Agenda item

To consider a report which sets out the process and governance arrangements for Transport for the North to become a statutory body, and which seeks Cabinet approval for Cheshire East Council to confirm its membership of Transport for the North.

Cabinet considered a report which set out the process and governance arrangements for Transport for the North to become a statutory body, and which sought Cabinet approval for Cheshire East Council to confirm its membership of Transport for the North.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet

1.    notes the progress made by Transport for the North in securing Government approval to become a statutory Sub-National Transport Body;

2.    agrees that the scope of the powers which are being sought by Transport for the North is acceptable to Cheshire East Council, these being:

(a)  The preparation of a Northern Transport Strategy;

(b)  The provision of advice on the North’s transport priorities, as a Statutory Partner in the Department’s investment processes; and

(c)    The coordination of regional transport activities, (such as smart ticketing), and the co-management of the TransPennine Express and Northern rail franchises through the acquisition of Rail North Ltd.

3.    notes and consents to Rail North (which the Council is already a member of as agreed by Cabinet at its meeting held on 2^nd September 2014) being subsumed into Transport for the North and that its powers to specify and let rail franchises for the North of England are proposed to be unaffected by it being subsumed into Transport for the North;

4.    notes that the transfer of Rail North Limited to TfN so that it can be subsumed within TfN will require the signing of a new Rail Franchise Management Agreement with TfN. This agreement will replicate as far as possible the current Rail North Limited Members Agreement;

5.    agrees that Cheshire East Council should continue its payment of the current funding for Rail North Limited to TfN after its inauguration;

6.    agrees that Cheshire East Council should become a member of Transport for the North – this will require the making by the Secretary of State of Regulations under section 102E of the Local Transport Act 2008 to establish Transport for the North as a Sub-National Transport Body;

7.    notes that the taking up of this membership is subject to the making of regulations to be put before Parliament in the Autumn of 2017;

8.    delegates the final decision to accept the regulations and confirm the Council’s membership of Transport for the North to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council, the Portfolio Holder for Transport, the Executive Director for Place and the Director of Legal Services, once the final version of the regulations is available – this is anticipated to be in September 2017; and

9.    agrees that Cheshire East Council will appoint a Council Member to represent the authority on the TfN Board and that this representative will seek prior Cabinet or Council consent to any decision which is to be made by voting of TfN’s Constituent Members, where this decision:

(a)  requires the unanimous decision of TfN members,

(b)  affects the transfer or sharing of functions,

(c)  makes any financial commitment for Cheshire East Council or is a matter affecting the land ownership or land interests of Cheshire East Council.

Note: At this point, having declared pecuniary interests in the following item earlier in the meeting, Councillors G Hayes and S Pochin left the meeting and took no part in the consideration or voting on the matter.