Issue - meetings

Hedd Vaughan Evans, Head of Operations, to present the report.

1.    To note the Quarter 1 Performance Report and updated Portfolio Risk Register.

2.    To approve the submission of the Quarter 1 Performance Report to Welsh Government and UK Government, as well as the local authority scrutiny committees.

The report was submitted by Hedd Vaughan-Evans (Head of Operations) and the programme managers elaborated on the highlights of individual programmes.

RESOLVED

1.      To note the Quarter 1 Performance Report and updated Portfolio Risk Register.

2.      To approve the submission of the Quarter 1 Performance Report to the Welsh Government and UK Government, as well as the local authority scrutiny committees.

REASONS FOR THE DECISION

Quarterly reporting on progress against the North Wales Growth Deal is one of the requirements of the Final Growth Deal Agreement.  Following consideration by the NWEAB, the reports would be shared with the Welsh Government, UK Government and the local authority scrutiny committees.

DISCUSSION

Elgan Roberts was congratulated for being appointed to succeed Henry Aron as Energy Programme Manager and he was wished well in his post.  It was explained, as an internal promotion, that this will reduce some of the capacity within the programme for a period, but this will be managed over the next few months.

The officers were thanked for preparing the report, and it was noted that it was interesting to see progress in some of the fields.

Councillor Mark Pritchard enquired if he had the right to take part in the discussion and vote on the matter as there was a reference in the report to the Western Gateway Project, Wrexham, which was led by Wrexham County Borough Council.  In response, it was explained that although there was an interest, there was an exception in the Code which allowed leaders to take part fully in the discussion and vote on the matter.

The Chair added that there were not any decisions to be made on individual projects in this case anyway, as it was a progress report submitted to the Board.

It was noted that it was not believed that the Western Gateway Project, Wrexham would go ahead as the Government's funding had been withdrawn, and it was recommended that the project should be revoked as soon as possible, so the North Wales Ambition officers were not wasting their time.  In response, it was noted that:

·         Following concern expressed in the last Board meeting regarding this project, North Wales Ambition officers had met with Wrexham Council officers, and it was understood that Wrexham Council was working on a plan exploring how this project can be moved forward.

·         Once the plan was available, it will be reviewed by the North Wales Ambition officers, and if they believed that there was no viable way forward, then a report would have to be presented to the Board with a recommendation on the way forward, as with any other project in a similar situation.

·         The project's sponsor can decide to withdraw or make a request to change, and again this would have to be something that the Board considers.

·         It was not believed that we are in this situation at the moment, as Wrexham Council's officers were currently working on a plan.

Another member emphasised that the Western Gateway Project, Wrexham should not  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5