5 NORTH WALES GROWTH DEAL - QUARTER 3 PERFORMANCE REPORT 2023-24 PDF 160 KB
Cabinet Member
– Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn
To consider
a report on the above.
Additional documents:
Decision:
To accept the report and to note the
observations and accept that mitigation measures are in place to respond to
risks.
Minutes:
The
Assistant Head of Economy and Community Department and Ambition North Wales
officers were welcomed to the meeting.
Submitted – the report of the Leader that presented the
Quarter 3 report of the Growth Deal and the Portfolio's Risk Register and
invited the committee to scrutinise the performance of Ambition North Wales in
implementing the Growth Deal and to accept that mitigation measures were in
place to respond to the risks.
After the Assistant Head of Economy and Community
Department said a few words at the beginning, the Senior Operations Manager
gave a short introduction setting the context and summarised the information
submitted in the written report. She explained, as we were nearing the end of
the financial year, that the report looked further than Quarter 3, by looking
back on the progress of the last year, and was also
looking ahead to the coming year. The Low Carbon Energy Programme Manager then
gave an overview of the Energy Programme.
The Senior Operations Officer
apologised that Alwen Williams, Ambition North Wales Portfolio Director could
not be present at the meeting.
Members
were then given an opportunity to ask questions and submit observations.
An enquiry was made as to how many of the 4,200
additional jobs referred to in the presentation would come to Gwynedd. In
response, it was explained that the 4,200 jobs were across all projects and
programmes. The answer was not at hand, but the figures could be provided to
members.
It was
emphasised that the number of jobs for Gwynedd, and possibly Conwy and the Isle
of Anglesey, were of interest to members of this committee. It was noted that
the Peblig Ward, Caernarfon was amongst the poorest
10% in Wales and that the Bevan Foundation's latest report on Poverty in Arfon
noted that more jobs that paid well were needed in the area to tackle poverty.
It was asked whether there was real hope that any plans would come to the Parc
Bryn Cegin site in Bangor, especially with the advent
of the Free Port in Anglesey and establishing a new Economic Investment Zone in
the east. It was noted that Anglesey could offer many more incentives to
businesses than we could offer in Gwynedd, and it was asked how we could ensure
investment in this part of Wales.
In response, it was noted that:-
·
The Ambition North Wales
officers collaborated very closely with the Isle of Anglesey Council within the
partnership, and that there was a working relationship between the Leaders of
both county councils through the Ambition Board. It was noted that the Ambition North Wales
Team received updates from the Isle of Anglesey Council on the Free Port.
· The Ambition North Wales have now committed to a Joint Venture Agreement with the Welsh Government to carry out the Parc Bryn Cegin project and the Welsh Government had appointed a consultation team to take the project through the planning permission stage. Work was ongoing on the high-level costs and on amending the plan for ... view the full minutes text for item 5