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Contact: Sioned Mai Jones 01286 679665
No. | Item |
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CHAIR To appoint a Chair for 2025/26. Decision: Cllr Mark
Pritchard was elected Chair of the Joint Committee for 2025/26. Minutes: Cllr Mark
Pritchard was elected Chair of the Joint Committee for 2025/26. |
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VICE-CHAIR To appoint
a Vice-chair for 2025/26. Decision: Cllr Charlie
McCoubrey was elected Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee for 2025/26 Minutes: Cllr Charlie
McCoubrey was elected Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee for 2025/26 |
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APOLOGIES To receive any apologies for absence. Minutes: Apologies
were received from Alwen Williams (CJC Chief Executive), Rhun ap Gareth (Conwy
County Council) and Dafydd Gibbard (Cyngor Gwynedd). |
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DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST To receive
any declaration of Personal Interest. Minutes: No declaration
of personal interest was noted. |
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URGENT BUSINESS To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view
of the Chair for consideration. Minutes: None to
note. |
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MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The Chair shall propose that the minutes of the previous
meeting held 21 March 2025 be signed as a true record. Minutes: The Chair
signed the minutes of the previous meeting held on 21 March 2025 as a true
record. |
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Iwan Evans, Monitoring Officer to present the report. Additional documents: Decision: The draft
calendar was approved for the period up to June 2026. Minutes: The report
was presented by Iwan Evans, Monitoring Officer. RESOLVED: The
draft calendar was approved for the period up to June 2026. DISCUSSION The report
was submitted noting that the Joint Committee was required to receive a
calendar to determine the frequency of its meetings for the following council
year. It was highlighted that dates were in place for the Joint Committee along
with three of the sub-committees – namely the Economic Wellbeing Sub-Committee,
the Strategic Transport Sub-Committee and the Strategic Planning Sub-Committee. It was
noted that work was being undertaken for the establishment of the Governance
and Audit Sub-Committee and that a programme of work needed to be set. It was
explained that it was intended to advertise for members to the Standards
Committee after the summer, and regarding the Joint Overview and Scrutiny
Committee that five of the authorities had received the report to establish it,
but that they were still waiting for one county's decision. |
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CO-OPTION AND VOTING REVIEW Iwan Evans, Monitoring Officer to present the report. Decision: Resolved:
i.
That
the Monitoring Officer review the principles of co-option onto the Corporate
Joint Committee and its sub committees as set out in the Establishment
Regulations (as
ii.
That
the review includes consultation with the four Higher and Further Education
providers in relation to their membership on the Economic Well-Being
sub-committee
iii.
That
in relation to the future governance of the Corporate Joint Committee
consideration be given to options around creating advisory membership or
stakeholder liaison groups with representatives of the Trade Unions, Third
Sector, Housing Associations, private sector and health, the terms of which to
provide for the exchange of information and collaboration in supporting the
decision making of the Corporate Joint Committee.
iv.
That
the review be undertaken in consultation with the Members of the Corporate
Joint Committee and Chief Executives of the Constituent Authorities with the
intention of presenting a report to the Corporate Joint Committee with a
recommendation as to the model for co-option. Minutes: The report
was presented by Iwan Evans, Monitoring Officer. RESOLVED Resolved:
i.
That the Monitoring Officer reviews the principles of co-option onto the
Corporate Joint Committee and its sub committees as set out in the
Establishment Regulations (as amended) and the statutory guidance.
ii.
That the review comprises a consultation with the four Higher and
Further Education providers in relation to their membership on the Economic
Wellbeing sub-committee to be reported to a future meeting of the Corporate
Joint Committee.
iii.
That in relation to the future governance of the Corporate Joint
Committee consideration be given to options around creating advisory membership
or stakeholder liaison groups with representatives of the Trade Unions, Third
Sector, Housing Associations, private sector and health, the terms of which to
provide for the exchange of information and collaboration in supporting the
decision making of the Corporate Joint Committee.
iv.
That the review be conducted in consultation with the Members of the
Joint Corporate Committee and the Chief Executives of the Constituent
Authorities with a view to submitting a report to the Joint Corporate Committee
with a recommendation regarding the model for co-option. DISCUSSION The report
was presented noting the need for discussion on the establishment of governance
arrangements, and that this report was part of the process to address the
requirements in the statutory guidance. It was explained that the guidance
identified the need to actively involve others in the work of the Joint
Committee across functions. It was highlighted that there was discussion about
a seat and a vote for the Further and Higher Education institutions, but the
need to create a process to address this was noted. It was explained that this report was a first step in the journey in order to have a concrete plan, but it was noted that
there was a need to respect democracy but that a practical model was in place
to get the job done. |
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CJC POST TRANSFER IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMME 2025/26 Iwan Evans, Monitoring Officer and David Hole,
Implementation Programme Lead to present the report. Decision: To accept
the report which updated Members on post-transfer and development of the
project and ongoing progress of the implementation programme to support the
continued establishment of the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee (CJC). Minutes: The report
was presented by Iwan Evans, Monitoring Officer and David Hole, CJC Action
Programme Lead. RESOLVED: To
accept the report which updated Members on post-transfer and development of the
project and the ongoing progress of the implementation programme to support the
continued establishment of the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee (CJC). DISCUSSION The report
was presented stating that it provided an update on the work that had been done
following the transfer on 1 April 2025. It was highlighted that there was a
programme of change and improvement based on priorities and some limiting
factors for the year. It was expressed that further work was needed to change
what had not yet been developed in subsequent years. It was
noted that there was specific work for projects and to develop the public's
understanding of the CJC's work. The
officers were thanked for the update and the need to receive an update in
September was noted, as work needed to continue over the summer months. |
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FLINTSHIRE AND WREXHAM INVESTMENT ZONE Alwen Williams, Interim Chief Executive and Iain Taylor,
AMION Consulting to present the report. Additional documents: Decision: It was
agreed: ·
Accept
the update report ·
Review
the proposed outline arrangements for the Flintshire and Wrexham Investment
Zone Advisory Board and advise on the proposal. ·
Review
the proposed Delegation and Decision Framework and advise on the proposal. ·
Receive
a further report with detailed proposals following the Inter Authority
Workshop. ·
Submit
a further report if there is a delay in one of the high-level milestones for
year 1 Minutes: The report
was presented by Hedd Vaughan-Evans, Head of Operations and Iain Taylor, AMION
Consulting. RESOLVED: It was
agreed: ·
Accept the update report ·
Review the proposed outline arrangements for the Flintshire and Wrexham
Investment Zone Advisory Board and advise on the proposal. ·
Review the proposed Delegation and Decision Framework and advise on the
proposal. ·
Receive a further report with detailed proposals following the
Inter-Authority Workshop ·
Submit a further report if there was a delay in one of the high-level
milestones for year 1. DISCUSSION The report
was presented stating that it provided an update and highlighted the future
framework and timetable. It was highlighted that the plan introduced Zone 4
back in May, and that they hoped to receive feedback in June, and that any
significant changes that will require the interventions to come back to the CJC
will be agreed on. It was
explained that the team was preparing Portal 5 to be delivered, with key
elements including Investment Zone milestones, Investment Zone Programme and
Investment Zone Risk Register. Attention was drawn to the key milestone table
highlighting dates up to the end of December. Moving
forward, it was highlighted that the scheme has a budget of £10m and will be
working with Cyngor Gwynedd and the Welsh Government to spend this. The need to
establish the Advisory Board was noted, as set out in Portal 3. It was noted
that an interim Advisory Board was in place for the interim period and the need
to create an additional skills sub-board was highlighted, which was in the
process of being undertaken. It was
explained following the 2024 Call for Projects, that a wide range of potential
investment schemes and significant demand for a support programme have been
identified. It was explained that the investment opportunity process had
identified the need to invest in essential infrastructure to unlock the largest
development sites. It was noted that there will be a need to move quickly. It
was explained that a business case has been accepted for Project Prince by
Knauf Insulation and an Outline Project Plan has been received by Pochin/Goodman for their land at Airfields, Deeside. It was
expressed that Airbus was developing the case for the Advanced Manufacturing
Centre next to their Deeside campus. It was explained that a workshop between the CJC and Flintshire and Wrexham County Councils was planned for the end of June, in order to work through the details of how decisions will be made and how the programme will operate under delegations from the CJC. It was noted that key principles included that the CJC delegates the operation of responsibility of the Accountable Body to the Economic Wellbeing Sub-Committee, and that the sub-committee allocates resources to support, to manage the assurance process for all projects above a £5m grant application. It was expressed that there were implications for administering £160m of the Flexible Grant Funding and allocations for Tax Relief, particularly Business Rates Relief. It was clarified that detailed financial arrangements as set ... view the full minutes text for item 10. |
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NWEAB'S REVENUE AND CAPITAL OUT-TURN POSITION FOR 2024/25 Dewi
Morgan, Head of Finance (CJC’s Statutory Finance Officer) and Sian Pugh, Assistant
Head of Finance to present the report. Additional documents:
Decision: To accept
the report which provided the final out-turn position of the North Wales
Economic Ambition Board (NWEAB) to the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee
(CJC) for revenue and capital in 2024/25. Minutes: The report
was presented by Dewi Morgan, Head of Finance (CJC Statutory Officer) and Sian
Pugh, Assistant Head of Finance. RESOLVED The
report providing the final North Wales Economic Ambition Board (BUEGC) out-turn
position to the North Wales Joint Incorporated Committee (CJC) for revenue and
capital in 2024/25 was accepted. DISCUSSION The report
was presented explaining that it had already been submitted to the Economic
Wellbeing Sub-Committee, but it was now submitted for approval. It was added
that they were aiming to submit the report in the form of a statement of draft
accounts in July. It was
explained that the final out-turn revenue position for the year was an
underspend of almost £386k, and that it was an increase from the underspend
forecast in the December review. It was noted that this was mainly due to a
decrease in expenditure on several of the budget headings. It was expressed
that the final net underspend under the Portfolio Management Office heading was
£75,140, due to underspend on employee expenditure. It was explained that this
was due to lower inflation than budgeted along with an extension of the Shared
Prosperity Fund grant until the end of March 2025. It was
stated that underspending of Supporting Services by the Accountable Body was
mainly due to underspending of the Finance Service Support. The final
underspending of the Joint Committee was highlighted and the reasons for this
on each heading were highlighted. It was noted that there was an unbudgeted
expenditure of £2.8m on Transfers to Reserve Funds. It was highlighted that
back in February the Board approved the use of the interest received on the
Growth Deal Balances from 2024-26 to fund additional roles and additional
development costs, and to retain the current resources of the Portfolio
Management Office for an additional 2 years beyond March 2026. In terms of
the main income streams, it was highlighted that this included partner
contributions, the North Wales Growth Deal grant revenue allocation, the CJC's
contribution for staff secondment, the Welsh Government's energy grant, the UK
Shared Prosperity Fund and the earmarked reserve fund. It was noted that the
final out turn revenue position for the year was an underspend of almost £386k
and this was an increase from what was forecast. It was explained that in order to leave a neutral position for the year, it was
stated that they would be drawing £714k down from the North Wales Growth Deal
Grant rather than the £1.1m indicated. In
highlighting the reserves, it was noted that the total reserve fund as at 31 March 2025 was £211k. The Board, at its February
meeting, used £61k from this reserve fund as part of the 2025-26 budget. It was
stated that the project fund balance was £29k, and it was explained that the
money would be used to fund the costs of a local Energy project. It was
highlighted that the interest fund balance was £4.7m and the resource fund was
£2.8m. It was noted that the year-end ... view the full minutes text for item 11. |
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CJC'S 2024/25 OUT TURN REPORT AND ANNUAL RETURN Dewi
Morgan, Head of Finance (CJC’s Statutory Finance Officer) and Sian Pugh,
Assistant Head of Finance to present the report. Additional documents:
Decision: The report,
which provided the final position for 2024/25 to the Corporate Joint Committee
(CJC) was accepted and the approval of the official Annual Form for 2024/25 was
obtained. Minutes: The report
was presented by Dewi Morgan, Head of Finance (CJC Statutory Officer) and Sian
Pugh, Assistant Head of Finance. RESOLVED The
report was accepted which provided the final position for 2024/25 to the
Corporate Joint Committee (CJC) and seeking the approval of the official Annual
Return for 2024/25 was obtained. DISCUSSION The report
was presented stating that as the Joint Committee's turnover was less than
£2.5m, an annual return rather than a floor statement of accounts would be
required to meet the statutory requirement. It was
stated that the final out-turn position for the year was an underspend of
almost £402k, and it was explained that this was an increase from what was
forecast in the December review. It was noted that this was mainly because the
expenditure on external consultants for Strategic Planning will not start until
2025/26. Members
were guided through the budget headings and a final underspend of £333,674 was
highlighted on the Employees heading. It was noted that the lay members'
allowance budget related to Governance and Audit Committee meetings and these
meetings would take place from 2025/26. It was stated that the travel and
subsistence budget had not been utilised during the year, and that there was an
underspend of £129,140 against the heading for supplies and services. It was
explained that Audit Wales' fees were showing
negatively, and that this was because the fees calculated in previous years
were higher than the actual amounts and had been reversed in 2024/25. In
addition, fees were lower because it was an Annual Form rather than a set of
accounts that need to be audited. It was highlighted that external consultant
expenditure of £222,231, of which £180,517 was funded by the Welsh Government's
Transport Grant. It was noted that there was an underspend on the insurance
costs, as an interim policy existed with the full policy starting in April
2025. It was
explained that there was a net expenditure, of £195,753. It was noted that
expenditure on the legal and democracy costs included the costs of an external
law firm as well as a legal and democratic consultant commissioned to provide
expert advice and support on the establishment of the CJC. It was
stated that the CJC was successful in its application to the Welsh Government
for funding towards the Regional Transport Plan, with £125k awarded in 2023/24
and £100k in 2024/25. The interest received on balances for 2024/25 was
£57,723. It was explained that a contribution from the reserve of £83k relating
to the costs of the Investment Zone would be repaid once the grant income was
approved by the Welsh Government. The Joint
Committee was asked to note and accept the actual expenditure and income for
2024/25, and to approve the underspend of £402k to the earmarked reserve to
give a total of £1,113k. It was added that £565k of this has been approved for
use as part of the 2025/26 budget. |
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TREASURY MANAGEMENT STRATEGY STATEMENT FOR 2025/26 Dewi
Morgan, Head of Finance (CJC’s Statutory Finance Officer) and Sian Pugh,
Assistant Head of Finance to present the report. Additional documents: Decision: To accept
the report which provided the Corporate Joint Committee's Treasury Management
Strategy Statement for 2025/26. Minutes: The report
was presented by Dewi Morgan, Head of Finance (CJC Statutory Officer) and Sian
Pugh, Assistant Head of Finance. RESOLVED: The
report which provided the Joint Corporate Committee's Treasury Management
Strategy Statement for 2025/26 was accepted. DISCUSSION The report
was submitted stating that treasury management decisions were made on a daily basis, and the Finance Department at Cyngor
Gwynedd was required to act in accordance with the approved Treasury Management
Strategy. The transfer of the Ambition Board to the CJC took place on 1 April
2025, and therefore the statement included the balance sheets of the CJC and
NWEAB. It was
explained that the statement was based on the CIPFA Code and the Guide on Local
Authority Investments by the Welsh Government, and
therefore fulfilled the CJC's legal responsibility under the Local Government
Act 2003. It was explained that treasury management was about keeping an
abundance but not an excess of cash to meet the CJC's spending needs, managing
risks associated with striking the right balance between risk and returns. It
was expressed that in order to formulate this
Strategy, it was explained that the department had received expert advice from
treasury management advisors, Arlingclose. It was
explained that the investments were consistent with the type of investments
that Cyngor Gwynedd makes, and that there were limits to the amount allowed for
each institution to spread the risk. |
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PAY POLICY STATEMENT Eurig Huw Williams, HR Service Manager
to present the report. Additional documents: Decision: To adopt
the Pay Policy Statement for the Joint Committee for 2025/26. Minutes: The report
was presented by Geraint Owen, Corporate Director of Cyngor Gwynedd. RESOLVED: A Pay
Policy Statement for the Joint Committee for 2025/26 was adopted. DISCUSSION The report
was submitted stating that a Pay Policy Statement needs to be adopted for
2025/26. It was explained that the policy was reviewed annually, and that it
was very similar to what was agreed last year. It was highlighted that this
year's policy stipulated the Chief Executive's salary. |