Agenda and decisions

That apologies for absence were received and noted from Councillor Andrea Simpson (Bury), Councillors Sue Murphy and Bev Craig (Manchester), Councillor Janet Emsley & Sara Rowbotham (Rochdale), Councillor Tom McGee (Stockport), Councillor Leanne Feeley (Tameside) and Councillor Mark Aldred & Councillor Jenny Bullen (Wigan) and Tony Oakman (Bolton), Joanne Roney (Manchester), Jim Taylor (Salford), Pam Smith (Stockport)and Steven Pleasant (Tameside).

There were no Chairs announcements or items of urgent business.

To receive declarations of interest in any item for discussion at the meeting. A blank form for declaring interests has been circulated with the agenda; please ensure that this is returned to the Governance & Scrutiny Officer at the start of the meeting.

There were no interests declared.

To consider the approval of the minutes of the meetings held on 29 November 2019.

That the minutes of the GMCA meeting held on 29 November 2019 be approved as a correct record.

GMCA Appointments

Report of Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester.

1.      That the appointment of Jo Kaye and Tracey Matthews as Non-Executive Directors of TfGM be approved.

2.      That authority be delegated to the Chief Executive Officer, GMCA &TfGM, to formalise the terms of the appointments.

Report of Cllr David Molyneux, Portfolio Lead for Resources.

That the appointment of Mr Grenville Page and Ms Susan Webster, as Independent Members of the Audit Committee, be approved subject to completion of required pre-employment checks, with immediate effect.

i.                    To note the appointment of Councillor Shah Wasir to replace Councillor Liam O’Rourke (Rochdale) as a member of the Committee by the GM Mayor.

ii.                   To note the appointment of Councillor Paul Prescott to replace Councillor Carl Sweeney (Wigan), as a substitute member of the Committee..

1.             That the appointment of Councillor Shah Wasir to replace Councillor Liam O’Rourke (Rochdale) as a member of the Committee by the GM Mayor be noted.

2.             That the appointment of Councillor Paul Prescott to replace Councillor Carl Sweeney (Wigan), as a substitute member of the Committee, be noted..

To approve the appointment of Councillor John Walsh to replace Councillor Mudasir Dean (Bolton).

That the appointment of Councillor John Walsh to replace Councillor Mudasir Dean (Bolton) be approved.

To approve the appointment of Councillor Paul Prescott to replace Councillor Carl Sweeney (Wigan).

That the appointment of Councillor Paul Prescott to replace Councillor Carl Sweeney (Wigan) be approved.

Report of Cllr Elise Wilson, Portfolio Lead for Digital City Region.

1.      That it be agreed to enter into a grant funding agreement with DCMS to secure the grant element from DCMS for the GM LFFN programme for up to £21.3M (this may be up to £1.7m lower to reflect Salford City Council moving to a Public Sector Building Upgrade model – para 2.6).

2.      That the allocation of £835,000 from the DCMS LFFN grant, to Manchester City Council for the purposes of Public Sector Building Upgrade be approved.

3.      That the allocation of £90,000 from the DCMS LFFN grant, to Salford City Council for the purposes of Public Sector Building Upgrade be approved.

4.      That Manchester City Council and Salford City Council be commended to follow a Public Sector Buildings Upgrade model under a separate Grant Funding Agreement direct with DCMS.

5.      That it be noted that the decision of the GMCA (1^st March 2019) to select up to two providers under single supplier framework contracts was delegated to the GMCA Treasurer. 

6.      That it be noted that providers will be used by the GMCA, and also each participating Local Authority to enter into a contract in their own right for each locality, in accordance with the recommendations in the Tender Outcome Report (Part B report).

7.      That it be agreed that the GMCA enter the Inter Authority Agreement (IAA) with Local Authority partners.

8.      That the publication of the GM Prospectus be welcomed and agreed as the agreed basis for all Authorities to work consistently across GM for working with any provider looking to install fibre to minimise disruption to residents, minimise cost of installation and maximise private fibre investment. This prospectus will form an integral part of the IAA and is approved as the basis to work with the successful bidders.

9.      That authority be delegated to the GMCA Monitoring Officer to review and complete all necessary legal documentation and award and enter into contracts.

That, under section 100 (A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public should be excluded from the meeting for the following items on business on the grounds that this involved the likely disclosure of exempt information, as set out in the relevant paragraphs of Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

That, under section 100 (a)(4) of the local government act 1972 the press and public should be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information, as set out in the relevant paragraphs of part 1, schedule 12a of the local government act 1972 and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

Report of Cllr Elise Wilson, Portfolio Lead Leader for Digital City Region.

1.      That the GMCA record its thanks to Cllr Elise Wilson and the GM Digital Team for the progress of work over the last 2 years.

2.      That the recommendations in the report be approved including the arrangements to enter into grant agreements with DCMS as detailed within the report.

3.      That the DCMS grant funding distribution as detailed in the report be approved and that the decision to enter into grant agreements to allocate funding to the GM public sector partners for the anchor tenancy element of the GM LFFN programme be delegated to the GMCA Treasurer.

4.      That the allocation from the DCMS LFFN grant, to the GMCA for connecting Fire & Rescue sites for the purposes of Anchor Tenancy across Greater Manchester be approved.

5.      That the allocation from the DCMS LFFN grant to the GMCA for connecting Urban Traffic Management Control sites and TfGM assets for the purposes of Anchor Tenancy across Greater Manchester be approved.

6.      That an increase to the GMCA capital programme of £19.7M, of which £7.1m was agreed by GMCA in March 2019, be approved,  subject to final design to support investment in GMCA/TfGM UTMC assets and sites.

7.      That an increase in the GMCA capital programme of £1.55M be approved to reflect the GMCA investment in GMFRS sites.

8.      That it be noted that the GM led procurement has secured substantially improved value for money than originally anticipated in the GMCA report of 1st March 2019.

9.      That Bolton, Bury, Wigan, Rochdale and Oldham Councils be commended to sign their respective contracts in the Northern Arc, in accordance with the recommendations in the Tender Outcome Report (Appendix A).

10.  That Trafford and Stockport Councils be commended to sign their respective contracts in the Southern Arc, in accordance with the recommendations in the Tender Outcome Report (Appendix A).

11.  That it be agreed that GMCA enters into contracts to connect F&RS and TfGM assets for both the Northern Arc and the Southern Arc, in accordance with the recommendations in the Tender Outcome Report (Appendix A).