Business Board

Good afternoon and welcome to today’s Business board um I would like to welcome you all to the board I’m also pleased to welcome members of the press and public who are able to join this virtual meeting online uh can I as always remind any members If you experience any technical

Difficulties during the meeting please as a start of the 10 try and refresh your connection if it appears that you’re unable to connect and we notice that and particularly if we’re no longer cor it may be necessary to adjoin JJ the meeting but we hopefully certainly hope that isn’t the case um

Before I begin as always on our public meetings um we need to do an attendance call um I’d like to also notify members at the start of the meeting uh that sadly one of our members Vic annel has resigned from The Business board so I’d like to take this opportunity to thank

Vic for his Support over a number of years on the business board as well as his support as a member on our skills and employment committee recently and also on our employment skills board in addition to that um we have coming up to the end of their two years terms we have

Two members Professor Andy Neely and Tino Barby who have both reached the end of their term and taken the decision to step down from the business board um so sadly this will be their last meeting as well um I think a few words is probably not sufficient but I do want to extend

Genuinely my thanks to both of them for their huge contribution to the board um since this Inception um and I have every confidence that they will be available for advice and guidance should we need it on specific topics um and so again I thank them very much for their

Contribution um as a formality I now need to call the members of The Business board in alphab etical order just to keep a record um of your presence for this meeting so if I can start with Sam berri here thank you Sam Tina Barby yeah thank you Tina Katy Davis yeah here Mike

Herd no Mike heard is yet in fact I have a note that Mike um may be late along with knitting uh Charlotte Harbin yes here thanks Charlotte mayor Dr Nick Johnson here Al thank you Professor Andy Neely who we’ve just heard from y hi thanks Andy uh

Nitton Patel will be late to the meeting uh Barnaby perks yes I’m here hi Barnaby um Council Smith will also be late joining our meeting but we’ll get to us as quickly as she can Rebecca Stevens yes afternoon now everyone thanks Rebecca Andy Williams hi than you and

Last and least myself Al Kingsley um could the Democratic Services officer please report any apologies that’s been received other than those that I’ve mentioned um thanks chair I did have an email apology from councelor Anna Smith but um Med Dr Nick Johnson says she might be coming along um so if she

Doesn’t come we’ve got formal apologies from her but if she does we’ be lovely to see her perfect thank you for that um this is also an opportunity at this point um for any members to declare pecuniary interests or conflict of interest on any of the topics that we’re discussing

Today no okay and finally before we move on I’ve also been asked to notify members that Jim Cunningham who’s here hi Jim who will be presenting item 3.4 on the Peter bar station quarter needs to leave U by 3:40 so um we may well bring that agenda item forward once we

Get past the the first um items if that’s okay right then moving on to item 1.2 um minutes and action log from the meeting on November the 13th hopefully members have had a chance to review those uh we’re asked to approve the minutes of the meeting uh can I ask whether any

Members disagree with the accuracy of the minutes that were presented I’m seeing no hands so I see no objections so we will take that as carried thank you um item 2.1 combined Authority forward planning um the forward plan is something that members will have seen from our last meeting and

Minutes so the most recent versions were edited to the 19th of December um as well as today’s meeting if I just cover very briefly the item that are currently scheduled for the 4th of March um we have um updates on budget as always growth Works updates and evaluation operating model and revised

Constitution for the business board business and social investment fund as well as a business plan for business support delivery arrangements and an economic strategy update can I ask Business board members and other parties if there’s anything that you feel uh should be included as part of the Ford

Plan to please share that with officers in advance and we’ll be able to update the plan accordingly does anybody have anything at this point that they’d like to raise for consideration for the Ford plan either for March or believe should be on the schedule for later in the

Year no okay thank you folks we are rattling through these items for the first few easy ones Dom can I ask you to jump in thank you may just just to add to that that um we have we have got a directorate meeting tomorrow which will

Be finalizing the Ford plan um we just wanted to capture any feedback that was reported in in the meeting today um and that will be publish published I think next week thank you perfect thank you for that okay then we’re going to move on to item 2.2 Business board chair

Update obviously I’ve memorized all these updates so any shuffling of paper is completely coincidental um but I did want to share as we said in the spirit of moving forward a little bit of activities and items that are on the go um since our last meeting um I have had numerous

Meetings looking to make sure we start to build on broadening the accessibility of the business board and our connection with local groups uh most recently I’ve had really productive meetings with the peterb team involved in parallel including Adrian Chapman Tom Hennessy Nick Carter to make sure that we have

Really good lines of communication um Extended and developed with Peterboro City Council as part of our group I also now meet on a monthly basis regularly with Matt gladston to make sure there’s open lines of communications um in parallel um as many of you will be aware um I’ve met with

Richard Steve Clark Metro Dynamics to make sure we work is moving forward in terms of strategic planning and opportunities which The Business board will be heavily alongside in uh there have been numerous meetings which um big thanks to Andy Williams and Rebecca for their support around bus reforms and

Future planning to make sure we’ve got really good business voice and challenge is part of those considerations again that will be coming to Fuller Business board in Du case in due course um I’ve also met with a team for the greater Southeast Net Zero Hub um I confess I’m

On a steep learning curve on that topic but we’re also really conscious that some of the strands there overlap with some of the economic opportunities and strategic plans that we’re building so really important to connect the dots on that um I’ve also met with the team at seml to better understand their Journey

Um cla’s on the call here I met with her to talk about skills and growing our capacity in the region some really positive things happening there thank you for your time CLA uh there’s been meetings I’ve had from the ox Camp art as well as meeting discussions around

The ox Camp investment Atlas something definitely our region we need to be growing our visibility on um some key organizations linked to growth across our region I’ve met with Rachel stard at gcp taba thir at inate Cambridge the folks at Cambridge and and now meet meet monthly with Dan Thor Cambridge ahead

And you may remember at our previous meeting I was looking for someone to represent us with linam we an entity that we have supported as a combined Authority alongside our agch stream um and as we didn’t have any takers I’ve now T taken a role on the governing body

At linkam and our first meeting is next week but as that’s one of our strategic links is a really important well one I’ve also started meeting with a number of local businesses to try and connect them with some of those stakeholder groups where we can hopefully um

Accelerate some growth and as you won’t be shocked to hear I’m meeting regularly with mayor Nick and those have been really positive and and constructive conversations to make sure we’re moving on the same page those are just some of the headlines of bits that are happening which it’s very easy to be somewhat

Invisible in terms of us meeting um once a month or so so to speak uh but I’m also Keen to ensure with the updated member information that you all very kindly shared focused around not just your sectors but also your skills that we can further signpost those with opportunities so that for future

Projects um we can maintain a degree of balance and make sure that where we’ve got particular expertise and skills we can align those members as quickly as we can with relevant projects um you will also be aware um as a result of having to share that we have some members who

After putting in frankly a really good shift are stepping down but will also be undertaking some additional elections for new members for in fact in the next couple of months and a big thanks to Andy who’s Neely who has offered to share his experience and support that

Regroupment process as well uh we will also need two members to join thematic committees replacing Vic from the skills and employment committee and Tina on the environment committee so could I ask if anyone has an interest in either those strands to please uh communicate that to

Either myself or Dom and as part of our process we will also um over the next month or so be looking to go through the process of seeking and appointing a new Vice chair for the role on the business board as well so quite a lot happening

Um very very grateful to support of officers who’ve made their time so make sure that we can keep conversations moving along um and I’m very conscious with some really um great new people joining our business board that we I’m Keen that we can move along to get them involved in sector

Area activities and really utilize some of their experience so I think the best on that is to to watch this space um but I’m more than happy if anyone’s got any questions about those bits that I’ve just shared there thank you I’m going to jump now then to uh the cpca director’s update

From Richard and then after that I will will come across to you Jim and bring your agenda item forward if that’s all right so Richard can I hand over to you yeah thanks thank you very much Al um re really really very helpful I’ll keep this really brief actually because

Um I’m very conscious that the the verbal updates uh from the Thematic committees is also an additional thing now that we’re we’re we’re rightly receiving and I think that’s really important for us as a board um just very briefly and keeping this quite high level I mean you know 2024 is an

Important year uh obviously it’s going to be a general election year so I think really important um from an economic growth point of view that’s top of the uh political agenda for all the political parties um so I think um really quite important uh for us in

Terms of getting into a state of Readiness uh in relation to that given um the the fact that economic growth is going to be for you know at the Forefront as well as dealing dealing with the um the the state of the economy and the flatlining um I think also it’s

Very clear that all the political parties are very much supporting greater Devolution moving forwards and I think the role of mayoral combined authorities remains significant and and key to that so again you know really important I think that we um we we we get ourselves uh front and center in terms of um

Positioning ourselves I also think that you know from a from a funding point of view I don’t think there is going to be much you know funding by way of Grant uh available but I do think that fiscal uh measures and Innovative finance and uh those sorts of things are going to be

Really very key and I think you know with with whoever wins the next general election there’s going to be a real focus on um making that growth happen and I think you know cambrid and Peterborough should should recognize that it’s in a very strong uh position

In relation to other parts of the the country in the UK um to do that so so moving forwards um we’re continuing to have a dialogue with government about what was published in the Autumn statement around the level four framework and that level four framework and the Devolution that’s on author is

Being drawn down by some of the uh existing mayoral combined authorities we’re continuing to talk to government about uh our Improvement journey and D officials and the independent Improvement board are recognizing um significant changes at the combined Authority um which I think is very positive and we are continuing to press

To um to to do everything we can to get the best value notice uh withdrawn and to enable us to start drawing down some of those opportunities moving forwards and to take advantage of the the the the level the level four framework um the only other major thing that I really

Wanted to mention was uh UK Reef um um so as many of you may know on this call the combined Authority has planned and secured a pavilion so we will have a presence at UK Reef UK reef is the uh UK’s version of miin uh miin is the

Can’s uh property uh and infrastructure um uh event which which is all all about attracting investors and inward investment and as I say we are going to have a presence so it’s really quite key that we get our investment prospectus right in terms of moving that forward

We’ve got the backing of our leaders and our chief Executives um and we will be engaging fully in the three-day event in leads and we will be seeking uh the engagement of Business board members in some of those events and some of those opportunities some of you may be going

Wearing other hats in any case but it would be really good to get your involvement and your support as part of the combined Authority as well so uh in due course we will be bringing uh further uh is you know further items for discussion we may have a dedicated

Workshop um in terms of developing the uh propositions the asks and the offers that we’ll feature um we’re essentially at the moment thinking about uh you know the the sort of feedback at the moment is very broad brush but we are thinking about pitching around fast growth cities

Around the green economy around regener generation and of course in the background of all of this is what’s happening in relation to Cambridge 2040 so again some opportunities in relation to that in relation to some of the infrastructure issues that are so key as barriers to unlocking growth thanks Al

I’ll leave it there thank you thank you Richard I got quite excited when you mentioned can that seems like a better option to attend um could I just ask whilst you’ve you’ve alluded to there will be an opportunity in the coming weeks perhaps to to tap into business board members in

Terms of planning and and delivery there uh could something be shared around as a as a meeting note to all business board members now just so that we can make sure Diaries are kept clear for members just so there’s the opportunity I know some of us have submitted responses in

Terms of speaking and supporting there but um be good particularly for new business board members to to try and keep those dates clear if possible thank you any questions for Richard Andy I do apolog apologize just spotted your hand in the corner that’s right just just just just raised it h

It’s to both of you I think really because um Al you referred to meeting with the oxcam partnership um and then uh Richard you talked about well we talked about the oxcam partnership has an investment Atlas and then the cpca has an investment perspectus how are we going to ensure

The oxcam investment Atlas is aligned to the cpca investment perspectiv and how does that align to the corporate strategy how are we making sure all the things are coming together into a single narrative that’s that’s quite a complicated question um I’ll give you my answer and then Richard will probably

Give you a more detailed answer so so in my role becoming more aware and more engaged with with these different entities my first part was um opening lines of communication and being involved in discussions with those stakeholders involved in the O cam AR which I have started to do um having

Been asked for input along with some officers in terms of the investment Atlas that was as much about shaping a proposition of which I think there are still to be fair Andy some questions about its purpose and how it’s shaped but it also highlighted the kind of from

My perspective being honest I think there’s a waiting towards the two ends of the arc and and gaps around the rest of our region and so one of the conversation points and these are all developmental rather than outcomes at this stage is talking um with officers from a cpca perspective about how we

Build a cohesive strategy that aligns with all the areas across our region leverages some of the strength and capabilities in Cambridge but also looks at ways that we can we can leverage that for for growth across the sector that then suggests to me that as we align our

Strategic plan it allows us to be more communicative back to the AR link to make sure that that’s reflected in in their work as well and that also links One Step earlier than that by making sure with conversations with Cambridge and Peterborough and other regions that we’re also reflecting some of their

Strategic planning work that they’re undertaking and that that dove tailes into our plan as well some of the mechanisms Andy I would absolutely defer to Richard because they are outside of my intricate knowledge at this stage but that’s a high level Richard would you like to yeah

Yeah thanks Al yeah I mean we’re members of the oxcam partnership so we’re we’re fully embedded in the the the arrangements around around the the the atlas and we meet regularly with them so um you know it would be very remiss of us to to to have a misalignment um and

That would be very unfortunate um and it it it feels to me like it’s nothing dissimilar from you know the northern Powerhouse and and you know greater Manchester combined Authority or you know the Midlands engine and the West Midlands combined Authority you know that these are Powerhouse you know I see

The oxcam partnership as as as a as a Powerhouse uh partnership that that operates at at a very big scale and uh our contribution to it is is very important I think I think for us moving forwards um in terms of the there was also mention me mention made of the

Corporate uh strategy and I think you know the corporate strategy at the moment is very high level and as probably not got uh quite all of the linkages into our existing strategies but I think as we as we move forward I think we will see more references to our existing

Strategies within the corporate plan and we are putting in hyperlinks and everything else to make sure that there is more alignment created as we move forward so I think I think you have to you know cor corporate strategy is the big big high level corporate document for the combined Authority sitting

Within that is a range of strategies whether it’s economic growth strategy skills and employment strategy local transport plan all these things need to dovetail and and fit within it and equally um our investment prospectus would would would fit within the oxcam partnership and be our proposition for

The oxcam partnership to take to take forward so I think I think we’re absolutely going to get that alignment right I know the oxcam partnership have got a pavilion also at uh at uh UK reef and we will be doing uh at least one or two joint events with the oxan

Partnership thank you thanks Richard yeah there’s clearly also that separation between the work that’s ongoing between officers working across that Arc uh and some of the bits I suppose from a business board perspective of having um greater input and involvement in and building some of those stakeholder relations I’m very

Mindful that some of that is just the fact we go through transition in terms of a business board chair and there’s a there’s a timeline there of redeveloping some personal contacts and relations on that I think there is a a question mark and and that’s why we’re we’re very

Fortunate with the officer team that we have that we are looking at strategy from another a number of different perspectives and it is there’s certainly work to make sure that we can align from all different perspectives but there’s definitely strides in the right direction did you have a particular

Point around that Andy of interest that you no I think started off well it’s complicated isn’t it complicated question complicated answer we just need to make sure we stay aligned particularly with things like UK beef coming up that yeah how we describe our areas and the narrative around investment opportunities is really

Important I think and I know you’ve shared some some words on that Andy I think collectively and I’ll come to you in a second um Andy nearly if that’s okay um I think being really clear on messaging it seems a simple thing but actually is is really nuanced and really

Important but particularly in terms of how we’re presenting ourselves at reef and I know officers are putting a lot of thought into into that so I’m sure as we shape things in the coming weeks that will definitely um really come together but we’ve got a strong message as it as

It stands and that’s something that I know we want to really make sure we amplify as an opportunity as a really you know strong growth area Andy Neely yeah just to sort of build on this and and lob a a pebble or a hand grenade depending on who’s going to catch

This the other I mean the other body that’s that keeps popping up is the Eastern Powerhouse and so we’ve got this uh moving to the looking to the arc uh and then the Eastern Powerhouse I I’m just interested in how colleagues at CPA cpca engage with that and I don’t even

Know if Eastern Powerhouse is going to appear at UK Reef I can imagine it it might and it might cause yet more confusion about this region so do you want to dive in yeah so I I mean I mean Andy’s right these things these things are never are

Never straightforward you know and there are complexities and there are politics obviously as well but but ultimately you know we’re all you know batting for you know the East we’re all batting for similar uh ends actually in in in all of this so I think we should try very hard

Uh and certainly as an officer I try very hard to make alliances wherever those alliances can be made and where those bridges can be built because there’s nothing worse than you know us all looking misaligned at these sorts of events you know so I think we should do

Everything we can to to um you know to to to to to join to join together in in so far as we can in terms of pitching for the things that we want for our areas and for our residents and our our communities and our businesses so I

Think that’s what we would be hoping to achieve um and I think that’s what where other areas similarly face similar sorts of issues you know there can be you know I’ve seen it I’ve seen similar issues in in the northern Powerhouse and I’ve seen it with the Midlands engine and the West

Midlands combined Authority it’s not always easy to um to to to to get these alignments but you need to work very hard at it and sometimes you know uh the the more we attempt to do that the better I think because these things do

All at the end of the day you know what what are we what are we about we are about growing the economy uh and supporting our businesses and our communities for our areas and I don’t think we should get too hung up about different boundaries and different

Partnerships I think we’ve got to try and work together in as far as we can thank you Richard mayor did you want to jump in um just to say are perfectly handled there by senior officer from the combined Authority I would Echo exactly really what um Richard was saying as as

As the one public uh sector representative on the business board at the moment however in regards to this issue of obviously linking up with external organizations the observation I would make is that in conversation with other public sector elected representatives uh in regard to things you know be at the Eastern Powerhouse or

Maybe even something that’s now on the cards which we’ve very high on the agender Cambridge 2040 it’s often the um observation of the elected representatives that these organizations that come into being however root they do a a failure to have directly elected um politicians elected representatives what you will often sits

Very badly with the local populations and as such because the Eastern Powerhouse in this example doesn’t have uh any clear kind of elected mandate it is one that generally elected representatives and I include myself as the mayor has not been uh rushing to engage with that doesn’t mean to say

That the officers can’t just to make that clear or indeed leaders of the business board um it’s just I sit more comfortably liasing with the U the groups such as the APG east of England all party parliamentary group for East of England that’s where I file

Feel my comfort zone is um but but as a very fair and transparent answer as given by Richard is perhaps the most appropriate response from an officer as opposed to a public sector elected official thank you apprciate clity Andy did you want to come back yeah I just so

Just a practical suggestion because I because I think Nick Raz is a really important point about the Democratic deficit with some of these groups I I wonder whether it’d be helpful just have a little cheat sheet that the baby officers could put together which just summarizes what these various groups are and and

Effectively who’s behind them or what what their rational and purpose is so then everyone would know what what is the Eastern Powerhouse what is the Oxford Cambridge uh pan Regional partnership what’s the super cluster uh what’s innovate Cambridge etc etc I mean because I because we will get asked by

People both in the region and outside the region have you come across these things what what are they and it is a constantly moving feast and and if we’re not careful we lend legitimacy to some of these organizations by accident uh and effectively endorse them

When if you when you when if you started to look behind them you might go actually we don’t want to get into that because that’s that’s just a um that particular organization is a political one which is campaign on a particular set of themes that actually it be right

For the business board to be a bit removed from so I think some some some neutral cheat sheet so that individuals could make a view about what they should and should not engage with would be quite helpful thank you Andy that’s some good suggestion there good recommendation

Perhaps we could uh minute that as an action point I don’t think it could ever be unhelpful to have um a summary like that for for all members oh we could oh we could I mean there’s there’s no doubt we could do that but just building on

Andy’s point I mean you know the you’d have to say that maral combined authorities are the you know preferred model you know uh of government and that the government is actually actively seeking the reason that it’s done these deals with combined authorities is because it is in it is Seeking a single

Voice from these areas that it finds it awfully difficult to negotiate and broke a deals with and and the whole purpose behind the Democratic legitimacy of the direct election and everything else Nick’s absolutely right about this you know it really is the single voice for for the area and and therefore has a

Legitimacy that that that other Partnerships and other uh you know um organizations don’t have in quite the same way you know and and it’s always been it’s always been that case isn’t it who do who does the Prime Minister pick the phone up to uh in terms of talking

To uh you know for somebody to take responsibility or accountability for the area and that that is what the government has been seeking and you know I don’t know how many times Michael go has made the point that his preferred operating model for um economic growth

And areas coming together is is mayor or combined authorities and I don’t think we’ll see any difference the other side of the election no that’s really helpful Richard and I think we well we’re all here combined Authority business board supporting the that that Central View and being the best place and the right

Place to be supporting the growth across our region there are on occasions small separations between the business board role and I think that at the same time with the right steer is all really important to be that litus test of what’s Happening across our region some of the other business groups stakeholder

Groups that we can feed back into the intelligence that we’re sharing but but absolutely well said from from the May on that one thank you does anybody have any other questions for Richard in terms of um his update um obviously hopefully everyone’s aware there’s going to be

Quite a piece of work in the coming months talking about some of our refining on some of our priorities and strategy that we’re we’re working on from an economic perspective that I hope all the members will get heavily involved in no okay in which case I’m going to jump across to item

3.4 bring that forward which is an update on the Peter our station quarter and Jim Cunningham assistant director of delivery is going to present this report over to you sir thank you chair for bringing me in earlier to to help me get to Peter station um from motherwell so it’s all

It’s all falling it’s all coming together strategically just just a very quick point for Andy Williams and to give him the any additional reassurance that requires that in the planning for UK Reef I me on a two weekly basis with Karen Clark at the oam partnership who’s

Planning their presence at the UK Reef so we’re aligning we’re consistently aligning what we’re doing to avoid any potential confusion so just wanted Andy to be to be aware of that uh and perhaps in terms of forward plans I I’ll pick up with the the team tomorrow about

Bringing a more comprehensive update on UK Reef to the next to the next meeting of the board okay the the Peter station quarter Pro the background to this is it’s it’s obviously a very major project for the combined Authority and through the Redevelopment of the station presents a

A tremendous opportunity to further the the economic regeneration of Peter BR City Center um in terms of where it sits within the the combined Authority the project the physical delivery of the project is is led by our place and a connectivity team H and they they the the the process that they’re going

Through just now with the partners at peterb city council Network Rail and N Ln is uh around reassuring the government with progress with the funding that we’ve already received so without getting into too much of the bureaucracy what what happens is we have to produce an Outland business case

Which has been produced and has been submitted to government the um that outlin business Cas is at final stages of vetting by the department for transport and later in this board meeting cycle a paper will be taken to the transport and infrastructure committee seeking delegated authority to proceed to the final business case

Because the approval from the uh DFT is likely to to land you know between meetings H and it’s to give them that authority to to proceed without having to wait for another round of committee Cycles the project itself provides a very exciting opportunity and I think that one of one of the

Benefits from me being based in peterb when I’m down here is that H I’ve had the chance to walk around the city with h Adrien Chapman and his team and see how they can demon they demonstrate that the connectivity between this project and the extent to which it opens up

Other opportunities so a lot of the detail in report is about relocating car Parks about creating new a entrances to this to the station but that was all aligned to opening up e economic opportunities between the station area and the City Center area particularly around the the the Westgate area and

Also fundamentally around the current access from the station to the city center and the the kind of very sort of Dy underpass that you need to go through to get up to the m bed of cowgate and others that all that this project opens up tremendous opportunities for impr

Improving that access and egress to the to the city center from the station so the purpose in bringing it to the the the the board today is to share where we’re at with the project to get some initial feedback and also to to discuss with the board how we can work

Collectively to make sure that we maximize the economic impact of the project so the physical deliveries I say has been been led by Steve his team and the role of Richard’s team and the the The Wider CA to make sure that we’re working with Partners to to realize the

Opportunities that the the the refurbishment of the station and the area around about it provides um I’ve described the in the paper itself the you know from the the the purpose section in in in section one that the combined Authority has has received in principle approval for for 8 million to

Be spent on the project and that project that money will be released in tandem with the approvals of the the various stages of the uh the hurdles that we have to overcome to satisfy the department for transport so the outlan business case and then moving to the the

The final business case the it’s about catalyzing the city center it’s about connecting the station to the city and creating a transport interchange for the future and in in that it’s about realizing the economic opportunities also that the project will present and if you you know if you look at from

Figure two figure 2.2 in the paper that describes the the the project in terms of its physical delivery but don’t don’t get lost or are taken by the number of references to to restructuring car parks and restructuring entrances that’s that is all about the physical work that

Needs to be done to make sure that the the station provides more for the economy of peterb than it than than it currently does so as I said the the the the main aspects of the station are around a new Station Square around a new Western entrance to the station which would

Behind sort of platform six as it as as it currently sits as a station of platform seven and then a refurbished new entrance to the traditional entrance to the station as it sits at the moment and crucially all all of this freeing up lands for further development is what as

Part of that wider economic regeneration program so the paper takes you through that in in detail gives a bit more information in each of the uh the elements of the of the project explains how we’re engaging with the The Wider community in in in in Peterborough and

With Partners around the the the the reig of the station but the clear message that that I wanted to get across today is we’ve got a powerful outline business case which we hope will now get final approval and sign off from the Department for transport and that will

Make us that us then moveed to the final business case and the you know as I say hopefully then we start to see the Regeneration potential of the of the project coming forward in terms of opening up more economic regeneration opportunities across the city so I’m I’m

Happy to take a any questions uh about the project but hope that that the paper itself gives the the the board members some feel for how we’re progressing it thank you Jim any questions from any members don’t see any H which must mean you’ve done such a thorough summary

There Jim can I ask you do you see the the primary Catalyst having sort of read through the minutes and it’s very very visual in explaining the areas of development being linked around capacity of throughput which then links to economic growth on the on the back of

That yeah I think there’s there there’s there’s multiple as aspects to the chair I think the point you have made there about sort of increasing capacity through the station and bringing more people into the city center is is is a very fair point and also improving the

Station as a as as a as an outlet to moving to other areas across the um Across The Wider area given the connectivity that the station has but I think key to it all is that the the the the the interface between the new station and The Wider City Center in a

Physical regeneration sense so the the the the city council is already planning by acquiring land in the Westgate area which is there if you come out and go around past the where the wro sits at the moment and make your way into Pet City Center that way is that area to

That area there that you know as a newcomer to Peter the first night I arrived in Peter BR coming out the station and walking up that way in Westgate I thought there’s lots of lots of scope for regeneration here and it’s good to know that the the um the

Peterb city council team are alert to that recognize that and are playing that into their objectives and this the station helping to do that and similarly if you come out the station and and Veer to your right at the moment and make your way up through the through the

Under passes and whatever it’s not a very pleasant entrance to the city center and again part of the work is around how we how we improve that and the reason that the rationalization of the car parking is so important is the if you look at the this the land take

That is currently set aside for car parking in and around the station there are there are better opportunities that could be made by some of that land that’s achieved through rejigging the the the current car parking thank you Jim I’ve say we’ve got some questions I’m jump to Charlotte first then mayor

Nick thank you and thank you Jim for a very thorough update and I think this is really positive for Peter I think the city’s got so much uh potential and having that accessible front door is very important um I guess realizing economic growth um is really important

And it can mean many things to many people but what consideration has there been into how we might use the project to utilize local Supply chains uh to again generate uh local uh Prosperity but also perhaps to use the project to upskill local people also I think that’s that’s a very

Pertinent Point Charlotte and one of the things that I’ve been asked to do after today’s presentation is to feedback to the combined Authority on how we maximize the benefit of the project and certainly you know you know over the years there’s a lot of talk about inclusive growth and how we benefit from

That and how we we benefit from social value from projects and you’ve just summarized how we can achieve that by you you’re looking to the extent to which we can employ local contractors looking at the opportunities that would exist H for training programs to help the local employee local residents find

Work as a result of the project so that will all play in and will be part of my feedback to the The Wider cpca team thank you Charlotte uh mayor Nick and then Rebeca I think it was an excellent point made there by Charlotte and completely agree

I’m grateful that James so Jim that you you made the point it’s just a kind of comment made in terms of reassurance from the point of view again elected member representative um I’ve already been out with the leader of Peter city council uh Muhammad faroo obviously for

Those who watch local politics you know there’s been significant change and and with that um uh the sense of possibility and the willingness for that kind of Cooperative working between particularly the city council officers and the officers at the combined thority is is r large and and and certainly I’ve found it

Uh a big boom for the job of myself as the mayor obviously I’m there to kind of work across C from Peter but that particular opportunity in peterb seems to be opening up due to changes in C circumstances and I wanted that to be made clear for everybody and to be

Reassuring that the spirit of cooperation is alive and well it’s just in the same way that the point made by Charlotte talks about the business community and I expect you people on this court to speak of it I’m just kind of looking from Jim for reassurance and

Also for anybody who happens to be listening in uh from the peterb community because there maybe that it’s a live meeting is that I know that there’s been representation from uh cycling forum for peterb and there’s some concerns about involvement and how other areas of the work we do at the

Combin authority particularly around the transport we make it work it’s not just the fact that it’s going to be a enhanced looking train station it’s how it works alongside active travel and there has been a particular highlighted issue of the use of the cresant uh cresant Bridge along with the kind of

Specific West Side new entrance um I it’s something I’m happy to take up with the transport team but Jim you need to be aware of the work I know that Peter city council will be doing their own designs but I would expect our team our officers to in the same way that we

Expect Business board members to we need to make sure that we’re saying the right things to um the Peter city council about what we expect how it works around better travel interaction and that obviously is obviously with the bus station as well so uh if you can give me

The reassurance that you’ll Link in and be in a couple of emails on around the challenges around active travel to you and you take that as part of your consideration I’d appreciate it I’m happy to do that and H just just for your own knowledge M because I

Haven’t had a chance to to to speak to you about it but just before Christmas h m gladson and Adrian Chapman invited me to join their internal economic growth board which considers all of these projects as they come through and gives me a chance to play in any CPC input at

That level of governance within the local Authority so hopefully that gives you that extra reassurance that we’re we’re all working closely together thank you Jim Rebecca thanks chair and thanks Jim um I think this is going to be great for Peterborough I think it’s really um welcome and my initial reaction was to

Come in and just ask loads and of questions about um other things which aren’t in this report and I’m gonna raid myself back and just say a bit like Charlotte did you know this has the potential to drive economic growth but this isn’t going to do it by itself and

It’s really important that we keep looking ahead to the next stage and it was it was good James that Jim that you said about um you know the next phase of opening up the access to the city center because having a fabulous um station area um is only going to be fabulous if

People continue to move beyond the station and into the city center if we create opportunities and um for businesses nearby and and I know this area very well I live the Stones Throw from it and I use the station regularly um but I would hope that and I

Appreciate it’s very early days in in the context of this but some future reports would comment on those kind of things about what we’re planning to do next as we build out from this specific area and um and the opportunities that that bring um because I think this this

Does have great potential but we shouldn’t limit it I completely agree with you I completely agree with you Rebecca and I hopefully that we’ve given you some sense of reassurance that that that’s our thinking too and that we will work to that end with partners and just

Coming back to that point about the wider regeneration one of the the points I should have picked up on when the the mayor came in with his comments is that we know we use we use the phrase transport interchange not not Loosely but to to bring in the the the transport

Modes connecting in this area of the city now and working more effectively and efficiently together so that’s all part of that as well Jim thank you for that um clearly there’s going to be plenty of opportunity for some further updates but by the sounds of it as well as the the

Collaboration and work going on with the pet team um it’s clearly there would be some great benefits in in making sure that some of the business board members could could perhaps get involved at the right point to help shape some of that what next thinking and and I absolutely

Agree I think it’s uh what does that unlock as the next opportunities for growth that’s really the key one I’ll take that on board chair thank you thank you any other questions for Jim before he heads off to come to Peterboro and check out the railway station firsthand this

Afternoon no in which case Jim thank you so much thanks appreciated thank you and we will jump back if I may uh to business Bo feedback on thematic committees I’m conscious that not all of our business board members sadly are here so we may not be able to get an

Opportunity on feedback from the um skills committee as niten is not with us but if he joins later in the meeting I will ask him to jump in um in terms of the environment committee Tina I’m putting you on the spot but I don’t know if there’s anything from the most recent

Environment committee that’s relevant since we last met no I didn’t go to that last meeting um um but I’ve just been looking at the minutes online and they are they’re very focused on natural cambri here affordable housing and the local nature recovery strategy as well as climate projects by

Diversity net gain it really when I leave it really will need somebody else to be on this committee because originally Belinda was the member and I was the backup um right so anyway yes it it really is critical that we get somebody on this committee okay thank you Tina

And for new members just clear we’re the intention was to have two members of The Business board on each of the Thematic committees so that when there are future topics that we’re discussing here um Sam I think you might need just mute if you wouldn’t mind thank you um yes so when

We’re having future conversations on the business board it would be helpful to have context of if similar discussions or overlapping themes have been discussed at the other groups so there are definitely two we’re looking volunteers to um replace Tina and formerly belind on that um Andy and Rebecca we’ve spoke spoken already quite

Recently on on the topic of um transport and so on but I wonder if either of you were able to provide an update on most recent Communications from transport and infrastructure committee should I go first Becca having found my un mute button quickly this

Time um so in a in a rare bit of innovation I’m going to do a feed forward because actually the next transport in meeting is on Wednesday so reporting on something a couple months ago wasn’t particularly useful but there’s a common theme to these transport committee meetings at the moment

Um the main one being around bus reform and bus strategy so bus strategy is more about the network and how to ensure that a network which works in a city can also work within Ral locations from things like demand responsive transport how do we maintain the existing bus Network

When not all of them are profitable how do you make sure all our areas get connected so there’s a lot of stuff always on the back bus uh bus strategy um there are specifics which The Business board might be interested in because uh businesso business connectivity business to uh skills

Opportunity business to community opportuni there but generally speaking it’s the local members who have the biggest interest in that because they know their communities so well so although we can input in the bus strategy a lot of it is down to how the local members um feel uh perhaps more

Importantly from my perspective is is bus reform uh because the Consolidated bus strategy does benefit business and bus reform is the way we’re looking to move forward through either an enhanced partnership model or by franchising the exist bus services and it’s something I know that mayor Nick has been thinking

About for a lot of a long a lot of time and we’re getting to the point now on the bus reform where it’s likely to go into subject to review of The Tick and then the full combined Authority likely to go into consultation in the next few

Weeks um so by advice rather than going to the detail now I think it is of such importance to the business community in our wider area that we should have a we should be responding to the consultation and as part of that having a look at

That those bus reforms in in in a either a separate Business board meeting or any our formal business board meetings uh because of the importance importance not just in providing bus services uh but there’s potential Financial Risk Financial reward in there as well we need to balance the sort of network that

We think we can afford and need and want for the area with the financial um exposure that provides us and that’s the big question that’s being asked May might to come and say about that so the big things it’s it’s buses buses uh also though reminding us that Peter station

Is also a transport uh scheme so Peter station update will be coming to the U tick committee on Wednesday and fly enough one of the points we’ve made today I was going to makeing that meeting if Rebecca doesn’t uh it’s great to make a shiny new station but a shiny

New station does not attract business but it’s a combination and a holistic approach to The Wider area the ability to get the high quality offices uh and whatever required to bring in business won’t just be a trade station but it will be a combination of things uh but

45 to 50 million is going to pay pation um so it’s a significant investment and it should make a significant impact to be so i’ say you they the main things unless there’s anything you want to pick up on Rebeca it’s buses buses buses big projects is

The form of the transport and ins committee um Rebecca I can see that mayor is itching to come in and respond on that is there anything you wanted to quickly add just on to that update I won’t repeat Andy’s covered it all it’s buses buses the only thing I would say

Is uh discussed at the last committee and uh and this week uh this this week but not for decision but coming back for the future are the electric vehicle infrastructure strategy and a report on whis beach Rail and I think those are two big things that we as a business

Board and need to just get the soundings of business in on as well so just one for the future future ones uh just to to shut across the bows really perfect thank you Rebecca mayor over to you sir well thank you both Andy and Rebecca for

Summarizing you know a lot of it you are right there has been a lot of talk about buses dream it talk it do it every day um and it is very much on the very near Horizon uh the culmination of a lot of work done by officers around uh looking

At the bus Network IAL for bus reform the the only thing I would say is I I I actually think that the business Community has a big part to play in this going forward I absolutely agree that Andy more formalized response from The Business board around the proposals when

They finally get agreed to go out as a possible consultation and it’s really just to kind of remind those who are on the talk and anybody who’s in terms of the network although we’ve been through quite a lot of uh kind of current consultation finishes today around

Proposals about how we might pay for this in terms of budgeting Arrangements the actual ability for individuals companies uh organizations to kind of get directly to the heart of the combined Authority and say we really could do with a better bus service that runs at weekends for a certain Factory

Which is in located in South cambri or in East cambri that facility will remain going forward for quite a while and I can give you some facts that we’ve we’ve had a huge amount of responses with particular regard around the bus Network and you know to the point that people

Are almost like asking for direct roots of their own more personal nature now we can’t do that but we are beginning to get some really helpful information now the reason I say the business Community is uh I think can help with that and any thoughts about how we can continue to

Get the business Community to feed in into how what the sort of systems or and I’m talking about the services not that how we run it the actual you know bus numbers and how frequent the services should be for individual uh areas is is so important because you

Know where the system has failed companies have often kind of stepped in Andy you know and you often mention it that astrazenica already provid a support uh to your employers and why wouldn’t you you’re a good employer but the ulty is that if every bus uh every bus has started taking that approach

Then it actually then stops the possibility of generating a public transport system through the buses that will work for all in the same way that we’re having to have a conversations with the County Council to try and look at how we can make cost savings and make

Their uh work a lot easier by and joining up bus uh school um home to school transport we can then make a bus uh service work more viably it’s kind of trying to not not stop businesses coming up with that Innovation but almost when somebody would ever think about doing

That saying come to us in the intervening period and come and speak to the officers because there is something that we could maybe do it’s not so easy when you’re not actually running a franchise system actually even within without that be an enhanced partnership or franci going forward we still need to

Have that uh regular conversation and any thoughts about how representative of the business Community could ensure that you were asking and short of responding to our current response which is easily found by clicking straight to our website and it’s a popup uh request anything else would be welcomed thank you mayor um that’s

Something that um perhaps officers could have have a think about how that could be fed back out to Business board members and perhaps relevant thematic committees that could also be Revisited as a topic um I think there’s some really interesting bits to unpick and and thank you Andy and Rebecca for your

Summary on that I know from recent meetings we’ve had there’s a there’s lots to think about both about shortterm and then long-term and sustainability and both have got a really important place to play in terms of considerations um but fundamentally they all move to the the more people that are

Able to shape it then we’re going to improve in terms of usage hopefully moving down the line uh particularly if it links with some of our other economic strategies around just the infrastructure that allows those those buses to operate um successfully is probably the best term to use at this

Stage because it will be different between rural and and city-based considerations um again really useful way of just highlighting that introducing this quick feedback from um members on the different committees is is a good way to spark conversation and make sure other members are up to speed

On to some of the topics that are being discussed and I said I will come back to um skills if we’re opportunity for one of the members to to share if he’s able to join us so I don’t see other questions so I think time permitting now

We’re going to move across to always the most exciting topic of the day uh budget and performance um and the latest budget and performance report is going to be presented to us by the finance manager Bruna I believe you’re here yes you are thank you welcome um would you like to

Present your report to us yes would you like me to share the present the the numbers on the the screen absolutely I think particularly for anybody external who’s who’s watching in it’s always helpful to have context between around the points you’re sharing if you can Bruno bear in mind a second that is

Not unfortunately uh it’s not my used method of U communication Zoom so I need a little bit more help here we are all yeah we are so we here I’m here can you see it we apologies I should have asked first uh let me change the view so you don’t

See to no no yes perfect so we are here to um I’m here to present you with the financial performance of uh the cpca from up to November at the end of November that is the last time we had a yeah month end account ready for you to review um

The I mean to be fair this is representing figures that are very well known to us and issues that have have been already brought to your attention in the past so hopefully this is going to be Quicken um and quick and not bringing any special news to your attention anyway so

This the first table that you can see in front of you is the income that we’re going to receive for activity within the business area so um we are um today to receive 3.3 million out of the 8 8.8 8.9 million that is there and the our

Forecast is expecting to get just over 8 million pounds the majority of the vianes as you can know and love they are related to so the biggest of course vianes is related to where the goco um that we have started later and as I said this is a non thing and unnown

Um issues with this program that we carry forward from previous year in relation to these are the expenditures so the cost the revenue cost that we have incured throughout the life throughout this financial year to date you can see um again our forecast is to be a little bit

Higher than our budget so 7.2 million instead than 7 million this because some of the cost that we inclued for CRF stting growth project and rapid response funds that will have a plan for for last year they just Leed into this year so nothing nothing major nothing to worry

About um we of course got the funds that took over for this we fe uh the programs so the organization itself is not going to suffer for the extra cost that we are inuring um the other thing you can notice here that is I be that we need to highlight

Is the UK share Prosperity funds as you can see we spend only 33,000 to the end of November of the 1.7 million pounds that we have in the budget this is considering that this is up to the end of March so we have only have like four months left that sounds a

Lot of a gap to cover at present we are not expecting to be able to cover this Gap and uh of course the program manager and then Steve later anyway will tell you more about it but in general we are expecting to spend between 10 10% and 25% of the

Amount that is on the budget now the rest will be sleeped the biggest consequence of the sleep will be the amount of money that D is willing to give us in advance for the third year the contract so at the moment D is giving in advance the money for

Year one that was last year year two that is this year and for year three will be based on the amount of money we have spend to date so we will only get approximately 10% off uh the value of of the third year the contract uh on in

Advance and the rest of it we will get it as after we spend expenditure and we approved the cost they haven’t taken away the money they just giv it to us in a different form so um it’s still there but we need to f a a front payment and then we will get

Refunded this is the expenditures sorry the capital side of our expenditure budget um in these you can see um that the one second so you can see um again we we only spend 3.2 million out of the 9 million 10 is there for up to year to

Date the biggest variance is our welln golf Co additional Equity Funds Capital that was budgeted to actually uh have up to 7.6 million at the moment this is was one month before the closure of the contract we are only 2.7 million we spend only 2.7 million um we we were we are still

Believing that the number will be higher by the end of the contract and we will be closer to around4 million pounds today because what happen is that they of course accelerate before the end of the year as you also have heard in the past um the Mony that they are not being

F used in this way to as to go um to give for grant for the cap the golf C golf gol Works work will be retained by cpca and will be invested in another activity that uh the board will consider fit for purpose um going forward so it’s

Not um there are not funds that have been lost in anywhere for we just need to find another venue and another way to work with it the last couple of tables you have here the recycle funds as you know when the PCA started we got some funds originally

And we have invested in the organization by giving them mostly loans so while they when they the money came back from the loans they get recycled and reused so this is what we have and available at the moment to be able to reuse the important thing to not this

And you were aware of it anyway because we spoken about in the past the Recycled Revenue has been uh is going to be fully utilized going forward for the new for the creation of the new econom team that it will push um an understanding um a better understanding of the region for

Thematic area so this is what you you you all have agreed to invest and then and that’s being approv the corpor um combine Authority board last but not least this is the Enterprise and income and expenditure table as as you probably remember Enterprise Z um we get we support some area within

Cpca to evolve to evolve in their own area of um for business Zone enter prise Zone and for that we get a some of the income likewise um a lots of the income that has been um collected in this way will be then reutilized to be able to um contribute

To the new economy um team again as we are doing with the recycle funds these of course is all revenue by the way just for clarity so uh no capital expenditure in here so we can utilize it all and that’s it so anything I’m here for you thank thank you no significant

Changes um if any board members have any question questions please to uh raise your hand there there’s a couple of major ones that are not in any way new but probably just worth clarifying on uh it may be yourself um Bruner or other officers just one is in terms of the

Moving forward ma having confidence in terms of you the um SPF spend and then you also touched in terms of growth Works accelerating spend in the last few months to get up to that expected outturn um there’s a natural I post question from one step remove which is

Are we making sure the same level of Challenge on where that expenditure Investments being made is being done in that closing window because obviously that those funds will come back to support some of the economic growth plans from within the cpca moving forwards after that and I appreciate

That may be another officer who wants to jump in on those two if I might and then if anybody else will take over of course so in relation to to the ukbf we are and the program managers in charge is collecting and analysing the data to make sure that we

Have a final number of what we expecting to be de claimed to the end of this financial year a report will be uh provided to you at the on the new in the next set of report in March so you will be much more up toate in what’s going on

In the business at the moment we are just bit too early for actually have a pinpoint decision and actually I have a very a very firm understanding for you for for for share it with you with confidence in relation to gr C yes we St we stick to the same level of scrutiny

We did stick throughout the life of the program we are not um we are not we are not taking it um more lightly because it’s the end of the contract so we’re carry on with the same level of scrutiny and we apply the same um Pro process and procedures that we have anyway

Thank you Bruner Steve you want to jump in yeah no um I think Bruner’s um uh covered that pretty well in in terms of the answer the only thing I would add about the capital funding and growth works is there’s a natural lag with the claiming um time of this stuff so even

Though it might sound like we were awarding grants potentially right up to the end um the reality is that actually some of the grants we still paying out and and we have paid out um are ones that were awarded several months ago um in fact some of them six to nine months

Ago or longer so businesses have just taken the time to come back with the claims so we’re just Tiding all that up and chasing in those final claims thank you Steve uh Richard yeah just just just briefly um I was just going to say that one of the

Things that we’re hoping to do a bit in relation to things like shared Prosperity fund is do much more collaborative work with the local authorities on um you know delivery of these programs because you know it you know once you’ve allocated the funding we you know we can’t just leave it to

The local authorities necessarily to just kind of sort of get on with it really although there’s an element of that obviously because these the these these projects are primarily led by local authorities once we get into the delivery space but I think we need to be

You know more proactive and and a bit more collaborative around some of the delivery end of some of these programs and projects moving forwards and I think um bringing in how some of the capacity like we’ve chosen to do will enable us to do that absolutely thank you Richard any other

Questions okay this is a there a two-parter for item 3.1 so can we just agree that the first recommendation is just to acknowledge that we’ve noted the report that’s been shared To Us by Bruner and then the second part is a review of the consultation on the corporate strategy and medium-term

Financial plan um something that I know members of The Business board have had an opportunity last week to dip into as well as well as some of us on a couple of occasions or more at this point here um can I ask who wants to cover the mtfp happy

To sorry I’m happy to thank you rob um as just mentioned I know I’m aware that the board had an opportunity of a workshop only three days ago so I won’t go into any huge amount of detail here and just say that the combined Authority every year has to update its medium-term

Financial plan and its budget and alongside that we are refreshing our uh strategic plan as well that sets out what the your priority planning to do between 2023 and 2025 um as those as stute among you will notice we’re halfway through that um so this process isn’t a complete rewrite of

Our strategic plan as it wouldn’t be very strategic if we did that every year um really it’s just updating it making it more readable user friendly highlighting our performance to date on it and uh reiterating and clarifying our objectives over the next year um there’s a a public consultation

Out at the moment that closes today and alongside that the combined Authority consults with key part Partners including the business board giving you an opportunity to feed in a formal response to the consultation uh obviously the mayor is on the call now and so we’ll hear whatever feedback and discussions you

Have in the meeting now um but the reason to have this item on your agenda as well as the workshop on Friday is to give you as a board a chance to agree a formal response that will then be included in any briefing to the board as

Part of the feedback to our consultation and we be report reported alongside the draft Budget on the 31st of January so that board members are seeing the proposed budget your feedback the feedback from the public and any feedback we’ve had from other key stakeholders such as our constituent authorities given you’ve had that

Workshop I’ll leave it there but very happy to answer any questions that anyone’s thought of over the weekend or anything they’d like to thank you rob um if anybody does have any questions please feel free to raise a hand um I I’d like to summarize I think from our conversations from those

Of us who’ve been involved on a number of steps and from the um discussions that were had on the end of last week that there is Broad support for the mtfp uh there is naturally um two strands of expectation one is of course we want to maximize where available the funds for

The business board to support Innovation and growth in the in the region and and part of that is about ensuring that we’ve there is a degree of of unallocated funds that are not signposted on day one that provides us with flexibility to respond to Opportunities and projects that might

Come come our way um I did choose to note with those who hadn’t seen the first draft that there is a a stepped progression over the next three years in terms of some of the funds that are available for um opportunities that we hopefully as a business B will’ll be

Able to shape insights and guidance towards over the next three years um but other than probably the request of everybody else which is it would be great to have more in that pot for growth um there’s a recognition of obviously it’s about balancing balancing the the books overall um I don’t recall

There being any key objections um we did have a brief conversation collectively in terms of um increasing of the m precept which is not something that the business board chair at the combined Authority um I would be involved in on a vote around but there was a general understanding that there

Is a a need and a catalyst for skills for business and broader communities to see our bus and infrastructure Network improve and that will definitely be benefit economically on a broader level but also Business board members recognize that that the the extent of the budget is also the fact that some of

That delivery of benefit from transport can’t be unlocked Alone by buses and requires infrastructure in the rural areas to make better connectivity and in the city areas to reduce traffic in different ways or to make more effective flow of traffic to unlock the value of the buses I’m going to pause there if

Any business board members feel that I’ve misrepresented or missed any key points that we shared please do feel free to say so okay in which case robt I think for the benefit of this which is we have a a a requirement at this meeting is I is to

Create for recommendation B whether the business board has a formal response to the consultation that would be um that broadly we have support for the mtfp uh we support its broad objectives but we also want want to flag and we’re mindful that one of the most important ways for

Us to be responsive is to make sure that not all areas are allocated too soon and we’ve got flexibility to respond to opportunities thank you very much chair and just to reassure the board as I’m sure was mentioned on Friday the combined Authority has taken a quite significant change in its allocation of

Funding in the forthcoming or in the proposed budget to do exactly that and set aside funds for economic growth active travel and um climate change agendas with a single Assurance framework that’s currently being developed to enable projects to come forward in year to access those funds

And uh as I imagine some of the board are have not looked back over the past months of CA board agendas um just to reassure The Business board has a very strong voice in those allocations the proposed investment committee that will make decisions on awarding those funds

Up to a million ion pounds and advise the combined Authority board above a million pounds has I believe three representatives from the board the chair and two others to be nominated uh so when that is constituted in the new uh Year we will uh be welcoming input from the board across

The whole range of the combined authorities portfolio thank you Rob I think it’s also noted that members have on a number of occasions now identified that in a moving landscape one of the the other areas is to ident if y opportunities where we can support the combined Authority in effectively bidding for

Other budget other funds that aren’t currently in that budget but we can hopefully leverage and support to unlock other opportunities as well okay thank you for sharing that Rob and thank you to all those who’ve been involved I know it’s an ongoing process but um the most important aspect um as

We know in terms of our constitution is I represent the business board members at the combined Authority board and as a rule I will choose to use um our option to vote on topics where I have confidence in having um a parity of view from Business board members and where it

Is not relevant to the business board or I do not have confidence about a consensus view then I choose to abstain and so this allows us to have a consistent view that can be shared back and fed back the next full board so thank you for that um I think on the

Basis of flow we have moved on to item 3.2 which is the Strategic funds management review I’m guessing that’s you Steve yeah good afternoon again um so this report is the regular update uh that comes to the board um basically just uh updating on uh progress against

Strategic funding programs um and um the work uh underpinning those of the E of the economy and growth team um this report covers up to the um period just before the break in December um the list of uh for the benefit of new members the

The list of at 2.1 the list of uh funding programs there um is already reckoner of what programs we’ve either LED on in the past still leading um or that we’re partnering on in the delivery of as we go forward so any any of those are referenced in this report um in

Different ways in terms of um current spend on projects that we actually have live in delivery from the Recycled local growth fund so as Bruno mentioned you know this is funding that has come back to us and we’ve reallocated out again um we’ve got um uh currently illuminate and

Start code on with um spend still to achieve um working with those projects we have um uh good confidence that the profile that’s agreed with them uh is still live um in fact alumina are just reshaping um the way they’re running their genomics accelerator and we um are

Very confident that they will be drawing the balance of the fund over the coming year um the uh College of West Ang Net Zero project which was approved by the board um that’s not due to start its actual build until later this year so whilst the zero figure sits there we

Expect claims to start coming later in 2024 um and the same with the r Ramsey food Hub that’s um scheduled the Preparatory work is being funded by SPF um but the actual Capital build will be later in 2024 so we will see claimes come there so uh so I’m confident on

That part um in terms of monitoring the actual outputs from the local growth fund both original and recycled um there’s a note in the paper there at 2.3 about um one project the smart manufacturing Alliance which the board invested in in 2020 um and is currently um through discussions uh is is looking

Like it won’t me the original objectives um and we’re currently talking to the joint venture partner of that project opportunity P well PB city council um about options um for that project um we Jim and myself are undertaking assessment um of that program and its current strategic value um to bring back

To the board um some options about whether to continue um backing that project or not um because essentially it will it will not reach the uh membership required to be self- sustaining and therefore there’s a there’s a question about whether to invest further or to um

Or to do a different um kind of activity uh or to or to um move on and and uh do something else in terms of Custer development with manufacturing businesses um so we’ll be bringing a briefing note sharing a briefing note with the board on that with those options in due course

The um other projects um uh listed in appendix one report are the live recycle projects you can see um the current progress on outputs there um in appendix two of the uh report There’s a summary of all of our projects and outputs um and currently the monitoring

Of jobs and apprenticeships which is a key measure although there’s plenty of other measures that we collect um currently stands at 15,9 that’s an increase of 1120 jobs from the last monitoring quarter period um so that’s a significantly good um job addition in a quarter but that’s primarily down to

Growth works and what we’re anticipating seeing in the profile going forwards is a there’s a slowing in the rate of jobs being because growth Works was always going to be a high job creator for a short period of time um what I will do um I’ve noted myself an action that I’m

Going to that verbalize now which is we need to share the master sheet of all our monitoring with Business board members because some of the new members will never have seen it and um uh some of your older members will will have will will have seen and we we collect

And monitor an awful lot of data on many many data points so I’ll share that after the meeting so you can see what the tables in app appendix 2 actually reference to and all the different data that we collect um on UK shared Prosperity that came up earlier so we’ve

Kind of covered that a bit but the uh the risk to spend is one we’re monitoring very closely um I actually have um much higher confidence we are working in collaboration with our local Authority Partners it has taken time um to get the whole program going not withstanding uh dck didn’t share their

Mou with us until six months in almost to sign off we then had to create grant funding agreements with our local authorities which has taken time and then they’ve had to go out and procure contract organize project delivery so that’s taken time as well so it’s not

Surprising to be this far now into year two and we’re actually now starting to get project delivery on the ground many projects are live and the spend claims are coming back to us now to pay for what’s gone on um we’ve actually moved since Bruner’s report which was taken at

The end of November from 33,000 to 616,000 claimed by the end of December and now actually we’ve seen a similar amount coming in January so I’m quite I’m highly confident that actually as we move out of year two and into year three we’re going to see um quite a high climb

In the amount of funding being claimed with the local authorities um so I mean at the moment at the moment we’re sitting on 25% as reported to Delux so we will get 25% of next year’s funding pay to us um so um so that’s uh I’ll just touch on the

Rural sorry as part of SPF we are we’re working closely with the four districts who have now um we have funding agreements all sorted um some of them are already live with their grant funding schemes as part of the rural um support to rural businesses and organizations some are just

Mobilizing that so um but we are again quite quite confident that now we’ve gone through the setting up a mobilization period the delivery period through to the end of March 25 we should see um quite a lot being done there and and confident that the money can be

Deployed um in terms of game share funding which is the combined Authority own pot um the B the the investment fund that we’ve been working through procurement that the board had previously approved or helped uh get approved with the combined Authority um we’ve just completed the procurement um

Notifying two um biders who are going to run the fund for us um the uh cool down period is ends tomorrow so we’ll be able to um notify around to the board after tomorrow who the success suful folks are are going to run that um we’ll bring a

Fuller report in March on how that’s going to well where we’re at and who’s going to deliver it and how they’re going to deliver it um and then one other thing on gain share just to add to what’s in the paper um uh as part of the

Mtfp process you’ve seen there’s two big asks in the gain share um currently should that be approved um we’re currently looking in the background focusing on getting potential program business cases is written for the two large capital projects in there so one being the Strategic growth fund and the

Other being the leveling up fund for um towns and Rural uh areas of the patch the only other thing I’ll pick out from the paper and then close is just to note the the innovate UK work at the end um we had our first call um successfully

Out and closed as part of the agritech Innovation fund um innovate UK will be coming back to us next week with the portfolio of application and as one of the partners in that three County um at Launchpad we will be obviously having a role in determining what what of the

Applications gets approved to form the first portfolio and of course there will be further calls because that was only the 2 million starter there will be two at least two or three more calls on that through this year and next year and the final one is a very small bid that we’ve

Put in um so it’s this prop Tech fund it’s only qu of a million but we’ve in partnership with um cambri city council ped City again Finland we’ve put in a a bid which is all about um uh using innovation in um surveying and um land assembly and uh

That kind of project assembly and development um that’s in partnership with a proptech company that’s developed a platform so we hope to hear in the coming week if we’ve been successful and we’ll be working through that as a little Innovation pilot I will stop there and um happily take any

Questions thank you Steve very full summary and um I’m pleased in a way that um questions about UK SPF and others you’ve been able to so fully build on Bruner’s response and and share that level of confidence which I think is where these conversations can be really

Handy Andy do you want to jump in yeah just interesting Steve about your experience with innovate UK and what additional scope there is for the business board in terms of engaging with them because I know there’s a lot of discussion at innovateuk about Regional support um so I just interested in how

How how you’re developing projects with them and are they always projects where you’ve got a particular um Consortium already together or is the scope for the business board to look at running calls and competitions with innovate UK particularly focused on this region um yeah uh I have to say the

Experience has been um interesting the the launchpads have a quite a defined process that’s already been the precedent is set because there are other launch pads that are ahead of us um but um that the the as partners um the parts of the process have’ been very happy for

Us to be involved is the design of the co um and the kind of nature size scale um potential targeting for for the various grants so um and whether it’s the collaborative grants whether it’s the more smaller um only grants so we’ve gone for a mix of everything in this first call

To almost test the market um the um but going forward we we’re able to um you know they’re happy to let us you know drive that agenda the bit we’re not that they want to hold on to is is the assessing of the applications you know their process of you know scrutinizing

And determining the innovat scoring um but they are bringing the portfolio back to us to make the final decision which is which is Handy and I mean we can as officers we can obviously share that with the board just bearing just cautious of obviously any conflicts of interest that might exist out there

Because there could be collaborative bids that involve multiple organizations within that so you know it’s we’ve had to sign a data sharing agreement with um innovate that you know we’re going to handle the process in a certain way so and then we’ll play a role in potentially monitoring um and you know

The the what comes from the projects which will be of big benefit I mean I’d like to think we can grow The Proposal of of this is a Launchpad pilot into doing this on a much more devolved local scale across many different sectors um and well not just sectors but actually

Foundational activities 2 potentially so I think it’s a relationship that’s it’s right for um you know um developing here at this point great thank you thank you Steve um Richard yeah sorry I’m at mute just to back up what Steve was saying really because I think I think you know and

Andy um the government you know as part of the Autumn statement publication on level four devolution there is references to having a much more uh you know collaborative partnership at the national level through combined authorities so each combined Authority area you know getting a productivity Innovation type uh partnership with government and its

Bodies including innovate UK so it’s obviously something that is on the radar of national government and certainly on our radar in terms of um drawing down uh more interest from govern in collaborating across innovation in the round really rather than on just specific uh projects and specific

Programs but actually having a you know a relationship looking at the economy more generally in the round and how Innovation is really key in some areas it might be you know the government accelerators but in our area it might be more about you know diffusion and it

Might be more about how we how we see these knowledge spillovers spreading a bit more you know outside of Cambridge and into other areas you know so I think I think that’s something for us moving forwards thanks thanks Richard um perhaps there’s another point on that one Steve um we’ve

Certainly undertaken it on some many of the completed projects uh but I think in terms of the this the revised role of Business board there are some projects that clearly are medium-term in terms of their draw down on our support and their delivery where we perhaps could revisit where there’s an oppos

To link a business board member and an opportunity perhaps for some midterm visits and feedback that could be fed in as well I know some have and we’ve certainly done some projects that have been completed but I think both for insights back into the business boarders things that work well but also

Opportunities to to share outwardly from the combined authority projects that have moved in the right direction over time it might be useful to perhaps revisit some of those links now we have a new cohort yeah I would I would totally agree with that and if there’s willing volunteers of course we we we’re

Up for organizing that we still have projects that um uh the board funded which are coming to their original delivery point at the start so we we still will have other projects you you’re saying midterms but we still will have you know um original projects which will benefit from visiting as well as

Going back as you say to more older projects well hopefully now we’ve got a an updated summary subject to adding some more members in a couple of months time um of sector areas of Interest maybe we can do a bit of preliminary mapping of the projects that might be

Suitable uh and look if we can perhaps set a timeline over a few months of building up a bit of a bit of an extra fresh case study library and some experiences of um from different stakeholders meeting with Business board members yeah very happy to do it yeah I’ll work we done on

That perfect maybe we can even map on places that are nearest to different Business board members to to minimize travel as well but def definitely some cross mapping that would be beneficial for all and always nice to share some positive case studies back out with from the combined Authority as

Well um thank you um our recommendations on strategic fund management is just to know are we all agreed then noted and then this is the point where I do the bit because I didn’t follow my instructions fully and I’m going to go back one step and I know we just

Discussed um support and agreement for the um the mtfp but I do require to just take a vote on that if that’s okay folks so um in terms of the consultation we’re supporting the consultation on the um strategy Mutual term financial plan and I’m supposed to have a vote against that

Just so can I have a hands up for all those that support what we’ve just agreed and said and does anybody have a hands up against that and is anybody wishing to abstain thank you folks I may I may not need you to actually formally do that

But it said so in my minutes and I’d rather not have the question after the event so at least we’re cleared on that okay so that’s um the Strategic funds um we’re now moving on to Market towns program update uh which Dom you going to lead on yes please thank you

Chair so um this form is part of our program reporting to the business board and although this is uh this program is um funded through gain share under the combined Authority um we have we are going to be um continuing to report to the business board going forward on on

This program um as it’s got more of a kind of economic focus in terms of the phase two so um the market to program it was initially um kicked off back in 201920 when the combined Authority realized the importance of supporting our regions Market towns to um to thrive

But not only that but to um to pick up some of the um supports the growth that was planned for the region um around um inclusive economic interventions um unfortunately as a program um was launched and we produced a market market Master plans for each market Town um was

When we kind of were starting to feel the effects of of covid and just entering into covid um as we uh exited from our restrictions and lockdowns the program was launched in summer 20 uh 22 where the combined Authority committed 10 million pound to deliver against those Master plans but more importantly

To help open up Mark High streets and and towns in in what was a postco um economy so the the program has been running for for a couple of years now we had a total of 10 funding calls working directly with our local Authority partners and leads in our Master planning

Work and as a result we committed as I said we committed 10 million P that also included 3.1 million pound additional funding for snats and that was really in support of their future High streets fund which we’re which is being delivered as we speak plan to finish next financial year

Um and also included an additional 1.1 million for March again towards their future High Street project which should be finishing um this financial Year by the end of March um over the 10 funding calls we’ve approved a total of 52 projects um um to date um 30 of those

Projects have now completed and have delivered the various various um outputs and outcomes for local areas this includes um improved signage and um um public realm space um as well as more digitalized Town centers and high streets um to really kind of help um help local areas to to to to respond

More quickly should we experience um any future kind of um restrictions in terms of foot flow or or or or pedestrian flows um We are continuing with the program we’ve still got um 10 projects in delivery which are expected to finish this financial year um that includes the

Market the March future High streets project as as I said earlier which is one of our big bigger projects it also includes stuff like additional business space that we’re bring in forward in so um around the Viva art center and the um agritech Center um Agri take East Center in soam as well

So there’s some really great projects which are completing this financial year um there are then additional additional 12 projects which are planned for delivery majority will finish next financial year by March 25 and there’s a hand there there’s one project which is just going to roll over

Into 25 26 um being the late that was one of the projects that was approved in funding call 10 so that’s that’s one of the later approved projects um in terms of spend the program has has been delayed um and I say that’s because of of postco issues and around you know just

Um potential kind of impacts of um suppliers and material costs have a negatively impacted on the pro on the project so we have we have been we have had to adjust um our delivery timelines and expenditure profiles um in in accordance with with latest um developments on the ground and I’m happy

To report that spent to date is just over6 million pound for the program just under 6.5 million for the remainder of this year for quarter four um we’re anticipating to exp expend just under3 million so we’re working with our delivery partners and leads on those projects which are coming to a close

Close um and getting the the necessary funds flamed and out of the door in time for this financial year for next year as I said the majority of the portfolio is is is completing so we’re expecting majority of the the funding to be expended by the end of next financial

Year and that’s profiled at 4.5 million and that leaves a token amount of 125 as rollover for 2526 so that in a quick summary is phrase one so um yes despite some initial delays due to postco um issues um the program is is fully back on track

And we we’re starting to see some um some some positive um mobilization of projects towards completion on that phase um just moving on the program also includes a phase two the subsequent phase two to the program which was approved um by the combined Authority in

March 23 now this is really to kind of expand the work and and the Investments that was made during phase one and to really start working with local communities and groups to support the creation and growth of social Enterprise businesses so we’ve come up with a program where we’ve seen investment of

2.5 million over the next two Financial years to support exactly that and how do we work with our local community groups to support new ownerships of local businesses so we’re delivering a stream where we’re working with providing Outreach and dedicated support to um to local communities to start up businesses

Um and cic’s um that’s that’s that was recently launched in August and has been working well in terms of the initial kind of Engagement with communities the second stream to the program was look is looking at supporting the support that we provide social Enterprise in the area so we um

We launched a fund an Enterprise um Hub fund to work with areas to strengthen the the provision around working with local communities and social Enterprise businesses and I’m pleased to report that we’ve allocated just under 1.2 million to support four key um key sites

In the area one in whis Beach um one in March and one in uh three sorry one in whis beach one in um March and one in pworth in East kire uh South Kash um the third stream of that program was to really um focus around how do we

Work with local schools libraries to um improved the provision around engaging with school children and skills and education so we decided that we would fund a um an extension of the Cambridge Science Center and they do some great work in Cambridge and also there’s some great work that’s been done in Peterburg but

Really to extend that to the market town and rural areas and we’ve seen three Workshop popups um deliver to date which has had some fantastic impact in terms of working with the local communities so we’ve we’ve they’ve worked with over 7 7,000 in interactions um through through

Three of those venues and I’m pleased to report that we we’re moving on to um to march in the new year um Mid mid January uh for the final um for for the next Road Show um the paper includes some updates um in more detail and hopefully members have had a

Chance to read that um and also includes a very brief um summary of the outputs um achieved today although there is a cave yet that those are being updated to reflect quarter three and expected quarter 4 outcomes so with that I’m happy to open the open up

To questions thank you very much Dom thank you um as always very full summary there on on all the phases and as you rightly said the appendix one supporting with the papers has got detailed breakdown on all of those different projects are there any questions from board members to Tom about that

There doesn’t appear to be done but I would perhaps just table the challenge back much as we’ve talked about some of the um economic growth um projects that are ongoing through where business Bo had involvement there may well also be some opportunity to link into some of

Some of the market Town developments and where there may be some links where Business board members could actually not only have an opportunity to see how things have developed but I also think um it’s much harder to measure the the physical impact of that investment and growth in black and white terms and

Actually sometimes you need to actually have an opportunity to meet people to so can actually talk about the impact and journey that might be also be useful something I know obviously our mayor does on a regular basis all across the region Nick would you like to come in

Sir to be honest probably comes into a little bit what you’re saying Al um in regard Dom you made a comment about the work that’s currently going on in St n I’ve obiously at a local level and I’m well aware that there’s some disturbance on a day-to-day basis about some of the

Big works that are now planned there but I just wanted to sort of make a sort of public record and and I think this goes back to uh problems that maybe we’ve had in the past and that we just really haven’t made the most of kind of this is

What the combined Authority does um it’s something that myself and Al when we visited things you know the works and there are significant numbers there you know where been I’m not necessarily sure that the plaque whatever it says when it’s been opening up some new facility does it have the recognition you know

Something brought to you by the combined Authority and likewise going forward I think we have and I say this now because it’s a challenge to you to speak to the comm’s team as I was doing today in regard to the big amount of work we’re currently doing St N I do think there’s

A role for myself as the mayor or indeed other board members uh Business board members to be out and about doing some of the sort of coms as these projects set off and and are actually going out in sometimes to help the local counselors to explain what what we’re

Doing and why we’re doing it because when finally the diggers turn up and the noise and the disruption sometimes you find it can be met with quite a negative approach and I think this something we should be doing at the combine Authority when they’re in action to be very

Visible in terms of this is what the combined Authority does for local communities and then once we’ve left to make sure even projects that was completed a year two years ago three years you know where where’s the stamp of kind of the combined Authority you know there I say provided you know

Equivalent to the you know the old blue um blue background yellow stars provided by EU funding uh we should be doing that with combined Authority provided by combined Authority funding and I’d really like to see that moving forward and some of the money that we’ve got used to actually get recognition for

What we’ve done thank you for that and yeah that absolutely aligns with my view on projects that we’ve successfully supported through completion I think it’s really an opportune Moment For Business board members where appropriate to to visit and capture that and we can

Use that as a way of a bit of a track record and evidencing our track record to to attract future economic growth but given that our remit now increasingly as a business board is provide that business check and balance and feedback across all facets of the combined Authority understand where there’s

Investment in rural areas Market towns and cities and being able to just feed that back I think would be really useful and would support coms but support more of a joined up approach to uh the the the checks and balances across all of our activities I am I’m going to put a

Caveat I’m really really mindful of not coming up with 101 ideas that mean that Business board members are working full-time on the business board um so I’m very mindful of where it’s sector appropriate where it’s in your region or where there’s an opportunity where you you choose to volunteer but I do think

Now we’ve got a bit more detail of where our particular areas of interest and experience lie we just want to try and use that where where the opportunity um comes around but thank you for the market towns um our recommendation for this one is just a note Nick I’m sorry

Your hand is up still is that a legacy one or taking it down perfect thank you sir it’s just a recommendation to not so we’ll all happy to to note that update from Dom and again as I say let look at the opportunity where we can to uh to

Leverage that further um because we’ve done the station quarter earlier you will be pleased to hear we are on the penal no actually we are on the final item now Dom you want to jump in or you just agreeing I saw a thumbs up and I wasn’t

Sure if you’re asking a question but thank you um so we’re on the final one um which is absolutely last but not least uh Claire is joining us to talk about sector skills strategy thank you so much uh thank you for waiting all the way through this agenda um but um can I

Hand over to you Claire thank you very much and I’m hoping either Dominique or someone is going to drive my slides to me because I’m a complete idiot when it comes to um uh zoom and I didn’t want to risk it that’s brilliant thank you um uh it was interesting actually listening

Earlier because um what Richard and and um chair were saying about um talking about strategy and also Rob was talking about refreshing the strategy as well well this is very much um looking at the world of skills through the lens of how we actually start to move forward and

Actually um develop in in terms of uh of um uh a different way um um of delivering our strategy um so this is not a strategy this is a way that I think there’s there’s quite a big way that we can um start to really motor on delivering what has already been agreed

Um and I just wanted to start here and I know it looks a very bold um slide but this for me is the kind of North Star it’s you know what are we here to do and um in the very bold headline terms so we test everything um that we’re thinking

About against these two things and and in my simple world you know doubling gva and reducing inequality um are the two key things that um we’re wanting to use skills to do and if you look at the you know objectives of the combined Authority achieving ambitious skills and

Employment opportunities seem to be the one that resonate most although um that’s not exclusively um um um um to us there are other things that we connect with and the other thing just to say about this slide is very much the the who it’s the perspectives that we have

To look at when we’re doing this so it’s absolutely about the people of the region and making their life better and their employment opportunities better it’s about the employers and business um to create that economic growth and that sustainability it’s about the providers the learning providers to give them um

The right kind of conditions where they can Thrive and grow their businesses and also it’s about a sense of play place I mean we were talking about Market towns earlier um and we’ve talked a lot about place in in other forums as well there’s all four of those lenses um are really

Important when it comes to um the strategy um for skills so we won’t come back to it at the end but at the end the thing that of this presentation what I’m I guess hoping is that the things the simple things that are written on that slide absolutely resonate um with what

We go through so um if you want to tr change to the next slide um I’ve been in um the combined Authority now three months um and very much in terms of doing the first annual report um in November that went to the skills committee it was looking at where

We are now in terms of the benefits that we’d had a from devolution and also kind of bidding for other money as well and so it was about the adult education budget which is a 12 million pounds per year roughly that we get um and then all

The other funding pots that we um bid for um in order to do um other things in the skills world and I won’t go go through them but you can see the kinds of um the kinds of things and the kinds of money um that we’re talking about um

So that’s how certainly in November we are defining our performance in skills and of course that’s what we deliver but the pictures in this slide deck are there for um a reason and uh I’m sure all of you will know or most of you will

Know that um the picture on the right is the um brid Observatory and what I want us to really start to do now um is to look through the telescope so we’re looking outwards so yes of course all the things that are on this list are the

Things that we do um but what I think now is looking at how we use them to much more um effect in terms of the impact um in in the um region around us and how we really start to motor um on the strategy so if we go to the next slide um

I mean Richard talked earlier um about um economic growth being absolutely at the Forefront of what we do what the cpca is here to do um and this really goes to the heart of how I I’m seeing that in terms of um um skills and what we might contribute um and again a

Simple picture of this but I think sometimes it’s good just to stay really clear um um and focus that you know in terms of economic growth we’ve got our PRI prity growth sectors um that we absolutely know are going to be the ones that are driving um um gva um so what is

The skills contribution to their success in terms of now and critically in the future we can’t just be dealing with the now um but it’s not just about the sectors that are driving economic growth I mean I think I don’t know whether it was mayor Nick earli or someone was

Talking about um transport for example there are sectors the enabling sectors which have to work otherwise um these great you know gva sectors that we’ve got that people haven’t got a place to live they can’t get to work they haven’t got a Health Service so we have to look

At those two kinds of sectors in terms of supporting the region and again now and in the future and the third thing and this is often about the way we do the first to is how do we grow a thriving uh um Workforce um thriving people capability in a way that reduces

Disadvantage and improves life chances um in in U in the area that we live so um that’s the ambition and I think um that for me is turning the telescope round um it’s not saying that our programs aren’t important and we must deliver them absolutely brilliantly but

It’s saying why are we doing them and to what purpose um and how do we make a difference in the outside world so if I give you an example just um and bearing in mind the adult education budget is not all about servicing sectors there are lots of things in learning which are

Sect agnostic but if I look at the moment across how we spend our money we spend 39% of our money um in in our priority and our enabling sectors so I think we can get better at that um and certainly going forward how we commission with the money we’ve got we

Need to commission it now in terms of with that frame in mind um if you turn over the slide um I’d like to say that this is new and Innovative and I thought dreamed it up and nobody else has but it’s not I think it’s a reasonable state statement of the

Obvious um but it’s actually the doing it that’s the really tough thing and I was struck actually I’m just remembering a conversation that um um Al and I had when we we met and we were talking about how we get from this kind of description and this connection to programs and how

We Bridge it with what’s in in strategically we need to do in the real world and this is I think one of the key ways that we uh May well be able to do it and it’s you know in my old world it’s about the value chain of talent

It’s saying what do you have to make work in order to get a thriving pipeline so you could draw it many ways and you could spend months finessing it but I think you know impressionistically it’s giving you an idea of what what we’re talking about here that right from the

Start when you start to inspire people and engage them um when you’re looking at opportunities in pre-employment worlds to um get them ready for work um and then into jobs and in work development but there’s a green um um uh section in there which I think is really

Important as well and perhaps is more Innovative than the statement of the reasonably obvious that’s there is actually how we work towards creating Work Ready Talent pools that when we’ve done a lot of this work um to get people ready um when for an awful lot of people

Who actually are quite a long way from the workforce now if we’re working with them inspiring them giving them training supporting them actually then creating a place where employers can go fishing for talent and they know that um that Talent has reached a certain standard um um

That can be um um be utilized I don’t know whether I don’t know whe Charlotte um can I can ask her whether she can briefly come in here because we were at the skills committee this morning as were several of us so um few of us have

Seen this before but Charlotte and I are absolutely going to join at the hip on this one because certainly with the chamber and you know Charlotte chairing the elip um that access to employers and not and particularly smmes is going to be critical so um one of the things we

Were talking about this morning was was just the the opportunity and the challenge to engage and I think you know we’re two sides of the same coin Raleigh I mean we we desperately need employers to make this work and and hopefully employers desperately need the the skills that we might be able to

Bring I’ll just come in as um as you say there in um this morning I think it was a message that was very warmly received and there’s a couple of things in here that I think work really well um this morning I said it’s about hiding the wiring when I’m engaging with employers

And businesses as many of the um the the members will be doing on the board today um they get really frustrated by the mechanisms so as much as we can hide those behind the scenes um the better it’s good to see a full life cycle again that’s that’s the you know holistic

Thinking um and great that we’re taking those growth sectors as um you know recommended through the local skills Improvement plan however also recognizing we’ve got those enabling sectors uh where skills such as green and digital um are really really important I think this gets really exciting when we’ve got those big

Regeneration programs that we uh touched on earlier on today being able to tie all of this together so you almost get a kind of triple word score if I can describe it as that so uh you know really key that we’re bringing education local government and really importantly

As the elip does puts employers right at the heart of um the design yeah I mean I’ve put at the end and I’ve highlighted it in purple or whatever color it’s coming out your end um the umbilical collection connection to employers it’s right through this from the inspiration the engagement

Every single element of this um needs employers um absolutely side by side and it’s probably because I worked as an employer for 30 years in this this um this Arena I I I don’t see us kind of side by side it has to be the same thing

Because it all depends on one another um so really exciting in terms of what Charlotte and I would would really like to do and with the business board as well with with your help just very brief because I’m I’m conscious it’s getting late um the things that I think are

Really important in this are it needs strategic leadership um uh the picture again on the um on the other side is it’s my um my um take on um giving Air Traffic Control it’s like trying to land your jumbo Jets on the runway and get people taking on and off at time it

Needs that level of kind of looking at it and making the moving Parts work properly um so those shared ecosystem objectives and what I mean is Partners who are sensible who’ve got things to bring to the party who have funding to bring to the party and also um strategic

Purpose and critically that we look across that Pipeline and we engage in Collective strategic commissioning so the the money that the cpca has the money that employers might bring universities whoever it may be if we have a shared common purpose then that potential to commission um and to align

That funding so we’re delivering some really exciting stuff I think is um is the ambition just very briefly two final slides I wanted to share with you um the common purpose um I is the name of the next slide and it’s my what I call my scary slide and also you know the

Opportunity slide because it shows you the and it’s again it’s an impression like you could work on this for a for for a long time but it gives you an idea on the left is all the things that the cpca will bring uh and on the right all the different organizations we might

Engage with now at its best if we get this right that’s an extraordinary amount of Firepower to unite behind a common purpose if we get it wrong it’s initiative itus gone mad and we’re all going all over the place so the quality and the generosity of variability to work together to a common

Purpose um is absolutely um key um and finally just um the last um slide in terms of the proposed next steps um what uh there’s a lot of conversation oh sorry the key challenges I’ll end with this one because the next steps are Recon be obvious um just again their

Opportunities as well as challenges we can either get this right or get this spectacularly wrong um employer involvement engagement absolutely has to be right um otherwise we’ve got um no deal here there’s no sector pipeline um in a tight labor market that’s very very hard in terms of um um getting employers

And you will know this far better than me but money is tight um money that’s spent on training and development um is tight in in these particular um times so that’s difficult the provider State sustainability I mean we talked a lot about this at the skills um board um um

Committee this morning um we have to have a delivery chain for our learning which is absolutely first class um and that means that they need enough business um to have economies of scale to create sustainability um and to invest their money um in quality so building that provider sustainability is

Incredibly important for us um the fragmentation was really the the the slide afterwards I I’ve spent the last 10 years of my life beset with as I call it initiativ itis where you have to make this the the the total greater than the sum of the parts uh and that is arguably

The biggest challenge we’ve got and finally just a nod to and it’s not when I say it’s a nod it’s not a nod um because in the end this works at its very best when there is regional strategic leadership and you have the levers in your hands that you can move around um

And it’s um good so far as it goes at the moment but if you look at the range of 16 to 18 if you look at apprenticeships if you look at the fact that you know in boot camps we’ve got government commissioning nationally and we’re commissioning regionally and we’re

Not talking um there’s all kinds of areas where actually more Regional leadership um in a in a coherent strategic way um will make this more achievable so um that’s the direction of travel we you know desperately need to join hands with the business board um um

To get this off the ground and a lot of us on the call are already talking uh oneto one which is great to see so thank you for letting me share it and I hope um we work handing glove on it as we go forward well and thank you for that

Summary I think that’s really helpful and and I’m sure to to many listening it’s kind of music to ears in terms of collaboration um I think it’s fantastic Charlotte linking in there I think showing that that way that the combined Authority Chambers whether it’s on elip

Or broader a can work in parallel but also overlap and support each other and work in a flexible way um is is really huge I’m also really conscious one of the things we’ve talked about in looking at some of our aspirations for some of the bigger strategic plans whether it’s

Um Net Zero and saying we’ve got aspirations but we haven’t got a skilled Workforce that can deliver a pace or change we want or whether it’s the deliver of skills and we haven’t got a capacity in the system some of these are about joined up thinking and and

Planning two steps ahead of when we’re actually going to need some of those skills so um I hope as we shape some of the final nuances on our strategic Ambitions from an economic point of view uh we can make sure in this Spirit of collaboration that skills is just as

Important a conversation around what that might look like um as it is at absolutely right that if we’re doing projects we want to utilize local skills and have the economic benefit as well as the uh the skills development there’s lots to feed into that obviously um we

Need to make sure we’ve got good links and support on that what we already have in the start with with um Charlotte linking across on that anyway but um yeah thank you for that and I hope um we can have some future reports that perhaps start drilling down a bit more

Detail on on what some of those bits might look like and also from your experience and perspectives on on how business board as a collective and as individuals might help enable some of that for you as well thank you thank you folks um we are at the

Home um straight finish line now at the end of the meeting I’m just going to check with officers if there’s anything else that needs to be raised at this point um I should ask i’ checked there’s no hands up does anybody have anything they wanted to ask CLA

No okay um in which case thank you so much um I did say at the beginning but I do want to just flag again um how much I think we need to just flag our appreciation to to Andy and to Tina and those founding members at the business

Board who have been a constant steer over recent years and at times of great source of advice and feedback and um yeah I think we should just make sure we we minute how much that is appreciated and I hope they will stay in touch and we can continue to use her experience on

Occasions thank you Al I’m really happy I was your team as well really happy to support as I can thank you excellent okay well I will see you all again soon folks and thank you very much for everyone who’s listened in or attended on today’s meeting thank you