Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence; and to receive notification of substitutions.

Apologies received from Cllr Gilderdale, Cllr Van de Weyer substituted by Cllr Fane, Cllr Cane substituted by Cllr Shepherd, Cllr Farooq substituted by temporary substitute by Cllr Atunes.

Apologies received from Cllr Gilderdale, Cllr Van de Weyer substituted by Cllr Fane, Cllr Cane substituted by Cllr Shepherd, Cllr Farooq substituted by temporary substitute by Cllr Atunes.

Committee to elect a Chair for the municipal year 24/25.

Cllr Van de Weyer was elected Chair for the municipal year 24/25.

In his absence Cllr Van de Weyer was nominated by Cllr Bradnam and seconded by Cllr Hunt.

Cllr Van de Weyer was elected the Chair for the municipal year 24/25

Committee to elect a Vice Chair for the municipal year 24/25.

Cllr Goldsack was elected the Vice Chair for the municipal year 24/25.

Proposed by Cllr Vellacott and seconded by Cllr Neish

Cllr Goldsack was elected Vice Chair for the municipal year 24/25

Cllr Goldsack chaired the remainder of the meeting in the absence of the chair.

At this point Members must declare whether they have a disclosable pecuniary interest, or other interest, in any of the items on the agenda, unless it is already entered in the register of members’ interests.

There were no declaration of interests made.

There were no declaration of interests made.

Arrangements for asking a public question can be viewed here: Public Questions - Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority

One question was received in advance of the meeting in accordance with the procedure rules in the Constitution. A copy of the question and response will be appended to the minutes of the meeting.

The Committee RESOLVED unanimously to set a working group to consider the Governance of the CPCA’s Housing Programme in response to the public question received.

The terms of reference for the working group would be circulated to Committee members. The membership would comprise of the following:

Cllr Neish, Cllr Shepherd and Van de Weyer.

One question was received in advance of the meeting in accordance with the procedure rules in the Constitution. A copy of the question and response is appended to the minutes of the meeting.

The following points were discussed in response to the public question:

The Mayor stated that this was a very serious concern when he had first arrived, many issues were highlighted as far back as 2022. However, there had been a lot of rigor and investment into procedures and process at the CA in the past year but was pleased that OSC were taking this seriously.

Members discussed that it was important that the working group doesn’t overstep its role and consider the roles of the CLT and the local planning authority.

The terms of reference for the previous working group should be reviewed by officers and adapted to apply for the new working group and then circulated to the committee for agreement.

The Committee RESOLVED to set up a working group to consider the Governance of the CPCA Housing Programme and approved the below membership:

Cllr Neish, Cllr Van de Weyer, Cllr Shepherd.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 18^th March 2024 and to note the action log.

The minutes of the meeting on 18^th March 2024 were approved as an accurate record.

The Action Log was noted by the Committee.

The minutes of the meeting on 18^th March 2024 were approved as an accurate record.

The Action Log was noted by the Committee.

The Committee to appoint rapporteurs to shadow the work of the thematic committees of the Combined Authority.

Cllr Bradnam and Cllr Neish were agreed as the rapporteurs for the Transport & Infrastructure Committee.

Cllr Goldsack and Cllr Divkovic were agreed as the rapporteurs for the Skills & Employment Committee

Cllr Cahn was agreed as the rapporteur for the Environment & Sustainable Communities Committee.

The Committee received the report which requested that the Committee appoint rapporteurs to follow the work of the thematic committees.

The Committee RESOLVED to appoint:

Cllr Bradnam and Cllr Neish were agreed as the rapporteurs for the Transport & Infrastructure Committee.

Cllr Goldsack and Cllr Divkovic were agreed as the rapporteurs for the Skills & Employment Committee

Cllr Cahn was agreed as the rapporteur for the Environment & Sustainable Communities Committee.

Committee to review the Combined Authority Forward Plan and discuss any upcoming items from the Board or Thematic Committees they wish adding to their work programme.

Rapporteurs to provide verbal updates on any areas that they feel should be considered by the Committee  

It was resolved to note the Forward Plan.

It was resolved to note the forward plan.

The Committee to ratify the Terms of Reference for the Bus Reform Working Group which was circulated to members of the Committee in April.

The Terms of Reference for the Bus Reform Working Group were ratified, and the below membership approved.

Cllr Bradnam, Cllr Hay, Cllr Divkovic and Cllr Vellacott.

The Committee received the report which requested that the Committee ratify the Terms of Reference for the Bus Reform Working Group which was circulated to members of the Committee in April and confirm the membership for the working group.

The Committee RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY to:

a)    ratify the Terms of Reference for the Bus Working Group

b)    appoint Cllr Divkovic and Cllr Vellacott to the Bus Reform Working Group.

c)     Agree that the membership will be Cllr Bradnam, Cllr Hay, Cllr Divkovic, Cllr Vellacott.

The Committee to review and confirm the Terms of reference for the Budget Working Group.

The Committee RESOLVED to:

a)    Note the proposed timeline for the setting of the refreshed Corporate Strategy and budget and that this may be subject to change in line with Government announcements or other factors.

b)    Note and comment on the scrutiny proposals outlined in this report as set out in section 2 in order to agree and approve the budget scrutiny arrangements for the setting of the MTFP from 2025/26;

c)     Amend the wording for recommendation C to include ‘approve’.

d)    Approve the terms of reference for the budget working group and agreed the below membership:

Cllr Shepherd and Cllr Atunes.

The Committee received the report which requested the committee review and confirm the Terms of Reference for the Budget Working Group.

The Committee RESOLVED to:

a)    Note the proposed timeline for the setting of the refreshed Corporate Strategy and budget and that this may be subject to change in line with Government announcements or other factors.

b)    Note and comment on the scrutiny proposals outlined in this report as set out in section 2 in order to agree and approve the budget scrutiny arrangements for the setting of the MTFP from 2025/26.

c)     Amend the wording for recommendation C to include ‘approve’.

d)    Approve the terms of reference for the budget working group and agreed the below membership to be Cllr Shepherd and Cllr Atunes.

Members to receive a report updating them on State of the Region.

The Committee RESOLVED unanimously to note the report and request this was added to the work programme to be considered twice a year.

The Committee received the report which provided an update on the work being done for the State of the Region.

The following points were raised during the discussion:

In response some to a question about statistics on income inequality and that it didn’t indicate whether these were increasing or decreasing the Mayor responded that it was part of the Mayoral priorities to tackle inequality in the region and this report was the starting point and change couldn’t begin until it was measurable. The Mayor stated he would welcome the O&S Committee holding the CA to account on these areas.

The Committee were advised that this report linked to the Shared Ambition and that that piece of work was aiming to get input and engagement from stakeholders to focus and address certain stubborn challenges.

There was currently a working group which was reviewing the dashboard as this had yet to be rolled out to the public but user feedback on that dashboard would be important. 

In response to a query about how often data sets being utilised for this were being updated, the officers advised that some were updated less frequently than they would like whereas others were timed series where more regular data would become available. The metrics included have been drawn from a longlist of data sources which could be utlilised. Frequency of available data was one criteria used to assess which metrics should be included.

The Committee requested that the State of Region dashboards be brought to the committee to review at least twice a year and that this be added to their work programme.

The Committee RESOLVED to note the report.

ACTION

1)The Committee requested that the State of Region dashboards be brought to the committee to review at least twice a year and that this be added to their work programme.

Members to receive an update on the Shared Ambition for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The Committee RESOLVED unanimously to note the report.

The Committee received the report which provided an update on the Shared Ambition.

The following points were raised during the discussion:

·       Members were advised that an online session would be provided for all members to provide further information on the Shared Ambition. This was in addition to the Members workshop held in June.

·       Officers advised they have engaged with stakeholders from outside the region and the CPCA were mindful of neighbouring counties.

·       The shared ambition was the ambition of all the constituent components of this Combined Authority. The Combined Authority are facilitating its development.

The Committee RESOLVED to note the report.

Committee to receive the report which provides the Q4 Corporate Performance Update

The Committee RESOLVED to:

Note the report.

The Committee received the report which provided the Q4 Corporate Performance update.

The following points were raised during the discussion:

Members queried some of the metrics which were off by over 10% and officers agreed to provide further detail to members outside of the meeting.

In response to a question about KSI numbers the Mayor responded that because we are measuring KPI around road deaths there was now an officer to support this work and the CA had signed up to the vision zero. Action had been taken but may take time to see improvements.

In response to a question about apprenticeships and the low numbers officers advised they would provide further detail outside of the meeting.

A member queried that there was only one KPI related to finance and were advised that there was a separate budget report that was taken to the CA Board and members of the newly formed budget working group may wish to consider whether this might be something that O&S Committee consider reviewing more regularly going forward.

The Committee RESOLVED to note the report.

Committee to receive an update on the Improvement work being undertaken since the last meeting.

The Committee RESOLVED to note:

a)    the progress in March against the identified areas of ongoing concern set out in the Best Value Notice received in January 2024.

b)    the update from the Chair, Independent Improvement Board following the meeting held on 7 May 2024

The Committee received the report which provided an update on the Improvement work being undertaken since the last meeting.

The following points were made during the discussion:

In response to a question about how the targets from the Corporate Performance item tied up with the ratings provided for the improvement work the Committee were advised that CA has worked hard on developing the corporate performance reporting over the last 12 months , however those KPI’s did not look at specific areas of the improvement work for the CPCA. Once the Best Value Notice was lifted – the CA would still have areas of improvement which would be moved across into the performance framework. 

In response to a question about the Best Value Notice (BVN) coming to an end – officers advised that the current BVN was due to end on the 31^st July and while officers were communicating with officials and had presented evidence that the organisation had addressed areas of concern - there had been no indication yet about whether a new BVN would be issued or not.

In response to a question about whether the cultural improvement element had translated into the metrics especially in regard to staff feeling listened to which was reported at 60% the officers advised that the embedding of the culture was a key strand of the improvement work; there had been a lot of activity to engage with staff and members of the CPCA but this was a work in progress. Staff feeling listened to will continue to be assessed through staff surveys and other staff engagement.

The Committee RESOLVED to note:

a)    the progress in March against the identified areas of ongoing concern set out in the Best Value Notice received in January 2024.

b)    the update from the Chair, Independent Improvement Board following the meeting held on 7 May 2024

Mayor Nik Johnson in attendance at the meeting to respond to questions from the Committee.

Mayor Nik Johnson attended and responded to questions from the Committee members.

The Vice Chair welcomed the Mayor to the meeting and advised that three members had submitted questions in advance of the meeting.

Question: Could I ask the Mayor for an update on the proposed ‘on demand’ bus service outlined for Isleham, East Cambs?

Answer: Officers are currently working on the procurement of the service and technology. We are procuring a technology provider for all four of our new and existing Demand Responsive Zones across the region, to provide consistency in branding, passenger experience and booking capabilities. This technology will also provide the CPCA with a rich source of data to evaluate the services. Procurement for the operation of the service is ongoing to launch in the Autumn 2024. Further details will be shared with local Members and residents of this fantastic new service once the procurement has been completed.

Question: I would presume that the Mayor would tell us a bit about his intentions for rural bus services in the proposed reforms – this is something I have discussed with him individually in relation to my village of Wicken but would be grateful if he could draw reference to on Thursday.

Answer: Rural bus services are at the heart of the agenda for change in public transport. As the Business Case for Bus Reform makes clear, many rural areas lack frequent services, and services rarely extend to evening or weekend hours. This, in addition to lengthy journey times, make it difficult for those without a car to access jobs and services elsewhere. Separately to the bus reform work, the investment into bus services through the initial Mayoral precept enabled 22 bus services which the commercial bus operator cancelled in 2022 to be maintained, serving over 800,000 journeys a year. A number of these services directly serve our rural communities, keeping stability for residents who relied on those services is vital. Beyond that, the expansion and improvement of bus services across all of our region, through the additional Mayoral precept is a key next step to better serve rural communities. Officers are continuing to evaluate the best service provision for villages such as Wicken and others, which has not been well served by the current deregulated model of bus services. This includes commissioning a study into Community Transport in the region, to inform a strategy for this vital sector that serves rural communities as well as analysing the Demand Responsive Services for how those services can better connect to villages and rural communities. Delivering the right services for our communities is integral to our future work and through bus reform options, we can take control of the network to integrate, innovate and provide sustainable bus services for our communities

Question: Please could the Mayor advise us if he will support the request from myself, as well as residents of Milton and Landbeach to bring forward the improvements of the junction on the A10 between Milton Humphries Way) and Landbeach (High Street)? Signalisation of the junction and other improvements was a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

Committee to receive the report which provides the result of the review into the scrutiny resources for the CPCA.

The Committee RESOLVED to note the report.

The Committee received the report which provided the results of the review into the scrutiny resources for the CPCA.

The Committee RESOLVED to note the report.

To note the Committee agenda plan.

It was resolved to note the work programme.

The Committee received the report which provided the draft work programme for the committee to review.

The Committee RESOLVED to note the work programme.

To determine whether the public and press be excluded from the meeting in accordance with Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended, as the following item of business is exempt and the discussion may involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of schedule 12A of the Act; information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

It was resolved that the press and public be excluded from the meeting on the grounds that the next report contains exempt information under Part 1 of Schedule 12A the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, and that it would not be in the public interest for this information to be disclosed. The public interest in maintaining the exemption must be deemed to outweigh the public interest in its publication.

To determine whether the public and press be excluded from the meeting in accordance with Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended, as the following item of business is exempt and the discussion may involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of schedule 12A of the Act; information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

With 9 votes FOR and 1 ABSTENSTION it was resolved that the press and public be excluded from the meeting on the grounds that the next report contains exempt information under Part 1 of Schedule 12A the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, and that it would not be in the public interest for this information to be disclosed. The public interest in maintaining the exemption must be deemed to outweigh the public interest in its publication.

The Committee to receive an update of the work being carried out in relation to the Bus Reform and receive feedback from the Bus Working Group – EXEMPT report – circulated separately.

The Committee RESOLVED to note the report.

The Committee received the report which provided an update on the work being done for the bus reform.

The Committee RESOLVED to note the report.

Mayors Question Time – 12^th September

Informal OSC – 8^th October on Microsoft Teams

O&S Committee – 7^th November

The date of the next meeting is the 12^th September and will be the Mayor’s Question Time

Informal O&S Committee – 8^th October

O&S Committee – 7^th November.

The next scheduled meetings for the O&S Committee:

12^th September 2024 – Mayor’s Question Time

8^th October – Informal O&S Committee

7^th November – O&S Committee