Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor Neghat Khan, Leader of Nottingham City Council and incoming Chair of the Committee, introduced herself.

Claire Ward, East Midlands Mayor, introduced herself to the Committee and explained her vision for the role of District and Borough Councils in the working of the new East Midlands Combined Authority, allowing them to be real working partners.

Apologies were received from Mayor Andy Abrahams, Nicki Jenkins and Adrian Smith

None.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 5 April 2024.

The minutes of the meeting held on 5 April 2024 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Joint report of Adam Hill. Mansfield District Council and Jodie Townsend, East Midlands Combined County Authority

Adam Hill, Chief Executive Officer, Mansfield District Council, presented the report regarding the selection and appointment of non-constituent members from the District and Borough councils. Most Committee cycles will not begin until September and inductions will be provided for members.

The following points were raised during the discussion which followed:

(a)  at the last meeting it was suggested that additional Committees be established on Housing and Planning, and Environment. These are still to be considered by the Mayor;

(b)  youth engagement will be considered. In order to not duplicate work already done, the methods of doing this are still being considered.

Resolved to

(1)  agree the nominations and substitutes to the committees of the East Midlands Combined County Authority as set out in Appendix A of the report;

(2)  agree how EPC will provide nominations and substitutes to the committees of the East Midlands Combined County Authority that are not covered by Appendix A of the report.

Reasons for decisions:

·  To support district and borough councils in their understanding of the ask from EMCCA and ensure the right representatives are brought forward for nomination.

·  To agree the approval of outstanding non-constituent nominations to EMCCA committees in alignment with current EMCCA requirements.

·  To ensure that district and borough councils have formal representation at EMCCA.

Other options considered:

·  EMCCA considered a wide range of membership possibilities when drafting the initial version of its constitution, however its commitment to inclusivity of District and Borough Councils given their position as key partners ruled out options that did not include District and Borough Council representation in its governance framework.

Report of David Arnold, Head of Planning and Environment, Nottinghamshire County Council

David Arnold, Head of Planning and Environment, Nottinghamshire County Council, introduced the report on development of the Nottinghamshire & Nottingham Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LRNS). This work is led by Nottinghamshire County Council but must involve the Supporting Authorities in its development. For Nottinghamshire, these are the City Council, the 7 District and Borough Councils and Natural England. It is proposed to report to the Economic Prosperity Committee at key milestones to provide an appropriate level of political oversight to monitor progress.

Catherine Mayhew, LRNS Co-ordinator, delivered a presentation to the Committee and highlighted the following information:

(a)  the LRNS is a new statutory system of spatial strategies for nature’s recovery. Each county area of the UK musts prepare an LRNS in a locally-led, collaborative and transparent way, mapping the most valuable existing areas for nature and agreeing priorities for nature’s recovery;

(b)  existing areas for nature have been identified and mapped, with the map being available on the county council’s website. This includes national nature reserves, local wildlife sites, ancient trees and sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs);

(c)  governance is provided through an advisory group and 5 working groups on different topics. A strategic oversight group provides strategic oversight, and political oversight will be provided by this Committee;

(d)  public and stakeholder engagement is happening currently, with a draft LRNS due to be approved by Nottinghamshire’s Cabinet in September 2024 prior to formal public consultation. Publication is expected by the end of March 2025.

Resolved to

(1)  endorse the role of the Economic Prosperity Committee as the Political Oversight Group to monitor the development of the LNRS prepared by the County Council on behalf of the City Council and the District and Borough Councils;

(2)  note the statutory duties placed on the County Council as the Responsible Authority in preparing the LNRS and the role of the Supporting Authorities in shaping the LNRS;

(3)  note progress so far and the key milestones that need to be achieved over the next 10 months, including the proposed timetable for decisions that need to be taken by the County Council, City Council and the Nottinghamshire District and Borough Councils in endorsing the LNRS.

Reasons for decisions:

·  Oversight of the preparation of the LNRS is required, to ensure that there is confidence in the robustness of the process at the most senior level within the Supporting Authorities.

·  The Responsible Authority and Supporting Authorities have roles that are prescribed in the legislation, regulations and guidance.

·  The Responsible Authority and Supporting Authorities need to be aware of the decision-making processes and deadlines that will need to be met, if we are to meet DEFRA’s preferred timeframe of publication at end of March 2025.

Other options considered:

·  The County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment gave approval on 11 July 2022 for the County Council to act as Responsible Authority for the development of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy covering Nottinghamshire and Nottingham. The option for the County Council not to accept the appointment as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

Sajeeda Rose, Corporate Director for Growth and City Development, Nottingham City Council, suggested that Local Authority Officer representatives discuss a timetable for the dates of future Economic Prosperity Committee meetings in the 2024-25 municipal year.