Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

·         Councillor Llinos Medi Huws (Isle of Anglesey County Council) with Councillor Gary Pritchard deputising;

·         Dafydd Gibbard (Cyngor Gwynedd) with Geraint Owen deputising

·         Iwan G Evans (Cyngor Gwynedd) with Claire Incledon deputising.

The deputies were welcomed to the meeting.

To receive any declaration of Personal Interest.

A declaration of personal interest was received from Alwen Williams (Portfolio Director) due to her appointment as interim Chief Executive of the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee. It was noted that it was a prejudicial interest, and she withdrew from the meeting for part B of item 5.

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 previous meeting held on 26 of Janury 2024 be signed as a true record.

The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting, held on 26 January 2024, as a true record.

To present an update on progress to establish the Corporate Joint Committee (CJC) and to implement its statutory duties and functions. Also sets out a proposed plan in relation to the CJCs Chief Executive's current secondment arrangement which concludes on 31 March, 2024 and proposal for appointment as of 1 July, 2024.

Part A:

To note the update on work to establish the North Wales CJC including progressing the Regional Transport Plan (RTP) and the Strategic Development Plan (SDP) implementing the statutory duties and functions of the CJC; and establishing a North Wales CJC Implementation Project.

Part B:

To agree an extension of the current arrangement, for Alwen Williams’ part-time secondment to the CJC Chief Executive role, up to the end of June 2024.

Subject to the formal completion of the current TUPE consultation with North Wales Economic Ambition Board staff, to confirm the proposed transfer and appointment of Alwen Williams as the Corporate Joint Committee’s Chief Executive as from the 1 July, 2024.

The report was submitted in two parts with Alwen Williams (Interim CJC Chief Executive) presenting part A and Geraint Owen (Cyngor Gwynedd) presenting part B.

RESOLVED:

Part A:

To note the update on work to establish the North Wales CJC including progressing the Regional Transport Plan (RTP) and the Strategic Development Plan (SDP) implementing the statutory duties and functions of the CJC; and establishing a North Wales CJC Operational Project.

Part B:

To agree an extension of the current arrangement, for Alwen Williams’ part-time secondment to the CJC Chief Executive role, up to the end of June 2024. Subject to the formal completion of the current TUPE consultation with North Wales Economic Ambition Board staff, to confirm the proposed transfer and appointment of Alwen Williams as the Corporate Joint Committee’s Chief Executive as from the 1 July 2024.

DISCUSSION

Part A:

The report was submitted, noting that it provided an update on the progress that had happened in terms of establishing the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee. It was noted, between December 2021 and January 2022, that the Cabinet and Working Groups in each of the six Local Authority, had agreed in principle that the functions of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board should be transferred by way of a delegation agreement to the CJC. It was explained that the decision of this report allowed this transfer to begin and be completed. It was explained that the statutory framework and the establishment of the CJC meant that the proposed transfer needed to be progressed. 

It was explained that appendix 1 of the report provided an update on fields such as Regional Transport Plan, the Investment Zone in Flintshire and Wrexham, as well as the Strategic Development Plan. The additional need for the CJC to undertake statutory duties and functions, such as the Welsh Standards and to comply with the duties of public bodies such as the Future Generations Well-being Act and the Socio-economic Duty was reiterated. It was expressed that an Operational Project Board needed to be created for the North Wales CJC in order to transfer the functions to the CJC.

Part B:

It was explained that the first part of the decision had been approved twice over the last year, which was to extend Alwen Williams' secondment period as CJC Chief Executive from 1 April until the end of June. It was explained that this item had been discussed in the Ambition Board held last week and that it had been agreed by them.

It was expressed that 1 July had been identified as a provisional date to transfer functions from the Ambition Board to the Corporate Joint Committee. Consequently, the staff would need to be transferred. As part of these arrangements, a staff consultation was required as noted by the Transfer of Undertakings Regulations 2006. As North Wales Economic Ambition Board staff would transfer the current terms and conditions, it was not anticipated that the proposed transfer of staff from one public body to the other would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To present the 15 key objectives within the North Wales Regional Transport Plan draft Case for Change for North Wales.

To agree the 15 objectives within the draft Case for Change as part of the North Wales Regional Transport Plan.

The report was submitted by Alwen Williams, Interim CJC Chief Executive and Catrin Jones, Corporate Joint Committee Action Programme Manager.

RESOLVED:

To agree the 15 objectives within the draft Case for Change as part of the North Wales Regional Transport Plan.

DISCUSSION

The report was submitted, noting that the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021, the Welsh Government's Corporate Joint Committee Statutory Guidelines and the Guidelines for Corporate Joint Committees on Regional Transport Plans Version 2 noted that one of the Corporate Joint Committee's statutory functions was to develop a Regional Transport Plan. The Case for Change was part of the process of developing a Regional Transport Plan for the North Wales region.

It was explained that there had been an Action Plan for the Regional Transport Plan from the CJC since 24 November 2023. It was noted that the next step was to ask to develop a Case for Change - which would note aims and objectives of key matters, challenges, and opportunities that the plan should consider when developing an integrated transport network for North Wales. As part of this, there was a need to identify 15 objectives to underpin the Case for Change. The 15 objectives were submitted.

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