Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn (Gwynedd Council).

To receive any declarations of Personal Interest

No declarations of personal interest were received.

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 meeting held on 23^rd October, 2020 be signed as a true record.

The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting of the NWEAB held on 23 October, 2020 as a true record.

Alwen Williams to update on the Final Deal process and present the supplementary documents required to reach Final Deal Agreement for the North Wales Growth Deal with the UK Government and Welsh Government.

To adopt the supplementary documents to the report submitted to the Board, namely the Risk Register, Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, Benefits Realisation Strategy and Change Management Strategy for the North Wales Growth Deal.

The report was submitted by Alwen Williams, Portfolio Director and Hedd Vaughan-Evans, Operations Manager.

RESOLVED to adopt the supplementary documents to the report submitted to the Board, namely the Risk Register, Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, Benefits Realisation Strategy and Change Management Strategy for the North Wales Growth Deal.

REASONS FOR THE DECISION

The NWEAB was committed to achieving the Final Deal Agreement with both Governments before the end of December 2020.

The Portfolio Management Office had developed the documents that needed to be submitted to both Governments in order to reach a Final Deal.

The Portfolio Management Office needed to have effective management arrangements in place in order to ensure the successful delivery of the North Wales Growth Deal.

DISCUSSION

Submitted - the report which updated the Board on the Final Deal Agreement process and included the supplementary documents that were needed in order to reach Final Agreement for the North Wales Growth Deal with UK Government and Welsh Government. It was noted that the intention was to continue to develop and refine these documents over the course of the next 6-12 months.

Details were provided about the background and relevant considerations and the consultations held.

The Chair noted that all partners had now approved the key documents needed in order to reach Final Agreement for the North Wales Growth Deal with UK Government and Welsh Government. He thanked everyone for their outstanding work and noted that what the six authorities had achieved, working jointly across north Wales with their partners and chief executives, was incredible.

It was further noted that the Welsh Cities and Growth Deals Implementation Board had approved the portfolio business case. Advice was being prepared for the ministers and arrangements were underway to hold a virtual ceremony to sign the Final Deal on 17 December. Everyone was encouraged to publicise this event to allow more partners and residents of north Wales to join in the celebration.

During the discussion, it was noted that:-

·         The framework was robust and the quality of the reports was excellent. The Team was congratulated for all their work.

·         Given the situation in relation to Brexit, and the risk around economic changes, it was good to see emphasis on logic and assumptions modelling, so that it would be clear if the circumstances changed, or if anything were to affect the projects that we were working on. It was good to receive documents in real time to allow us to analyse whether the benefits were being realised, or if a different course of action was needed as a result of potential changes in circumstances, such as Brexit.