Venue: Council Chamber, Bodlondeb, Bangor Road, Conwy LL32 8DU
Contact: Eirian Roberts 01286 679018
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ELECTION OF CHAIR To elect a Chair until
the Annual Meeting of the Board on 21st June,
2019. Minutes: Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn (Gwynedd Council)
was elected Chair of the Joint-Committee until the Annual Meeting of the Board
on 21 June 2019. It was noted by the Chair that this would
possibly be the last meeting of the Board for Sasha Davies to attend in her
current role. Best wishes were extended to her in her new post and she was
thanked for all her work. It was noted by the Chair that Bangor
University had appointed Dr Iwan Davies from Swansea University as permanent
Vice-Chancellor from 1 September, and that he would be the University's advisor
on the Board from now on. |
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ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIR To elect a Vice-chair until the Annual Meeting of the Board on 21st June, 2019. Minutes: Councillor Mark Pritchard (Wrexham Council)
was elected Vice-chair of the Joint-Committee until the Annual Meeting of the
Board on 21 June 2019. |
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APOLOGIES To receive any
apologies for absence. Minutes: David Jones (Coleg Cambria). |
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DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST To receive any declarations of personal interest. Minutes: The Lead Director, Senior Executive Officer
and the Member Support Officer left the meeting for item 15 due to an interest. |
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URGENT BUSINESS To note any items
that are a matter or urgency in the view of the Chair for consideration. Minutes: None to note. |
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MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING PDF 83 KB The Chair shall proppose that the minutes of the previous meeting held on 12th April, 2019 be signed as a true record (attached). Minutes: The Chair signed
the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee, held on 12 April 2019,
as a true record. |
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UPDATE ON THE EAB WORK PROGRAMME AND PROJECT LOG PDF 173 KB Report by Iwan Trefor Jones, Lead Director (attached). Additional documents:
Decision: To
approve the RAG status of all actions within the Work Programme and note the
updates on the progress of individual projects, in accordance with the report. Minutes: The report was
presented by Iwan Trefor Jones, Lead Director. RESOLVED to
approve the RAG status of all actions within the Work Programme and note the
updates on the progress of individual projects, in accordance with the report. REASONS FOR THE DECISION Update progress of the Work Programme tasks. Update progress of individual projects. DISCUSSION It was noted that,
due to the need to allocate the next meeting of the Board on 21 June to
interview candidates for the post of Programme Director, an additional meeting
of the Board would be held on 28 June to discuss other matters of importance
which were part of the work programme. It was noted that,
following the submission of the outline business cases for the individual
projects, the initial feedback received from both governments was positive and
that no obstacles were anticipated at present. Reference was made
to specific meetings with Alun Cairns, Secretary of State for Wales and Kevin
Foster, the junior Minister, and it was noted that those meetings had been
constructive and positive, with the aspiration to reach Heads of Terms by July
clearly highlighted. It was noted that the relationship with civil servants of
both governments was also very strong, with close collaboration happening at
officer level. It was noted that
a meeting would be held with Ken Skates, Minister for Economy and Transport the
following week. At that meeting, the Chair would convey the desire for the political
dialogue to be more regular in order to ensure that nothing was lost in the
discussions. Assurance was
given that the Heads of Terms would incorporate the 14 projects in the Growth
Deal. Reference was made
to the Board's previous decision to submit a quarterly progress report on the
work of the Board to the individual partners for the reporting and scrutiny
purposes of the individual bodies, and a request was made for reference to this
to be included in the 'Governance' category of the work programme. It was noted that
an additional block needed to be included in the table regarding GA2, noting
the timeframe for the organisations etc. In response, it was explained that
this had been included under the category 'Legal and Procurement', but that
there may be a need to highlight the risks more clearly. It was also noted that
GA2 was part of the wider contract and that it was, therefore, noted on the
plan. With reference to
the Morlais Project, it was suggested that there was a need to note in the 'other
comments' column that the region was losing the £21m confirmed from Europe as
that money needed to be returned. In response, it was explained that reaching
Heads of Terms by July would provide adequate assurance to Europe that it would
be possible to draw down the money and proceed with the scheme. It was noted that the governments had asked for a more detailed business case in relation to the additional £40m requested, and that it was intended to submit that ... view the full minutes text for item 7. |
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GOVERNANCE AGREEMENT 2 WORK PROGRAMME PDF 168 KB Report by Iwan Evans, Monitoring Officer (attached). Decision: To approve the proposed work programme for the
preparation and completion of Governance Agreement 2, and ask the Monitoring
Officer to couple the actions in the lower half of the proposed timetable to
relevant steps in the work programme. Minutes: The report was presented by
Iwan Evans, Monitoring Officer. RESOLVED to
approve the proposed work programme for the preparation and completion of
Governance Agreement 2, and ask the Monitoring Officer to couple the actions in
the lower half of the proposed timetable to relevant steps in the work
programme. REASONS FOR THE DECISION The Partners had agreed that the governance and the
supporting partnership of both the Growth Bid and Vision would be developed in
two initial stages. The partners had concluded Governance Agreement 1 (“GA1”)
which had been entered into in order to take the project forward to a formal
offer of funding. It was intended that a subsequent Governance Agreement 2
(“GA2”) would be entered into to take the partnership into the implementation
phase. DISCUSSION It was noted that
establishing completion dates for elements of the work in the lower half of the
timescale was subject to the outputs of the Growth Deal Work Programme. It was suggested that efforts should be made
to determine target dates for the actions in the lower half of the proposed
timetable in order to have something specific to aim for. |
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BUSINESS DELIVERY BOARD PDF 179 KB Report by Iwan Trefor Jones, Lead Director (attached). Additional documents: Decision: 1.
To
approve the proposed role and responsibilities of the Business Delivery Board,
subject to adapting paragraph 2.1, Role and Remit, by combining the wording of
paragraph 2.2 in the third bullet point. 2.
To
approve the recruitment process for the Chair of the Business Delivery Board as
set out in the report and to delegate authority to the Chief Executive of the
Accountable Body to undertake the recruitment process. 3.
To
approve the arrangements for selection and recruitment of Board Members as set
out in the report and to delegate authority to the Chief Executive of the
Accountable Body to undertake the recruitment process once the Chair has been
appointed. 4.
To
confirm the use of up to £20,000 per annum from the North Wales Economic
Ambition Board’s ‘Project Development and Support’ budget to support the
Business Delivery Board. 5.
To delegate authority to the Chief Executive of the
Accountable Body to establish the remuneration arrangements for the Chair, in
consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the North Wales Economic Ambition
Board, in accordance with the report. Minutes: The report was
presented by Iwan Trefor Jones, Lead Director. RESOLVED 1. To approve the proposed role and responsibilities of the Business
Delivery Board, subject to adapting paragraph 2.1, Role and Remit, by combining
the wording of paragraph 2.2 in the third bullet point. 2. To approve the recruitment process for the Chair of the Business
Delivery Board as set out in the report and to delegate authority to the Chief
Executive of the Accountable Body to undertake the recruitment process. 3. To approve the arrangements for selection and recruitment of Board
Members as set out in the report and to delegate authority to the Chief
Executive of the Accountable Body to undertake the recruitment process once the
Chair has been appointed. 4. To confirm the use of up to £20,000 per annum from the North Wales
Economic Ambition Board’s ‘Project Development and Support’ budget to support
the Business Delivery Board. 5.
To delegate authority to the Chief Executive of the Accountable Body to
establish the remuneration arrangements for the Chair, in consultation with the
Chair and Vice-Chair of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, in accordance
with the report. REASONS FOR THE DECISION In order to formalise the arrangements and firmly
establish the Business Delivery Board as a key part of the governance framework
to deliver the Growth Vision for North Wales. DISCUSSION Sasha Davies noted
that she agreed entirely with the proposed role and responsibilities of the
Business Delivery Board and that she was available to assist with the process
for consistency. The following
observations were noted arising from the discussion:- ·
The
importance of following a robust process to appoint the Chair of the Business
Delivery Board. ·
The
importance of maintaining focus in order to deliver. ·
That
there was a need to strengthen the wording of paragraph 2.1 in order to
emphasise that the Business Delivery Board's role was important in drawing down
money from the private sector. ·
That
it was important that the membership of the Business Delivery Board reflected
and represented the entire geographical area of North Wales, its sectors and
its business communities. ·
That
the Business Delivery Board needed to understand what input the groups of
employers that already sponsored and supported projects had. ·
Despite
recognising that the Growth Vision and the Growth Bid were crucial, there was
another, broader vision that should not be disregarded, and a letter should be
sent to the Minister drawing attention to this, as well as the potential
economic disadvantage of projects, such as HS2, to North Wales. ·
The
importance of ensuring that a cross-section of different sectors were a part of
the Business Delivery Board. |
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Report by Iwan Trefor Jones, Lead Director and Jane
Richardson, Strategic Director Economy and Place, Conwy County Borough Council
(attached). Decision: 1.
That
the Economic Ambition Board supports the principle that the Regional Tourism
Forum assumes a formal relationship with it. 2.
That
the status and function of the Forum be developed as part of the review of the
governance arrangements to be established in Governance Agreement 2. Minutes: The report was
presented by Iwan Trefor Jones, Lead Director. RESOLVED 1.
That the Economic Ambition Board supports the
principle that the Regional Tourism Forum assumes a formal relationship with
it. 2.
That the status and function of the Forum be
developed as part of the review of the governance arrangements to be
established in Governance Agreement 2. REASONS FOR THE DECISION The proposition
and implementation documents of the North Wales Growth deal explicitly stated
the desire to ‘develop and project the reputation of North Wales as a centre
for excellence for land-based industries and tourism, firmly establishing
ourselves as the adventure capital of the UK’. For other key sectors and themes
within the Growth Deal such as digital, transport and skills, the Board was
being supported either by formal sub-committees, or less formal sub-groups. These
groups and committees could provide expert advice and information to the Board.
There was currently a gap in terms of providing this expert advice on tourism
projects and initiatives. Although there was
a gap in terms of a direct tourism link into the Board, there was a regional
group which existed to: collate and report on needs within the sector;
prioritise regional strategies and activities; and provide a regional tourism
perspective to Welsh Government. This was the Regional Tourism Forum. It was proposed
therefore that a link should be established between this Forum and the NWEAB to
strengthen and underpin regional decision-making around tourism investment and
development within the context of the economic Growth Vision. DISCUSSION The importance of
ensuring alignment between local issues and regional issues was stressed. It was suggested
that the link between the Regional Tourism Forum and the NWEAB should go
further than the Growth Deal alone. |
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2018-19 OUT-TURN REPORT AND ANNUAL RETURN PDF 803 KB Report by Dafydd Edwards, Statutory Finance Officer (attached). Decision: 1.
To
note and accept the Joint Committee’s Revenue Income and Expenditure Account
for 2018/19 (Appendix 1 and 2 to the report). 2.
To note and accept the Joint Committee’s Official
Annual (Statutory Financial Statements) Return for 2018/19 (subject to External
Audit), in line with the statutory deadline of 15 June 2019 which had been duly
completed and certified by the Statutory Finance Officer (Appendix 3 to the
report). Minutes: The report was
submitted by Dafydd Edwards, Section 151 Officer. RESOLVED 1.
To note and accept the Joint Committee’s
Revenue Income and Expenditure Account for 2018/19 (Appendix 1 and 2 to the
report). 2.
To note and accept the Joint Committee’s Official Annual (Statutory
Financial Statements) Return for 2018/19 (subject to External Audit), in line
with the statutory deadline of 15 June 2019 which had been duly completed and
certified by the Statutory Finance Officer (Appendix 3 to the report). REASONS FOR THE DECISION To inform the Joint Committee of its financial
position for 2018/19, and to comply with statutory requirements with regard to
completing the Annual (Financial Statements) Return. DISCUSSION Appreciation of
the good work delivered by the Head and officers of Gwynedd Council Finance Department
was expressed. The Official
Annual (Statutory Financial Statements) Return was signed by the Chair. |
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COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT PLAN PDF 172 KB Report by Iwan Trefor Jones, Lead Director (attached). Additional documents: Decision: To
approve the Communications and Engagement Plan. Minutes: The report was
presented by Iwan Trefor Jones, Lead Director. RESOLVED to
approve the Communications and Engagement Plan. REASONS FOR THE DECISION Robust engagement had been a key theme throughout the
process of developing the North Wales Growth Vision, and the Communication and
Engagement Plan would set out a clear plan to ensure that this vision was
promoted in a consistent and co-ordinated way. DISCUSSION It was noted that
it was intended to publish a quarterly newsletter promoting the Growth Vision
which would be available for the organisations to distribute, with the first to
be published at the end of the quarter, during June. The following
observations were noted arising from the discussion:- ·
That it was important to ensure consistency of the
messages that would be communicated regarding the Growth Vision. ·
That it would be advantageous to form a more
structured calendar of communication and engagement activities. ·
That Glyndwr University had several stories for the
press, and that Martin Williams who was responsible for the NWEAB's public
relations needed to release them. It was agreed for Martin Williams to work
with Glyndwr University on this on behalf of the NWEAB. |
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INQUIRY INTO EFFECTIVENESS OF GROWTH AND CITY DEALS FOR WALES PDF 164 KB Report by Iwan Trefor Jones, Lead Director (attached). Additional documents: Decision: To endorse the response to the “Inquiry into
effectiveness of Growth and City Deals for Wales” undertaken by the Welsh
Affairs Committee. Minutes: The report was
presented by Iwan Trefor Jones, Lead Director. RESOLVED to
endorse the response to the “Inquiry into effectiveness of Growth and City
Deals for Wales” undertaken by the Welsh Affairs Committee. REASONS FOR THE DECISION As the NWEAB was supportive of the response
submitted to the "Inquiry into effectiveness of Growth and City Deals for
Wales". DISCUSSION It was noted that
the Chair and Vice-chair of the Board would have an opportunity to appear
before the Select Committee to submit oral information. This would be an
opportunity to highlight the ambition in North Wales and what we were seeking
to deliver. It was noted that
it was important to stress that we were only at the start of the journey in
North Wales. |
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EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC The Chairman shall propose that the press
and public be excluded from the meeting during the discussion on the following
item due to the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph
12, Part 4, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. This paragraph is
relevant as the report includes information about specific individuals who have
the right to privacy. There is no public
interest that calls for disclosing personal information about these individuals
which would outweigh their rights.
Consequently, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs
the public interest in disclosing the information. Minutes: RESOLVED to
exclude the press and public from the meeting during the discussion on the
following item due to the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in
paragraph 12, Section 4, Schedule 12A, Local Government Act 1972. This
paragraph is relevant as the report contains information about specific
individuals who have the right to privacy. There is no public interest that
calls for disclosing personal information about these individuals which would
outweigh the rights of these individuals. Consequently, the public interest
falls in favour of maintaining the exemption. |
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PROGRAMME DIRECTOR - SHORT LISTING To draw up a shortlist of applicants for the post of Programme Director (application forms and supporting
documents to be circulated separately for Board members only). Decision: To place four candidates on the short list to go on
to an interview on 21 June. Minutes: The report was
submitted by Dilwyn Williams, Chief Executive of the Accountable Body. RESOLVED to place
four candidates on the short list to go on to an interview on 21 June. REASONS FOR THE DECISION Drawing up a short
list of candidates was one of the key milestones in the process of recruiting
and appointing an individual to this key post. It was agreed at a previous
meeting that the Board would use one of the scheduled meetings to draw up a
short list for the post. |