Leading politicians, business representatives and public servants came together to discuss how best to ensure the Vale of Glamorgan reaps the full benefit of the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal at a business breakfast meeting hosted by the Council at this year’s Vale Agricultural Show.
Council Leader, Cllr John Thomas, the Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns MP, and Rob Thomas, the Council’s Managing Director all addressed the meeting which focused on identifying the key opportunities for both the wider South East Wales region and the Vale of Glamorgan presented by the City Deal.
Cllr Thomas said: “The City Deal is quite rightly being seen as a significant and exciting prospect for both the Vale and the region as a whole. It is as a result more important than ever that we invest our time and efforts in having meaningful conversations about the future of both the wider region and the Vale of Glamorgan.
“Wales’ only international airport and the adjacent St Athan Enterprise Zone are both of great importance to the national economy and their location at the heart of the Vale means the potential benefits of the City Deal to the Vale of Glamorgan economy are hugely significant.
“The decision by Aston Martin to select the Vale as the location for its newest manufacturing base in the UK and that of Renishaw to continue to expand operations near to junction 34 of the M4 both show that the Vale is able to attract serious investment.
“The challenge now is to ensure that the Vale remains at the forefront of developments in the City Deal investment programme. This is something to which the Vale of Glamorgan Council and myself as Leader of the Council are totally committed. I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the City Deal is a success both for the wider region but also for the Vale economy .”
The Cardiff Capital Region City Deal comprises an investment programme of £1.229 billion spread across ten local authority areas, including £734m for the creation of a South East Wales Metro transport scheme.
Earlier this year the Vale of Glamorgan Council established a City Deal reserve fund to ensure its financial commitment to the Deal is met in the most prudent way possible.
Secretary of State for Wales and Vale MP Alun Cairns said, "The Business Breakfast was a great start to another excellent Vale Show. It's imperative that residents and business owners in the Vale of Glamorgan are informed on the impact which the Cardiff City Deal will have on the county and I'm very pleased that the Vale of Glamorgan Council facilitated such a meeting.
"The Vale of Glamorgan and other areas surrounding Cardiff that will be directly affected by the deal, will remain a priority throughout the process - a message that I was keen to convey at the Business Breakfast."