A Newport City Council officer hopes the Gwent Public Services Board (PSB) merger will be an opportunity for Newport to raise its aspirations.
“I hope this will be a positive change,” said Tracy McKim, policy partnership and involvement manager at Newport City Council.
Public Services Boards enable public bodies to work together. They were launched as part of the Wellbeing for Future Generations Act 2015.
There are plans to merge Newport, Caerphilly, Monmouth, Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent PSBs to create a Gwent-wide one.
A regional approach is encouraged in an Audit Wales Report and the Wellbeing for Future Generations Act 2015.
In a performance scrutiny committee meeting, held on Wednesday July 28, Marshfield councillor Tom Suller questioned how the merger would affect the council’s aim to improve the carbon footprint of the city.
Ms McKim said a regional approach could allow the council to take their sustainable travel strategy further, and that climate change is a wellbeing issue for all five local authorities, which could work together to tackle it.
Ms McKim added, due to the diversity of the five local authorities and the pooling of resources, it could be possible for the Gwent PSB to apply for more grants than Newport One would be able to as a single local authority PSB.
Newport One is the council’s current PSB that aims to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural wellbeing of the city.
Cllr James Clarke, chair of the performance scrutiny committee – partnerships, said the council should “enter these things with confidence but also caution”.
Ms McKim said it would be possible for the council to de-merge and legally leave the agreement if they were not satisfied with the Gwent-wide PSB, under the Local Government Act.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Caerphilly Council discussed the Gwent PSB merger in a special council meeting held on Tuesday, July 27.
Ms McKim referenced Cwm Taf as a successful example of a PSB merger.
