20 July 2006

The AGM of the Assembly was held in Wakefield on 20 July 2006.

Below is a summary of issues discussed and decisions taken at the meeting. Full minutes will be available following approval at the next Assembly meeting on 19 October 2006. For more details on any of the items contact the Assembly on 01924 331555, e-mail mail@yhassembly.gov.uk.

Appointments

Members elected a new team to lead the Assembly’s work and chair regional boards on issues including planning, transport, housing, scrutiny and sustainable development.

Peter Box, Leader of Wakefield Council was confirmed as the Chair of the Assembly, with Paul Jagger, representing the Learning and Skills Council, as the Deputy Chair and Chair of Scrutiny.

Following nominations, members voted for the Chairs and Deputy Chairs of the functional and Sustainable Development Boards. The new positions are:

Regional Housing Board: Chair- Cllr Kris Hopkins, Bradford Council; Deputy Chair- Patricia Farrell, Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum.

Regional Planning Board: Chair- Cllr Steve Galloway, City of York Council; Deputy Chair- No nomination, new process underway to appoint.

Regional Transport Board: Chair- Chris Glen, Federation of Small Businesses; Deputy Chair- Cllr Liz Redfern, North Lincolnshire Council.

Sustainable Development Board: Chair- Cllr Arthur Barker, Hambleton District Council; Deputy Chair- Shelagh Marshall, Public Health.

Assembly members also confirmed the appointment of members to the Regional Executive Board.

For more details contact Emma King on 01924 331590, email emma.king@yhassembly.gov.uk

New Ways of Working

New governance arrangements to change the way the Assembly works and allow a more streamlined structure to focus on core functions were approved.

This structure will be made up of five elements: the Assembly, the Regional Executive Board, the Scrutiny Board, the Sustainable Development Board and the functional boards of Transport, Housing and Planning.

The number of Assembly meetings will be reduced from four to three meetings per year to allow for more focussed and specific discussion.

Changes to the Assembly’s Constitution were also agreed at the meeting, introducing new voting procedures and removing the role of Honorary Secretary. This role will be replaced by a new position of Secretary which will be undertaken by one of the Executive Directors.

Scrutiny

Innovation will be the first review carried out by the Assembly’s newly-appointed Scrutiny Board.

Members who took part in the recent scrutiny of the ‘Northern Way Opportunities’ identified a number of regional issues with innovation activity.

As a result, the Assembly AGM supported a recommendation that Innovation should the next scrutiny enquiry, with evidence-gathering beginning next month, prior to the Scrutiny Board’s first meeting in September.

This will have two benefits. Firstly, scrutiny reviews should not be done in isolation of each other but should be inter-related. ‘Innovation’ is a logical follow-up review to the ‘Northern Way Opportunities’. Secondly, the new Scrutiny Board includes a number of members who oversaw that review, this approach will provide continuity and enable us to apply the knowledge and experience of innovation issues that they gained from the review.

Members of the new Scrutiny Board agreed at the AGM are: Paul Jagger, Chair of the Scrutiny Board; Frank Carter, Y&H Chambers of Commerce; Cllr Shelagh Marshall, Public Health; Cllr Phil Dobson, Wakefield MDC; Cllr John Harris, Richmondshire District Council; Gary Topp, Yorkshire Culture.

For more details contact Hannah Howe, on 01924 331585, email hannah.howe@yhassembly.gov.uk

Regional Spatial Strategy

Director of Planning and Transport Chris Martin outlined the approach the Assembly would be taking in the Examination in Public (EiP) of the draft Yorkshire and Humber Plan beginning in September.

The independent EiP Panel has identified a draft list of key issues arising which will be 'explored/tested' at the EiP. The EiP is a debate about whether the draft Plan needs to be changed and allows the Panel to hear various points of view on it - from local authorities and others. This will be an important opportunity to examine trends and issues facing the region.

Members agreed to the overall approach the Assembly would be taking as a participant in the EiP, along with the outline programme of preparation work and handling arrangements during the period. In most instances this role will be to explain/ justify the approach set out in the draft Plan.

For more details contact Richard Wood on 01924 331597, email richard.wood@yhassembly.gov.uk.

Annual Report and Accounts 2005/6

Members agreed details of the report, a summary of Assembly activity and including sections on planning and transport; scrutiny, housing, the partnership work we’ve been involved with on behalf of the region; sustainable development and working with a host of organisations to lobby for a better deal for Yorkshire and Humber.

The report also looks ahead to the new, refreshed Assembly and the direction we’re going in and includes details of the Annual Accounts and further information on members and staff. The report will be designed and printed to be sent out and available in August.

For more details contact Iain Lovell on 01924 331583, email iain.lovell@yhassembly.gov.uk

Members’ Allowances

Members agreed an updated allowances and expenses scheme to reflect the increasing demands on leading members of the Assembly in view of the organisation’s changing structure.

This followed a review of allowances carried out by Dr Declan Hall from Birmingham University, who invited views from all Assembly members as part of his work.

The updated scheme gives new allowances to the chairs of the new functional boards, along with other members of the Regional Executive Board.

For more details contact Sue Jeffrey on 01924 331561, email sue.jeffrey@yhassembly.gov.uk

You can download the papers and minutes from the AGM below.

FONT SIZE S | M | L

18 King Street, Wakefield, WF1 2SQ01924 331555mail@yhassembly.gov.uk|Disclaimer|Site Map