RCT & Merthyr Councils Back City Deal

THE Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) City Deal Shadow Regional Cabinet welcomes the unanimous decisions by both Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Councils to give their commitment to the CCR City Deal programme. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Shadow Regional Cabinet awaits the decision of all ten local authorities who will be meeting between now and February 9, 2017. Their commitment would see the Regional Cabinet come out of Shadow from March 1, 2017. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Each authority within the CCR must also approve a commitment by the 10 authorities to borrow a total of £120million as part of the CCR City Deal Wider Investment Fund. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Andrew Morgan, chair of the CCR Shadow Regional Cabinet, and leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, said: “This is an important part of the City Deal process. The ten authorities have worked extremely closely over the past 16 months to get the City Deal to this position, but support for the City Deal from those authorities’ members is critical if we are to collectively take this hugely exciting Deal forward. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Together we can bring about an economic and social step-change in the Cardiff Capital Region, through improved transport, supporting innovation, an improved digital network, developing skills, supporting enterprise and business growth, and through housing development and regeneration.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Subject to the votes by each authority, the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal would enter into a transition phase. The Cardiff Capital Region Transition Plan March 2017 – Sept 2017 (to be published) will detail key activity to be undertaken, including establishing a Regional Office to drive the delivery of the Regional Cabinet’s work programme (to be published) in anticipation of receiving proposals at the end of this year. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Brendan Toomey, the Leader of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, said he was ‘pleased that local members had supported the City Deal, which presents a great opportunity to improve the economic performance of the whole region’. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He added: “I look forward to closely working with fellow Leaders in making the deal a success.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The 10 local authorities are: Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Torfaen, Vale of Glamorgan. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​