THREE more Gwent councils have now backed a deal which will see £1.2 billion invested into South-East Wales over the next 20 years.

Torfaen council, Caerphilly council and Newport council today voted to support the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal. It means the scheme now has unanimous support from across the region, after Blaenau Gwent and Monmouthshire previously endorsed it.

The City Deal is a plan which would bring in billions of pounds of investment into South Wales – including a regional cabinet which would discuss potential ideas put forward by each council authority.

It hopes to boost economic growth in 10 local authority areas in South-East Wales by improving transport links, increasing skills, helping people into work and giving businesses the support they need to grow.

It is thought that the deal would create an estimated 25,000 jobs across the whole of South Wales.

In Newport, councillors voted overwhelmingly to be part of the deal.

Leader of Newport City Council Debbie Wilcox said: “I am pleased that today my colleagues across all political parties have shown their support for what promises to be a generational game changer for Newport and the whole region.

“We can now plan ahead with two decades of economic investment certainty in our sights.

“I look forward to closely working with fellow Leaders in making the deal a success and being part of a team that will deliver innovation, investment and development.”

Will Godfrey, chief executive of the city council, said: “We believe this is a bold and decisive step which will create long term plans for long term investment.”

In Caerphilly, there was a round of applause while mayor Dianne Price stated that she was “proud” as councillors voted to support the deal after a two-and-half-hour special meeting on Tuesday evening.

Cllr Keith Reynolds, leader of the council, said that the area would feel the “benefits” of the deal.

He said: “ I could stand here a long time extorting the benefits and virtues of the city deal but I feel I won’t need to do that.

“It’s a 20-year programme that has to start somewhere and that time is now.”

Chris Burns, who is interim chief executive of Caerphilly council, described the announcement as “very important for this area”.

He added that the area had “been lagging behind the rest of the UK in terms of performance” with “above levels of deprivation, unemployment, ill-health and local economic inactivity”.

Mr Burns said that he expects out of the 25,000 potential job creations, “2,500 to 3,000” jobs in Caerphilly”.

In Torfaen, Cllr Anthony Hunt, leader of Torfaen County Borough Council, welcomed the council’s decision to support the deal.

He said: “Our decision today is an important milestone, and a major step to realising significant economic investment for the region.

“This investment will have a long term impact on the financial health of the whole region which will in turn improve the lives and opportunities for our residents.”

Cllr Andrew Morgan, chairman of the CCR shadow regional cabinet and leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, said: “This is an important part of the City Deal process.

“The 10 authorities have worked extremely closely over the past 16 months to get the City Deal to this position, but support for the City Deal from those authorities’ members is critical if we are to collectively take this hugely exciting Deal forward.

“Together, the local authority partners can bring about an economic and social step-change in the Cardiff Capital Region, through improved transport, supporting innovation, an improved digital network, developing skills, supporting enterprise and business growth, and through housing development and regeneration.”