£1.2bn Cardiff city region findings backed

A key report on a £1.2bn deal for south-east Wales is being backed by local authority leaders.

Experts looking at the Cardiff city region said there needs to be better transport links and more collaborative working between councils.

The venture aims to create 25,000 new jobs and includes projects like the South Wales Metro.

The 10 council leaders involved said they unanimously backed the findings.

It follows the inquiry by the Cardiff Capital Region Growth and Competitiveness Commission into how the new deal could best work.

It sets out a range of priorities, including job creation and skills development, more affordable housing and better connectivity for transport, energy and broadband.

The commission also stressed the need for "rapid implementation" for the city region plans and to "avoid further reviews".

The city region shadow cabinet, made up of the leaders from the 10 member councils, said on Sunday that it accepted the need to develop a regional economic growth strategy "with immediate effect".

"This report represents one of our commitments in the City Deal document we signed in March last year and will help us in finalising the details of our City Deal arrangements in the coming weeks," said Rhondda Cynon Taff's leader, Andrew Morgan.

"The recommendations within this report can help us to achieve this aspiration for south-east Wales for the benefit of all - now and for future generations."

The authority leaders said work was now under way on an implementation plan.

Those will have to be considered by individual councils - including Cardiff, where concerns over support for the deal were raised last month.