Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

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

Apologies were received from Councillor Sarah Conboy, with Councillor Sam Wakeford attending as substitute. Apologies were also received from Darryl Preston.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 22 January 2022 and to note the action log.

The minutes of the meeting on 22 January 2025 were approved with a small amendment and signed by the Mayor. The action log was noted.

The minutes of the meeting on 22 January 2025 were amended following a request from Councillor Chris Boden, approved as an accurate record and signed by the Mayor. The action log was noted.

To receive any declarations of Members’ disclosable pecuniary interests, non-disclosable pecuniary interests and non-pecuniary interests in respect of items on this agenda.

No interests were declared at this point. Councillor Chris Boden declared an interest at agenda item 8 as a trustee of FACT Community Transport.

To receive any announcements from the Mayor.

No announcements were made.

To receive any questions from, and provide answers to the public in accordance with Standing Order 5.22 in the Combined Authority’s Constitution.

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

Two public questions were received for the meeting. The questions and responses are published here.

To receive any petitions in accordance with Standing Order 5.34 of the Combined Authority’s Constitution.

No petitions were received.

To approve the Combined Authority’s Forward Plan for February 2025. The Forward Plan will be published here.

It was resolved to:

A    Approve the Forward Plan for February 2025

It was resolved to:

A    Approve the Forward Plan for February 2025

Report enabling the Combined Authority Board to note the completion of the bus reform consultation process, to note the Westco Bus Reform Consultation Report, to approve the CPCA Bus Reform Consultation Response report and to review its associated documents.

Enabling the Combined Authority Board to make a recommendation to the Mayor on bus franchising and approve the necessary further steps.

It was resolved to:

A    Note the completion of the bus reform consultation process, its extent and the responses received including the discussions and feedback from Transport and Infrastructure Committee and Overview & Scrutiny Committee in January 2025.

B    Note the Westco Consultation Report at Appendix 2

C    Approve the CPCA Consultation Response Report at Appendix 3.

D    To recommend to the Mayor that he makes a franchising scheme as set out at Appendix 5, complying with all associated statutory requirements

E    When the Mayor has decided whether or not to make a franchising scheme agree:

·     to adopt and publish the Combined Authority’s response to the consultation, together with the Mayor’s decision as the report to be published by the Combined Authority under section 123G (1) of the Transport Act 2000 (as amended by the Bus Services Act 2017) (the “Act”);

·     in accordance with section 123G(2) of the Act to give notice to the Traffic Commissioner

F    If the Mayor decides to make a franchising scheme:

·     to publish the scheme set out at Appendix 5 on behalf of the Mayor at the same time as the Westco Consultation Report (Appendix 2) and CPCA Consultation Response Report (Appendix 3) to be published under section 123G(1) of the Act;

·     at the same time to publish a transitional notice in the terms set out in Appendix 6 and then within 14 days of the date upon which the transitional notice is published, to give notice to the Traffic Commissioner of its publication on behalf of the Mayor if the Mayor so decides (or alternatively CPCA) as required by the Public Service Vehicles (Registration of Local Services) (Franchising Schemes Transitional Provisions and Amendments) (England) Regulations 2018;

·     to agree that, in conducting the procurement process for the provision of local services, the Combined Authority will facilitate the involvement of small and medium sized operators in the provision of local services as set out in the report “Bus Franchising: Facilitating the involvement of small and medium-sized operators” at Appendix 4 to enable compliance with section 123 G (3) of the Act;

·     to commence with implementation and mobilisation of franchising, noting section 4.4 of this report (Next Steps in the event of a Mayoral decision to approve franchising).

G   If the Mayor decides not to make a franchising scheme:

·     to advance the process to implement an Enhanced Partnership in accordance with sections 138A to 138J of the Act, relevant statutory guidance and supporting legislation noting section 4.5 of this report (Next Steps in the event of a Mayoral decision not to make a franchising scheme).

·     Approve the repurposing of the existing ‘development of bus franchising’ budget to be used for the initial development work for the Enhanced Partnership.

The Executive Director, Place and Connectivity, introduced the report and highlighted key points to members.

Councillor Anna Smith provided an overview of the Transport and Infrastructure Committee meeting held on 24 January 2025. The committee unanimously voted to recommend bus franchising to the Mayor. Members sought and received confirmation on various aspects, including financial streams, and discussed the risks and benefits of franchising compared to the Enhanced Partnership model. The discussion highlighted the greater control over planning and delivery that franchising would offer. Concerns about connectivity, particularly in rural areas, were addressed by officers. The focus was on the opportunity for a significant change, prioritizing community needs over profit. The extensive work by officers to reach this point was acknowledged.

Members inquired about the mechanisms and implications if a future Mayor decided to reverse the decision, specifically regarding the financial implications in terms of additional work and resources required. The Legal Advisor explained that under section 123(n) of the Transport Act 2000, there are provisions for revoking the scheme. This would involve a review process of how the franchising is operating, meeting three specific conditions for revocation, conducting an assessment to ensure these conditions are met, and undergoing an audit and public consultation. The process is similar to setting up bus franchising and would take a significant amount of time and incur costs comparable to the initial process. If the decision is made to end franchising, there would be a run-off period for existing contracts to allow for replacements to be put in place.

Councillor Anna Bailey acknowledged the significant work done by officers under competing demands. She advocated for better bus services, emphasising the need to set principles without meddling in details. She highlighted the challenges in East Cambridgeshire, such as low population density and long travel distances, and noted that franchising could help address these issues. However, she pointed out that franchising is costlier and riskier, and further work is needed to understand residual risks and uncertainties before making a decision. She also raised concerns about the lack of clarity on what a revised network would look like and the limited additional funding in the business case. She questioned the benefits for rural areas and the assumptions in the model, such as borrowing, car mileage reduction, and doubling bus passengers. She stressed the need for a mass transport system and expressed her reluctance to make a decision twelve weeks before the mayoral election. She emphasised that the decision is far-reaching and should be made after the election, while clarifying that she is not opposed to franchising in the future.

Councillor Chris Boden stated that Fenland District Council recommended an Enhanced Partnership (EP) over franchising, though either scheme could work. While supporting franchising in principle, he highlighted unmitigated risks and the impact of development in South Cambridgeshire on bus usage, advocating for convenient, reliable busways. He expressed discomfort with the current franchising model and emphasised the need for further Board oversight over the next year. He raised concerns about  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Recommendations received from the Skills and Employment Committee at their meeting held on 20 January 2025.

The Board was advised that the recommendations tabled had been unanimously supported by the Skills and Employment Committee at its meeting on 20 January 2025.

It was resolved to:

A    approve the proposed Grant Funding approach to spend the £4.5m Capital Investment

B    delegate authority to the Assistant Director of Skills and Employment, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and Monitoring Officer, to enter into grant funding agreements with selected providers on behalf of the Combined Authority

Thanks were extended to the team for their significant work, which took longer than expected due to the thorough assessment by Grant Thornton. The importance of basing decisions on realistic data was emphasised. Appreciation was also expressed to all FE providers who engaged in the process and submitted impressive funding bids, highlighting the need for further investment in skills to drive productivity.

It was clarified that the current phase was an expression of interest, and full applications had not yet been submitted. The importance of focusing on successful outcomes and the overall impact of investment on the breadth of provision and qualifications was stressed. Outcome measures will consider accredited learning and overall results, not just participation numbers.

The issue of coldspots in East Cambridgeshire and St Neots was discussed, with a call for collaboration to address these areas and ensure the right courses are available. The enthusiasm of the Skills Committee for further involvement and support was noted, along with a request for clearer reports.

On being proposed by Councillor Lucy Nethsingha, seconded by Sam Wakeford, it was resolved unanimously to:

A    approve the proposed Grant Funding approach to spend the £4.5m Capital Investment

B    delegate authority to the Assistant Director of Skills and Employment, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and Monitoring Officer, to enter into grant funding agreements with selected providers on behalf of the Combined Authority

It was resolved to:

A    approve the proposed Adult Skills Commissioning Strategy 2025-2028

B    approve the implementation of the three-year plan-led grant funding agreements for FE Colleges and Local Authorities and the WEA subject to DfE funding for the period 2025 – 2028.

C    approve the procurement of Independent Training Providers (ITPs) under contracts for services, subject to DfE funding.

D    approve contracts for services to be issued over 3 years (2025 – 2028) to bring them in line with grant funding agreements and support sustainability and capacity building within the sector.

E    delegate authority to the Assistant Director for Skills & Employment, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and Monitoring Officer, to enter into multi-year grant funding agreements and contracts for services for the Adult Skills Fund and Free Courses for Jobs Fund on behalf of the Combined Authority.

It was noted that the document's objective is a commissioning strategy, not an adult skills strategy, outlining intentions on how to commission. It is accompanied by a regional skills and employment plan that details the region's priorities. The focus is on commissioning arrangements rather than specific areas at this stage.

There was an acknowledgment of the importance of adult skills funding, which includes residency, eligibility, and provision funding. The strategy should apply proportionately to areas, including disadvantage uplifts when going out for providers. Adult skills funding supports both adult learners entering work and those in low-paid jobs seeking to upskill for career progression.

Members emphasised the need to channel funding to areas of greatest need noting that this document is part of a broader package and not about prioritising specific areas. The geographical uplift in percentage terms is currently small and it was suggested that this should be re-examined. The commissioning process should be influenced by the needs of under-skilled adults and those whose skills are underutilised.

On being proposed by Councillor Lucy Nethsingha, seconded by Sam Wakeford, it was resolved unanimously to:

A    approve the proposed Adult Skills Commissioning Strategy 2025-2028

B    approve the implementation of the three-year plan-led grant funding agreements for FE Colleges and Local Authorities and the WEA subject to DfE funding for the period 2025 – 2028.

C    approve the procurement of Independent Training Providers (ITPs) under contracts for services, subject to DfE funding.

D    approve contracts for services to be issued over 3 years (2025 – 2028) to bring them in line with grant funding agreements and support sustainability and capacity building within the sector.

E    delegate authority to the Assistant Director for Skills & Employment, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and Monitoring Officer, to enter into multi-year grant funding agreements and contracts for services for the Adult Skills Fund and Free Courses for Jobs Fund on behalf of the Combined Authority.