The newly created Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will get down to business when it meets for the first time next week.
The membership is made up of the five Liverpool City Region local authority leaders, the Elected Mayor of Liverpool and the Chair of the Local Enterprise Partnership. Members are Councillor Rob Polhill (Halton), Councillor Ron Round (Knowsley), Mayor Joe Anderson (Liverpool), Councillor Barrie Grunewald (St Helens), Councillor Peter Dowd (Sefton), Councillor Phil Davies (Wirral) and Robert Hough (Chairman, Local Enterprise Partnership).
The Combined Authority will work closely with the Local Enterprise Partnership board, whose Chair will be a member of the Authority, to develop links with local businesses.
As well as appointing the Chair, Vice Chair and Members, the first meeting will agree the HS2 action plan and discuss the Liverpool City Region Growth Plan. This Growth Plan will support businesses to grow and create jobs through focusing on the City Region’s strengths and ensuring that it can capitalise on opportunities such as the £340m Liverpool 2 development. It will be themed around the following transformational strategic projects:
Liverpool City Region Freight and Logistics Hub
Liverpool City Centre
Access to the Port of Liverpool
Liverpool City Region Low Carbon Region
A City Region Capital Investment Fund to co-invest in key capital schemes that will deliver jobs
The meeting will take place at 1 Mann Island, Liverpool, starting at 11am on Tuesday, 1 April 2014. The agenda and papers will be available seven days before the meeting at http://www.knowsley.gov.uk/. The meetings are public meetings.
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, working with the LEP, will strategically lead work on economic development, transport and employment and skills in the City Region to support jobs and growth.
It will provide clear leadership and greater transparency, while creating a legal entity which would be in a position to attract funding and devolved powers from Government, including accessing the £2bn Local Growth Fund.