Agenda item

Sir Richard Leese, Chair of the Board, welcomed all members to the meeting and introduced Sir Merrick Cockell, Chairman of the LGA, to provide an introduction.

Sir Merrick formally welcomed members to the first meeting of the City Regions Board. He explained that the Board presents an opportunity to give city regions a greater voice within the LGA and tap into the skills of the members seated around the table.  He said that he looks forward to seeing how the Board develops over the coming year.

Sir Richard introduced the other lead members of the Board and explained that the LGA had changed its governance structure following a challenge from the Core Cities. It is now up to the City Regions Board to contribute to the new structure. He said that the Board will be reviewed after its first year and needs to show that it has developed implementable propositions and has influenced 2015 election manifestos. Therefore the work programme focuses on big issues where the Board can make a difference in that time frame.

Representatives from London Councils and Key Cities voiced their support for the creation of the Board and reiterated the need for it to create measurable impact.