Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor Llinos Medi Huws (Isle of Anglesey County Council), Professor Edmund Burke (Bangor University), Dafydd Gibbard (Cyngor Gwynedd), Ian Bancroft (Wrexham County Borough Council) and Jane Richardson (Chair of the Executive Officers Group).

To receive any declarations of Personal Interest

Dafydd Evans and Maria Hinfelaar declared a personal interest in item 5 as the report referred to allocating specific resources to Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and Glyndŵr University projects, and due to the direct funding nature of the item.

The representatives were of the opinion that it was a prejudicial interest, and they withdraw from the meeting during the discussion on the item.

To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chair for consideration.

None to note.

The Chair shall propose that the minutes of the meeting held on 28 October 2022 be signed as a true record.

The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting, held on 28 October 2022, as a true record.

Alwen Williams, Portfolio Director and Hedd Vaughan-Evans, Head of Operations to present the report

To agree to establish a Portfolio Delivery Fund for 2023-24 and allocate up to £7m of the unallocated £20m Growth Deal funding released by the withdrawal of the Bodelwyddan Key Strategic Site and the Llysfasi Net Zero Farm projects to this fund.

The report was submitted by Hedd Vaughan-Evans (Head of Operations).

RESOLVED that the Board agree to establish a Portfolio Delivery Fund for 2023-24 and allocate up to £7m of the unallocated £20m Growth Deal funding released by the withdrawal of the Bodelwyddan Key Strategic Site and the Llysfasi Net Zero Farm projects to this fund.

REASONS FOR THE DECISION

The North Wales Growth Deal has a change management process in place to ensure potential changes to the scope of the Growth Deal and the projects are captured, assessed and where relevant considered by the Board.

The Final Deal agreement sets out the board position in relation to potential replacement projects:

"Any new or replacement projects to be brought forward for consideration must demonstrate delivery against the relevant programme business case and the objectives of the portfolio business case. Where those projects are within the existing agreed financial envelope for the partnership, those projects would be a matter for the Economic Ambition Board to decide."

In September 2022, the Board agreed a set of principles for identifying replacement projects including that the Board will initially consider on a case-by-case basis requests from existing projects for additional funding from projects that meet a set criteria.

Building on the principle adopted by the Board in September, the Board was asked to consider that a proportion of the funding released from the Bodelwyddan and Llysfasi projects is allocated to a Portfolio Delivery Fund to support mature projects within the portfolio dealing with cost inflation or viability issues to move into delivery during 2023-24 (subject to separate Board decisions).

DISCUSSION

Details were provided about the background and relevant considerations and the consultations held.

In response to a question, the Head of Operations stated that he believed that allocating £7m of the £20m of unallocated Growth Deal funding to the Portfolio Delivery Fund was proportionate and adequate to ensure that three of the projects listed in paragraph 4.8 of the report could move forward, within the timeframe noted. 

It was further noted that the Board would see the details of the formal applications from the various projects at its next meeting, and it was also suggested that it would be beneficial to submit a detailed report on this to the January meeting of the Business Delivery Board.

Alwen Williams, Portfolio Director and Hedd Vaughan-Evans, Head of Operations to present the report

1.       To agree the scope and minimum requirements as set out in the report to the Board, subject to amending the wording 'Proposals must deliver for rural communities' (Appendix A - Minimum Requirements - Strategic Fit - Agri-Food and Tourism Programme) to read 'Proposals should emphasise delivery for rural communities'.

2.       To agree to the timetable set out in this report including a formal launch in January 2023.

3.       To delegate authority to the Portfolio Director to implement the Project Replacement Process as set out in the report and to undertake all necessary steps required to finalise the documentation required to commence the process.

The report was submitted by Hedd Vaughan-Evans (Head of Operations) and Alwen Williams (Portfolio Director) reiterated the comment that the wish was to identify a very ambitious package of deliverable projects, rather than projects that meet the minimum requirements only.

DECISION

1.       To agree the scope and minimum requirements as set out in the report to the Board, subject to amending the wording 'Proposals must deliver for rural communities' (Appendix A - Minimum Requirements - Strategic Fit - Agri-Food and Tourism Programme) to read 'Proposals should emphasise delivering for rural communities'.

2.       To agree to the timetable set out in this report including a formal launch in January 2023.

3.       To delegate authority to the Portfolio Director to implement the Project Replacement Process as set out in the report and to undertake all necessary steps required to finalise the documentation required to commence the process.

REASONS FOR THE DECISION

The North Wales Growth Deal has a change management process in place to ensure potential changes to the scope of the Growth Deal and the projects are captured, assessed and where relevant considered by the Board.

The Final Deal agreement sets out the board position in relation to potential replacement projects:

"Any new or replacement projects to be brought forward for consideration must demonstrate delivery against the relevant programme business case and the objectives of the portfolio business case. Where those projects are within the existing agreed financial envelope for the partnership, those projects would be a matter for the Economic Ambition Board to decide."

In September 2022, the Board agreed a set of principles for identifying replacement projects and a three-stage process, namely Stage 1: Horizon Scanning, Stage 2:  Longlisting and Shortlisting and Stage 3: Approval and Business Case Development. 

The Board was asked to agree the scope and minimum requirements for the horizon scanning stage.

DISCUSSION

Details were provided about the background and relevant considerations and the consultations held.

It was noted that it had been reported at a recent North Wales Business Council meeting that £13m of unallocated Growth Deal funding was available, but that no details regarding the criteria and the need for match funding etc. had been shared.  In light of that, it was suggested that those messages should be conveyed as soon as possible in order to manage expectations.  In response, the Head of Operations noted that, subject to the Board's decision on this item, the information would be shared immediately with some of our key stakeholders, such as the Business Council, and that it was not intended to wait until the official launch in January.

With reference to Appendix A to the report - Basic Requirements - Strategic Fit - Agri-food and Tourism Programme, concern was expressed that the statement 'Proposals must deliver for rural communities' could exempt good projects in town centres.  In response, the Head of Operations explained:-

·         That the Agri-food and Tourism Programme Board was of the opinion that this programme in particular was one that did  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.