Issue - meetings

To consider a report by Councillor Jason McLellan, Leader and Lead Member for Economic Growth and Tackling Deprivation (copy enclosed) regarding the proposed transfer of the implementation of the North Wales Growth Deal to the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee in accordance with the in-principle decision made by the previous Cabinet in December 2021.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)      agree to enter into a Partnering and Funding Agreement (Appendix 2 to the report) whereby the role of the Accountable Body, responsible for the delivery of the North Wales Growth Deal and funding arrangements for the Growth Deal are transferred to the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee on or before 31 March 2025;

(b)      agree to novate and assign as required the delivery of the North Wales Growth Deal and rights and obligations in all incoming funding agreement held by Cyngor Gwynedd as Accountable Body on behalf of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board (“NWEAB”) transfer to the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee (“NWCJC”);

(c)      agree to transfer and novate and or assign all interests in the portfolio of projects funded by the North Wales Growth Deal together with any ancillary agreements, charges and leases from Cyngor Gwynedd as Accountable Body on behalf of NWEAB to the NWCJC;

(d)      agree to the transfer and /or assignment of all financial balances, monies due and assets as held on behalf of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board by Cyngor Gwynedd to the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee;

(e)      delegate authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Monitoring Officer and Section 151 Officer, to agree and execute the final form agreements, deeds and all other legal documents necessary to implement the transfers referred to at paragraphs (a) (b) and (c) above;

(f)       on completion of the Partnering and Funding Agreement agree to the termination of the GA2 agreement and the winding up of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board Joint Committee;

(g)      agree to the transfer of accountability to the NWCJC and that the NWCJC accept responsibility for decision making for the implementation of the North Wales Growth Deal subject to novation of the Growth Deal and approval of additional Standing Orders incorporating the key terms of the Joint Working Agreement (“GA2”) between the 6 Constituent Councils and 4 Education parties, and

(h)      agree that the decisions set out above be implemented immediately without call-in, in accordance with section 7.25 Council Constitution in order that the transfer may take place on or before 31st March 2025.

Councillor Jason McLellan presented the report regarding the proposed transfer of the implementation of the North Wales Growth Deal to the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee in accordance with the in-principle decision made by the previous Cabinet in December 2021.

The establishment and responsibilities of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board (NWEAB) in December 2020 and the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee (NWCJC) in April 2021 had been set out in the report together with the in-principle decision of the Constituent Councils in 2021/22 to transfer the Growth Deal to the NWCJC. The original decision was in-principle as the legislation relating to CJCs was continuing to develop with a final set of regulations in April 2023.  The Leader referred to the recent Council Workshop facilitated by Ambition North Wales which was well attended with good discussion and feedback from members.

The Corporate Director: Governance and Business guided Cabinet through the technical elements of the transfer and the recommendations for consideration.  Denbighshire was the last of the six local authorities to receive the report and the other local authorities had agreed the transfer and the NWCJC had agreed to be a signatory to the agreement. To enable the transfer to take place by 31 March 2025 Cabinet was asked to agree that the decisions be implemented without call-in.

Cabinet discussed the merits of the report and the Corporate Director: Governance and Business responded to questions, elaborating on the advantages of the transfer due to the correlation in membership between both bodies, the avoidance of multiple regional bodies with similar functions, and the legal and operational advantages of the NWCJC being its own corporate entity.  If the report recommendations were agreed, the NWCJC would become the accountable body in respect of the Growth Deal with the transfer of all responsibility from Gwynedd Council as host authority and accountable body to the NWCJC, including staff who would be employed by the NWCJC.  The appointment of Gwynedd Council as the current host authority and accountable body was a historic decision following discussion between the local authorities and educational institutions in the establishment of the NWEAB.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)      agree to enter into a Partnering and Funding Agreement (Appendix 2 to the report) whereby the role of the Accountable Body, responsible for the delivery of the North Wales Growth Deal and funding arrangements for the Growth Deal are transferred to the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee on or before 31 March 2025;

(b)      agree to novate and assign as required the delivery of the North Wales Growth Deal and rights and obligations in all incoming funding agreement held by Cyngor Gwynedd as Accountable Body on behalf of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board (“NWEAB”) transfer to the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee (“NWCJC”);

(c)      agree to transfer and novate and or assign all interests in the portfolio of projects funded by the North Wales Growth Deal together with any ancillary agreements, charges and leases from Cyngor Gwynedd as Accountable Body on behalf of NWEAB to the NWCJC;

(d)      agree to the transfer and /or assignment of all financial balances, monies due and assets as held on behalf of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board by Cyngor Gwynedd to the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee;

(e)      delegate authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Monitoring Officer and Section 151 Officer, to agree and execute the final form agreements, deeds and all other legal documents necessary to implement the transfers referred to at paragraphs (a) (b) and (c) above;

(f)       on completion of the Partnering and Funding Agreement agree to the termination  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8