Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

(a)  To agree the Minutes of the meeting held on 16^th July 2014

(b)  Matters arising

The minutes of the meeting held on 16^th July 2014 were agreed and signed as a true record. There were no matters arising.

Progress on three key projects of the City Deal contributing to the Coventry and Warwickshire Strategic Economic Plan

Briefing note of the Executive Director, Place

The Board received a Briefing and presentations of the Executive Director, Place that provided an up-date on Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership projects within the City Deal and the Growth Plan, and their associated impacts and benefits.

Coventry and Warwickshire successfully negotiated a City Deal with Central Government, which was endorsed by Elected Members at the meeting of the Council on 14^th January 2014 (their minute 127/13 refers), which aimed to create 15,000 new jobs by developing the local economy, with a particular focus on the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering sector.

Coventry and Warwickshire were also successful in securing a Growth Deal with central government to support economic growth within the local area. By 2021 at least 1,000 jobs would be created and 1,000 homes built.

One of the most important elements of the Coventry and Warwickshire City Deal was the establishment of a “Clearing House” or Growth Hub, where key business support activities would be located in one building.

To fund the first year of City Deal activities the Council secured a further £2.7m of Regional Growth Fund on behalf of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership with a particular focus on the activities of the Growth Hub.

In addition to this each Local Authority in Coventry and Warwickshire had made a contribution to the City Deal and activities of the Growth Hub, totalling £1.123m.

In its first year of operation the Growth Hub aimed to create 217 jobs, 60 skills interventions, invest £1.4 million of funding to businesses and lever £5.25m of private sector funding into the region.

Work on the City Deal was progressing, and update reports were presented on three of the key projects for Coventry: Skills4Growth, North South Station Scheme, Coventry City Centre Road Access:

Skills for Growth – A specialistskills strandof the Coventry& Warwickshire GrowthHub contractedto support 48 learnersand 12 graduate placementswithin Coventry& Warwickshirebased Advanced Manufacturing& Engineering smalland medium sizedenterprises during the2014/15 financialyear,tohelp improveskills amongstthe sectors workforce. This had so far achieved17 graduates, both new graduates and the unemployed/underemployed,intoyear-longemployment and 19employedpeople had receivedtr  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

Report back on attendance and outcomes of event and progress made on the follow ups from the MIPIM 2013 Conference

Briefing Note of the Executive Director, Place

The Scrutiny Board considered a report of the Executive Director, Place, that provided feedback on Elected Members and Officers attendance, costs and benefits of the City Council’s involvement in the 2014 Marche International Des Professionals De L’Immobilier (MIPIM) conference/exhibition.

MIPIM was Europe's largest and most successful property conference/ exhibition held annually in Caen, France. An extensive formal meeting programme was pre-arranged for the City Council's officers for the four day event with the primary objective to attract and encourage investment into Coventry and Warwickshire as part of an overall strategy to create and sustain jobs and growth in the region. It enabled Coventry and Warwickshire projects, achievements and development opportunities to be profiled and to enhance the perception and image of the region to major decision makers and intermediaries in the UK and international property markets. The event had resulted in officers receiving very positive feedback from private sector partners and many Coventry and Warwickshire developments had been started or secured as a direct outcome of discussions held at MIPIM.

Members discussed the outcomes of the event with officers and noted that  the Local Enterprise Partnership had organised the first MIPIM UK, an event that would be held at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry in October 2014 at which Coventry would again be profiled.  

RESOLVED that the Business, Enterprise and Economy Scrutiny Board (3):

(i) Supports the proposal that the City Council attends MIPIM 2015 with the continued aspiration of a private sector partnership meeting all the project costs.

(ii) Supports Coventry re-securing the apartment (No. 3 La Croisette) for use by the Coventry Partnership at MIPIM 2015 as soon as possible.

(iii) Requests the Executive Director, Place, submits progress reports to future Board meetings as appropriate, outlining the outcomes secured from attendance at the conference/exhibition.

Revision of plan, reporting on progress against targets from last 5 years

Briefing Note of the Executive Director, Place

The Board considered a report of the Executive Director, Place, that would also be considered by the Cabinet Member (Business, Enterprise and Employment) at his meeting on 20^th October 2014, which provided an update on achievement against a target of reducing the City Council’s carbon dioxide emissions (CO₂) by 30% over five years. The report presented a revised Carbon Management Plan (CMP) that reflected changing priorities and set new performance targets to be achieved by 2020. It also requested the approval of a revised Energy, Water and Carbon Management Policy.

In September 2009 a CMP for the City Council was approved by the former Cabinet Member (Climate Change, Housing and Sustainability) (his minute 16/08 refers). Since then the City Council had had significant success in reducing CO₂ emissions by 21%. This has been achieved despite significant challenges including the uncertainty around the long term use of City Council office accommodation prior to the planned move to Friargate and the Government’s cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

To address increasing priority for reducing the carbon footprint of the City Council a revised CMP and an Energy, Water and Carbon Management Policy had been prepared. The new Plan had been revised to take into account changing circumstances and set out the agenda and CO₂ emission targets for the next six years, reflecting the national reduction targets.

The Board questioned officers and discussed the following matters:

·  Waste Reduction Unit - production of electricity

·  Heatline - Storage facilities

·  Energy Saving - the outcome of the external fittings on homes in Foleshill

·  The infra-red housing survey

·  Exclusion of Schools from the Carbon Reduction commitment

RESOLVED that the following comment from the Business, Enterprise and Economy Scrutiny Board (3) be forwarded to the Cabinet Member (Business, Enterprise and Employment) for consideration:

That the Cabinet Member (Business, Enterprise and Employment) and the Chair of the Business, Enterprise and Economy Scrutiny Board (3) write to the Department of Energy and Climate Change, expressing concerns that the exclusion of schools from the Carbon Reduction Commitment is a retrograde step. Schools should be part of the education process on climate change and their exclusion from the Carbon Reduction Commitment is contrary to this.

Report of Councillor McNicholas

The Board considered a report from the City Council’s Lead representative and Chairman of Centro, Councillor J McNicholas, on the work of the West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority (WMITA) over the preceding twelve months and attendance at meetings of the Authority by the City Council's representatives.

The WMITA was funded by Council Tax payers through a direct levy and appointments to the body ensured that the City Council was directly involved with the planning and provision of public transport for its residents.

From 1 June 2014 the governance arrangements for WMITA had changed with a new body, Centro Members Joint Committee, created to report to the Transport Authority. The Joint Committee had delegated powers to make recommendations to the WMITA on rail devolution; policies for the promotion and encouragement of safe, efficient and economic transport facilities and services; and on the Authority’s revenue budget and district levy. It also had delegated powers to determine on a range of functions for the WMITA.

RESOLVED that the Business, Enterprise and Economy Scrutiny Board (3) recommends that:

1)  The City Council, as a constituent member of the West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority (a statutory body), continues to nominate and send representatives to its meetings.

2)  Following recent statutory changes to the West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority Constitution which came into force on 1 June 2014, Coventry City Council also sends representatives to the new Centro Members Joint Committee and Scrutiny function.

Outstanding Issues are included in the Work Programme below.

Outstanding issues were included in the Board’s Work Programme.

Report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator

The Board received the Work Programme for the Municipal Year 2014/2015 and also considered a Briefing Note of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator that sought approval to establish a Task and Finish Group of the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) to look into licensing options for private rented sector housing.

During the Municipal year 2013/14, Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee established a Task and Finish Group to look at the issue of Houses in Multiple Occupation. One of the outcomes of this review was that licensing for private rented sector housing be looked at in more detail and at their informal meeting on 19^th June 2014, the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) agreed to establish a Task and Finish Group to undertake this task. The Group’s terms of reference would be agreed at their first meeting and the outcomes of the Group, including recommendations for the relevant Cabinet Member would be reported to a future meeting of the Board.

RESOLVED that the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3):

1)  Approves the establishment of a Task and Finish Group to consider different licensing options available to the local authority for private rented sector housing.

2)  Agrees to receive a further report, detailing the outcomes of the Task and Finish Group including recommendations to the appropriate Cabinet Member.

3)  Notes the Work Programme for the Municipal Year 2014/2015.

There were no other items of public business.