Edwina Hart, Minister for Economy, Science and Transport
This was published under the 2011 to 2016 administration of the Welsh Government
In June last year, I established the Teifi Valley Local Growth Zone Task and Finish Group to explore how the local growth zone model being implemented in Powys may also be applied to the Teifi Valley area. I am pleased to be responding positively to the report and to announce that I have agreed to establish a Local Growth Zone in the Teifi Valley.
I asked the Task and Finish Group to consider how to encourage and support jobs, to stimulate economic growth and to test different types of interventions sensitive to the Valley’s local economic circumstances, growth challenges and prominent use of the Welsh language.
The Group, Chaired by Delyth Humfryes MBE, Chair of the West Wales Credit Union, presented their report to me in December 2013 accompanied by a supporting document detailing the extensive evidence gathered by the Group. I published the Group’s Report and supporting evidence document on the Welsh Government website earlier this year and invited comment on the 26 Recommendations identified by the Task and Finish Group.
I explored the Group’s recommendations with the Chair of the task and Finish Group, with Ministerial colleagues and with others. Some of the recommendations were for Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire councils to take forward.
The Welsh Government is committed to doing what it can to improve the competitive environment throughout Wales for businesses, and the Teifi Valley Local Growth Zone will have a significant part to play. Our response to this report will help create a local stimulus to better support business and to encourage jobs and growth which can be applied elsewhere in future.
I would like to thank Delyth Humfryes, MBE, and the members of the Task and Finish Group for preparing such a thorough report, which gave us much to consider and which has received broad support from all quarters.
Work is now underway to establish the appropriate Governance structure for the Local Growth Zone and I will provide further updates as this work progresses.