Gwynedd Council has been leading discussions to create a new regional body to offer clear guidance to develop the north Wales economy.
Gwynedd Council’s cabinet will discuss a recommendation tomorrow (24 July 2012) to establish a North Wales Regional Ambition Board that will be a vehicle for closer collaboration in economic development across all of north Wales’ six local authorities.
Over the past few months, Gwynedd and the other five counties – Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham – have held discussions to this end and have come to the conclusion that this would be a step forward.
Explaining his recommendation to support the establishment of a North Wales Regional Ambition Board, Councillor John Wynn Jones, Gwynedd Council’s cabinet member of Economic Development, said:
“The proposals respond to the need to offer clear guidance for the development of North Wales’ economy as a region.
“The Board will be able to focus on key issues to improve North Wales’ economic performance.
“It is also a way of ensuring a stronger voice for North Wales when trying to influence national and European economic policies, and securing a fair allocation of resources.
“One key example of where we could collaborate would be towards the electrification of the north Wales coast line, as this would benefit all six counties.
“Likewise, the development of the energy and environment sector, the specialist manufacturing sector, and the task of trying to attract inward investment and tourism have all been identified as fields that would benefit from closer co-operation.”
Councillor John Wynn Jones added:
“It should be emphasised that it is not intended – by establishing an Ambition Board – to merge the six Economic Departments across North Wales. The Board will set clear priorities, particularly those areas of work where added value is derived from collaboration and sharing resources.
“If we are to attempt to organise ourselves better as Local Authorities to support the economy, establishing an Ambition Board is certainly a step forward.”
