Agenda and decisions

To appoint a Chair for 2025/26.

To elect Councillor Mark Pritchard as Chair for 2025/26.

To appoint a Vice-chair for 2025/26.

To elect Councillor Charlie McCoubrey as Vice-Chair for 2025/26.

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 16 May 2025 be signed as a true record.

Alwen Williams (Chief Executive) to present the report.

1.         To agree the recommendation and preferred way forward - Revised Land and Property Programme (Option 2) stating that it will be a matter for the Sub-Committee to determine the projects to be prioritised and the approval of funding from the Growth Deal.

2.         To request that the Portfolio Director begins the transition process to formally include these elements in the Land and Property Programme.

Alwen Williams (Chief Executive) to present the report.

To agree the process for the recruitment and appointment of Non-Executive Advisors in accordance with the requirements of the Procurement Act 2023 and related regulations.

a)    In addition to the adopted Job and Personal specifications adopted, a procurement package will be prepared with relevant award criteria.

b)    Advertisement – The Non-Executive Advisor roles will be advertised on the Ambition North Wales website and social media channels (July 2025) and as required by the Act

c)    Applications – Interested candidates will be asked to submit their CV and covering letter setting out why they want the role (July 2025)

d)    Assessment and Shortlisting – Covering letters and CVs will be assessed against the role descriptions by the SRO and Chief Executive and a representative from the Portfolio Management Office and a short-list will be agreed to be invited to interview (date in August TBC)

e)    Interviews – Short-listed candidates will then be interviewed by a panel consisting of the Chair, Vice-Chair, SRO, Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer along with a third Elected member of the Sub-Committee (to be confirmed) who will make recommendations for appointment to the Economic Well-being Sub-Committee (on a date to be confirmed in September) based on the final scores following the interview.

f)      Appointments – final appointments made by the Economic Well-being Sub-Committee (3 October 2025)

Alwen Williams (Chief Executive) to present the report.

1.     To consider and note the Annual Report for 2024/25.

2.     To approve the submission of the Annual Report for 2024/25 to the Welsh Government and the UK Government, and also to the local authorities' scrutiny committees.

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).

There is an acknowledged public interest in openness in relation to the use of public resources and related financial issues. It is also acknowledged that there are occasions, in order to protect the financial and commercial interests that matters related to such information need to be discussed without being publicised. The report deals specifically with financial and business matter and related discussions. Publication of such commercially sensitive information could adversely affect the interests of the bodies and the Councils and undermine the confidence of other Growth Deal participants in sharing sensitive information for consideration. This would be contrary to the wider public interest of securing the best overall outcome.

Elliw Hughes (Growth Deal Programme Manager) and Dafydd Jones (Agri-food and Tourism Project Manager) to present the report.

1.     To approve the draft Business Justification Case for the Welsh Sheep Milk component of the Glynllifon Rural Economy Hub project and authorise the Portfolio Director, in consultation with the Chair, Vice-Chair, Section 151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer to agree the final version after procurement and enter into a funding agreement with Grŵp Llandrillo Menai for the delivery of the project, subject to Grŵp Llandrillo Menai addressing the outstanding issues and securing all necessary internal approvals for the project.

2.     To note that there will be two further Business Case approvals to deliver the remaining elements of the Glynllifon Rural Economy Hub project which will be submitted to the Sub-Committee for future consideration.

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

1.     To approve the Full Business Case for the Advanced Wireless (Connected Campus) project stating that the initial phase of grant scheme design following approval of the Full Business Case will require a final subsidy management assessment of the proposed Subsidy Scheme.

2.     To delegate the right to the Portfolio Director, in consultation with the Chair, the Vice-Chair, the Section 151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer to agree the final design of the grant scheme.

3.     To delegate delivery of the project to the Portfolio Director including subsequent individual grant awards in line with the final grant scheme of up to £500,000, with individual grant awards between £500,000 and £1million being made in consultation with the Chair, Vice-Chair, Section 151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer.

Elliw Hughes (Growth Deal Programme Manager Manager) to present the report.

1.     To approve the request for change for the Enterprise, Engineering and Optics Centre project, making the following changes:

2.     That approval be given for an additional Growth Deal investment of £446,041 to enable the project to progress to the delivery phase, subject to the funding being fully spent within the 2025-26 financial year. This investment will generate a number of additional benefits, including confirmed match funding of £250,898 from Wrexham University and the creation of six full-time equivalent jobs for the region.

Elliw Hughes (Growth Deal Programme Manager) to present the report.

1.     To agree the request for change for the Responsible Adventures project, making the following changes:

a)    To approve the removal of the eBus element from the project scope

b)    To approve the process of developing and delivering a business case

c)    To confirm that the two remaining conditions imposed during approval of the Outline Business Case have been adequately met and that the project can proceed to submit business cases for funding approval in accordance with the step-by-step delivery proposal in the change request.

d)    To request further detailed information on the proposed change request to replace the eBus element of the project with the development of a Forest Masterplan at Betws y Coed and that this will be submitted to the next Sub-Committee in October for consideration.