Agenda and minutes

          The Minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2013 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

In this case the Board has a discretion to exclude the press and public and, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, it is RECOMMENDED that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, having been satisfied that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

The Board considered:

1)                   Whether Members of the press and public should be excluded from the meeting of the Board during consideration of the following item of business in accordance with Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 because it was likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be considered, exempt information would be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972; and

2)                   Whether the disclosure of information was in the public interest, whether any relevant exemptions were applicable and whether, when applying the public interest test and exemptions, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed that in disclosing the information.

RESOLVED:  That as, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed that in disclosing the information, members of the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 because it was likely that, in view of the nature of the business, exempt information would be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Board received a verbal update on the progress towards achieving Financial close with the Preferred Bidder.

The Board was advised that significant progress was being made with the fine tuning issues and the confirmation of project finance as laid out in the Preferred Bidder appointment letter.

RESOLVED: That the verbal update be noted.

The Board considered a report of the Chief Executive which informed the Members that the Mersey Gateway Environmental Trust (MGET) had been specifically created by the Council, and supported through the Public Inquiry process by the Planning Inspectorate, to assist the Project Company to manage its long term environmental planning commitments and its ecological assets.

The Board was advised that the last 12 months had seen an increase in activity.  The report included details of the financial arrangements between the Trust and the Crossings Board through a comprehensive Third Party Agreement to manage the environmental assets of the Project and by adding value to the wider Mersey Gateway objectives associated with long term and sub-regional environmental improvements. 

RESOLVED: That

(1)        the progress during the last 12 months be noted;

(2)        approval be given to develop a schedule of services between the Crossings Board and the Mersey Gateway Environmental Trust during the construction period; and

(3)        the signing of the contract covering the long term financial arrangements for the operation period between the Crossings Board and the Mersey Gateway Environmental Trust be supported.

The Board considered a report of the Chief Executive which advised Members that prior to achieving Financial Close, the Council was required to submit the Final Business Case, which included the Final Funding Submission. Ministers (Department for Transport and Treasury Ministers) would then be required to approve these submissions. The report explained the key aspects of the draft submission now made to Government and the draft Final Funding Approval letter that had been received from Department officials.

The Board also received a presentation from the Chief Executive and the Project Director Mersey Gateway setting out a proposal for applying a explaining how a Local User Discount can be applied to the proposed tolling arrangements on Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridge.

The Board considered a number of options to implement the Local User discount and noted any proposal must be fundable, affordable, and comply with the legal powers granted in the Tolling Orders considered and approved by the Inspector at the Public Inquiry and subsequently approved by Government. 

The recommended proposal set out in the presentation was considered to be capable of meeting all these conditions and, after due consideration, the Board were satisfied it was likely to be the most appropriate means of providing discounts to those least able to afford the full costs of tolls.

RESOLVED: That

(1)        the Board recommend that Council approve the Mersey Gateway:

(i)              Final Business Case;

(ii)             Final Funding Submission; and

Final Funding Letter;

(2)        the Board support the Local User Discount Scheme proposal as set out in the presentation; and

(3)        the Local User Discount Scheme supported by the Board be presented to the Council for consideration and approval.

The Board considered a report of the Chief Executive which provided Members with an update on the progress of the Land Acquisition Programme, and sought approval to retain the necessary internal and external staffing resources (including the appointment of consultants) to conclude the Land Acquisition Programme following Financial Close.

RESOLVED: That

(1)        the staffing and resource allocations (including the recruitment of consultants) as identified in the report be approved; and

(2)        the Chief Executive be granted delegated authority to make all necessary appointments and commissions, and agree terms and conditions, in respect of the completion of the Land Acquisition Programme, identified within the report.