Issue - meetings

Elgan Roberts (Low Carbon Energy Programme Manager) to present the report (which has been circulated to members separately).

1.    That the Board approve the Outline Business Case for the Deeside Anaerobic Digestion Plant project subject to The Circular Economy Development Ltd addressing the matters set out in the report, as described in Section 7, and recommend to the Economic Ambition Board that a Full Business Case is prepared for the Board to consider following the completion of the procurement process and the consenting processes.

2.    That the Board notes that the primary procurement for the project has already been completed on approval of the Outline Business Case it is intended that the Full Business Case would be presented to the Board in February 2024 for approval.

3.    That the Board, noting that the proposed funding model for the project is 50% grant and 50% loan subject to confirmation of the subsidy control position at Full Business Case, approve the principle that the interest from the loan once the cost of borrowing charges for the loan element have been covered is allocated to a reserve to be used to fund the Portfolio Management Office in future years.

4.    That the Board authorise the Portfolio Director in consultation with the Host Authority Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer to agree draft funding terms in accordance with this report as a basis for approval by the Economic Ambition Board as a basis for the final funding arrangements for the project to be agreed by the Board at the Full Business Case stage.

5.    That the Board designate the decision as an urgent matters which can be implemented immediately in accordance with paragraph 29 of the Scrutiny Protocol in Governance Agreement 2.

The report was presented by Elgan Roberts (Energy Programme Manager) and Hedd Vaughan-Evans (Head of Operations).

RESOLVED

1.      That the Board approves the Outline Business Case for the Deeside Anaerobic Digestion Plant project subject to The Circular Economy Development Ltd addressing the matters set out in the report, as described in Section 7, and recommends to the Economic Ambition Board that a Full Business Case is prepared for the Board to consider following the completion of the procurement process and the consenting process.

2.      That the Board notes that the primary procurement for the project has already been completed, and on approval of the Outline Business Case it is intended that a Full Business Case will be presented to the Board in February 2024 for approval.

3.      That the Board, noting that the proposed funding model for the project is 50% grant and 50% loan subject to confirmation of the subsidy control position on approval of the Full Business Case, approves the principle that the interest from the loan once the cost of borrowing charges for the loan element have been covered is allocated to a reserve to be used to fund the Portfolio Management Office in future years.

4.      That the Board authorises the Portfolio Director in consultation with the Host Authority's Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer to agree draft funding terms in accordance with this report as a basis for the final funding arrangements for the project, to be agreed by the Board at the Full Business Case stage.

5.      That the Board designates the decision as an urgent matter which can be implemented immediately in accordance with paragraph 2.9 of the Scrutiny Protocol in Governance Agreement 2.

REASONS FOR THE DECISION

To seek the Portfolio Board’s approval of the Outline Business Case for the Deeside Anaerobic Digestion Plant project.

DISCUSSION

The item was discussed.