Agenda and decisions

To elect a Vice-chair for 2026-27.

To elect Councillor Gary Pritchard as Vice-chair.

To receive any apologies for absence.

To receive any declaration of personal interest.

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

The Chair shall propose that the minutes of the meeting held on 17 July 2026 be signed as a true record.

Hedd Vaughan-Evans (Portfolio Director) to present the report.

To note the Quarter 1 Performance Report and updated Portfolio Risk Register.

To approve the submission of the Quarter 1 Performance Report and updated Portfolio Risk Register.

Dewi Morgan (Head of Finance and CJC’s Statutory Finance Officer) and Sian Pugh (Assistant Head of Finance) to present the report.

To note the revenue end of July 2026 review for the Growth Deal, including the reserves position.

To note the Growth Deal’s revised capital expenditure profile.

To note and accept the revenue end of July 2026 review for the Investment Zone,
including the use of the interest on Investment Zone balances to leave a neutral position for 2026/27.

To note the end of July 2026 revenue review for the Regional Skills Partnership.

To note the virements for the Growth Deal and Investment Zone budgets noted in
the Growth Deal's Revenue Budget 2026/27.

David Mathews (Land and Property Programme Manager) to present the report.

To note that all remaining steps at the time of approving the Business Justification Case have now been completed or incorporated in the funding agreement and authorise the Portfolio Director to take every operational step to commit to the Grant Funding Agreement with the Isle of Anglesey Council.

Stuart Whitfield (Digital Programme Manager) to present the report.

Approved to release the funding for the Deployment Plans outlined in section 4.10 of the report in relation to the LPWAN project and authorise the Portfolio Director to take the required actions to enter into Grant Funding Agreements with the relevant local authorities.

Meghan Davies (Energy and Net Zero Programme Manager) to present the report.

To approve the development of the Home Adoption of Renewables Programme (HARP) for North Wales.

To authorise Ambition North Wales to lead on the procurement activity to appoint a provider on behalf of the participating local authorities to delegate to the Portfolio Director to take any operational steps to complete the activity.

Cath Morris-Roberts (Interim Regional Skills Manager) to present the report.

To approve the Annual Report for 2025-26, noting that it has already been endorsed by the North Wales Regional Skills Partnership Board.

Alwen Williams (Chief Executive) and Iain Taylor (Programme Manager) to present the report.

To note the requirement from Welsh Government for a 10 Year Regional Growth Deal and a Local Growth Fund Delivery Plan for Years 2 and 3 to be submitted by January 2027 - for Welsh Government approval to release funding from April 2027.

To request each partner organisation to consult internally, identify and submit by 30th October 2026 their strategic priorities in line with Welsh Government guidance and
framework for the Local Growth Fund, working with CJC officers who will co-ordinate the process.

That the Sub-committee approves the proposed programme of work as set out in sections 4.5 and 4.6 of this report and request that the Chief Executive working alongside officers from partner organisations and Welsh Government prepare an interim Regional Growth Plan and seek confirmation that this approach will meet the Welsh Government requirements.

To note that further reports on the Regional Growth Plan and Local Growth Fund Delivery Plan for Years 2 and 3 will be presented in November and December to secure input and direction from the Sub-Committee, alongside Welsh Governance guidance, before a final proposal is presented for approval in January 2027.

Alwen Williams (Chief Executive), Iain Taylor (Investment Zone Programme Manager) and Milly Cross (Programme Manager) to present the report.

Appendix 1-4 are exempt under Paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 as the contain information relating to the financial and business affairs of identifiable organisations, including detailed project financial information, funding requirements and assumptions, commercial and delivery arrangements, project risks, future investment requirements and other commercially sensitive information provided for the purpose of appraisal and funding decisions.

Subject to a Subsidy Control Assessment, approve the allocation to Flintshire County Council of £2.5m (capital and revenue) for an SME Grants Programme and authorise the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair, Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer to enter into a Grant Funding Agreement with Flintshire County Council.

Subject to a Subsidy Control Assessment, approve the allocation to Wrexham County Borough Council of £2.6m (capital and revenue) for an SME Grants Programme and authorise the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair, Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer to enter into a Grant Funding Agreement with Wrexham County Borough Council. 

Approve the proposal by Transport for Wales to invest £10m of IZ revenue funds in Flintshire and £7m IZ revenue funds in Wrexham to transform bus services to key employment and skills locations.

Subject to Subsidy Control Assessment, authorise the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair, Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer to enter into a Grant Funding Agreement with Flintshire County Council for £10m of IZ Revenue to support the Bus Transformation Project. 

Subject to Subsidy Control Assessment, authorise the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair, Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer to enter into a Grant Funding Agreement with Wrexham County Borough Council for £7m of IZ Revenue to support the Bus Transformation Project. 

Subject to Subsidy Control Assessment, authorise the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair, Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer to enter into a Grant Funding Agreement with Transport for Wales for £50,007 of IZ Revenue to support the Bus Infrastructure Project. 

Subject to Subsidy Control Assessment and completion of the Business Case Assurance Review by 31ten, approve the allocation to Pochin Goodman Northern Gateway Limited of £3.5m (capital) in support of an infrastructure project to unlock development land within the Deeside Gateway Investment Zone Tax Site and authorise the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair, Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer to enter into a Grant Funding Agreement with Pochin Goodman Northern Gateway Limited. 

Subject to Subsidy Control Assessment, approve the allocation to Wales and West Utilities of £0.5m (revenue) in support of the pre-development work to unlock future investment in the HyLine Gogledd project and authorise the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair, Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer to enter into a Grant Funding Agreement with Wales and West Utilities Limited.  

Subject to Subsidy Control Assessment, approve the allocation to MAAS Spectrometry Limited of £0.25m (capital) in support of an R&D project, forming part of the IZ Innovation Programme, to create a new mass spectrometry machine to demonstrate the application of new technology to support manufacturing growth and export opportunity and authorise the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair, Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer to enter into a Grant Funding Agreement with MAAS Spectrometry Limited.

The Chair shall propose that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the discussions on the following items due to the likely disclosure of exempt information defined in Paragraph 14 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972: Information relating to the financial business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

While there is a public interest in transparency and accountability, this is outweighed at this stage by the need to protect commercially sensitive information given that disclosure would likely prejudice ongoing negotiations and the authority’s ability to secure best value and protect the proper use of public funds.

To vote in favour of excluding the press and public.

Hedd Vaughan-Evans (Portfolio Director) to present the report.

To approve the draft strategy for the unallocated Growth Deal funds as noted in section 5, Strategic Business Case of the Commercial Property Fund and the Strategic Business Case for the Innovation and Growth Fund and ask the Portfolio Director to take the necessary steps to introduce a Final Business Case for consideration. 

To approve the proposed decision-making framework for the proposed funds as noted in section 6 of the report and ask the Portfolio Director to incorporate the framework in the final business cases before being submitted for consideration.  The Innovation and Growth Fund's Strategic Outline Case and ask the Portfolio Director to undertake all required steps to submit a final business case for consideration.

To agree to the changes in the Reserve List as outlined in section 5 of the report and ask the Portfolio Director to undertake all operational steps to implement the changes.