Agenda and draft minutes

Members are asked to declare any interests in the items under consideration and in doing so state:

(1) the type of interest concerned either a

(a)   personal interest

(b)   prejudicial interest

(c)    disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI)

and

(2) the nature of the interest concerned

If any member requires advice on declarations of interests, they are advised to contact the Head of Democratic Governance in advance of the meeting.

Councillors Boughton, Bamborough and B Mitchell declared personal interests in agenda item 3 ‘Lancashire Devolution’ as Council-appointed non-executive directors of Blackpool Transport Services Limited.  Councillors Benson and Thomas also declared personal interests in the item as their partners were employees of Blackpool Transport Services Limited.

To agree the minutes of the last meeting held on 21 February 2024 as a true and correct record.

Resolved: That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 21 February 2024 be signed by the Mayor as a correct record.

Following the item, the Mayor announced that Councillor Sarah Smith had had a baby boy and expressed congratulations to Councillor Smith and her family on behalf of the Council.

To seek approval of the Proposal to create the Lancashire Combined County Authority for the areas of Lancashire County Council, Blackpool Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Members considered the report on the proposal to create the Lancashire Combined County Authority (CCA) for the areas of Blackpool Council, Lancashire County Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council.  In doing so, they noted the previous decisions of the three constituent Councils to agree the draft proposals as a basis for consultation with residents and stakeholders.  It was reported that since those agreements, consultation had taken place from 1 December 2023 until 26 January 2024 on the eight thematic areas, the findings of which were included in the report along with the Councils’ responses and resulting amendments to the proposal document.  It was highlighted that one of the main areas of amendment was in relation to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and delivery of benefit across the whole area and it was noted that the work of the proposed CCA would be informed by a Lancashire Data Observatory based on an alliance of local authorities, industry experts and academic researchers delivering sub-regional research.

Members also noted minor changes had been made to the proposal document to reflect updated advice from government and legal clarifications.

The report also informed members that the regulations which set out the legal terms for establishing the CCA along with some proposed key governance arrangements for chairing meetings, substitute members, voting arrangements and capacity funding from government, were currently being drafted by government.  In respect of those, delegation arrangements for the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader, to formally sign off the final wording was proposed in order to avoid any delay in the process.

Members noted that additional detail such as arrangements for meetings, scheme of delegation and details of committee functions would be set out in the Constitution which would be subject to a further report to the three constituent Councils in June or July.

The report also included an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) which recognised that the Proposal had the potential to provide significant benefits to all communities, but specifically for people from the protected characteristic groups and deprived communities.   In order to achieve these benefits, it was reported that the new CCA would be required to set equality objectives, publish annual equalities information and have due regard for equality matters when carrying out its functions, making decisions and delivering projects and programmes and that early thought should be given to these areas in meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Motion:  Councillor Williams proposed (and Councillor Taylor seconded):

‘That the Council agrees to:

1.             To note the outcomes of the consultation on the draft Proposal published in November 2023, as set out in the Council report and its appendices.

2.             Approve the final Proposal attached at Appendix 3(b) to the Council report, taking into consideration and having due regard to the consultation responses and the Public Sector Equality Duty, to create the Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA) for the areas of Lancashire County Council, Blackpool Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council.

3.             Note how the Proposal has been amended to take  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

To consider the recommendation of the Chief Officers’ Employment Committee from its meeting on 4 March 2024 to approve the Proposed Pay Policy Statement which incorporates the annual Gender Pay Gap data.

The Council considered the recommendation from the Chief Officer’s Employment Committee in relation to the Pay Policy Statement for 2024/2025 which incorporated the annual gender pay gap data. 

Motion:  Councillor Williams proposed (and Councillor Taylor seconded):

‘To approve the Proposed Pay Policy Statement, as attached at Appendix 4(a) to the report’.

Motion carried:  The motion was submitted to the Council and carried.

To consider the recommendation of the Chief Officers’ Employment Committee from its meeting on 4 March 2024 to Council regarding the appointment of a Monitoring Officer pending the retirement of Mark Towers, the current Monitoring Officer, later this calendar year.

Members considered the recommendations from the Chief Officers’ Employment Committee meeting in respect of the appointment of a Monitoring Officer pending the retirement of Mark Towers, the current Monitoring Officer, later in the year. 

Motion:  Councillor Williams proposed (and Councillor Taylor seconded):

‘1.      To appoint Lorraine Hurst as the Council’s Monitoring Officer from 1 April 2024 with a review by Council prior to the end of the calendar year.

2.              That the duties and responsibilities assigned in the Constitution to the Director of Governance and Partnerships be assigned to the Monitoring Officer and those assigned to the Head of Democratic Governance be assigned to the Deputy Monitoring Officer, both with effect from 1 April 2024’.

Motion carried:  The motion was submitted to the Council and carried.