Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from:

Cllr P Wong – Cardiff Council

Cllr M Cross – Blaenau Gwent

To receive disclosures of personal interest from Members in accordance with the Code of Conduct Note:

1. Members are requested to identify the item number and subject matter that their interest relates to and signify the nature of the personal interest: and

2. Where Members withdraw from a meeting as a consequence of the disclosure of a prejudicial interest they must notify the Chairman when they leave.

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To receive for approval the minutes of the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on the 27 July 2023

RESOLVED: To approve the minutes of the meeting held on the 27 July as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

To provide members of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee with the opportunity to review and scrutinise the work completed to date in response to UK Government Investment Zone policy.

The Director Cardiff Capital Region City Deal presented the report to Members of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee (CCRCD JOSC) with the opportunity to review the work completed to date in response to UK Government Investment Zone policy

Following conclusion of the presentation the chairperson invited questions from Members

In response to a question on timescales of the project and investment in skills the Director commented that investment in skills and talent is high on the agenda for the region, particularly in relation to the venture graduate programmes and with micro-credentials becoming increasingly important.

In terms of timescales, certain processes from Welsh and UK Government need to be followed to ensure the right areas are targeted including the Northern valleys and not just the M4 corridor areas. 

A Member commented that Welsh Government Apprenticeship funding will be reduced in future years and asked how this will impact skills development. The Director responded that she is hopeful that the Investment Zone will be able to bridge some of the gap as workplace apprenticeships are very popular allowing young people to earn and learn at the same time. Plans are in development to shape around this initiative. 

A Member asked how we present this to the communities throughout South Wales that this is a 10 Local Authority approach to benefit the the whole of the South East Region and change the perception that money is “being sent to Cardiff”

The Director replied that as the process develops we will define the areas of benefit and share as widely as we can and align with the launch of projects such as Northern valleys fund a 50m commitment made by the Regional Cabinet which will hopefully bring more private sector investment in to the area.  We will need to ensure that we use the investment zones and incentives to drive benefit into those areas. 

The Cabinet Member for the CCRCD and Chair of the Transport Authority added that they will be ensuring that the message gets across to people that the CCRCD is supporting each and every Local Authority area and ensuring that residents understand the projects and how they benefit their communities in a direct way to ensure the investment zone benefits the whole region. 

A Member recommended the CCRCD look to increase the collaboration with Higher Education and Further Education sectors to provide improved support to upskill our graduates but also non-academics with different skillsets, as there are many with huge interest in technology who are willing to learn and develop their skills outside of the university setting.  The Member gave the example of gaming which is a burgeoning industry with many young people interested in this field who are not necessarily graduates. He encouraged the CCRCD to look included non-graduate institutions to the plans. Another Member added that the focus should be on building a future workforce and ensuring we do not leave less qualified people behind.

The Director CCRCD commented that there is specific targeted support provided through Prosperity  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

To provide the members of the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee the opportunity to scrutinise and challenge the work completed to date on the Regional Transport Plan and Strategic Development Plan

The Head of Data and Digital Innovation presented the report to Members with the opportunity for them to review the work completed to date on the Regional Transport Plan (RTP) and Strategic Development Plan (SDP), per the Regional Cabinet report of 9 October 2023  

A Member commented that there should be a bigger focus on bus strategies if we are to achieve our long term goals for low carbon sustainable transport system. He added that impact assessments should be undertaken on their usage throughout the whole of the region– particularly in valley and more rural areas where public transport by bus is the only option to get people into their places of work.   The Member commented that there needs to be a rebalance of investment from Capital investment into the operational costs

The Director CCRCD replied that the challenge in this area is funding around the transport plan which is often ring-fenced for certain projects and that support is prioritised first and foremost for promotion of walking and cycling options. She explained that the Regional Transport Authority is exploring the options and costs of franchising but there are no easy solutions with challenges such as the operating environment, the cost of living crisis and current interest rates.  She concluded that as a Region we need to focus on what the priorities are in supporting the wider economy such as Transport Planning fitting in with our economic objectives and lobby these with Welsh and UK Government.

A Member stated that it is important that this is prioritised as the public can see the other investments in capital projects.  The Member added that it is also important that the constraints are effectively communicated to the public around the bus transport as there are lots of frustrations around this area.

A Member stated that in many of valley and out of town areas, people are struggling to find adequate parking close to transport links with cars left around residential streets near train stations etc.  The Member asked if this could link to active travel plans where rental bike / sharing schemes, park and ride

The Director CCRCD advised that the majority of the Metro Plus locations have a park and ride component with the potential to adapt this to create park and cycle options.  She added that a car sharing club linked to Electric Vehicles will also be developed soon as there is clear demand for it and a requirement to respond to the Climate Change emergency.  She highlighted that this will prove to be more challenging in more rural locations however. 

The Leader of Bridgend Council and Cabinet Member stated that as well as the immediate challenges in the bus industry around revenue support across wales, we also have the challenge of responding the climate change emergency and to decarbonise the fleet which requires significant capital expenditure.  He advised that whilst there is technology on the market to power vehicles in a different way, it is very expensive and sometimes impractical in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

To consider any items, which the Chairman, by reason of special circumstances, is of the opinion should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

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