Agenda item

Report of the Chief Executive

The Cabinet considered a report of the Chief Executive which sought approval to a Unifying Resolution to dissolve the West Midlands Joint Committee (WMJC) and to new arrangements for managing the residual business of the Committee once it is dissolved.

The report indicated that WMJC was established in 1985 for the purpose of discharging the residual County Council functions that were deemed inappropriate to pass on to individual Metropolitan Borough Councils (MBCs).  Lead responsibilities for different functions across the region were allocated eg support to Fire Authority; support to Passenger Transport Authority etc. 

Initially meetings of the WMJC took place 3 to 4 times a year and dealt with a wide range of matters; Birmingham Airport has always been a substantial item of business but previously many transport-related matters were covered as well as more ad hoc items including waste landfill agreements, spatial planning, Environment Agency Levy. 

Over more recent years, as other regional bodies have been introduced, particularly the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), the responsibilities of WMJC have diminished.  Only two short meetings per year are held now, often with few items of interest to Members. Birmingham City Council, Coventry City Council, Dudley MBC, Sandwell MBC, Solihull MBC, Walsall Council and City of Wolverhampton Council are member authorities of WMJC with each having one voting and two non-voting members.

Appendix 3 to the report set out the existing functions of the WMJC with recommendations on how they could be carried out in the future.  These proposals were discussed and agreed by Metropolitan Chief Executives at their meeting on 27 October 2017 and again on 26 January 2018 and by Metropolitan Leaders at their meeting on 9 February 2018.

Since the majority of the existing business of WMJC is airport related, it is proposed that a WM Shareholders Airport Committee be established to deal with all Birmingham Airport matters.  This would allow for more appropriate detailed discussion on issues related to the Districts’ shareholding in Birmingham Airport.  The new Committee will be administered by the Birmingham-based Airport Adviser.  Appendix 4 set out the proposals for the Airport Committee in more detail.

The Cabinet agreed to:-

(1)  Set up a Joint Executive Committee with the other six Councils within the West Midlands for the purpose of airport decisions known as West Midlands Shareholders Airport Committee in accordance within the terms of reference set out at Appendix 4 of the Report.

(2)  Authorise the City Solicitor to negotiate, execute and complete all legal documents necessary to support and deliver the above recommendation.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet recommend that Council:-

(1)  Approves the dissolution of the West Midlands Joint Committee, for the reasons set out in the report.

(2)  Approves the proposals for managing the remaining residual business of the WMJC once it is dissolved as set out in Appendix 3 of the Report.

(3)  Approves the appointment of Cllr G Duggins as a voting member of the West Midlands Shareholders Airport Committee and of Cllr A Khan and Cllr G Ridley as non-voting members once the Committee is established.

(4)  Authorises the City Solicitor and Monitoring Officer to make any relevant changes to the Council’s Constitution in order to enact the recommendations.