Minutes:
The
Committee received the report of the Chief Executive on the Swansea Bay City
Deal and noted a verbal amendment made to Appendix 1 of the circulated report
as it related to the Centre of Excellence for Next Generation Services wherein
the Lead should be the four Local Authorites only and
in relation to the Partners these should be the four Local Authorities and
Swansea University.
Following
presentation of the report Members raised the following:-
·
Members supported the proposal for an in principle decision at this
stage as there would need to be more detail around the proposals prior to a
commitment being made. The scheme would
map the future regeneration of the area however it was important that the
governance of the agreement was transparent with direct accountability and
clear outcomes. The Chief Executive
agreed and commented that the pre Brexit period
should be used to maximize new economic development/regeneration with European
Union (EU) grants where possible;
·
Members queried the timescale for its implementation and were advised
that projects had yet to be identified.
The City of Cardiff Council had taken in the region of 2 years since the
signing of the agreement. The Chief
Executive advised that the scheme would need to become part of the wider budget
framework and that in order to make use of the EU grants during the pre Brexit period it
would be necessary to make progress as soon as possible;
·
Members asked for an update in relation to the work of the Valley’s
Taskforce and requested that there be a more focused approach in relation to
all the valley areas. This would need to include improved access to jobs,
transport and social infrastructure;
·
Members questioned whether the current model was the best and were
advised that this may change going forward and that the Chief Executive
preferred a more inclusive of the private sector:
·
Members discussed the South Wales Metro Project, which had been
introduced by the City of Cardiff Council, and asked whether this could be
introduced in the valley areas of Afan, Dulais and Neath, particularly where railway lines still
exist. The Committee was advised that the aim of the scheme was to move jobs
closer to potential employees.
·
Members discussed the proposed delegation to the Leader of Council and
were satisfied that this delegation was for the signing of the deal and for the
in principle decision only:
·
Members asked how much the City Deal would cost the Authority and for
assurances that it could be afforded, and were advised that the figures were
not yet known and that was why the decision was in principle for the present:
·
The governance of the proposed venture was very important and Members
were advised that a Joint Committee would be established in shadow form,
however each Local Authority involved would have different aims and different
communities to serve. It would therefore
be a challenge to provide a scheme to address the differing political issues
and priorities involved:
·
Members discussed and supported the holding of an all Member seminar to
appraise Members of the opportunities that could be afforded to the Council
through the Swansea Bay City Deal.
Following
scrutiny, the Committee was supportive of the proposals to be considered by
Cabinet together with the amendments to Appendix 1 of the circulated report and
requested that consideration be given to an all Member seminar being convened.