COUNCILS have been told they should work together as they prepare to secure their share of a £1.3 billion pot of cash.

Wrexham MP Ian Lucas has called on Wrexham Council and Flintshire Council to finalise their Local Development Plans (LDP) sooner rather than later now they have submitted their bid for the North Wales Growth Deal.

The six North Wales councils have united to produce a ‘growth bid,’ submitted to the UK Government and the Welsh Government for investment, and are now looking to put forward business cases for how the money would be used.

This ‘Growth Deal’ proposes investment of £1.3bn in 12 projects supported by funds of £383.4m for all six local councils.

It is hoped it will see improvement to transport links and technology around the region, and thousands of jobs created.

But Wrexham’s MP Ian Lucas says Wrexham and Flintshire’s cases would be strengthened by having development plans in place with links between the counties.

He was responding to criticism of Flintshire Council’s lack of a development plan made by North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood, earlier this month.

An LDP is a long-term vision for how communities will grow and develop in future, and where building and development should take place. But both Wrexham and Flintshire Council have yet to finalise their plans.

Mr Lucas said: “Wrexham hasn’t had a plan in place since 2007.

“It is a major problem for the region and it is difficult to plan development if you don’t have an up to date planning policy in place.

“It is hugely important that both councils have a development plan in place as we are currently trying to get funding for the North Wales Growth Deal.

“Both councils have got to make a massive effort, as we have six councils working together on the growth deal and we need a coherent plan.”

He added: “We have people travelling from Wrexham to the Deeside Industrial Estate for work, and in the other direction people travel from Deeside to work on Wrexham Industrial Estate.

“There are no direct transport links, it is a failing across the region and something we are trying to succeed in changing with the growth deal.

“My understanding is that the draft development plans have to be in place by the beginning of next year. It needs to be mapped out.

“We need to make sure we have a final plan in place by the end of next year, so we have a clear plan of what the future should be when we are trying to push things forward with the growth deal.”

Responding to Mr Isherwood’s criticism earlier this month, Cllr Aaron Shotton, the leader of Flintshire Council, said land supply for residential sites was a key issue.

He said: “The council is fully aware of its responsibility to prepare its Local Development Plan.

“The issues being experienced in Flintshire are common to many local authorities in Wales.

“Despite a significant number of authorities in Wales having an adopted LDP, the majority are unable to demonstrate a five-year land supply and find themselves in a similar position to Flintshire in that they are receiving planning applications for residential development on sites which were not allocated in their development plan.

“Having an adopted LDP, costing millions of pounds to produce, is therefore no guarantee of having a five-year land supply.

“Whether Flintshire is the last local authority to produce an LDP is not the issue, particularly in the context that it was one of the few councils to successfully adopt a Unitary Development Plan.

“The timetable the council is following to produce its LDP is well within the performance of other councils in Wales, and better than some of its immediate North Wales neighbours.

“The Welsh Government is also generally supportive of the level of homes and jobs proposed.”

Wrexham Council has been approached for a comment.