenda);

  ii.  to consent to the Council being a constituent member of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority with effect from the commencement date determined by the final Order;

  iii.  to authorise the Managing Director, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to consent to the final draft Order and associated documents, specifically:

a.  to agree minor drafting amendments to the Combined Authority Order to be laid before Parliament;

b.  to consent to the Council being included within the draft Parliamentary Order thereby reflecting this Council’s decision;

  iv.  to authorise the Combined Authority to have a power to issue a levy to the constituent Councils in respect of any financial year. (This will be subject to the inclusion of a unanimity clause in the Combined Authority constitution on this specific matter);

  v.  to recommend to the Combined Authority that the costs of establishing the Combined Authority, holding the elections in May 2017 and running the Combined Authority (including Mayoral Office) for 2016/17 and 2017/18 are funded from the gain share grant provided by Government (as outlined in paragraph 13.9 of the submitted report);

  vi.  to appoint the Executive Leader of Council to act as the Council's appointee to the Shadow Combined Authority and once established, to the Combined Authority;

  vii.  to appoint Councillor D Brown to act as the substitute to the above (ref (vi));

  viii.  to note the outcome of the public consultation on the establishment of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority as outlined in paragraph 6.1 and 6.2 and Appendices 2A - 2D of the submitted report;

  ix.  to note the timetable for the implementation of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough devolution Order as summarised in paragraph 8.1 of the submitted report;

  x.  to note the Government's response to the outline business case for Housing capital investment funds secured as part of the devolution deal as set out in Appendix 3 of the submitted report;

  xi.  to agree in principle, for a protocol requiring the Council Executive Leader and the representative on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to report to each meeting of Council setting out the activities and decisions related to their respective roles within the Combined Authority; and

  xii.  to request that the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Corporate Governance Committee engage their fellow committee members with a view to devising and agreeing the wording of a protocol for inclusion in the Council’s Constitution.