West Yorkshire Devolution - Mayoral Elections May 2021 Background on the work of the Combined Authority
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West Yorkshire
Devolution
Mayoral Elections May 2021
Background on the work of the
Combined Authority
1
Contents
1. Introductions and context
2. Overview of the Combined Authority
3. Devolution deal - powers and functions
4. Next steps
5. Connectivity and the West Yorkshire Mass Transit Vision
2
Introductions
West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Ben Still, Managing Director
Angela Taylor, Director of Corporate Services
Liz Hunter, Head of Transport Policy
Alex Peters-Day, Head of Strategic Communications, Planning and Engagement
Katie McLean, Project Manager
Emily Burton, Executive Assistant
mayoral.election@westyorks-ca.gov.uk
Leeds City Council
Susanna Benton, Head of Electoral Services
Sue Wolfe, Deputy Electoral Services Manager
Angie Smith, Electoral Services Administrator
3
Context to the devolution deal
West Yorkshire Leaders and Government agreed a ‘minded-to’
Devolution Deal on 11 March 2020. The deal sets out new powers,
funding and responsibilities for the Combined Authority including
some which will be transferred from central Government to West
Yorkshire.
The deal came after several other 'geographies' had been examined –
including Yorkshire and 'Leeds City Region'.
Process proceeded during 2020. Eight-week public consultation on the
proposals in the Deal (26 May – 19 July 2020) and report submitted to
Secretary of State (September 2020) following endorsement from each
Council and the Combined Authority to proceed.
Devolution Order laid in parliament December 2020, passed through
Commons and Lords, and made into law on 29 January 2021.
4
Overview of the Combined Authority
West Yorkshire in numbers
West Yorkshire is a £55.4 billion economy – bigger
than 9 EU countries - with a population of 2.3
million people, a workforce of 1.1 million employed
across 90,000 businesses.
West Yorkshire has:
• 7 universities, 91,000 students and 30,000 graduates
annually
• The UK’s largest regional finance centre
• More manufacturing jobs than anywhere else in the
north
• 1.6% of the land area of England, and 4,600 hectares
of national parks.
6
Combined Authority strategic priorities
7
What does the Combined Authority do?
• Develops with partners evidence-based policy and strategy focused on the West
Yorkshire level.
• Delivery of projects and programmes, either directly, or through partner organisations
(especially local authorities).
• The Combined Authority is the accountable body for the Leeds City Region Enterprise
Partnership (LEP), and owns the WY assurance framework.
• Service provision to the public: The Metro network of bus stations, travel centres,
public transport information, , support to the vulnerable and elderly, concessionary
travel and tendered bus services across West Yorkshire.
• Service provision to businesses: BEIS 'Business Growth Hub' for business support
and investment, Employment hub, Enterprise Advisors, Skills programmes (esp digital),
trade and investment service, loans fund.
• Programme / funding: Adult Education Budget (AEB), worth £63 million per year, to
support adults with skills needed for entering and sustaining employment, an
apprenticeship, traineeship, or other further learning. Delivered through FE sector.
8
Current structure
Policy, Strategy & Communications does all policy, strategy, research and intelligence,
consultation, marketing, communications, economics and partnership work. Current policy work
includes Covid recovery, inclusive growth, skills and business growth, rail, bus, active travel,
housing, climate emergency, infrastructure, digital, flooding, innovation, culture and health.
Delivery Directorate delivers our projects in line with the assurance framework. Ensures projected
treated consistently, strong focus on value for money and transparency in decision making. Current
portfolio £2bn+ over 200 capital funded projects and programmes. Of these projects, 153 are
managed in partnership with districts and partner organisations.
Transport and Property Services deliver services that enable people to travel across the region,
though the Metro network managing 20 bus stations, over 14,000 bus stops, Metroline call centre,
the tendered service network, ticketing, real time data, property management and generating over
£2 million worth of rental / charge income.
9
Current structure
The Economic Services directorate attract external
investors, support business productivity and
employment, and support people to gain relevant skills,
working with partners from the public, private and
third sector. The Directorate has three key strands:
• Employment & Skills
• Business Support
• Trade & Investment
Corporate and Commercial Services provide support
to all of the above directorates: commercial legal and
procurement services, ICT provision and support,
Economic Services Transport & Property Services
finance and investment, plus HR, internal audit and Policy, Strategy & Comms Delivery
Health and Safety. Corporate Services
10Revenue Funding 2020 / 21
Transport Levy
LEP Government Grants
Bus Services Operator Grant
Rail Admin Grant
Enterprise Zone Receipts
Bus Station - Tenant Income
Bus Station / Services Income (PPT,
Depart Chgs)
Education Contribution to Transport
Capitalisation
Admin Recovery (Staff Secondments)
Total budget: £133 million
11Capital Programme 2020 / 21
Local Transport Capital
Highways Maintenance & Pothole
Leeds Public Transport
Investment Programme
Growth Deal
Other Economic Growth
Transforming Cities Fund
Future Mobility Zone
City Connect
Total budget: £414 million
12Tackling the climate emergency
The Combined Authority, the LEP and the five councils of West Yorkshire
formally declared a climate emergency in July 2019 supported by range of
partners from across business, industry, academia and the community.
The Combined Authority has:
• Launched a programme of work to determine how the region will transition to a net
zero carbon economy by 2038, with significant progress by 2030.
• Invested £10.19m in the next phase of flood alleviation across seven projects in
the Leeds City Region safeguarding 23,177 jobs and 500 businesses from flood
risk.
• Won the first ‘Leadership in Responding to the Climate Emergency’ at the annual
MJ Local Government Achievement Awards in 2020, the first Combined Authority
to win an MJ award.
• Completed measures to improve energy efficiency in 1,041 homes, saving 37,000
tonnes of carbon over the lifetime of the measures - the equivalent to taking
19,000 cars off the road.
13Boosting productivity
West Yorkshire is 8.9% less productive than the rest of the UK, (excl
London).
To boost productivity the Combined Authority has:
• Supported 3,025 businesses to grow and become more productive with 1,035
receiving intensive support (either advisory or financial).
• Developed pilot programmes specifically focused on business productivity, in
partnership with the Higher Education sector, start up programme (Ad:venture),
and new Entrepreneural programmes in development.
• Supported 1,465 people improve their skills in areas businesses have
identified as being in shortage.
• Attracted global investors to the City Region creating 1,700 jobs.
14Enabling inclusive growth
The Combined Authority’s policies and strategies have inclusive growth at
their core.
• Launched one of the UK’s first special educational needs and disability Careers
Hubs, where 29 schools and multiple major employers have been linked to
help transform careers education for pupils.
• Supported over 18,000 disadvantaged students with careers education.
• 1810 businesses in deprived parts of West Yorkshire have received £15.5
million of grant support over the past five years, creating 1,936 jobs.
• Ensured that 98% of business growth programme grant recipients are
contributing to Inclusive Growth outcomes.
• Supported over 2,900 individuals in skills shortage areas to upskill.
15Delivering 21st century transport
The Combined Authority is the Local Transport Authority for West Yorkshire. (But
not the highway authority.)
The Combined Authority:
• Helps around 5,000 people who are unable to use regular bus services get out and
about through an AccessBus services.
• Enables 40,000 young people to travel to school by coordinating services on
behalf of our partner councils, with a £3m investment.
• Support xx km of bus services, XX trips etc
• Added 18.5km of high quality, segregated routes, to our region’s growing cycling
and walking network, providing free adult cycle training, cycle and walking
promotions and helping business and schemes improve provision.
• Our connectivity strategy is inclusive and ambitious, and is currently being publicly
consulted on – more on this later.
16Working in partnership
West Yorkshire Local Authorities Other Partnerships
Bradford Council Transport operators
Calderdale Council Government departments
Kirklees Council LEP Network
Leeds Council Rail North
Wakefield Council Transport for the North
Urban Transport Group
Wider City Region
NP11
Barnsley Council
Chambers of Commerce
Craven Council
Environment Agency
Harrogate Council
Network Rail
North Yorkshire County Council
Economic Recovery Board
Selby Council
York Council
17Devolution Deal Powers and functions overview
Overview | Functions
The Combined Authority will continue to carry out the transport, economic development and regeneration
functions that it was established to exercise. Now that the Devolution Order has become law, the Combined
Authority becomes a Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA).
As an MCA it gains new statutory functions:
some functions will be the responsibility of the Mayor (Mayoral functions)
• the rest (non-Mayoral functions) will be carried out by the Combined Authority, chaired by the Mayor.
Some new Functions can be exercised now: Some Functions can't be exercised until the Mayor is in office:
• Transport-related functions • Mayoral Transport-related
• Adult Education and Skills • Mayoral Housing and Planning
• Housing • Finance
• Finance • Policing and Crime (PCC)
19Overview | Powers
The Mayor will be the Chair of the Mayoral Combined Authority, sit on the LEP Board, and will take
on the functions of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).
The Mayor can:
• Exercise Mayoral functions, and set a precept on council tax to fund these through the Mayoral
budget (through agreement of the CA)
• Delegate some general functions to a Deputy Mayor (one member of the Combined Authority),
another member of the Combined Authority, or an officer of the Combined Authority
• Delegate some PCC functions to a Deputy Mayor of Policing and Crime
• Appoint a Political Advisor
20Governance and membership
The Combined Authority as an MCA will keep the name of the ‘West Yorkshire Combined Authority’.
The members of the Combined Authority will continue to be representatives from the five West Yorkshire
Councils, three members for political balance, and members from City of York Council and the LEP.
Most decisions will be reached by consensus. The Mayor will not have a casting vote, but some decisions will
require the Mayor’s support.
21Mayoral budgets
The Mayor will:
• Set out spending plans and how they will meet the costs of Mayoral Functions in the Mayor’s Budget.
• Have power to raise a council tax precept in relation to mayoral functions
• Have power to raise a council tax precept in relation to policing functions
• Be able to raise a Business Rate Supplement (subject to business ballot)
PCC functions will be funded by the Police Fund; this Fund can only be spent on matters relating to PCC
functions and must be kept separate from all other income and expenditure.
22Mayoral functions
In addition to the budget and finance functions, the Mayor also has responsibility for:
Transport
• Power to draw up a local transport plan and strategies
• Power to request local regulations requiring large fuel retailers to provide Electric Vehicle charging points
• Bus franchising powers
• Ability to pay grants to operators
Housing and planning
• Housing and land acquisition powers(including compulsory purchase powers) to support housing,
regeneration, infrastructure and community development and wellbeing
• Power to designate a Mayoral Development Area and then set up a Mayoral Development Corporation
23Police & crime functions
The devolution deal committed to the functions of the PCC transferring to the MCA.
The Order provides for this transfer to take place in May 2021 at the same time as the Mayoral Election, to
enable a single election to take place for a Mayor who will also take on PCC functions from the start of their
term.
This also involves the transfer of circa 30 staff from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC)
across to the Mayoral Combined Authority.
Outside of London, only Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Mayor has PCC functions.
24Police & crime functions
Key PCC functions will be:
• secure the maintenance of an efficient and effective police force and hold the Chief Constable to
account
• issue a Police and Crime Plan
Only the Mayor can:
• issue a Police and Crime Plan
• calculate a council tax or budget requirement
• appoint, suspend, or call on a Chief Constable to retire or resign
Some PCC Functions can only be exercised by the Mayor or delegated to the Deputy Mayor of
Policing and Crime:
• determine police and crime objectives
• attend a meeting of the Police and Crime Panel
• prepare an annual report
25OPCC | Functions and budgets
The PCC currently receives grant funding from the Home Office and Ministry of Justice:
• Serious violence reduction through a Violence Reduction Unit (£3.37m)
• Support to victims and witnesses (£2.4m in 2019-2020)
• Community safety (£5.21m in 2019-2020)
• Early interventions (£705k in 2019-2020)
Expenditure in 2019-2020 was £441.8 million:
• £1.9m related to the Office of the PCC
• £5.2m related to the community safety fund
National and regional policing collaborations based in West Yorkshire include:
• NPAS (National Police Air Service)
• NECTU (North East Counter Terrorism Unit)
• Regional Scientific Support
• VIPER (video identification unit)
• PNLD (Police National Legal Database)
26Next steps
Key Dates
3 March | Candidate briefing
Combined Authority Returning Officer (CARO) briefing
25 March | Pre-election period
Pre-election: pre-election period of sensitivity begins with publication of the Notice of Election
8 April
Candidate nominations: Deadline for nomination of candidates
Statutory booklet: Deadline for candidates' election addresses
16 April | Election booklet live
Booklet published online, mailout to electorate begins
6 May | Election Day
Polling 07.00 – 22.00
9 May | Mayoral Count
Counting of Mayoral election votes will take place after district counts
10 May | Mayor's term begins
28Questions? mayoral.election@westyorks-ca.gov.uk
Connectivity Infrastructure Plan
Connectivity for West Yorkshire • We have published a Draft Connectivity Infrastructure Plan that sets out a long-term transport infrastructure investment programme • Aswell as the overall Plan we have also published: • A rail vision • A bus network review • Local walking and cycling infrastructure plans • A mass transit vision for 2040 31 • A future mobility strategy • Case for change reports • Engagement opened on the 27th January and runs until the 11th April 2021.
Connectivity for West Yorkshire
32Connectivity for West Yorkshire
3334
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