[To approve the establishment of a Black Country Transport Team and a Collaboration Agreement between the four Black Country Local Authorities]

1.      That the establishment of the Black Country Transport Team be approved.

2.      That the Black Country Transport Collaboration Agreement be approved and authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources and Director of Governance to sign the Agreement on behalf of City of Wolverhampton Council.

3.      That authority be delegated to Cabinet Member for Resources and the Director of Finance to enter into grant agreements and to create appropriate supplementary budgets for transport funds awarded to the Black Country Transport Team.

4        That the City of Wolverhampton Council would host the Black Country Transport Team on behalf of the Four Black Country Local Authorities and provide Ancillary Services as defined in the Collaboration Agreement.

5        That the City of Wolverhampton Council would hold and manage the Joint Commissioning Budget and act as the Lead Authority (in each case as defined in the Collaboration Agreement).

6        That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources and the Director of Governance and the Cabinet Member for City Environment and the Director of City Environment to enter into all necessary legal agreements to give full effect to the Business Case and the Collaboration Agreement.

Councillor Steve Evans presented the report seeking approval to the establishment of a Black Country Transport team to provide additional capacity to the four Black Country local authorities to work on strategic transport schemes which unlock growth and help support the Councils’ key agendas.  Approval was also sought to sign a Collaboration Agreement on behalf of the Council alongside the other three Black Country transport authorities. The agreement set out a clear framework for how the transport team would operate, governance arrangements, how the team would be financed, how risks and liabilities are dealt with and how disputes between parties to the agreement might be resolved.

Resolved:

1.    That the establishment of the Black Country Transport Team be approved.

2.    That the Black Country Transport Collaboration Agreement be approved and authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources and Director of Governance to sign the Agreement on behalf of City of Wolverhampton Council.

3.    That authority be delegated to Cabinet Member for Resources and the Director of Finance to enter into grant agreements and to create appropriate supplementary budgets for transport funds awarded to the Black Country Transport Team.

4.    That the City of Wolverhampton Council would host the Black Country Transport Team on behalf of the Four Black Country Local Authorities and provide Ancillary Services as defined in the Collaboration Agreement.

5.    That the City of Wolverhampton Council would hold and manage the Joint Commissioning Budget and act as the Lead Authority (in each case as defined in the Collaboration Agreement).

6.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources and the Director of Governance and the Cabinet Member for City Environment and the Director of City Environment to enter into all necessary legal agreements to give full effect to the Business Case and the Collaboration Agreement.