Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

To elect a Vice-Chair for 2025/26.

Cllr Jason McLellan was elected as Vice-chair of the Joint Committee for 2025/26.

Councillor Jason McLellan was elected Vice-chair of the Joint Committee for 2025/26. ⁠ 

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Alwen Williams (CJC Chief Executive) and Sian Pugh (Assistant Head of Finance – Cyngor Gwynedd).

To receive any declaration of Personal Interest.

Councillor Dave Hughes (Flintshire County Council) for Item 5 due to personal matters. The member did not consider them to be prejudicial interests, and did not leave the meeting during the discussion.

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

None to note.

The Chief Executive, the Monitoring Officer, and a representative from AMION Consulting to present the report.

Appendix 3 is an Exempt Document as the report relates to draft Memorandum of Understanding for the Investment Zone which has been designated as confidential information by a Government Department for the purposes of Section 100A(2) of the Local Government Act 1972. As a consequence, it is a requirement that Appendix 3 is excluded from publication as this would disclose the confidential information.  

The Update Report was accepted and the work undertaken by Flintshire County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council and the Investment Zone team, Welsh Government and UK Government was noted.

A draft Inter-Authority Agreement (IAA) was approved between the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee (CJC), Flintshire County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council, delegating the right to agree and finalise the final version to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Monitoring Officer, Section 151 Officer, the Vice-chair and Leader of Denbighshire County Council, as the appointed representatives of the Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone Advisory Board.

A Year 1 and 2 Schedule of Projects, activities and milestones drafted to support the Annual Delivery Plan was approved.

A draft Memorandum of Understanding was approved, delegating the right to agree and finalise the final version to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Monitoring Officer, Section 151 Officer, the Vice-chair and Leader of Denbighshire County Council, as the appointed representatives of the Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone Advisory Board.

The report was presented by Iwan Evans, Monitoring Officer and Iain Taylor from AMION Consulting.

RESOLVED:

The Update Report was accepted and the work undertaken by Flintshire County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council and the Investment Zone team, Welsh Government and UK Government was noted.

A draft Inter-Authority Agreement (IAA) was approved between the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee (CJC), Flintshire County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council, delegating the right to agree and finalise the final version to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Monitoring Officer, Section 151 Officer, the Vice-chair and Leader of Denbighshire County Council, as the appointed representatives of the Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone Advisory Board.

A Year 1 and 2 Schedule of Projects, activities and milestones drafted to support the Annual Delivery Plan was approved.

A draft Memorandum of Understanding was approved, delegating the right to agree and finalise the final version to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Monitoring Officer, Section 151 Officer, the Vice-chair and Leader of Denbighshire County Council, as the appointed representatives of the Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone Advisory Board.

DISCUSSION

The Members were thanked for their time and consideration of the report.

It was reported that the development of the programme was now at a key point and had reached the approval phase with the Welsh Government and the UK Government. The Five Gateways Process had expired and the agreement for the Gateways had been accepted. It was explained that the CJC's approval for the Memorandum of Understanding and the Inter-Authority Agreement (IAA) between the CJC, Flintshire County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council was required. It was elaborated that these would govern the transfer of revenue funding and key activities in the programme.

It was explained that annual delivery plans would be agreed every year to support the way the Investment Zones were structured and delivered. The draft Annual Delivery Plan would be submitted to the meeting of the Investment Zone Work Group, where the leaders of Flintshire County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council would meet and review the Annual Delivery Plan. It was noted that the intention was to hold a meeting of the Investment Zone Work Group on 28 November, to discuss the programme's initial activities. Further details were given of another meeting to be held to discuss the second year Delivery Plan.

An overview was given to Members of the Annual Delivery Plan, drawing particular attention to some of the key points of the Investment Zone Programme included in Appendix 2. It was noted that these had been split into business support, skills, innovation, infrastructure and tax sites. The members were informed that the tax sites had been published on Legislation.gov, and they would come into force legally on 21 November. 

The members were informed that should the CJC approve the Memorandum of Joint Understanding and the IAA, that the Government would act to issue signed versions of the document within the week. 

Members’ attention was drawn to the Delivery  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

The Chairman shall propose that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the discussion on the following items due to the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Section 100A(2) Local Government act 1972.

The report relates to financial information in relation to the Regional Transport Fund which has been designated as confidential information by the Welsh Government for the purposes of Section 100A(2) of the  Local Government Act  1972. As a consequence it is a requirement that the report is excluded from publication as this would disclose the confidential information. 

RESOLVED to exclude the press and public from the meeting during the discussion on the following items due to the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Section 100A(2) of the Local Government Act 1972. The report relates to financial information associated with the Regional Transport Fund, which has been designated as confidential information by the Welsh Government for the provisions of Section 100 (A)(2) of the Local Government Act 1972. As a consequence, it is a requirement that the report is excluded from publication as this would disclose confidential information.

The Chief Executive and Senior Transport Officer to present the report.

A draft Plan Programme was approved for submission to the Welsh Government.

The report was presented by Adam Graham, Senior Transport Officer.

RESOLVED:

The draft Plan Programme was approved for submission to the Welsh Government.

DISCUSSION

The report was discussed.