Agenda and minutes

To confirm and sign the minutes of the previous meeting held on the 7^th June 2024 as a correct record.

2.1 The minutes of the meeting held on the 7^th June 2024 were agreed as a correct record.

2.2 The Chair invited David Owen, Gloucestershire County Council’s (GCC) Director of Economy and Environment to seek endorsement from members for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) Devolution Deal Expression of Interest Form.

2.3  All Members agreed to endorse the expression of interest.

Members of the Committee are invited to declare any pecuniary or personal interests relating to specific matters on the agenda.

Please see note (a) at the end of the agenda

There were no declarations of interest.

To give an update on the impact and opportunities emerging from the new Government’s policy changes.

4.1The Chair invited Chris Parsons and Owen Walters, Area Leads for Gloucestershire, Swindon & Wiltshire at MHCLG, to give an update on policy changes following July’s General Election.

4.2It was explained that the Government’s national agenda was Growth. This was rooted in three pillars: stability, investment and reform.

4.3 The four key focus areas for MHCLG were creating Industrial Strategies, Trade Strategies, Small Business Strategies and making work pay. Devolution was another focus of the new Government to enable economic growth. It was suggested that the preliminary timeline for the publication of the Government’s Industrial Strategy was March 2025.

4.4 Answering a Member’s question, it was explained that the officers were still waiting for details of the types of devolution deals that would be available.

4.5  A Member questioned whether Gloucester City Council’s successful Levelling Up Three bid which was agreed with the previous administration would still be progressed by the new Government. It was confirmed that all funding streams were under review and therefore the Officer was unable to confirm whether they would be able to deliver the funding.

4.6 The Member also questioned whether any support would be provided for Local Authorities who were trying to deliver their housing targets but had less land to use for developments. The officer agreed to find out and report back to the Member directly.

Action – Chris Parsons

4.7 Responding to multiple questions related to housing targets and infrastructure issues, the officer agreed to feedback to the MHCLG that for Local Authorities to meet the revised housing targets emphasis needed to be placed on upgrading the current infrastructure. Members were encouraged to send case studies to aid the officers’ discussions.

Action – Chris Parsons/ Owen Walters

4.8 The officers confirmed that they would provide an update to the Board on how the Skills Programme would feed into the Industrial Strategy once more information had been confirmed.

Action – Chris Parsons

4.9 Answering a Member’s question about sustainable growth, it was stated that growth needed to be supported at a local level. The officers reassured the Member that they understood his concern around the revised housing targets, and they agreed to discuss the issue separately.  

Action – Chris Parsons/ Owen Walters

4.10 The Officers agreed to discuss with a Member separately about the Government’s new towns programme and how his district could potentially benefit from the scheme.

Action – Chris Parsons/ Owen Walters

4.11 A Member requested that the officers feedback to the DHCLG the request for all new houses to be net-zero homes.

Action – Chris Parsons/Owen Walters

To note the Gloucestershire Economic Strategy.

5.1 The Chair invited Ben Watts, GCC Team Manager for Economy and Strategic Planning, to give an update on the Gloucestershire Economic Strategy. The Officer explained that since the previous City Region Board meeting, Cllr Gray and himself had visited some of the districts to answer questions about the Economic Strategy.

5.2 He highlighted that the Government now required each county to have a Local Growth Plan and it was believed that Gloucestershire’s Economic Strategy should be built upon to create the new Local Growth Plan. GCC intended to run consultation events with each of the districts throughout Autumn. Once the plan had been drafted, GCC would then take the plan back to the Districts for their feedback.

Action – Local Growth Plan item to be added to November’s work plan.

5.3 The Officer asked for the City Region Board to note the Economic Strategy and to support the use of the Strategy to inform the priorities of the Board and future agenda items.

5.4 Stroud District Council agreed to note the Economic Strategy and said they would support delivery of the action plan subject to the City Region Board agreeing a business case. The Officer clarified that any future work in the Strategy’s action plan related to working with the districts would be brought back to the City Region Board as a business case to be agreed upon.

5.5 Responding to a question about the Local Growth Plan, it was explained that it had been introduced by the Government in July 2024. Officers from the MHCLG confirmed that once more was known about what would be included in the Local Growth Plans, they would feed this back to the Board.

Action – Chris Parsons/ Owen Walters

5.6 It was agreed unanimously to

1)    Note the Economic Strategy

2)    To support the use of the strategy to inform the priorities of the City Region Board and future agenda items.

To receive an update on the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).

6.1 It was explained that due to the Officer’s absence, the Local Skills Improvement Plan presentation would be postponed until November’s meeting.

6.2 It was noted that Tewkesbury Borough Council was not included in the list of Business West Partner’s in the presentation, and it was requested that this would be updated for November’s meeting.

Action – Matt Tudge

To receive an update on strategic planning in the county.

7.1 The Chair invited Tracey Birkinshaw, Cheltenham Borough Council’s Director for Community and Economic Development, to give an update on strategic planning in the county. She explained that each of the Districts’ Chief Executives met to discuss Section 106 contributions and how economic gain could be maximised. She explained that there was a desire for the seven councils in Gloucestershire to work together on a strategic plan for the county. It had been suggested that the City Region Board would be a good place to discuss the progress going forward.

7.2 The Board agreed that they welcomed the creation of a strategic plan.  It was agreed that further information would be shared with the Board at November’s meeting.

Action – Tracey Birkinshaw

To receive an update on Business Rate Pool and Strategic Economic Development Fund (SEDF).

8.1 The Chair invited Andrew Cummings, Stroud District Council’s Strategic Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer, to give a quarterly update on the Business Rate Pool and SEDF.

8.2 It was explained that the Quarter 1 forecast of rates income for the current year showed an estimated pool gain of £4.502million, a small reduction from the initial estimate of £4.646million. This money would be distributed to SEDF, the Districts and GCC according to the set formula.

8.3 The Officer highlighted that a review of the pool’s membership was taking place to ensure that the maximum pool gain was achieved in 2025/2026. Consultants had been commissioned to undertake the review and this information would be fed back to the City Region Board.

8.4 Responding to the Chair’s question about the SEDF bidding process, the officer stated that every bid received would be reviewed by the Board’s Senior Officer Group. The recommended bids would be brought to the City Region Board; it would then be decided which would receive funding.

8.5 It was agreed that the Board needed to make sure that the successful bids were aligned with Gloucestershire’s economic priorities and that they continued to track the progress of successful bids.

To note the Economic Dashboard.

This item is to be taken as read.

9.1 This item was taken as read. Katherine Martin, GCC Data and Insights Manager for Communities and Place, answered the Board’s questions.

9.2 A Member raised concern over some of the Forest of Dean’s statistics. The Officer agreed to bring more information to November’s meeting about the Gross Value Added figures for the Forest of Dean.

Action – Katherine Martin

9.3 It was also agreed that the data from GCC’s school age children’s wellbeing survey would be brought to November’s meeting.

Action – Katherine Martin

9.4 Responding to members’ questions, Pete Carr, GCC Head of Employment and Skills, confirmed that the Government had suggested that Local Authorities should develop their own Health and Skills plans. Whilst there was currently limited information about what this should consist of, it was hoped that this would create a closer link between employment and health and wellbeing.

9.5 The Officer also highlighted that GCC were in the process of recruiting for a Green Skills Coordinator to accelerate this work. It was expected that a Green Skills Strategy would be developed in the coming months.

To review the committee work plan and suggest items for consideration at future meetings.

10.1   The Chair requested that Chris Parsons and Owen Walters return to the Board in March 2025 to give another Government policy update.

Action – Chris Parsons/Owen Walters/ DSU

10.2   It was agreed that an item on the Green Skills Strategy would be scheduled for March 2025.

Action – Pete Carr/ DSU

10.3   It was requested that a report on renewable energy options be presented to the Board in March’s meeting.

Action – David Owen/DSU