Issue - meetings

This report seeks Executive approval to authorise Transport for the North to submit a draft governance proposal to Government, subject to a number of further requirements, prior to any final and binding agreement to become a constituent authority of Transport for the North.

Resolved:  That the Executive agree to:

i)          The submission to Government of the draft proposal for Transport for the North (TfN) to become a Sub-National Transport Body.

ii)        Inform Transport for the North of its requirements for full and final agreements and further clarification as set out in paragraph 21 of the report prior to any final and binding agreement to become a constituent authority of Transport for the North.

iii)       The Director of City and Environmental Services being instructed to engage with Transport for the North to seek the agreements and clarification as set out in ii) above.

Reason:    To enable the authority to have influence over the key industry stakeholders and the development and implementation of transport services across the North of England.

Consideration was give to a report which sought Executive approval for the authorisation of Transport for the North(TfN) to submit a draft governance proposal to Government.

Members were reminded that TfN had been created in 2014 to allow the North to speak as one voice on key infrastructure decisions which benefitted the region as a whole. TfN had prepared a Northern Transport Strategy which identified the key objectives for the improvement of transport in the area.

Officers confirmed that TfN was currently in the process of seeking to become a statutory body, to become the first Sub-National Transport Body. They were also seeking the authority’s agreement, in principle, to become a constituent authority of TfN and approval to submit the draft proposal to Government, attached at Annex B of the report. Officers highlighted that 16 authorities had already accepted the proposal in principle and outlined details of the draft proposal and, in particular, the voting system and the suggested voting metric.

Members acknowledged the importance of the cities involvement subject to clarification of the matters outlined in the report.

Resolved:  That the Executive agree to:

i)          The submission to Government of the draft proposal for Transport for the North (TfN) to become a Sub-National Transport Body.

ii)        Inform Transport for the North of its requirements for full and final agreements and further clarification as set out in paragraph 21 of the report prior to any final and binding agreement to become a constituent authority of Transport for the North.

ⁱⁱⁱ⁾             The Director of City and Environmental Services being instructed to engage with Transport for the North to seek the agreements and clarification as set out in ii) above. ^1.

Reason:    To enable the authority to have influence over the key industry stakeholders and the development and implementation of transport services across the North of England.