MOVES to create a joint committee made up of 10 local authorities covering the whole of South East Wales have been discussed by Blaenau Gwent councillors.

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Executive Committee on Wednesday, January 19, managing director Michelle Morris explained the legal framework that needs to be put in place to allow the Corporate Joint Committee (CJC) to be formed.

Due to the Cardiff Capital City Region Deal, much of the work to form the CJC can be replicated.

Ms Morris said: “Just to remind members as a result of the Local Government and Elections Wales Act 2021 there is now a requirement on local authorities to participate and work together to create CJCs across Wales on a regional basis.

“The report sets that out, so that the executive can note the way the council will be participating in the establishment of that committee.”

Ms Morris explained that the committee needed to be constituted and established and a budget for it set by the end of January, and that it would run in parallel with the existing city deal arrangements for 2022/23.

Ms Morris said: “The reasons for the pragmatic twin-track approach rather than moving straight to setting the committee up is that there are number of things in relation to VAT and Corporate Tax that need to be resolved with the UK Government Treasury.

“The proposal will come into effect from June, we were looking to go earlier as a region but because of the challenges that need to be resolved it was agreed that could move back to June and be aligned with the other regions of Wales.”

She added the formation of the new committee would not put any pressure on Blaenau Gwent’s finances for the coming year as it would use money already earmarked for use with the City Deal.

Council leader Cllr Nigel Daniels said that the “complex report” explained the “rationale” behind something that they are now legally obliged to do.

Cllr Daniels said: “There’s been much discussion and debate across Wales about this and now a general acceptance and willingness to continue the joint working.”

“There is some comfort that we will be going online at the same time as the other CJCs.”

The executive committee noted the report and the ongoing work.

The formation of the CJCs hark back to the days of the Super County Councils  of Gwent, Clwyd, Dyfed, Gwynedd, Powys and the three Glamorgans before they were reorganised in 1996 into 22 separate local authorities that exist today.

Moves towards bigger county councils have been mooted but resisted during the last decade.

The other authorities which will be part of the South East Wales CJC are:

Cardiff County Council

Monmouthshire County Council

Bridgend County Borough Council

Caerphilly County Borough Council

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Newport County Borough Council

Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council

Torfaen County Borough Council

The Vale of Glamorgan County Borough Council

Brecon Beacons National Park Authority will also be part of the CJC when it comes to “Strategic Development Plans.”