Written Statement - Cardiff Capital Region Board - Next Steps

I established the Cardiff Capital Region Board in November 2013 and set it the challenge of providing the Region with leadership, vision and strategic direction.

I am pleased to say that the Board has met that challenge and fulfilled its remit. Over the past 2 years, the Board has been skilfully led by Roger Lewis and expertly supported by its membership drawn from senior levels in business, academia, and local government. The Board has engaged with a wide range of individuals and organisations and held workshops and events that have informed its approach and spread its message to a wider audience.

The Board has:

• created a genuine unity of purpose around shared ambitions for growth
• developed and published a clear strategic vision entitled “Powering the Welsh Economy” – setting out connectivity, skills and innovation as the Region’s core priorities
• secured broader regional support for transformational projects like the Metro.

The Board has successfully delivered on its Terms of Reference “to provide the leadership, vision and strategic direction for the City Region”. It is important that momentum is not lost on the city region approach and the new governance arrangements must be considered in the light of emerging developments such as a possible City Deal. For that reason, I have taken the decision to put in place new transition arrangements with a refreshed membership, new terms of reference and new terms of appointment.

The Transition Board will help shape the Region during this next phase of development and will be tasked with:

• the promotion of the joint-working needed to make the Cardiff Capital Region a success over the longer-term
• helping to manage any transition as governance evolves
• integrating and aligning the agenda established by the previous Board with emerging developments like Metro phase 2 and the City Deal discussions
• providing advice on broader City Region developments.

As this is a transition arrangement, the Transition Board has been refreshed, with a number of members of the previous Board to ensure continuity. Professor Kevin Morgan will remain as an advisor. The Transition Board’s new terms of reference will be published on the Welsh Government’s website in due course.

It is proposed that the Transition Board will comprise of:

• Ann Beynon (Chair), former Wales Director, BT
• Cllr Peter Fox (Vice-Chair), Leader, Monmouthshire County Council
• Dan Langford, Group Marketing and Communications Director, Acorn Recruitment
• Cllr Andrew Morgan, Leader, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
• Prof. Brian Morgan, Professor of Entrepreneurship & Director, Creative Leadership and Enterprise, Cardiff Metropolitan University
• Mike Payne, Regional Political Officer, GMB Union
• Lynn Pamment, PwC, Cardiff Office Senior Partner, Head of Public Sector services
• Chair Cardiff Enterprise Zone, Chris Sutton, Lead Director Jones Lang LaSalle Cardiff.