Purpose

This report presented the outcome of the public consultation undertaken on the proposed Ashton and Stalybridge Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), provided an update on the development of the MDC Business Plan and governance arrangements, including preparation of a constitution, and seeks approval to progress to the next phase of the establishment process.

The proposed MDC would provide a dedicated delivery vehicle to support the regeneration of Ashton and Stalybridge, building upon the work of the Ashton Mayoral Development Zone (AMDZ) and supporting Greater Manchester's ambition to create the country's first exemplar of transport-led regeneration. The MDC would coordinate regeneration, housing, employment, infrastructure and transport investment opportunities across the Ashton and Stalybridge Gateway area. The consultation had  concluded and demonstrates overall support for the creation of the MDC. Work continues in parallel on the MDC Business Plan, governance arrangements and Constitution to ensure readiness for formal establishment.

Decision

RESOLVED

(i)                That the outcome of the consultation on the proposed Ashton and Stalybridge Mayoral Development Corporation be Noted and progression to the next phase of establishment be Approved.

(ii)              To Delegate authority to the Director of Strategic Growth, in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Growth, Housing and Homelessness, to finalise and approve the Ashton and Stalybridge MDC Business Plan. 

(iii)           To Delegate authority to the Director of Strategic Growth, in consultation with Director of Legal and Democratic Services and the Deputy Leader (Growth, Housing and Homelessness), to finalise and approve the MDC Constitution, governance framework and associated operational arrangements.

(iv)           Subject to GMCA approvals on 25 September, Approval be given to the next phase of work required to establish the Ashton and Stalybridge Mayoral Development Corporation and support designation of the Ashton and Stalybridge MDC by the Greater Manchester Mayor, notifying the Secretary of State of that designation, whilst also noting and agreeing related costs associated with the establishment and delivery of the Ashton and Stalybridge MDC, as set out in the financial implications section, implementation of shadow governance arrangements, finalisation of the Business Plan and Constitution, and progression through the statutory establishment process

Alternative options considered

The option of not proceeding with establishment of the MDC remained available. However, following assessment of alternative delivery vehicles, a Mayoral Development Corporation was identified as the preferred mechanism to support the scale and complexity of regeneration proposed across Ashton and Stalybridge. The MDC model provided dedicated leadership, long-term governance arrangements, enhanced delivery capacity and a clear platform for attracting investment and funding.

Deloitte were commissioned to develop a Delivery Vehicle Options Appraisal and draft Business Case to provide robust evidence to determine the appropriate delivery vehicle for Ashton and Stalybridge. This work had assessed a series of options and refined these into a shortlist. Aside from an MDC, there were several other potential approaches available to us to support delivery:

•         Private sector-led development with public sector enabling activity

•         Direct public sector development partnering with private sector;

•         Maximum public sector intervention, with several routes for this; a) Implementation and delivery vehicle(s); b) Corporate Joint Venture (JV); c) Local Authority CPO and direct delivery; and d) Local Authority Asset Backed Vehicles (LABVs)

Deloitte’s assessment concluded the delivery vehicle with the greatest ability to support the effective delivery of Ashton and Stalybridge as a national exemplar of transport led regeneration was an MDC. This stemmed from the MDC's capacity to maintain local accountability and explore potential enhanced powers, alongside a series of additional benefits.