Four new members of staff have joined to further strengthen the Swansea Bay City Deal’s Portfolio Management Office.
Phil Ryder, Ian Williams, Amanda Burns and Hollie Thomas join a team led by Jonathan Burnes, the City Deal’s Portfolio Director.
Phil is the Portfolio Management Office Manager, Ian the Portfolio Development Manager, Amanda the Senior Portfolio Support Officer, and Hollie the Portfolio Management Office Assistant.
The Swansea Bay City Deal is a £1.3 billion investment in a portfolio of major projects throughout the Swansea Bay City Region, which is made up of Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea.
Cllr Rob Stewart, Chairman of the City Deal’s Joint Committee, said: “Phil, Ian, Amanda and Hollie bring significant experience and skills to further strengthen the City Deal’s Portfolio Management Office, which will help drive even more progress in coming years for the benefit of residents and businesses throughout the Swansea Bay City Region.
“The City Deal investment will create thousands of well-paid jobs, while turbo-charging the regional economy and giving our residents more opportunities to pursue their careers in South West Wales.
“A huge amount of Swansea Bay City Deal work has taken place in 2020 to ensure its projects are ready to start delivery as soon as possible, which will help accelerate the region’s economic recovery from Covid-19.”
Recent Swansea Bay City Deal progress includes Joint Committee sign-off for the Pentre Awel project earmarked for Llanelli, with its project business case having now been submitted to the UK Government and Welsh Government for final approval.
This follows UK Government and Welsh Government approval for three City Deal projects – Pembroke Dock Marine, the Yr Egin creative and digital hub in Carmarthen, and the Swansea City and Waterfront Digital District project that includes an indoor arena.
Two other City Deal projects signed off by the Joint Committee will also soon be considered by both governments for final approval – the regional Homes as Power Stations project, and the Supporting Innovation and Low Carbon Growth project in the pipeline for Neath Port Talbot.
Detailed business case development work is on-going for the three other projects also due to be part-funded by the City Deal – the regional digital infrastructure project, the regional skills and talent initiative, and the Swansea life sciences, sport and well-being campuses project.
Funded by the UK Government, the Welsh Government, the public sector and the private sector, the Swansea Bay City Deal is being led by Carmarthenshire County Council, Neath Port Talbot Council, Pembrokeshire Council and Swansea Council, in partnership with Swansea University, the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Swansea Bay University Health Board and Hywel Dda University Health Board.
