A CAERPHILLY councillor has been nominated to represent the authority on the body responsible for scrutinising the £1.2 billion Cardiff Capital Region City Deal.

Labour councillor John Ridgewell will sit on the regional joint overview and scrutiny committee, which will be hosted by Bridgend council.

The remaining eight authorities that make up the City Deal are currently in the process of choosing their own representatives.

A meeting of Caerphilly full council heard from its leader, Councillor David Poole, that progress was being made between the partnering authorities.

“Since this authority and the other nine authorities agreed an outline business case, a momentum is starting in the activities of the City Deal,” said Cllr Poole.

“More and more decisions are being made that has effects on this council and this county.”

Cllr Poole confirmed the nomination of Cllr Ridgewell along with the selection of Plaid Cymru councillor Colin Elsbury as a substitute representative.

The decision to nominate two candidates from different parties was made despite there being no requirement for political balance on the joint overview and scrutiny committee.

Plaid Cymru councillor Robert Gough argued that such a requirement caused a “missed opportunity” for the council.

“This is a major project that covers the whole of the south east Wales region,” said Cllr Gough.

“It’s going to last for a number of years and there was no pre-conceived idea of the size and make-up of this scrutiny committee to include rep from all political parties.

“Over the duration of this project there’s going to be elections and God willing, control of authorities will change, and it would have led to some sort of continuity.

Cllr Gough added: “It’s a bit sad really. We’ve got a Plaid [representative] as a stand but there was an opportunity here to make sure everybody would have been included in the process at some level and that would encourage them to buy-in and be supportive of the project.”

The meeting also heard that the council would not be paying a senior salary to Cllr Ridgewell should he be made chair of the joint committee, an option offered by the Independent Remuneration Panel.

The move was welcomed by Independent councillor Kevin Etheridge, who said: “I was going to raise the senior salary payment and I’m pleased to say that [Cllr Poole] has agreed with the deputy leader and the group that this should not be applied.”

The City Deal aims to deliver greater economic growth in the region through developing skills and employment opportunities, technological innovation, greater connections within regional authorities, and improved regeneration and infrastructure.