A report by the Chief Executive explained why the Liverpool City Region needed to review its strategic governance for economic development, regeneration and transport and outlined the process undertaken to conduct a governance review commissioned by the Liverpool City Region Cabinet. 

The Chief Executive’s report set out the recommendation of the review, after evaluating the current available evidence, to create a Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to formalise existing informal arrangements, signal to businesses and the Government that the City Region was serious about working together and potentially draw down extra powers and funding from Government.

The Chief Executive identified in his report how a potential Liverpool City Region Combined Authority could operate and the functions it could discharge, along with considering a draft scheme for its establishment.

Included within the report was an outline of the proposed approach to consultation and it sought agreement to host specific Wirral events to further consult on the Review of Strategic Governance and the operation of a potential Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Attached to the report were the following appendices:

·  Appendix 1 – The Draft Liverpool City Region Strategic Governance Review;

·  Appendix 2 – The Draft Outline of the Potential Role for a Liverpool City Region Combined Authority; and

·  Appendix 3 – The Draft Scheme for the Establishment of a Combined Authority for Liverpool City Region.

Councillor Phil Davies introduced the report informing that it was important for the Cabinet to agree the Chief Executive’s recommendations at the meeting.  He was of the view that Wirral Council and the rest of the City Region needed to do all it could to increase growth, jobs and investment and what was being proposed would assist this.

Councillor Phil Davies informed that he was both puzzled and confused by recent comments Councillor Ian Lewis had made on Radio Merseyside against the proposed Combined Authority, particularly as it was a model that the Government recommended the Council to embrace.

Councillor Phil Davies told the Council that Councillor Ian Lewis had also commented that the Combined Authority proposal would cost the Council millions of pounds when in fact it would be cost neutral.  He informed that it did not involve a new tier of politicians and bureaucrats and that it would be managed within existing resources. 

Councillor Phil Davies reported that Councillor Ian Lewis had claimed that the Council would not get Wirral’s share of the funding being made available to the City Region.  He totally disagreed with Councillor Lewis’ claim and was of the view that Wirral’s share would go to Wirral.  If the Council seriously wanted to meet the Government’s challenge, then the Cabinet should embrace this proposal as the way forward.

Councillor Phil Davies also made it clear that he did not support the Metropolitan Mayor model.

The next step would be to move into a consultation phase and the Council could seek the views of partners, businesses etc.  A special meeting could be held in order to consider the results of the consultation exercise and make recommendations to the Council.

Councillor Phil Davies proposed that call-in be waived and the Chief Executive confirmed his consent to the same and informed that as it was likely that the process and the strict deadlines all Merseyside Councils were working to would be delayed if the Cabinet’s decisions were call-in, it was reasonable that the decisions be treated as urgent and for call-in to be waived.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the draft findings of the Liverpool City Region strategic governance review (Appendix 1 to the report) be endorsed;

(2)  the draft outline of the potential role for a Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (Appendix 2 to the report) be endorsed;

(3)   the draft scheme for the establishment of a Combined Authority for the Liverpool City Region (Appendix 3 to the report) be endorsed;

(4)  the holding of Wirral events as part of the consultation on the proposals described in the documents referred to in resolutions (1) to (3) above be agreed;

(5)  the final versions of the documents referred to in resolutions (1) to (3) above together with the results of the consultation exercise be submitted for consideration at future meetings of the Cabinet and the Council;

(6)  the appropriate Policy and Performance Committee be requested to meet to examine the proposal and offer suggestions on how to take it forward as soon as possible; and

(7)  the above decisions were urgent and call-in be waived given the actions and timetable that all the Councils involved are required to undertake and meet in order to establish the proposed Combined Authority.