The Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee was scheduled to meet to discuss the council plan, financial monitoring, corporate risk, devolution and other matters. Presentations were due to be given on the Council Plan and performance, corporate risk, the financial strategy, and financial monitoring. The committee was also expected to discuss the allocation of a co-optee to the Scrutiny Panel for the municipal year and receive updates from lead members.

Devolution Update

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the government's devolution programme and its potential impact on Kirklees and engagement at a regional level.

The report prepared for the meeting noted that the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill was introduced into the House of Commons on 10 July 2025, following the publication of the English Devolution White Paper on 16 December 2024. The bill was designed to establish a more consistent and simpler model of devolution, establish a standardised framework of devolved powers, reform the local government sector, and empower communities.

The report stated that the bill defines a new tier of authority in England, called a strategic authority (SA). There would be three levels of SA which would determine the powers conferred by the government: Foundation Strategic Authorities, Mayoral Strategic Authorities, and Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities. Strategic Authorities would operate across seven areas of competence: transport and local infrastructure; skills and employment support; housing and strategic planning; economic development and regeneration; environment and net zero; health, wellbeing and public service reform; and public safety.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is an Established Mayoral Strategic Authority (EMSA), with the functions and funding associated with that tier. As an Established Mayoral Strategic Authority covering an area with five unitary local authorities, West Yorkshire would be less affected by the legislation than other areas. However, the new powers are still significant and include the duty to produce a Spatial Development Strategy, enabling the Authority to strategically plan for development across the whole area, and a bespoke statutory health improvement and health inequalities duty. The Bill would also enable WYCA to become the Fire and Rescue Authority for the area, subject to secondary legislation.

The bill would formalise the right to an Integrated Settlement for Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities, including West Yorkshire, from 2026 where the criterion is met in terms of readiness conditions. An integrated settlement provides Strategic Authorities with more flexibility over government funding pots.

The bill would also give Mayors of Strategic Authorities new powers known as 'the Mayoral Powers of Competence', including:

• The General Power of Competence - a broad general power enabling Mayoral Strategic Authorities, and their mayors, to do anything an individual can legally do.
• A Power to Convene and a Duty to Respond - enabling Mayors to convene local partners to address local challenges.
• A Duty to Collaborate - ensuring that Mayors have a formal process by which they can collaborate with neighbouring Mayors to deliver projects and strategies together.

The bill would introduce a requirement on all local authorities to establish effective neighbourhood governance, empower ward councillors to drive forward the priorities of their communities, move decision-making closer to residents, and provide opportunities to organise public services to meet local needs better.

The bill would introduce a 'Community Right to Buy' which would replace the current community right to bid policy introduced in the Localism Act 2011¹. Under 'Community Right to Buy', when an Asset of Community Value (ACV) is put up for sale by its owner, community groups would be given the first opportunity to purchase this asset. The community group and asset owner would either negotiate a price for the asset, or an independent valuer would set a price based on the market value.

Under Community Right to Buy, the moratorium on the sale of the asset will be extended to 12 months, giving community groups more time to raise funding to meet the agreed purchase price. Asset owners will be able to ask the local authority to check that community groups are making sufficient progress on the sale 6 months into the moratorium. This measure applies to assets which have been listed by the local authority as of community value.

The bill would ban Upwards Only Rent Review (UORR) clauses in new commercial leases in England. Instead, landlords would have to choose between offering fixed rents for the duration of the agreement or signing up to a review clause which allows rents to fall as well as rise.

Council Plan and Performance Update

The committee was scheduled to receive a presentation in respect of the Council Plan and Performance Update Report for Quarter 1 2025-2026, with reference to the report submitted to Cabinet on 9 September 2025.

Corporate Risk

The committee was scheduled to receive a presentation in respect of the Quarter 1 2025-2026 Corporate Risk Report, with reference to the report submitted to Cabinet on 9 September 2025.

Financial Strategy and Monitoring

The committee was scheduled to receive a presentation in respect of the council's Medium Term Financial Strategy, with reference to the report submitted to Cabinet on 9 September 2025.

The committee was also scheduled to receive a presentation in respect of financial monitoring for the General Fund, Revenue, Designated School Grant, Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and Capital Plan as at Quarter 1 2025- 2026, with reference to the report submitted to Cabinet on 9 September 2025.

Allocation of Scrutiny Co-optee

The committee was scheduled to consider a report which sought approval for the allocation of a co-optee to the Scrutiny Panel for the municipal year 2025/26. It was proposed that the new co-optee, Kevin Evans, be allocated to the Environment and Climate Change Scrutiny Panel.

Lead Members' Updates and Work Programme

The Lead Members for the Children's, Growth & Regeneration, Environmental & Climate Change and Health & Adult Social Care Scrutiny Panels were scheduled to update the Committee on the work currently being undertaken by their Panels. The latest version of the Committee's Work Programme for 2025- 2026 was scheduled to be submitted for consideration.