Agenda and minutes

Councillor Simon Blackburn was elected Chairman.

Allan Oldfield, CEO Fylde Council.

Councillor David Henderson was elected vice chairman and then chaired the meeting as Councillor Blackburn had been delayed and did not join the meeting until agenda item 7.

Members will disclose any pecuniary and any other significant interest they may have in relation to the matters to be considered at this meeting.

None.

Report of the Service Director Performance and Innovation, Wyre Council.

The Service Director Performance and Innovation for Wyre Council submitted a reporting asking the EPB to:

1.      Note the principle member from each constituent authority and the named substitute from each authority in accordance with procedure rules 4.1 and 4.2 at appendix 1 of the report.

2.      Agree the three co-opted members, on the basis of one from each constituent authority in accordance with procedure rule 4.5, and their term of office.

3.      Agree the host authority for servicing the Board in accordance with procedure rule 8.1.

4.      Agree the lead authority for undertaking economic functions on behalf of the Board in accordance with procedure rule 8.2.

5.      Agree dates and venues for future EPB meetings in 2018/ 2019 and the rota for servicing the Board in accordance with procedure rule 8.1.

Decisions Taken

1.      The Leaders of each council were confirmed as the principal members and the substitute members to represent each authority in the absence of the principal members were named as:

Blackpool – Councillor Mark Smith

Fylde – Councillor Roger Small

Wyre – Councillor Alan Vincent

2.      The three co-opted members, one from each constituent authority, were confirmed in accordance with procedure rule 4.5 as:

Blackpool – Martin Long

Fylde – Neil Farley

Wyre – Peter Worthington

and their term of office was agreed as three years.

3.      It was agreed that Wyre Council be the host authority servicing the EPB in accordance with procedure rule 8.1.

4.      It was agreed that Blackpool Council be the lead authority for undertaking economic functions on behalf of the Board in accordance with procedure rule 8.2.

5.      The dates and times of future meetings in 2018/ 2019 were agreed as:

17 July 2018 at 2.00pm

13 November 2018 at 2.00pm

5 February 2019 at 2.00pm

Alternative venues at the Enterprise Zones were suggested to host future meetings and it was agreed that relevant contact details would be shared with Wyre Council’s Democratic Services to allow other arrangements to be made where possible.

The future EPB hosting and rota for servicing the Board was agreed as follows:

            2018/ 2019 – Wyre Council

            2019/ 2020 – Fylde Council

            2020/ 2021 – Blackpool Council

Report of the Growth and Prosperity Programme Director, Blackpool Council attached.

Blackpool Council’s Growth and Prosperity Programme Direction submitted a report proposing amendments to the governance arrangements for Blackpool Airport and Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zones (EZ) originally agreed in the Memoranda of Understanding signed on 9 November 2016 by each Local Authority, the LEP and then then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Decisions Taken

The EPB noted that the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Economic Prosperity Board replaced the now dissolved Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Economic Development Company as the Enterprise Zone Programme Board.

The EPB approved the dissolution of the Blackpool Airport and Hillhouse Enterprise Zone Project Board and agreed that its functions and representation be distributed between the Enterprise Zone Programme Board and the individual Blackpool Airport and Hillhouse EZ Project Teams subject to agreement with the LEP EZ Governance Committee.

Presentation by Ian Whittaker, Head of Partnerships (North), Investment Services Team as agreed at the Joint EZ Project Board.

As agreed the Joint EZ Project Board, Ian Whittaker, Head of Partnerships (North), Investment Services Team gave a presentation to the Board.

The EPB discussed the information presented and agreed that the marketing of the two EZ’s and promotion of tourism and leisure were key elements that could benefit greatly from the support of the Department for International Trade.  The region’s proximity to Manchester, one of the most successful areas in terms of inward investment was also flagged as a potential marketing asset.

Guidance notes are attached to facilitate a discussion of what bids if any might come from the Fylde coast.

The EPB discussed the submission of a bid for funding under the Transforming Cities Fund for potential extensions of the light rail/ tram system and agreed that the Growth and Prosperity Programme Director, Blackpool Council take the lead in consulting with Lancashire County Council (LCC) on a Fylde Coast funding bid linked, if possible with LCC.

The discussion of the reports submitted under items 10 and 11 of this agenda may involve the disclosure of “exempt information”, as defined in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.  If any point during the meeting, the board wishes to move to confidential session it will need to pass the following resolution:

“That the public and press be excluded from the meeting whilst the remaining agenda item(s) is/ are considered, on the grounds that their presence would involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in category 3 (Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person, including the authority holding that information) of Part 1 of Schedule 12(a) of the Local Government Act , 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Variation Order 2006 and, that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information”.

The EPB agreed that, if discussions of the reports submitted under items 10 and 11 of the agenda were to involve the disclosure of “exempt information”, as defined in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 the following resolution would be applied:

“That the public and press be excluded from the meeting whilst the remaining agenda item(s) is/ are considered, on the grounds that their presence would involve the disclosure of information as defined in category 3 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person, including the authority holding that information) of Part 1 of Schedule 12(a) of the Local Government Act, 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Variation Order 2006 and, that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information”.

Report of the Head of Enterprise Zones, Blackpool Council attached.

This report will be used to update the LEP EZ Governance Committee on 16 May.

Blackpool Council’s Head of Enterprise Zones submitted a progress report to update the EPB on Blackpool Airport EZ.

Decision Taken

The Board considered and noted the progress report and noted that the report would be used to update the LEP EZ Governance Committee on 16 May.

Report of the Head of Enterprise Zones, Blackpool Council attached.

This report will be used to update the LEP EZ Governance Committee on 16 May.

Blackpool Council’s Head of Enterprise Zones submitted a progress report to update the EPB on Hillhouse Technology EZ.

Decision Taken

The Board considered and noted the progress report and noted that the report would be used to update the LEP EZ Governance Committee on 16 May.