Further to Minute No. 48 of the Cabinet meeting held on 19 September 2014, a report by the Chief Executive provided the Cabinet with an update on the Order and consequential Order to establish a Combined Authority on 1 April 2014, and the other related documents and matters for approval and adoption.

The Chief Executive’s report set out the background and key issues, the remit of the Combined Authority, the detail of underpinning documents and the appointments and structure of the Combined Authority .

Attached to the report were the following:

·  Appendix 1 - The Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral Combined Authority Order 2014 and the Combined Authorities (Consequential Amendments) Order 2014

·  Appendix 2 - Constitution of the Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St. Helens, Sefton and Wirral Combined Authority

·  Appendix 3 - Operating Agreement

The Chief Executive introduced his report.  He reported on progress made so far in establishing a Combined Authority and arrangements being put in place for holding its meetings etc.  The Chief Executive told the Cabinet that this approach was being taken as the government had made it clear that it would allow access to significant regeneration funding going forward if a Combined Authority was established..  It was not envisaged that the Combined Authority would employ any staff and there were no extra costs associated with its establishment,

Councillor Phil Davies also informed that if the Liverpool City Region did not have a Combined Authority it would be at a disadvantage in trying to access growth funding.  Therefore, not to do this would be a backward step.  Councillor Phil Davies reported that the Combined Authority would not be a super council but it would be cost neutral.

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet

(1)  confirms its previous decision that the Council should formally become a constituent member of the Combined Authority for the Liverpool City Region (as referred to in this report);

(2)  notes the position on the making of the Orders, as attached in Appendix One, and the Parliamentary process in train;

(3)  endorses the Constitution for the Combined Authority for adoption, as attached to the report as Appendix Two;

(4)  approves the Operating Agreement for the Combined Authority for adoption as attached to the report as Appendix Three;

(5)  asks the Council to nominate Councillors Phil Davies and Ann McLachlan (as substitute) to the Combined Authority as set out in section 5.1 of the report;

(6)  asks the Council to agree to nominate members to the Merseytravel Committee on the basis of continuing with the existing arrangements until the Annual General Meeting in June 2014, as set out in section 5.2 of the report;

(7)  Notes that no allowances (other than travel and subsistence) will be paid to Members of the Combined Authority, the Scrutiny Panel and other Committees and Boards, with the exception of the Merseytravel Committee (as part of the transitional arrangements);

(8)  asks the Council to agree that the payment of allowances for co-opted Members of the Merseytravel Committee (using the current Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority scheme) will be dealt with by the Council’s own scheme as part of the transitional arrangements, and funded by Merseytravel, as set out in section 10.1 of the report;

(9)  notes that a review of the Combined Authority’s arrangements will be undertaken during the first year and reported to the Combined Authority in 2015; and

(10)  asks the Council to agree that approval to make any technical amendments to the Constitution and Operating Agreement for the Combined Authority on behalf of the Council is delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council.

(11)  recommends to the Council for confirmation, approval, endorsement and consideration (as applicable) paragraphs (1) to (10) above.