JOINING forces with the four other councils in Gwent could allow Newport City Council greater access to grants, a senior officer has said.

At a meeting of the council's Performance Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, July 28, councillors discussed proposals to create a Gwent-wide Public Services Board.

The body would cover Newport, Caerphilly, Monmouth, Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent.

“I hope this will be a positive change,” said the council's policy partnership and involvement manager Tracy McKim.

Public Services Boards enable public bodies to work together. They were launched as part of the Wellbeing for Future Generations Act 2015.

A regional approach is encouraged in an Audit Wales Report and the Wellbeing for Future Generations Act 2015.

In the meeting, 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 that 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”.

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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.

What is a Public Services Board?

Public Services Boards (PSB) are located in local authorities and were launched as part of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act 2015.

They aim to to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural wellbeing of Wales by bringing statutory bodies, and other organisations together.

A PSB is made up of a county council, health board, fire and rescue services, and Natural Resources Wales in addition to representatives from the police, the Police and Crime Commissioner, town and community councils, Welsh Government and Public Health.