Venue: Multi-Location Meeting - Council Chamber, Port Talbot & Microsoft Teams. View directions
Contact: Tom Rees Email: t.rees1@npt.gov.uk
No. | Item |
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Chair's Announcements Decision: The
Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. The Chair confirmed that Democratic
Services have received apologies from Cllr R.Wood and
Cllr J. Curtice. Minutes: The
Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. The Chair confirmed that Democratic
Services have received apologies from Cllr R.Wood and
Cllr J. Curtice. |
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Declarations of Interest Decision: There
were none. Minutes: There
were none. |
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Minutes of the Previous Meeting To
approve the minutes of the meeting held on 25/07/24 as an accurate record of
the proceedings. Minutes: The
minutes of the meeting held on 25/07/24 as an accurate record of the
proceedings. |
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Supporting Innovation and Low Carbon Growth Progress Update Decision: The
report was noted. Minutes: Lisa
Willis Strategic Funding Programmes Manager gave members an update on the
progress of the support and innovation and low carbon growth programme (SILCG). Members
were advised that the previous programme manager had taken another role within
Neath Port Talbot County Council and the role has been advertised but not
filled. Lisa Willis has taken over the role as programme manager with her
programme office supporting her. Members
were advised that each of the projects has its own project manager who are
reporting to Lisa Willis so there is no risk to delivery because of the change. Members
were given an overview of each of the 8 interlinked projects and the goal of
them all is to deliver low carbon, sustainable and inclusive economic growth
for the region. Bay
Technology Centre Members
were advised that this is a hybrid energy positive building, and it is
currently at 53% occupancy. Officers explained that there are three companies
due to sign heads of terms and officers also due to issue another head of terms
to another company. Officers are currently in negotiations with additional
company, this would mean that there should be 5 more companies joining over the
next two months. Members
were advised that promotion of the facility is being done via the website and
through social media and that the most recent tenant to arrive is the High
Value Manufacturing Catapult and they've set up office in the Bay Technology
Centre. Members were informed that they have got state-of-the-art equipment
supporting businesses across the region, Wales and the UK. The
South Wales industrial transition from carbon Hub (SWITCH) Officers
advised that SWITCH is supporting the decarbonisation of the steel and metals industry and Swansea University are the delivery partner.
Members were informed that the 12-month design phase concluded with
Pre-Application Consultation (PAC) which is proposed to be submitted imminently and this will be followed by a 15 - 18-month
construction phase and is due for completion at the end of 2026. Officers
felt that this was an exciting project, and it has also adapted to changes with
the announcement with Tata Steel looking at decarbonisation of steel as well as
the steel and metals industry across the region. Advanced
manufacturing production facility Members
were informed that there has been a delay with this project in terms of
discussing land options and making sure it aligns with the innovation
landscape. Officers
are talking to Welsh Government on the land areas and are engaging with
partners on this. Members were also advised that there is a lot of interest in
this in terms of diversification of industry across Neath the Talbot and the
wider region. Net
Zero Skills Centre of Excellence This
is going to be Co-located with the advanced manufacturing production facility
and officers are looking at where to site that with several land options that
they are discussing. Hydrogen
stimulus project Members were told this project was in two parts. The first is led by the University of South Wales ... view the full minutes text for item 4. |
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Swansea Bay City Deal Quarterly Monitoring Portfolio Additional documents:
Decision: The
report was noted. Minutes: Johnathan
Burnes gave members an overview of the Swansea Bay City Deal Quarterly
Monitoring portfolio report as included in the agenda pack. Members
noted that the target for jobs is currently 9700, but the report states that
there are now 615 jobs. Members asked when officers think it would get closer
to the target. Officers
reminded members that in the last meeting there was an evaluation framework put
forward and in that was indicative time scales of when every project will
evaluate elements of their projects. Officers
advised that they will be looking at the wider impact of the buildings not just
the construction of the building. When those evaluations are produced and put
through the system then members will start seeing the job numbers jump up. Members
were advised that in terms of when they will be getting the reports, the first
one will be from Yr Egin phase one and that will go to joint committee in
December for their economic evaluation. Swansea Marina would be next, followed
by Swansea Arena. After that there will be a whole series of things that will
happen over the next few years. Officers
advised that they do an economic evaluation of projects at least a year or two
of operation and gave the example of the SWITCH project which won't be
completed the end of 2026. This illustrates that the evaluations could be going
up to 2028/2029 approximately. Members
sought clarification on the figures on the report. Members highlighted that the
total investment target hasn't changed from the previous report, which stands
at £1262.19 m and the total investment to date is £318.23m. Members highlighted
that if you read the financial outturn for quarter four of last year and the
annual update report, the total investment target is a different figure, it
stands at £1278.27m for quarter four of last year and the total investment to
date is £354m. Members clarified if they were reading the figures incorrectly
or if the figures are incorrect on the report. Officers
advised they would double check the reasons behind the variance and advised
that they would get a formal response to members in writing via the chair as to
why there is a variance in value. Members
advised that Pembrokeshire County Council is very concerned currently with
Celtic Freeport and asked what impact the Freeport is having on city deal, or
if it will make any impact on City Deal’s plans. Officers
advised that they have found that with the Swansea Bay City deal that a lot of
the partners involved in both the city deal and the freeports. The senior
responsible owners, like Nicola Pearce, who is director of Environment and
Regeneration in Neath Port Talbot and Rachel Moxie in Pembrokeshire County
Council who are both senior responsible owners for the city deal projects. Officers advised that Pembroke Dock Marine and Supporting innovation and low carbon growth helped catalyse the bid for freeports. Officers stated that there are lots of other things that ... view the full minutes text for item 5. |
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Financial Monitoring Report 2023/24 - Provisional Outrun Position Q4 Decision: The
report was noted. Minutes: Stephen
Aldred-Jones gave members an overview of the report as included in the agenda
pack. Members
asked what ‘the overall estimate investment position is demonstrated at £1.278
billion’ meant. Officers explained that the figure includes the city deal grant
from Welsh and UK governments of £241m and it also includes the money other
public sector bodies are putting into it and the private sector investment as
well. This £1.278 billion is the grand total. Members
drew attention to the overall investment budget and noted that City Deal owe
money centrally which it earns interest on and asked if that money is
operational money for the core of the city deal operation. Officers
explained that it is interest earned on the balances they hold from the grant
received and that has been paid over to each local authority partner based on
the value of the money officers hold for them, which they haven't yet claimed. Members
clarified if this was pro-rata to what they are entitled to have. Officers
clarified that those payments have been made and the local authorities have
received that interest payment. Officers
advised that the money will be paid out to partners when they claim it. Members
were informed that the balance at the end of 23/24 was £54.4 million. Officers
explained that there is some slippage but once the projects catch up, this
money will then be paid over to the partners. Members
asked if now there is a new government in Westminster will all the funding
still be secured for the Swansea Bay city deal and is there any risk that any
of it might be clawed back? Officers
advised that they have been reassured several times that it is all ring fenced
and is safe, assuming everything goes ahead as planned in the way that the
business cases have been written. Officers
advised that if not, then they will have to go through a change request and
that could go to the governments for approval depending on what those changes
could entail. Officers reiterated that at the status of where things are, the
money is ring fenced and they are in delivery across the portfolio. Officers
noted that other city and growth deals across the country, particularly
Scotland and Northern Ireland have been advised that unless they have started
their delivery, they must wait until the comprehensive spending review later in
the year to determine whether that money is released for those city and growth
deals. Swansea Bay City Deal is not in that current situation. Members
were reassured by this information. The
report was noted. |
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Pre - Audit Annual Statement of Accounts Additional documents: Decision: The
report was noted. Minutes: Stephen
Aldred-Jones introduced the report as per the agenda pack and gave members
context that Carmarthenshire County Council is the accountable body is
responsible for the financial stewardship of the Swansea Bay City deal and it's
the fourth-year officers had to compile a statement of accounts in line with
accounts and Audit Wales regulations. Members
were advised that the pre-audit statement is currently being audited by Audit
Wales in line with their detailed audit plan and any amendments noted will be
made noted in the ISA 260 report. Members
thanked officers for the report but had no questions. The report was noted |
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Swansea Bay City Deal Annual Report Additional documents: Decision: The
report was noted. Minutes: The
Chair reminded members that they had Supplement 8A, which is the Swansea Bay
City deal Annual Report 2023/24, which relates to this item, and they will
therefore take Item 8 and Supplement 8A at the same time. Jonathan
Burns gave members an overview of the report as contained in the agenda pack.
Members were advised that this is the third iteration of the Swansea City Deal
annual report and explained that the report aims to summarise and celebrate all
the key achievements and milestones between April 23 to March 24, reinforcing
everything that officers would expect around City deal alignment, importance to
the regional economy, making sure that there's insight for stakeholders to read
of what is happening or happened in the last year and what is planned to happen
in this financial year. Officers
work with all the project teams, the senior responsible owners, key delivery
partners and programme board, etc. to make sure they collate as much
information as they can and process it as succinctly as possible. Members
highlighted that it is positive to see all the good work that's happening
across the region and all the projects and noted that it's quite positive to
see all the all the changes and development and commended the whole team for
the work that they're doing. The report was noted. |
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SBCD - Annual Report 2023-24 Additional documents: Decision: The
report was noted. Minutes: The
report was noted. |
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Construction Impact Assessment Review Report Decision: The
report was noted. Minutes: Jonathan
Burnes gave members an overview of the Construction Impact Assessment Review
report. Members
were advised that the construction impact assessment is a is a quarterly report
that officers produce. Members
were informed that there's no change from the previous quarter in terms of the
construction impact assessment. Officers
explained that the overarching funding gap is £43.5 million and there has been
a series of mitigations to plug that gap. Officers
advised that it is now down to £12 million residual gap, which is again being
worked on by projects. Members
were advised that there is only one risk being added for Pentre Awel, which
relates to delays to construction. Officers
reminded members that the key mitigations are either to identify additional
sources of funding to the gaps, to revisit the design brief or the scope and to
enter longer negotiations with Tier 1 and supply chain contractors around
increasing costs. Members
asked if there had been any value engineering done as well? Officers
advised that fabrication of buildings has been one of the mitigations along
with the choice of the location of where the buildings are sighted and the size
of the buildings. Members
were advised that in terms of the scope, officers have identified that through
any change brief, change of design brief or scope changes, it doesn't change
the outcome of what will happen consequently. Officers
used the example of the SWITCH production facility, the decarbonisation steel
facility within Neath Port Talbot and Swansea University. The size of the
building is smaller because it was an approximate size, but it can still house
what they have planned to house originally. Officers explained that they are
cutting the fat without affecting the delivery outcomes. Officers
also gave the example that Pentre Awel having a facade of glass on the plan
that they have halved in size to reduce the cost of producing and transporting
the glass to site. The matrix project also changed their fabrication. Members
were reminded that materials, costs, fuel and energy prices are higher than
when the business cases were developed. While there will be an increased cost,
through the mitigations, officers are reducing that and closing that gap. Members
were advised that the Programme Board had asked officers to reassess and
reshape the Construction Impact Assessment and asked them to look at 4 areas. • Value for money when allocating public
funds. • Flexibility in procurement, especially
in frameworks. • Informing a review for the regional
procurement strategy. • Partnership solutions to address the
skills issues affecting the Construction industry. Members
stated that in relation to procurement they aren’t a big supporter of having a
list of contractors to call from to assist in the programmes. Members asked if
there is any loading done to local companies? Officers
explained that in relation to tier 1 contractors they are unfortunately
hampered by the number of tier one contractors that reside within Wales, let
alone within the region. However, they always try within the frameworks to ... view the full minutes text for item 10. |
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Report on the delivery of local Meet the City Deal Events 2023/24 Decision: The
report was noted. Minutes: Jonathan
Burnes advised members that it was a positive report and explained that in 2022
it was celebrated that the Swansea Bay City deal was in full delivery with an
event held at Parc y Scarlets. Officers found that even though it went well,
and they had a lot of attendees, they considered the attendees as the ‘usual
suspects’ in terms of government officials, government offices and businesses
and various other key stakeholders for the city deal. The
feedback officers received from the event was that they should go out to the
four local authority areas and do a ‘meet the city deal event’, which is what
they have conducted and that's what the report was based on. Members
were advised that there were four locally focused events last financial year.
Of which they had over 30 exhibitors. Officers partnered with many
organisations that help support businesses, which all had a presence at the
four events. There
were over 500 registrations, of which approximately 58% of those registrations
attended. Officers felt that was fantastic and were glad that approximately 3/4
of the attendees were from the private sector and they found that the attendees
were meeting projects that weren't necessarily within their locality. This
allowed them to talk about synergies and opportunities and have cross
conversations between the projects and the exhibitors that supported the event. Members
were advised that 80% of attendees said that they found it useful or very
useful, which officers felt showed that those events were successful and were
working. Officers explained that they are going to look at what the next series
of events they could do and that will be coming through the pipeline within the
next quarter. Members
requested that the Scrutiny committee be invited to the new Meet the City
events to see what's happening. The
chair and officers agreed that would be a good idea as they would get to meet
the teams on the ground across the things across the portfolio. The
chair noted that some members did attend the events including himself
previously. The report was noted. |
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Forward Work Programme 2024/25 Decision: The
Members of the Committee noted the Forward Work Programme Minutes: The
Members of the Committee noted the Forward Work Programme |
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Urgent Items Any
urgent items at the discretion of the Chairperson pursuant to Section 100BA(6)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). Decision: There
were none. Minutes: There
were none. |