Members considered the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Devolution Report presented by Councillor Clark who made the following statement:
It is around a year since the journey on devolution started, with Government suggesting an Eastern powerhouse comprising of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. After several meetings it became clear that it was just too big an area, too many asks and demands and lack of unity and commitment.
So Cambridgeshire and Peterborough started to come together on our devolution journey, negotiating with Government could be described as difficult, however we have arrived here today with a devolution offer, described by Sajid Javid as one of the most ambitious deals nationally.
There has been some speculations that a Mayor is negotiable, the short answer is no. Sajid Javid has said "I am not going to devolve significant powers and more tax payer's money without a corresponding increase in local accountability, it's a real red line for me when it comes to negotiating devolution".
I genuinely believe that this is the best devolution deal we will get, so today is make your mind up day.
We have to consider what is on offer and how it could benefit Fenland, it could be argued that Fenland has never received its full quota from Cambridgeshire and I believe this agreement goes a long way to put that right, giving us one of the nine votes on the combined authority.
To outline what is on offer:
- £20m per year for the next 30 years, not recycled money but new money for Cambridgeshire to support economic growth, development of local infrastructure and jobs, and in the meetings we have had, other combined authority members fully support the Wisbech Garden Town, the Wisbech Rail Link and improvements to the A47. There is also the opportunity to borrow money against our £20m per year.
- £100m for non-housing revenue account, once again, preliminary discussions have taken place where Fenland will get their fair share of this £100m.
- An additional £70m for affordable housing in Cambridge which will be used in its entirety to build new Council homes.
- Government support for developing a Peterborough University with degree awarding powers.
- Working with Government to secure a Peterborough Enterprise Zone.
- A local integrated job service working alongside the Department of Work and Pensions.
- Co-design with Government a national work and health programme focused on those with a health conditions or disabilities as well as the long term unemployed.
- Devolved skills and apprenticeship budget to give more opportunities to our young people including £120m funding.
- Further potential rail improvements.
- The potential to accelerate transport infrastructure improvements, such as the A14/A142 junction and upgrades to the A10 and A47 and the Ely North junction. Also it would support development at Wyton and St Neots and Wisbech Garden Town and the Wisbech to Cambridge rail connection.
- Further integration of local health and social care resources to provide better outcomes for residents.
- This is also only the start of the journey as we are already working on deal two including:
- Focus on deprived areas;
- Health and Social Care;
- Infrastructure;
- Community Safety.
This is all set out in the report.
Fenland has the benefit of our Chief Executive being the interim Chief Executive for the combined authority and a March Councillor being the interim Chairman.
My old boss used to say "with any deal, be in it for the meat and leave the gravy for others" and in my opinion I do not think that this deal will get any better and we will never see another offer with this amount of funding attached, £1.2m.
Alongside this, we also have the ear of Government, on a recent visit by Lord Bourne and over a working lunch he was very interested in our newly proposed Garden Town, saying it had been brought up in informal meetings with Sajid Javid and others and that it is seen as a leading project and could be ground-breaking in design and a leading example to the rest of the Country. It was also commented on that our Council has a good reputation for spending money efficiently. We also have the support of our MP.
The recommendations are set out in the report, I would ask you to support this Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Devolution deal.
The item was proposed by Councillor Sutton, seconded by Councillor Tanfield and opened for debate.
Councillor Bucknor stated that he has not been given a clear mandate by his residents to make a decision about the governance as potentially life changing as this new tier of Government may become. The way that this deal has been introduced does not enhance democracy it is a tier further away from it. To have a Mayor is mandatory and non-negotiable, it is another charge on our resources and is almost blackmail, and in his opinion for this process to be democratically executed the electorate should be properly informed and involved. Therefore a referendum would be appropriate. The final decision should not be delegated to councils but be presented to the public for their decision. He added that he would not be supporting this proposal.
Councillor Tierney stated that he agrees with a great deal of what Councillor Bucknor said as he has had some reservations about this plan too, there has not been enough guaranteed in writing and he would like to have seen the whole thing handled differently. He added that if we vote for this we must be vigilant to make sure that the promises that are made to us are kept, that the new money really is new money and does not disappear from elsewhere, that the people working with the new tier of Government do not get paid huge amounts of special responsibility allowances and that there is proper democratic scrutiny of the work. He stated that there are a lot of things to be concerned about but the offer is too big to say no to and he does not want to be the Councillor that turns down this massive investment, it is a leap in the dark but he will be supporting this proposal.
Councillor Yeulett stated that this is a golden opportunity for Cambridgeshire and for Fenland. It will bring new resources to a local level and will hopefully address some of our major challenges such as infrastructure, deprivation, workforce training and business. He added that like many others he had reservations about the Mayor and was concerned that it would be Peterborough and Cambridge central, but he feels sure that our representatives for the combined authority will fight for Fenland. This is only the start and there will be more resources available moving forward to help with health and deprivation and social care. He stated that the Government are giving us this opportunity and that he is supporting the proposal.
Councillor Boden stated that he has also had concerns with regards to the proposals, but the proposal in front of us offers this area a large amount of additional money and although he does not think that we will get all of the promised money as there are many reasons why the plans may change, but we have a certainty of £200m of additional money which will definitely come through. This money will be targeted towards the areas of greatest deprivation, those areas which most desperately need this money such as areas in March and especially Wisbech which feature high on the list of multiple deprivation. He stated that he is surprised by Councillor Bucknor's comments as this will particularly effect those in the Waterlees Ward, this is exactly what is needed to try to ensure that we reduce the shameful levels of inequality within Cambridgeshire as a whole. We are sure to get something out of this and even if it is only £100m we cannot turn this opportunity down.
Councillor Boden proposed that at the appropriate time he would ask for a recorded vote as it is important to see which Councillors want to see additional funds coming into our area. Councillor Connor seconded the proposal for a recorded vote.
Councillor Mason stated that there have been concerns expressed with regards to the appointment of a Mayor, but when you put it into perspective it has been reported that for £1 spent on the Mayor's Office £45 will be spent on the rest of the scheme. He confirmed that he was in support of the proposal.
Councillor King stated that he had wondered was why are the Government doing this and what is in it for them and the answer is increased tax, when the devolution scheme is reviewed they will be looking to see if the tax code has increased in this area and what that means for this area is more prosperity. He added that already Manchester have already achieved 50% of that increased tax code, so devolutions works, it does increase prosperity. We have two choices, to carry on as we are or to do something different and we would be crazy not to say we need to do something different as everything we have done so far really has not worked so we need to try something new. He stated that we owe a huge debt of gratitude to our officers and to Councillors Clark and Count who have negotiated this deal, as we have a better deal now than we started with. He confirmed that he will be supporting the proposal.
Councillor Sutton stated that he too would like to pay tribute to the Leader of the County and our own Leader as there have been many many hours spent on this project. He extended thanks to the Chief Executive and his immediate team who have also contributed many hours and their work has been greatly appreciated. He stated that it has been commented that we have not got a democratic mandate, but he disagrees, if you take the combined figures of the MORI poll and the local poll it is in favour of an elected Mayor. He added that he does not want to be the Councillor not to be able to offer these opportunities to the local people and will be supporting the proposal.
Councillor Mrs Bucknor stated that she appreciates that Councillors and officers have spent hundreds of hours on this project but that it does not mean it is good just because so much time has been spent on it. She stated that originally they wanted Cambridgeshire and another County, but because Cambridge City said no it has progressed to where we are today. Councillor Clark confirmed that this was not the case and clarified that it was the County Council and not the City Council. Councillor Mrs Bucknor stated that the Wisbech Garden Town has been mentioned five times and lots of Wisbech has been mentioned, but it is a wish list. She added that she does not feel as though there is a real choice for her to make as all other District Councils have already voted, or will vote, we are over a barrel, we have to agree to this or we will not have the funding that is desperately needed. She asked that our representatives do battle for Fenland as we have seriously lost out in the past.
Councillor Booth stated that we will be getting the elected Mayor imposed on us by Government and it is quite clear that the public, regardless of the survey, where he feels the questions were skewed, would not support this proposal. Recently the Reading Council area held a referendum on an elected Mayor and 90% voted against it, this gives you an indication that when the public are given a choice they do not necessarily go for that model. The last thing that the public want is another politician elected to office. He stated that he has concerns with regards to the funding in the future as you cannot guarantee what is going to happen in the future. He is also concerned about how much money will be wasted as it is more efficient when decisions are made locally and although he agrees with that principal this deal has so many conditions attached to it that the Government could be pulling strings from the background. We need to ensure that we are getting the best benefit for the money and not spending money on studies and reports, the right scrutiny facilities needs to be in place to make sure that money is not being wasted. He added that although he has many reservations, if we do say no we will lose out, and there is the potential for more benefits from devolution 2. He stated that he is not happy about the way this whole process has been forced on us and only last week changes were being made to the order with regards to transport funding. He asked if that funding is part of the £20m or on top of it, he asked for clarification about this from the Leader. He stated that the order says that some of the powers are with the Minister of the State he questioned if we will really have devolution as this is another example of the Government pulling strings from the back. He stated that there is a mechanism to come out of this in the future and asked for assurance from the Leader that there is a possibility of looking into a Unitary Authority in the future because we have a duty to reduce the layers of Government.
Councillor Mrs French stated that there is not much on the table for March but she is confident that our representatives will make sure that March get a fair share, she added that she will be supporting this and supports the Mayor as if they are no good they will lose their position.
Councillor Miscandlon stated that he supports this proposal; it is a leap of faith, faith in our Chief Executive and officers and faith in our Leader.
Councillor Hodgson stated that he will be supporting the proposal.
Councillor Count stated that, as everyone knows, he has been very closely associated with this journey. He stated that when he asks himself if this is a good deal for Fenland he can confidently say yes. He added that he does not feel that it is a giant leap of faith as he has been involved in the journey they whole way. He is here to do something good for the residents and feels that we are all here for that reason. He stated that in all the time that he has been a Councillor he has never seen a decision of this magnitude put in front of Councillors to take. This decision is a game changer, if we have it right this will make a difference to the lives of the people who live in this area and that is why he is in support of the proposal. He stated that we are looking at £600m for infrastructure and he knows how hard it can be just to try to get £1m to move a project forward. Looking at the skills funding there are such variances between what each area needs, this cannot be decided nationally and will be so much better being decided by local people. £170m of funding for housing will unlock 2,500 affordable homes throughout the area, and this will make a difference to the people in our community. He stated that anyone that does not support this proposal has misread what is on offer, adding that he fully supports this proposal and is so glad to hear so many people here support this too.
Councillor Clark stated that he was at a LEP meeting recently and was talking to the Deputy Leader of Lincolnshire, they had turned down their devolution proposals as they could not agree to a Mayor, the Government has said that they need to accept an elected Mayor and there are no negotiations on that. If we are not in it we are not going to gain anything, the County Council and Peterborough are giving up some of their control but we are giving up nothing, our job will not change at all. With regards to the £20m it is new money each year, but some of that money will be used to run the project, so yes some of the money will be used in administration. There are already changes happening, we are reviewing services looking at more shared service opportunities, so this is not just a change for today, it is the start of doing things differently, devolution may cost money to run but we will be doing things differently and saving money too. We can all worry about what will happen in a few years time but if it is seen to be working well, we are producing revenue to the Government, we are getting people back into employment, not such a burden to the national health system or the working pension they will keep welcoming this. The Government will reward success and if we produce the goods they will keep devolving power. It is a big decision to make but that is why we have been elected on behalf of our constituents, we cannot say we want to go back to ask the people who have elected us, that is why they elected us, to make those decisions on their behalf. He added that he recommends this to members and hopes that they will support it.
Councillor Booth asked for clarification that the option for a unitary authority would remain on the table for the future. Councillor Clark stated that changes are going to keep happening all the time. There are other people talking about unitary authorities, it is not currently at the forefront, but it comes forward in the future, it will be a decision that comes before members to agree to.
Members AGREED to recommend the following to Cabinet:
- (i) to consent to the Secretary of State making an Order to establish the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (Appendix 1A of the report to Council);
- (ii) to consent to the Council being a constituent member of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority with effect from the commencement date determined by the final Order;
- (iii) to authorise the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to consent to the final draft Order and associated documents, specifically:
- to agree minor drafting amendments to the Combined Authority Order to be laid before Parliament;
- to consent to the Council being included within the draft Parliamentary Order thereby reflecting this Council’s decision.
- (iv) to authorise the Combined Authority to have a power to issue a levy to the constituent Councils in respect of any financial year. (This will be subject to the inclusion of a unanimity clause in the Combined Authority constitution on this specific matter);
- (v) to recommend to the Combined Authority that the costs of establishing the Combined Authority, holding the elections in May 2017 and running the Combined Authority (including Mayoral Office) for 2016/17 and 2017/18 are funded from the gain share grant provided by Government (as outlined in para 12.8 of the report to Council);
- (vi) to appoint Councillor John Clark to act as Council's appointee to the Shadow Combined Authority and once established, to the Combined Authority;
- (vii) to appoint Councillor Will Sutton to act as the substitute to the above (ref 2 (vi));
- (viii)to note the outcome of the public consultation on the establishment of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority as outlined in paragraph 5.1 and 5.2 and Appendices 2A - 2D of the report to Council;
- (ix) note the timetable for the implementation of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough devolution Order as summarised in paragraph 8;
- (x) note the Government's response to the outline business case for Housing capital investment funds secured as part of the devolution deal as set out in Appendix 3;
- (xi) to note that updates on the Combined Authority will be provided to Council through the Portfolio Holder update reports presented to each Council meeting and if necessary, a constitutional update will be presented to a future Council meeting; and
- (xii) to approve that Paul Medd, Chief Executive, acts as Interim Chief Executive for the Shadow Combined Authority, on a part time basis until May 2017.
Recorded Vote: As in accordance with Part 4 of the Constitution - Rules of Procedure, Para 15.4, at least 6 members present requested a recorded vote.
Voted in Favour: Councillor Mrs Bligh, Boden, Booth, Buckton, Butcher, John Clark, Sam Clark, Connor, Cornwell, Count, Court, Mrs Davis, Mrs French, Garratt, Green, Mrs Hay, Hodgson, Miss Hoy, Humphrey, King, Mrs Laws, Mason, Mrs Mayor, Miscandlon, Murphy, Oliver, Pugh, Skoulding, Sutton, Tanfield, Tibbs, Tierney and Yeulett.
Voted Against: None.
Abstained from voting: Councillor Bucknor and Mrs Bucknor.