Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Dale.

No declarations of interest were received.

RESOLVED –

That the Minutes of the Vision Derbyshire Committee on 4 April, 2022 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Assistant Director of Strategy and Policy at Derbyshire County Council presented an update to the Joint Committee on the delivery programme and the proposals to appoint staff to a Vision Derbyshire programme team.

A full schedule of member and/or officer meetings was shared with the Joint Committee to help direct and support the delivery of Phase four of the Vision Derbyshire programme.

The Assistant Director advised the Joint Committee that despite several attempts at recruitment to posts within the Vision Derbyshire programme team following the sign off of resources at the last Joint Committee meeting no appointments had yet been made.

Alternative solutions were being investigated for some of the roles such as potential secondment opportunities or the availability of additional hours that might prove attractive to existing council employees. These solutions would be discussed more fully at forthcoming meetings of the Vision Derbyshire Steering Group.

RESOLVED –

That the update be noted.

4.1 – Build Proactive Communities – Delivery Programme Report

4.2 – Seize Innovation – Update & SPF Business Start-Up Programme Report

4.3 – Establish Relentless Ambition – Update

4.4 – Live and Work Sustainably – Update & Climate Change Action Plan Prioritisation

13.1 Building Proactive Communities

The Chief Executive of High Peak Borough Council presented an update to the Joint Committee on five potential projects to progress in Phase four;

•        Domestic Abuse

•        COVID 19 Community Impact Assessment

•        VCS Support

•        Independent Living and Low Level Support

•        Walk Derbyshire

It was proposed that a high-level strategic group be established to optimise the benefits of joint working through the detailed scoping of each project and the advancement of a range of key deliverables.

Discussion took place around the need to ensure that the key deliverables didn’t duplicate work already being undertaken in Derbyshire and that finite resources would not be diverted from existing work programmes. The Joint Committee was assured that this was not the intention rather the projects would look to build on good work already being done, address gaps in provision and develop new ways of working to improve the quality of life of the people of Derbyshire.

13.2 Seize Innovation

The Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council presented an update to the Joint Committee on the Vision Derbyshire Business Start Up Support Programme. The Leader was pleased to note an even spread of clients across the Derbyshire districts and also within the City of Derby and the excellent feedback from the entrepreneurs who had to date engaged with the Programme.

There was clearly strong demand for the Programme. The challenge now was how to fund the Programme beyond the current end date, July 2023. Projections had been done to determine the funding needed to sustain the Programme until March 2025 and it was proposed that all nine local authorities (including the City of Derby) should consider allocating a portion of their respective UK Shared Prosperity Funds to support the extension of time.

The Programme was a good example of Vision Derbyshire in action where collaboration was actively fostered between local authorities and other partners. There was broad support from the Joint Committee for the continuation of the Programme through March 2025.

13.3 Relentless Ambition

The Leader of Derbyshire County Council presented a brief update to the Joint Committee on five potential projects to progress in Phase four;

•        Skills Research

•        Graduate Recruitment

•        Procurement

•        Inward Investment

•        Housing Retrofit

The Chief Executive of Derbyshire Dales District Council confirmed that a more comprehensive update would be provided at the next Joint Committee meeting.

13.4 Live and Work Sustainably

The Managing Director of North East Derbyshire District Council summarised the progress to date. A climate change officers’ group had been established to develop and deliver collaborative climate change projects and activities. A Vision Derbyshire Climate Change Strategy (2022 – 2025) had also been developed with the aim to reach the net zero target for Derbyshire by 2050. All member councils had now endorsed the Strategy.

Four key areas of focus for collaborative working had been identified;

1.      Renewable and low carbon energy

2.      Planning

3.      Housing retrofit 

4.      Tree planting

and a workshop held to prioritise the key  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

Derbyshire County Council’s Executive Director for Place updated the Joint Committee on the County Deal proposals and Vision Derbyshire alignment.

In April, the Joint Committee had received a presentation on the Levelling Up White Paper and been advised of the intent of the four upper-tier councils to pursue a Level 3 deal on a D2N2 footprint. The aim was to address the historic lack of investment in the D2N2 area and deliver significant benefits for local people.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill had subsequently been published on 11 May 2022, which would provide the framework for the establishment of the new Mayoral Combined County Authorities.

The four upper-tier councils were now engaged in positive discussions with the Government with a view to agreeing a County Deal for the D2N2 area.

The Vision Derbyshire structure was seen as crucial to underpinning the development of the County Deal from a governance perspective and there was clear alignment of Vision Derbyshire themes to the proposed County Deal workstreams. The latter workstreams were outlined and relevant lead members and officers identified to achieve the necessary alignment between the two work programmes.

RESOLVED –

That the update be noted.

To move “That under Regulation 21(1)(b) of the Local Authorities

(Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Regulations

2000, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of

business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt

information as defined in Paragraphs 1 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the

Local Government Act 1972.”

Part 2 (Non Public Information)

RESOLVED –

That under Regulation 21(1)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2000, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

The Leader of Derbyshire County Council presented an update to the Joint Committee on the emerging Devolution Deal and Governance arrangements. The four upper-tier councils had made a template submission to the Government for a Tier 3 deal on a Derby City, Derbyshire County, Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County (D2N2) footprint. The template had set out the councils’ high level ambitions and proposals.

The proposed governance arrangements were viewed as key, therefore Senior Officer Groups had now been established with a view to involving all partner local authorities, so that a consensus could be reached. It was acknowledged that the Vision Derbyshire Joint Committee was very important in terms of its voice and ability to connect, communicate and influence how the Devolution Deal might be governed.

Plans and proposals had been prepared to support the negotiation phase with the Government and there were plans to procure external consultancy advice to provide additional capacity and programme support.

The aim was to negotiate the very best deal for the D2N2 area and to address the current inequity in Government spend between areas with a Mayoral Combined Authority and those without. The Devolution Deal represented a significant opportunity, however timescales for agreeing the Deal were likely to be very tight. The immediate next steps were outlined to the Joint Committee.

RESOLVED –

That the update be noted.