Agenda and decisions

That apologies be received from Councillor Nicholas Peel (Bolton), Councillor Bev Craig (Manchester) & Councillor Mark Hunter (Stockport).

1.  That the appointment of Councillor Eleanor Wills (Tameside) as a member of the GMCA be noted.

2.  That Councillor Ged Cooney be thanked for his service as the previous Tameside member of the GMCA.

3.  That it be noted that Mayor Andy Burnham has called for an urgent meeting of the Rail North Committee to discuss the ongoing concerns about the performance of Northern Rail.

4.  That the Mayor will continue to make direct representations to government ahead of the Autumn Budget.

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 none.

To consider the approval of the minutes of the GMCA meeting held on 27 September 2024.

That the minutes of the GMCA meeting held on 27^th September 2024 be approved as a correct record.

To note the minutes of the GMCA Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on 25 September 2024.

That the minutes of the GMCA Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on 25^th September 2024 be noted.

To note the minutes of the Bee Network Committee held on 26 September 2024.

That the minutes of the GMCA Bee Network Committee meeting held on 26^th September 2024 be noted.

To note the minutes of the GM Air Quality Administration Committee held on 1 October 2024.

1. That the minutes of the GMCA Air Quality Administration Committee held on 1^st October 2024 be noted.

2. That the update received from the Chair of the GM Air Quality Administration Committee be noted.

To note the minutes of the GMCA Waste & Recycling Committee held on 16 October 2024.

That the minutes of the GMCA Waste & Recycling Committee held on 16^th October 2024 be noted.

1.     To approve the appointment of Councillor Basat Sheikh (MCC) as a member of to the GMCA Overview & Scrutiny Committee for 2024/25.

2.     To note the appointment of Councillor Anthony McCaul (MCC) as a substitue member on the GM Clean Air Committee for 2024/25.

3.     To note the appointment of Councillor Anthony McCaul (MCC) as a substitute member on the Air Quality Administration Committee for 2024/25.

1.  That the appointment of Councillor Basat Sheikh (MCC) as a substitute member of the GMCA Overview & Scrutiny Committee for 2024/25 be approved.

2.  That the appointment of Councillor Anthony McCaul (MCC) as a substitute member of the GM Clean Air Committee for 2024/25 be noted.

3.  That the appointment of Councillor Anthony McCaul (MCC) as a substitute member of the Air Quality Administration Committee for 2024/25 be noted.

Report of Councillor Arooj Shah, Portfolio Lead for Equalities & Communities.

1.      That the Annual Reports provided by the Disabled People’s Panel, Youth Combined Authority, Women and Girls Equality Panel, Race Equality Panel, Faith and Belief Panel Advisory Panel, Older Peoples Equality Panel and LGBTQ+ Equality Panel be noted.

2.      That the commitment of all Portfolios to proactively engage with Equality Panels (individually or collectively) on issues that impact communities-of-identity be endorsed.

3.      That the GMC be requested to seek to further communicate the brilliant work of community volunteers in fostering community cohesion and equalities throughout the region.

Report of Councillor Tom Ross, Portfolio Lead for Green City Region.

Mayoral Approval:

1.    That the Greater Manchester Local Nature Recovery Strategy (draft for consultation) to proceed to public consultation and that the authority be delegated to Councillor Tom Ross, Portfolio Lead for Green City Region to approve any minor changes to be made to the Greater Manchester Local Nature Recovery Strategy (draft-for-consultation) prior to the public consultation. 

GMCA Approvals:

2.    That the Greater Manchester Local Nature Recovery Strategy (draft-for-consultation) be endorsed for public consultation.

3.    That the contents, including the vision, aims, targets, priorities and actions to help respond locally to the biodiversity emergency, be noted.

4.    That it be noted that the sustainability assessment of these proposals was positive.

5.    That the points highlighted by Anne Selby, Chair of the Local Nature Partnership, be noted.

6.    That it be noted that the consultation process will take place from November 15^th to January 31^st 2025 and that GM Local Authorities be requested to disseminate the consultation through their communications channels.

Report of Councillor Nick Peel, Portfolio Lead for Digital City Region.

1.   That the completion of the migration of c 1200 sites from legacy networks to the GM One Network across six organisations and the efforts of officers and commercial partners in its delivery, be noted.

2.   That the potential to leverage GM One Network to improve services and reduce costs across Greater Manchester’s public sector including for connectivity, internet access, and other cloud services, and cyber security, be noted.

3.   That approval be given for the GMCA to enter into the contract with Vodafone for GM One Network Connectivity Partner services, valued at up to £2m, to enable connectivity to more sites, creating an agreement that can be drawn on for the benefit of partners in GM One Network (at their cost); noting that orders under the contract will be subject to the governance, as set out in the report and decisions in accordance with the Constitution.

Report of Councillor David Molyneux, Portfolio Lead for Resources & Investment.

1.       That approval be given for a loan of £500k to Sustainable Ventures (North) Ltd

2.       That authority be delegated to the Combined Authority Treasurer and Combined Authority Monitoring Officer to review the due diligence information in respect of the above loans, and, subject to their satisfactory review and agreement of the due diligence information and the overall detailed commercial terms of the investments, to sign off any outstanding conditions, issue final approvals and complete any necessary related documentation in respect of the investments and loans noted above.

Report of Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester.

1. That the draft School Travel Strategy be approved for consultation.

2. That approval be given to the launch of public engagement on the strategy, comprising a ten-week online consultation and meetings with stakeholders affected by or involved in school travel.

3. That it be noted that the Mayor of Greater Manchester and the Greater Manchester Active Travel Commissioner have written to all Greater Manchester primary schools in the region seeking expressions of interest around integrating permanent Schools Streets schemes.

4. That the update on the Bee Network Committee’s consideration of this item be received.

5. That Transport for Greater Manchester officers be requested to develop transparent criteria, which clearly defines where levels of coverage supported proposals for bus route changes.

6. That it be noted that the consultation will commence from November 2024 for a period of ten weeks and that Local Authorities be requested to disseminate the consultation through their communications channels.

7.      That the final strategy be submitted to the GMCA in spring 2025 for consideration.

Report of Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester.

1. That the delivering the Bee Network update be noted.

2. That the comments raised through the GM Overview & Scrutiny Committee be received. 

3. That the update on the cost effectiveness of bus franchising to date be noted.

4. That the introduction of simpler flatter fares and that availability of credit unions for purchasing yearly passes be actively promoted.

5. That it be noted that the Mayor will continue to work with Transport for Greater Manchester to develop a plan for rail integration that was as robust and clear as the plan developed for bus franchising.

6. That the introduction of multi-modal fares with effect from 23^rd March 2025 be noted and that the communications campaign proposals be submitted to the GMCA for consideration.

7. That the issues highlighted around Bolton South rail services be noted.

8. That the introduction of the Bee Network’s first new bus service, the 615 from Wigan to Middlebrook, be welcomed.

9.    That Leaders be requested to consider where they have land development ambitions in areas adjacent to the eight lines planned for GM rail integration.

Report of Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester.

1. That the following bus fleet transactions be approved, and approval be given to borrowings of up to £71.2m to fund those transactions:

2. That the continued use the GMCA financial contribution from grant funding of up to £12.5m for the Volvo ‘ZEBRA’ fleet, to support the proposed revised allocation of the ZEBRA fleet be approved.

3.    That the GMCA record its congratulations to Steve Warrener following his permanent appointment to the role of Managing Director of Transport for Greater Manchester, as agreed at the GM Resources Committee held earlier in the day.

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 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.

Report of Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester.

That the report be noted.

Clerk’s Note: This item was considered in support of the report considered in Part A of the agenda (Item 16 above refers).

Report of Councillor David Molyneux, Portfolio Lead for Resources & Investment.

That the report be noted.

Clerk’s Note: This item was considered in support of the report considered in Part A of the agenda (Item 13 above refers).