South East Wales councils agree to join forces to progress City Deal
Posted on Tuesday 28th July 2015
Ten south east Wales local authorities have formally agreed to join forces to help deliver a City Deal for the Capital City Region.
The commitment to work together is a major step forward in the bid to bring a City Deal to the region.
A £500,000 fund had been created to help develop the bid with each of the councils committing cash to the project.
In partnership with the Welsh Government, the 10 councils will begin work to develop a proposal for the UK Government for investment in the city-region economy to provide jobs and increase economic output.
The City Deal aims to attract significant levels of new funding for south east Wales to support economic development. Elsewhere, City Deals have provided significant amounts of new funding to support infrastructure development for city-regions across the UK.
Monthly meetings have been scheduled for all leaders, with Welsh Government officials in attendance, to develop the proposal, while officials have established a working group across all ten authorities and the Welsh Government to develop the detailed business case for the City Deal.
Hedley McCarthy, Leader of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, said: "The benefits from a City Deal is great news and could lead to exciting long term projects to develop the infrastructure, the economy and labour market for all South East Wales local authorities, I look forward to working with all our partners to deliver the business case in the coming months."
The Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council, Councillor Mel Nott OBE, said: "The growth of the city region is a concept which is creating huge opportunities elsewhere in the UK and Europe, and we are keen to be part of the discussions at an early stage to ensure that our local communities can benefit.
"The city region approach could generate major infrastructural investment, especially in rapid transport systems such as rail electrification and a South Wales Metro, and would help to strengthen Bridgend County Borough's appeal as a place to live, work and invest in new business opportunities."
Leader of Caerphilly Council Councillor Keith Reynolds said, "This ambitious new project signals the start of an exciting new era for the region. It's great to see ten local councils working together with a shared goal of bringing prosperity and opportunities to our communities in the future."
City of Cardiff Council Leader Councillor Phil Bale said, "We must seize this opportunity. Together we can make a real case for investment which could re-boot the region's economy. It's been repeated several times in the press that Wales and Scotland are behind in relation to City Deals, but these were never offered to the devolved nations previously. Hence Cardiff had to proactively lobby UK Government to be treated fairly in terms of infrastructure investment after the Glasgow deal was agreed. Working together over the coming months we can produce a business case to the UK Government which could transform our local economy."
Councillor Brendan Toomey, Leader of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, said: "The City Deal is a very exciting opportunity and compliments the Cardiff Capital Region in enhancing economic development and output across South East Wales. Council Leaders across all 10 authorities are working together to ensure the clear benefits to our respective communities are achievable within the parameters of the City Deal concept."
Councillor Peter Fox, Leader of Monmouthshire County Council, said: said: "A City Deal for the Cardiff Capital Region will do so much to create a successful and vibrant economic future for south east Wales. It would unlock huge opportunities for the valley communities, our cities and rural counties like Monmouthshire. I look forward to working closely with colleague leaders and other partners to make this a reality."
Councillor Bob Bright, Leader of Newport City Council, said: "By working together, the South East Wales councils can make a real difference to the economy of the city-region and benefit all those who live and work here. Collaboration will help us realise the potential of a strong and united region."
County Borough Councillor Andrew Morgan, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC said: "Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has been pleased to support the City Deal and work with councils across South East Wales to make progress with the proposal. Collectively, we now need to ensure all of the benefits and any potential risks are assessed thoroughly to ensure further progress leads to positive outcomes for residents and businesses across the region."
Torfaen County Borough Council Leader Councillor Bob Wellington said: "This partnership should support economic growth for the entire region, helping to improve people's quality of life and the communities in which they live. Collaboration is not a new concept; however, it has become a vital one if we are to continue to deliver public services that meet the outcomes that our citizens want. This commitment to cross-council collaboration will help to make us more efficient and effective."
Councillor Neil Moore, Leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: "A successful City Region could potentially bring great benefits to South East Wales. There is, however, a long road ahead and this is why I cautiously welcome these initial developments. Now that all ten councils have agreed to work in partnership with Welsh Government to develop a formal proposal we can begin to map out the challenges that we will need to overcome to make this project a success."