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Connectivity, skills, innovation and growth as well as establishing a clear and positive identity should be at the heart of a proposed Cardiff Capital Region, according to

After more than a year of consultation and meetings with stakeholders across the 10 local authorities that make up the Cardiff Capital Region, its advisory board has published what is effectively a next step report, entitled Power the Welsh Economy.

However, the report doesn’t explicitly call for a city region with statutory powers, or contain any firm and clear recommendations on what powers it should have.

However, it suggests, without being explicit, that a starting point should be in transport and the proposed Metro project being spun-out of Welsh Government into a delivery body under the banner of a city region.

See the only images released so far of how the Metro should look

The report also suggests that new strategic planning powers, tied into economic and a regional transport plan – could naturally sit at a city region level. The ideal vehicle for this is the Wales Planning Bill which will take planning to a more strategic level.

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It will now be for the Welsh Government to take the project forward.

The board was established in November 2013

The Cardiff Capital Region advisory board, chaired by the chief executive of the WRU Roger Lewis, was established by Economy Minister Edwina Hart in November 2013 to advise on setting priorities for establishing a city region.

It highlights four delivery themes to drive the competitiveness of the region, which covers 10 local authority areas and has a population of 1.5 million people.

Read

The four key themes are

Connectivity

Which is effectively seeing the realisation of an integrated transport Metro network for South Wales, so allowing for a greater, quicker and more frequent movement of people across the region.

The report says that electrification of the Valley Lines has to be the catalyst for further investment with the ambition of realising a “fully connected region providing a 45 minute minimum four times an hour service from the Valleys into Cardiff, via a seamless transport system supported by smart ticketing and overcoming current infrastructure capacity constraints.”

While not stated an issue is the bottleneck at Queen Street Station in Cardiff. It also highlights the importance of high speed broadband in terms of digital connectivity.

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Skills

That the skills of the people of the region are aligned with the need of business.

Innovation and growth

Supporting a ‘thriving business community with international recognition, driven by an entrepreneurial culture and leading academic research; and

Identity

Building a vibrant and internationally recognised Cardiff Capital Region synonymous with quality of life.”

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Read board chairman Roger Lewis explain the thinking behind the board's report

This will help shape the region

Mr Lewis said: “The Cardiff Capital Region aims to bring together businesses, the education sector, ten local authorities and the Welsh Government to develop and promote South East Wales as a great place to live, work and do business.

“In researching and writing the report, our journey has taken us to all ten local authority areas in the region and we have talked to a wide range of people, businesses, organisations and experts in the field.

“The result is a report which will help shape the region to succeed in a future driven by technological change and knowledge.

“It sets out the direction in which we want to move – towards a region that is globally connected, at the centre of a thriving Welsh economy and a great place to live and work. It is very clear on setting out the case for change.

“We expect a range of partners from the public and private sectors to think and act differently to respond to the changing global economy; technological advances and emerging business practices so that we can boost the economic performance of a region which has the potential to offer so much more to its people, businesses and communities, and indeed the rest of Wales.

“We live in a region with so much untapped potential, I firmly believe our best days are yet to come.

“We just have to have the confidence and ambition to lift our heads and believe that we can do better, that we can succeed.”

On the next step he says his introduction to the report: “We now find ourselves on the cusp of the implementation and delivery phase.

“The job of implementing operational delivery must be undertaken by a different and appropriately accountable structure or structures."

Another viewpoint

Expert in city regions Professor Gillian Bristow, of Cardiff University, said: “The launch of this report marks an important milestone in the development of city-regionalism in Wales, and the evolution of the Cardiff Capital Region in particular.

“City-regionalism is a trend that has assumed growing significance across the UK and internationally.

“It reflects the thinking that in today’s globalised economy, places that effectively harness the collective power and critical mass of cities and their hinterlands can significantly enhance their potential for economic development success. This report is therefore both timely and welcome.”

She added that the report was the start of a “wider conversation with key partners and communities across the region as to how to develop and deliver this roadmap for the future.”