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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
AGREED:- i) That the Officers of the Ambition Board be thanked for their attendance and presentation to the Committee. ii) To consider a future update report, as agreed, on Economic Development across North Wales. iii) That information be provided on the updated reserve project list, when it is available. iv) That a site visit be held at the Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre (EEOC), once it has been opened.
AGREED:- i) That the finalised Anti-Poverty Strategy be considered in Q4 2025/26, and that opportunities for collaboration with the Safeguarding, Communities, and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committees be explored. ii) That the Topic Selection Form for the World Heritage Site be agreed. iii) That the Wrexham Ambassador Course be considered as part of the Economic Prosperity Strategy. iv) That a Members’ workshop on Social Enterprise be held, and any outcomes be used to inform a future topic selection form. v) That an information report on the Neighbourhoods Programme be prepared, with a topic selection form submitted if required. vi) That the Topic Selection Form for the Events Team be agreed. vii) That the issue of Commercial Estates and asset maximisation be considered within the Economic Prosperity Strategy. viii) That the Urban Villages area of work be considered as part of the Economic Prosperity Strategy. ix) That the report on Wrexham Markets be considered at the October meeting. x) That it be noted the October meeting would take place on Thursday 9 October at 10:30am.
Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Dana Davies and Councillor Andy Wiliams
Members were reminded of their responsibility, under Paragraph 11 of the Members’ Code of Conduct, to declare any interests in relation to any of the business to be transacted at this meeting. The following declarations were made:- Agenda Item 5 - North Wales Economic Ambition Board – Annual Report Councillor Beryl Blackmore – Personal and non-Prejudicial – the Councillor was a member of the Guides and the guiding headquarters is due to be demolished as part of the gateway plan The Councillor remained in the meeting taking part in the discussion and voting thereon.
AGREED: That the minutes held on 2 July 2025 be signed as a correct record.
Decision as recorded
AGREED:- i) That the Officers of the Ambition Board be thanked for their attendance and presentation to the Committee. ii) To consider a future update report, as agreed, on Economic Development across North Wales. iii) That information be provided on the updated reserve project list, when it is available. iv) That a site visit be held at the Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre (EEOC), once it has been opened.
(Members declarations of interest in relation to this item are set out in Minute 7 above). The Chief Officer for Governance and Customer submitted a report (COGC/62/25s) asking Member to consider the information provided by the North Wales Economic Ambition Board (NWEAB). The Lead Member for Finance and Performance introduced the North Wales Economic Ambition Board Annual Report for 2024/25 and outlined key updates. Members were informed of the strong collaboration across all seven North Wales authorities, including Wrexham, in delivering regional economic initiatives. The £240 million joint investment from Westminster and Cardiff governments had been welcomed and actively deployed.. The longstanding cross-party co-operation over this site was also commended. Hedd Vaughan-Evans and David Matthews representing the Ambition Board made a presentation, which covered: · Regional milestones and governance. · Draft North Wales Regional Transport Plan. · Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone. · Quarterly performance updates and construction progress. · Digital Signal Processing initiative. · Centre for Environmental Biotechnology Plus. · Tourism Talent Network. · Clean Energy Fund advisor appointments. · Social value and private sector collaboration. · Regional Skills Partnership and Skills Portal. · Local Area Energy Plans and Regional Energy Strategy. · Shared Prosperity Fund projects. · Charity of the Year recognition. · Strategic priorities for the next 12 months. · Continued collaboration with regional partners. The Lead Member for Finance and Performance reiterated the scale and ambition of the Growth Deal, noting its long-term nature and the complexity of working across two governments. Officers were praised for their dedication despite challenges, and members were encouraged to visit project sites to better understand their impact. Representatives from the Ambition Board confirmed that the Growth Deal spanned a 15-year period, with full delivery expected by 2036. A notable increase in project activity had been observed over the past year, with further momentum anticipated over the following two years. During discussion the following points were raised:- · Agricultural innovation was being supported through the Glynllifon Rural Economy Hub and a digital pilot involving 16 farms, which was looking at how digital technology could improve farming. · Additional funding had been secured from Innovate UK for agri-tech and agri-food development across North and Mid Wales. · Connectivity challenges in Wrexham and rural North Wales were noted, with concerns raised over capacity in the network. · Funds had been allocated to fibre, 4G, and 5G infrastructure, with projects approved and entering delivery over the next four to five years. · Investment has been targeted to areas with poor coverage, which had been identified via independent data collection using council vehicles. · An update on the Western Gateway and Mold Road Gateway was scheduled for the Committee’s consideration in November. · Job creation would accelerate over the next 2 to 3 years, with most employment expected later in the Growth Deal. · These early figures reflected construction-phase activity, with the larger land and property projects anticipated to deliver the bulk of jobs. · The 4,200 target jobs remained, though final numbers may range from 3,500 to 4,500 depending on how the £51 million in unallocated funding is used. · Governance transition to the Corporate Joint Committee (CJC) took effect on 1 April. · The Economic Well-being Subcommittee now oversees former Ambition Board work, maintaining continuity with existing leadership. · Future remit expansion would depend on post-election political direction. · Funding was available to 21 reserve list projects which comprised of 17 new and 4 existing projects that were subject to the same business case process as core Growth Deal proposals. · Decisions on the 21 projects were expected within six months, with most projects entering delivery within two years. · Projects were assessed on job creation, match funding, viability, and readiness. · Land and property developments were expected to deliver around 50% of total jobs, despite higher delivery risks. · It was confirmed that Intellectual Property profits were not shared due to legal complexities, but reinvestment of these profits and schemes was encouraged. · Mobile Signal data was not currently available to the public; the issue would be reviewed and a response will be provided to Members. AGREED:- i) That the Officers of the Ambition Board be thanked for their attendance and presentation to the Committee. ii) To consider a future update report, as agreed, on Economic Development across North Wales. iii) That information be provided on the updated reserve project list, when it is available. iv) That a site visit be held at the Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre (EEOC), once it has been opened.
Decision as recorded
AGREED:- i) That the finalised Anti-Poverty Strategy be considered in Q4 2025/26, and that opportunities for collaboration with the Safeguarding, Communities, and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committees be explored. ii) That the Topic Selection Form for the World Heritage Site be agreed. iii) That the Wrexham Ambassador Course be considered as part of the Economic Prosperity Strategy. iv) That a Members’ workshop on Social Enterprise be held, and any outcomes be used to inform a future topic selection form. v) That an information report on the Neighbourhoods Programme be prepared, with a topic selection form submitted if required. vi) That the Topic Selection Form for the Events Team be agreed. vii) That the issue of Commercial Estates and asset maximisation be considered within the Economic Prosperity Strategy. viii) That the Urban Villages area of work be considered as part of the Economic Prosperity Strategy. ix) That the report on Wrexham Markets be considered at the October meeting. x) That it be noted the October meeting would take place on Thursday 9 October at 10:30am.
The Chief Officer for Governance and Customer submitted a report (COGC/69/25) asking members to consider the revised work programme of the Employment, Business and Investment Scrutiny Committee attached at Appendix 1. The Scrutiny Facilitator presented the report and outlined key updates to the work programme. The proposed changes were submitted and subsequently approved. The issue of scrutiny of economic development of Urban villages was discussed. It was considered that this should be scrutinised as part of the Economic Prosperity Strategy. It was noted that a new Programme Manager was scheduled to start on 15 September to support delivery of projects at the World Heritage site. AGREED:- i) That the finalised Anti-Poverty Strategy be considered in Q4 2025/26, and that opportunities for collaboration with the Safeguarding, Communities, and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committees be explored. ii) That the Topic Selection Form for the World Heritage Site be agreed. iii) That the Wrexham Ambassador Course be considered as part of the Economic Prosperity Strategy. iv) That a Members’ workshop on Social Enterprise be held, and any outcomes be used to inform a future topic selection form. v) That an information report on the Neighbourhoods Programme be prepared, with a topic selection form submitted if required. vi) That the Topic Selection Form for the Events Team be agreed. vii) That the issue of Commercial Estates and asset maximisation be considered within the Economic Prosperity Strategy. viii) That the Urban Villages area of work be considered as part of the Economic Prosperity Strategy. ix) That the report on Wrexham Markets be considered at the October meeting. x) That it be noted the October meeting would take place on Thursday 9 October at 10:30am.
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