COUNCIL CALLS FOR SWIFT CONCLUSION TO CITY DEAL NEGOTIATIONS/Y CYNGOR YN GALW AM GASGLIAD CYFLYM I DRAFODAETHAU AM Y FARGEN DDINESIG

Neath Port Talbot Council has published a further update on the Swansea Bay City Deal negotiations in the form of a Cabinet report and has urged both the UK and Welsh Governments to build upon recent progress and quickly resolve key outstanding financial issues to allow the City Deal to proceed.

Councillor Rob Jones, Leader of the Council, said:“We have done our analysis and the conclusions are clear. If the two governments are prepared to resolve the financial issues, then the borrowing costs to this authority over the life of the City Deal are just over £10 million, which is manageable. But if not, the costs rise to over £31 million – possibly more – on the same basis.

 “We want the City Deal to go ahead and progress has been made recently; but we cannot recommend an arrangement that would cost us some £21 million more than it should. That position is common sense”.

Councillor Carol Clement-Williams, Cabinet Member for Finance, added:“An opportunity cost of £20 million plus represents two primary schools under our 21^st Century Schools programme or adds significantly (and unnecessarily) to the estimated £58 million of savings that the Council has to find in the four years from 1 April 2019.”

 “Thus there is a basic issue of value for money and affordability here. There is no room for ambiguity on a long term commitment of this scale”

A full report from officers will be discussed at the Council Cabinet’s meeting on 25 April. The outstanding issues are technical; but very important and the Council is calling for a swift resolution of them more than a year after the City Deal was signed.

Y CYNGOR YN GALW AM GASGLIAD CYFLYM I DRAFODAETHAU AM Y FARGEN DDINESIG

Mae Cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot wedi cyhoeddi diweddariad pellach i drafodaethau am Fargen Ddinesig Bae Abertawe ar ffurf adroddiad Cabinet ac mae wedi annog Llywodraeth y DU a Chymru i adeiladu ar gynnydd diweddar a datrys materion ariannol pwysig sy’n weddill yn gyflym er mwyn i’r Fargen Ddinesig fynd rhagddi.

Meddai’r Cynghorydd Rob Jones, Arweinydd y Cyngor, “Rydym wedi cynnal ein dadansoddiad ac mae’r casgliadau’n glir. Os yw’r ddwy lywodraeth yn barod i ddatrys y materion ariannol, mae’r costau benthyca i’r awdurdod hwn dros hyd oes y Fargen Ddinesig ychydig dros £10 miliwn, sy’n ddichonadwy. Ond os na, mae’r costau’n cynyddu i dros £31 miliwn – mwy o bosib – ar yr un sail.”

“Rydym am i’r Fargen Ddinesig fynd rhagddi a chafwyd cynnydd yn ddiweddar; ond ni allwn argymell trefniad a fyddai’n costio mwy na £21 miliwn yn fwy na ddylai. Synnwyr cyffredin yw hynny”.

Ychwanegodd y Cynghorydd Carol Clement-Williams, Aelod y Cabinet dros Gyllid, “Mae cost o £20 miliwn a mwy’n cynrychioli dwy ysgol gynradd yn ein rhaglen Ysgolion ar gyfer yr 21ain Ganrif neu’n ychwanegu’n sylweddol (a heb angen) at yr arbedion o oddeutu £58 miliwn y mae’n rhaid i’r cyngor eu canfod yn y pedair blynedd o 1 Ebrill 2019.”

“Felly ceir mater sylfaenol o werth am arian a fforddiadwyedd yma. Nid oes lle am amwysedd ar ymrwymiad tymor hir ar y raddfa hon”

Trafodir adroddiad llawn gan swyddogion yng nghyfarfod Cabinet y cyngor ar 25 Ebrill. Mae’r materion sy’n weddill yn rhai technegolond yn bwysig iawn ac mae’r cyngor yn galw am ateb cyflym yn eu cylch ar ôl blwyddyn ers llofnodi’r Fargen Ddinesig.