Agenda item

That the ongoing activity to sustain a vibrant and strong economy in Flintshire be supported and recognised.

The Service Manager for Enterprise and Regeneration presented the report which set out key areas of work to maintain the economic success of Flintshire which also served to benefit the North Wales and North West England sub-regions.

The background to the report detailed the significant and ongoing investment and high quality job growth in key sectors within the county, particularly in manufacturing which equated to 31.2% of the workforce.  An update was given on job creation on the Deeside Enterprise Zone, which was a Welsh Government (WG) programme, with the development of the Northern Gateway site aiming to add to this.  A ministerial announcement was awaited on the next stage for the proposed Deeside Advanced Manufacturing Centre.

The Chief Officer spoke about Flintshire’s role in regional and sub-regional partnerships and the benefits from potential involvement in the Cheshire and Warrington LEP growth bid if this proved successful.  She went on to refer to discussions with Manchester City Council on supporting the growth of the Northern Powerhouse and the need to maximise what Flintshire had to offer over the longer term with links to job creation.

Councillor Aaron Shotton referred to the high level of complex activities and negotiations which he felt deserved a greater understanding and the potential contributions by Flintshire to the economic sub-region of North West England which was of significant scale.  He went on to speak about positive relationships with Cheshire West and Wirral Councils through the work of the Mersey Dee Alliance and the need for rail electrification in North Wales which would encourage economic growth across the sub-regions.  In relation to the rollout by WG of superfast broadband, Councillor Shotton highlighted concerns raised about connectivity in areas such as the Deeside Industrial Park.  He advised that the newly appointed Director of BT Cymru Wales, Alwen Williams, had offered to deliver a presentation to the Corporate Resources Overview & Scrutiny Committee and suggested that this could also benefit this Committee.

Councillor Paul Shotton welcomed the flood alleviation work on the Dee banks but remained concerned about the pace of progress from WG.  He highlighted the importance of involvement by the education sector in recognising skills required and asked what was being done to address this.  The Chief Officer referred to linking the skills plan of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board with that of the Mersey Dee Alliance and said that a more detailed report on skills needed to support the growth bid and Northern Powerhouse could be shared early in the New Year.  In response to comments on European funding sought to improve the A55, she provided clarification on successful bids to improve two roundabouts which would help to improve the road infrastructure.

Whilst Councillor Alison Halford welcomed the findings of the report, she emphasised the need for a viable infrastructure to be in place and effective broadband facilities to cope with the vision for growth.  The Chief Officer spoke about the aim to improve various elements of the infrastructure but felt that any uncertainty around this should not prevent ambition.  In terms of broadband, she clarified that the Superfast programme was generally aimed at homes and small businesses whereas the more costly ‘Ultrafast’ broadband, already available in Deeside, would benefit larger businesses.  In response to concerns about the lack of progress on proposed red/blue routes along the A494, she advised that work was currently underway to look at this.

Councillor Aaron Shotton shared some frustrations about the pace of progress, particularly on land ownership of the Northern Gateway site, but said that the Council would provide support where possible.  He referred to the absence of Council Member representation on the Deeside Enterprise Zone Board and said it was important to recognise the responsibilities of WG and to gain the support of the wider network in lobbying WG for improvements to North Wales.

In response, Councillor Halford called for more action by WG to develop Flintshire and to shift the focus on improvements to North Wales as opposed to South Wales.  Councillor Gareth Roberts also spoke in support of this and the potential for improvements to the A548 which would boost local industries.

RESOLVED:

That the ongoing activity to sustain a vibrant and strong economy in Flintshire be supported and recognised.