Corporate Services, Climate Change and Scrutiny Management Committee	10 June 2024
Report of the Assistant Director of Policy and Strategy

A York pipeline of projects for the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority

Summary

1. The election of a Mayor for York and North Yorkshire and the establishment of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) provides an opportunity to explore funding to advance projects that support City of York Council’s (CYC) core commitments and Council Plan ambitions, wider city opportunities aligned to the 10-year strategies and support the regional economic framework and Mayoral ambitions.

2. There are several funding streams delivered through the YNYCA including the Mayoral Investment Fund, the future delivery of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and the Integrated Transport Settlement.

3. Officers have worked cross-directorate to establish an initial list of projects (Annex A) that form a York pipeline for mayoral consideration to fund relevant projects.

4. These have been mapped against the longer-term strategic ambitions of the city, such as the 10-year strategies, actions contained within the current Council Plan and the emergent YNYCA Economic Framework, to highlight alignment with each authority’s priorities and the wider city narrative. Following the election of the Mayor, work is also taking place to identify synergies with his ambition for the region.

5. The development of a pipeline can help to strategically shape how CYC pursues opportunities to deliver city priorities that support regional ambition through the YNYCA. It is important to note that the pipeline is not a ‘day one’ list and that it is able to flex dependent on opportunities that emerge.

6. Rather it provides a review of projects that could be facilitated through successful business case submissions. This includes a range of activities from those that are “shovel ready”, to deliver subject to funding, through to requests to facilitate business case development.  

7. To note, at time of publication the YNYCA funding process is still emerging to reflect the mayor’s priorities (see paragraph 15). However, the York pipeline has been developed to ensure that York is on the front foot of any future funding opportunities.

Background

8. This report is presented following the election of the first Mayor for York and North Yorkshire on 2 May 2024.

9. The Mayor will lead the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and will chair the Combined Authority Board.

10. The Mayor and Combined Authority will have certain powers and responsibilities, devolved to them by central government. In summary, these include:

a. responsibility for a Mayoral Investment Fund worth £540 million over 30 years and the powers to borrow against funds

b. full devolution of the adult education budget

c. powers to improve the supply and quality of housing and secure the development of land or infrastructure

d. powers and funds to improve transport through a consolidated, devolved, multi-year transport settlement.

11. They will also have oversight of the future delivery of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

12. The consolidation of these funding streams presents an opportunity for York to work with the Mayor and the YNYCA to securing funding for projects that will support the ambitions of CYC and York together with the mayoral priorities for the region.

13. The York pipeline is a “live” list of different proposals mapped to the Council Plan, York’s 10-Year Strategies and the regional economic framework.

14. The regional economic framework was approved by the Combined Authority on 18 March 2024. It is shown below as Figure 1:

Figure 1: The Combined Authority’s Economic Framework

15. To note, in response to the Mayor’s pledges, an initial, high level overview of key priorities has been developed by the Combined Authority that builds on the economic framework. This is presented in a paper at the Combined Authority on 31 May and is shown below as Figure 2. The York pipeline will seek to reflect the priorities identified and others that emerge.

Figure 2: Regional economic framework updated with emerging Mayoral priorities

16. The York pipeline will enable officers to select proposals for business case development to deliver quickly, as funding opportunities become available, to best meet business case deadlines.  The pipeline also captures partner and elected member views to ensure it best represents York’s interests.

17. Note, the York pipeline does not replace partner discussions with the Mayor, rather, ensures the council is able to allocate resource to opportunities it is confident have been informed through elected member (representing residents) and partner discussion.

18. At this stage, it is proposed that the York pipeline is reviewed annually and within the context of the York electoral cycle.  This might change however dependent on how mayoral funding opportunities are made available.

19. Discussions about regional activity have taken place with North Yorkshire Council officers to ensure there is alignment with North Yorkshire Council’s ambitions.

Consultation

20. The pipeline was developed by a cross-directorate officer group. It was then received internally by Corporate Management Team (CMT) and through informal discussion with the Council’s Executive Members.

21. A City Partnership event was held on 9 May 2024. During the event, partners were asked to provide feedback on what they felt were the key priorities for their organisations and the wider city that would support regional ambition, rather than on the pipeline itself. This feedback included reflections on creating the right conditions to enhance quality of life in the city (affordable housing, good transport links, skills and employment opportunities, culture etc). This feedback reflects the pipeline’s wider strategic fit.

22. Feedback on the pipeline is sought from all scrutiny committees to ensure views of Members are considered. Officers will attend scrutiny meetings on the following dates:

Scrutiny Committee	Date
Corporate Services, Climate Change and Scrutiny Management Committee #1	10 June 2024
Health, Housing and Adult Social Care	12 June 2024
Economy, Place, Access and Transport	25 June 2024
Children, Culture and Communities	2 July 2024
Corporate Services, Climate Change and Scrutiny Management Committee #2	8 July 2024

23. It is proposed that feedback is taken on board as the pipeline progresses through each scrutiny committee culminating in a revised pipeline being received for a second time at the Corporate Services, Climate Change and Scrutiny Management Committee in early July, ready for Leader consideration.

Options      

24. Members are asked to provide feedback as to whether the projects identified in the pipeline reflect the longer-term ambitions contained within the 10-year strategies of the city, the actions set out in the Council Plan, and the YNYCA Economic Framework.

25. Alternatively, Members may wish to identify additional projects that they feel would be suitable for inclusion on the pipeline. These will be considered as part of the pipeline development process and will need to align to regional ambition.

Analysis

26. The process that enables Members to review this report will ensure that different perspectives from across the Council inform the emerging relationship between CYC and YNYCA.

27. Specifically, it will enable Members to consider a consolidated, strong pipeline that sets out York’s ambition mapped to regional priorities for future working with the Mayor and the Combined Authority.

Council Plan

28. The pipeline is informed by specific actions identified against the seven priorities identified in the Council Plan. These priorities provide structure for the Council Plan actions that to the four core commitments – Equalities and Human Rights, Affordability, Climate, and Health.

        Implications

· Financial - There are no direct financial implications arising from this report.  Agreeing a list of pipeline schemes will ensure that the Council makes the most of available funding opportunities and will help to manage the overall financial challenge facing the Council.

· Legal - Legal advice specific to the pipeline projects described in this report will be provided or continue to be provided as they develop.

· Information Technology (IT) - Digital connectivity & Smart Technologies should be recognised as a key enabler for the Combined Authority themes, priorities and project pipeline.

· Property – Property implications will need to be considered on projects identified going forwards, on an individual basis with resources deployed accordingly.

· Other

Housing - Reducing carbon emissions from our homes and fuel bills for our residents alongside providing additional new affordable housing are identified as priorities for the council and significant activity is already taking place to meet these ambitions. This report identifies the opportunity to both accelerate and increase the scale of this activity through devolved powers.

Carbon Reduction and Climate Change - The pipeline has been assessed against the Climate Change Strategy to ensure projects align with our net zero and climate ready ambitions. The Climate Change implications of individual projects will be fully assessed as part of the project development and governance.

Skills - Collaboration between the Combined Authority and constituent authorities will be a key enabler of the skills agenda in the region. The pipeline highlights some potential opportunities and these will be considered as part of the wider approach to regional skills development.

Risk Management

29. There are no risks associated with the contents of this report.

        Recommendations

30. Members are asked to review the pipeline of projects identified in Annex A of this report.

Reason: To ensure the pipeline aligns with the 10-year strategies for York, the 2023-2027 Council Plan, and YNYCA Economic Framework, enable different perspectives from across the Council to be considered in the pipeline’s development, and ensure that York has a strong, consolidated list of proposals through which to engage future funding opportunities emerging from the YNYCA.

Contact Details

Author:	Chief Officer Responsible for the report:
Samuel Blyth Strategic Manager Corporate Policy and City Partnerships	Claire Foale Assistant Director of Policy and Strategy
	Report Approved	√	Date	29/05/24
Wards Affected:  List wards or tick box to indicate all					All	√
For further information please contact the author of the report

Background Papers:

· York-North Yorkshire Devolution and the Mayoral Combined Authority paper from the Corporate Services, Climate Change and Scrutiny Management Committee meeting of 11 December 2023 - https://democracy.york.gov.uk/documents/s171700/Final%20Devolution%20scrutiny%20report%20111223.pdf

· One City, for all: City of York’s Council Plan 2023-2027 - https://www.york.gov.uk/council-plan-1/one-city-2023-2027

· York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority Economic Framework - https://yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/240318-YNYCA-Item-9-Economic-Framework.pdf

· York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority – Mayoral priorities and budget update 2024/25 - https://yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/240531-Item-10-Mayoral-Budget.pdf

· York Climate Strategy 2022-2032 - https://www.york.gov.uk/downloads/file/8948/york-climate-change-strategy-2022-to-2032

· York Economic Strategy 2022-2032 - https://www.york.gov.uk/downloads/file/8949/york-economic-strategy-2022-to-2032

· York Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022-2032-  https://democracy.york.gov.uk/documents/s163774/Annex%20Di%20Health%20and%20Wellbeing%20Strategy%202022-32.pdf

Annexes

Annex A: York pipeline of projects 

Abbreviations

CMT: Corporate Management Team

CYC: City of York Council

YNYCA: York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority