Fife involved in new group set up to shape Tay Cities Deal

A steering group will be formed to progress work on the ambitious Tay Cities Deal.

Fife Council is expected to team up with local authorities in Perth and Kinross, Angus and Dundee for a “once in a lifetime” application for about £1.8 billion worth of investment.

If successful, the bid could provide thousands of jobs and crucial funding for projects, including the Cross Tay Link Road and Perth City Hall.

The application was submitted to the UK and Scottish Government in February and now a committee is being formed to help progress and implement the deal.

On Wednesday, Perth and Kinross councillors will be asked to establish the new committee by way of a Minute of Agreement, which will also need to be agreed by counterparts in Dundee, Angus and Fife.

In a report to members, Perth and Kinross Council’s head of legal and governance Lisa Simpson said: “As the bid is now in the formal stages of consideration, it is necessary to formalise the governance arrangements.

“It has been determined the establishment of a joint committee is the most appropriate governance mechanism to ensure the progression and implementation of the Tay Cities Deal.”

Last month, UK Government minister Lord Duncan confirmed the deal will not be done and dusted until the start of 2018 at the earliest.

Fife Council is also committed to the Edinburgh City Deal, having signed a heads of terms agreement earlier this year.

Both the Scottish and UK governments are committed to jointly investing £600 million over 15 years and regional partners have committed to adding up to £500m, overall representing a deal worth £1.1bn.