Enterprise and Skills Review report on Phase 2: Regional Partnerships

Report illustrating the outcomes and progress achieved by the Regional Partnerships project as part of the Enterprise and Skills Review.


Annex A: Regional Partnerships: City Regional Deal Structure

Regional Partnerships: City Regional Deal Structure

Glasgow City Region

The Glasgow City Region deal was signed in August 2014. It includes a 20 year £1.13bn infrastructure investment alongside smaller scale investments in innovation, in employability and skills. The fund includes £500m from the Scottish Government, £500m from the UK Government and £130m from local authorities. Private sector contributions are not articulated in the deal.

It is governed by the Glasgow City Region Cabinet, a Joint Committee constituted in January 2015 comprising the elected local authority leaders from:

Glasgow City Council Renfrewshire East Renfrewshire
East Dunbartonshire West Dunbartonshire Inverclyde
North Lanarkshire South Lanarkshire  

The Cabinet is responsible for strategic decision-making and leadership in relation to the Glasgow City Region City Deal. It is is responsible to the UK and Scottish Governments for project selection and delivery of the deal itself. In addition the Cabinet will deal with issues relating to economic regeneration across the Glasgow City Region, and any other areas of activity agreed by them.

The Cabinet is chaired by the leader of Glasgow City Council and meets every eight weeks in public. The Cabinet is supported by a group made up of the eight Chief Executives from the Member Authorities. This Chief Executive Group takes operational responsibility individually (for activity within their local authority area) and collectively across the Glasgow City Region for the overall supervision and management of the City Deal and for monitoring performance of delivery.

An Assurance Framework underpins the governance of the City Deal. This sets out the decision-making arrangements for the Glasgow City Region Cabinet, governance structures, and key processes for ensuring accountability and compliance.

Building on the collaborative approach to City Deal projects, Glasgow City Region has developed an Economic Strategy and Action Plan [14] setting out a shared longer term economic vision for the region. Development of a Regional Intelligence Hub to inform member authority and partner interventions and investments was an early action prioritised in delivering the strategy.

Aberdeen City Region

The Aberdeen City region deal was signed in November 2016. It is a £826m funding package comprises £125m from the Scottish Government and £125m from the UK government, £44m from the local authorities and their regional partners, and £532m from the private sector. The investment over a 10 year period supports a package of measures including: a new, industry-led Oil and Gas Technology Centre; an Agri-Food hub for innovation; a Biopharmaceutical hub for innovation; investments in digital and transport; and support for the harbour expansion.

Aberdeenshire Council acts as the Accountable body for the deal and supports the Joint Committee created under sections 56 and 57 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. The Joint Committee is responsible to the UK and Scottish Governments for delivery of the deal. Voting members on the Joint Committee will consist of:

  • Three elected members of Aberdeen City Council.
  • Three elected members of Aberdeenshire Council.
  • Three members of Opportunity North East ( ONE).

The Joint Committee is responsible for recommending the project business cases to partners for approval. Subject to approval being granted the Joint Committee is responsible for approving expenditure within agreed budgets allocated by the constituent authorities.

The Joint Committee is supported by a Programme Board made up of senior officer representatives from Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council, the Programme Manager and representatives from ONE, NESTRANS and Scottish Enterprise. The Programme Board is supported by an Enabling Group comprised of a pool of organisations with expertise and knowledge of the projects to be supported by the City Region Deal.

Inverness and Highland City Region

The Inverness and Highland City region deal was signed in January 2017. It comprises £315m over 10 years, with £135m from the Scottish Government, £53m from UK government, and £127m from the Council and regional partners. Private sector contributions are not articulated in the deal. The package of measures include transport, housing, skills, infrastructure and tourism projects.

The Highland Council acts as the Accountable body for the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal and is responsible to the UK and Scottish Governments for the delivery of the deal. The Council's Planning, Development & Infrastructure ( PD&I) Committee ensure compliance with the City Region Deal; approve business cases for Council-led projects; approve final project funding allocations; scrutinise and monitor progress and programme spend; and approve match funding contributions for Council-led projects.

A Programme Board, through which the lead organisation for each specific project will report, has been established to support the Council's PD&I Committee. The Programme Board comprises the lead officers for each project, a representative from the Finance Service and a representative from the business community and representatives from the Scottish and UK Governments. The Programme Board is chaired by Highland Council's Director of Development and Infrastructure.

A City-Region Deal Scrutiny Board has also been established comprising the Leaders of the Council's political groups or their nominees to review and monitor the business cases and associated detailed documentation prior to reports being submitted to the PD&I Committee. In addition, the Highland Economic Forum, made up of representatives from across the region's public agencies and private sector, will provide an advisory forum on the implementation of the Deal.

Emerging City Region Deals

Other city regions are currently working together and engaging the Scottish and UK governments to secure deals for their region.

Edinburgh And South East Scotland

City of Edinburgh along with Fife, Scottish Borders, West Lothian, East Lothian and Midlothian are in discussion about a City Region Deal for the area and are developing a governance structure based on a Joint Committee with representation from each local authority, businesses and Higher Education. The Committee will be supported by an advisory Business Leadership Council and an Executive Board comprising representatives from the six local authorities as well as colleges and universities.

A Joint Committee of the Leaders of each local authority, along with business and Higher Education representation will oversee delivery of the Edinburgh Region City Deal and will examine the potential for assuming further strategic responsibility in related areas.

A new cross-regional Business Leadership Council will be established to bring together voices from across the private sector. An Executive Board of the six regional local authority chief executives and the local authority directors with a remit for the economy, plus a representative for the region's universities and colleges, and a programme management officer function has already been formed. The Board has responsibility for overseeing the development and prioritisation of propositions.

Tay Cities

Dundee, Perth & Kinross, Angus and North Fife have published their plans for the Tay Cities Region Deal comprising two parts, a 20 year Regional Economic Strategy and proposals for a Tay Cities Region Deal.

To steer the delivery of this strategy, facilitate the devolution of powers, and to provide governance for the city deal, the four Councils have already approved in principle the establishment of a Tay Cities Joint Committee. Membership will comprise elected members from all four local authorities and representatives of the private sector, the higher/further education sectors and the voluntary sector.

To support, challenge, inform and debate the implementation of a Regional Economic Strategy (and the Tay Cities Deal) a new Regional Business Forum comprising senior leaders from the private sector has been established. The Regional Business Forum will be represented on the Tay Cities Joint Committee.

Stirling and Clackmannanshire

Stirling and Clackmannanshire have been working together since September 2016 on a shared regional vision and a programme of interventions to help them deliver this vision.

Current proposals include interventions in digital, transport, energy and regeneration that have been developed in conjunction with their communities, stakeholders and Stirling's unique City Commission (a partnership of senior representatives from influential private and public sector organisations operating in the area). Governance structures are still in development.

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