Nerve centre of Cardiff City Deal to be in RCT
THE Programme Management offices of the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal are to be centrally located in Rhondda Cynon Taff.
The decision to locate the offices in RCT was a bid to demonstrate how the £1.23bn initiative is set to benefit the whole south Wales region.
At the first Joint Cabinet of the 10 local authorities which form the City Deal, it was formally agreed to locate these functions in Treforest.
Councillor Andrew Morgan, leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, was also formally appointed chairman of the Joint Cabinet at the inaugural meeting.
Coun Morgan said: “The decision to locate the Programme Management offices for the City Deal in Treforest is an important symbol of how this programme is about transforming and driving the economy of south Wales as a whole and not just Cardiff as the capital city.
“I remain hugely optimistic about the potential of the City Deal to transform the local economy of south-east Wales. With the first Joint Cabinet meeting of the 10 local authorities having taken place, we are demonstrating local government’s commitment to turn our ambitions for our local economy into a reality moving forward.”
The aims of the CCR City Deal is to create jobs and boost economic prosperity by improving productivity, tackling worklessness, building on foundations of innovation, investing in physical and digital infrastructure, providing support for business, and ensuring that any economic benefits generated as a result are felt across the region.
The leaders of the 10 local authorities within the CCR signed the City Deal on March 1, following universal support from all 10 councils for the programme.
The City Deal includes funding of £734m for the South Wales Metro, of which more than £500m is provided by the Welsh Government.
The UK Government has provided a £375m contribution, and the 10 local authorities have agreed a commitment to borrow a combined total of £120m as part of the Wider Investment Fund.