Written Statement - Swansea Bay City Region Board - next steps

I established the Swansea Bay City Region Board in November 2013 with a clear remit to provide the region with leadership, vision and strategic direction.

Under the expert leadership of Sir Terry Mathews, the Board has successfully generated enthusiasm, commitment and excitement in the city regions agenda. It has delivered against the key objectives I set – identifying the priorities and building better alignment across the region. Delivery partners across the public, private and Higher and Further Education sectors are now collaborating on activities that the board set out in its plans for development and growth.

I am determined the momentum that has been achieved and the unity of purpose created around shared ambitions for growth is not lost. In addition to providing strategic direction and promoting the joint-working required over the longer term, there is now a need to move on to a new delivery phase and remit.

For that reason I have taken the decision to refresh the terms of reference and terms of appointment, with the new board arrangement also formally establishing membership of a number of postholders within the region. The board’s remit going forward will include:

• strategic direction and the identification and promotion of major projects
• communications and marketing with a focus on inward investment
• the establishment and management of a new regional marketing suite.

Sir Terry will Chair the board, which represents a consolidation of governance structures at this point in the development of the city region.

The terms of reference of the Swansea Bay City Region Board will be published on the Welsh Government’s website in due course. The proposed membership of the board is:

Sir Terry Matthews (Chair), Wesley Clover

Cllr Meryl Gravell (Vice Chair), Carmarthenshire County Council

Steve Penny, Director Swansea City Football Club/Consultant JCP

Juliet Luporini, Chair Swansea Business Improvement District

Rosemary Morgan, Morgan La Roche

Paul Greenwood, TES Ltd

Nick Revell, Ledwood Mechanical Engineering Ltd

Mark Bowen, Managing Director Andrew Scott Ltd

Keith Baker, Pure Wafer

Andrew Evans, St Brides Hotel, Saundersfoot

Vice-Chancellor Swansea University, Prof Richard Davies

Barry Liles, Chair of Regional Learning Partnership 

Vice-Chancellor University of Wales Trinity St David, Prof Medwin Hughes

Andy Richards, Wales Secretary Unite

Dave Gilbert, Advisor

Leader Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, Cllr Ali Thomas

Leader City and County of Swansea, Cllr Rob Stewart

Leader Carmarthenshire County Council, Cllr Emlyn Dole

Leader Pembrokeshire County Council, Cllr Jamie Adams,

Simon Gibson, Wesley Clover

Chair ARCH programme, Professor Andrew Davies.