EXCITING plans have been unveiled at a conference in Wrexham to secure £1billion worth of private sector investment to the area in the next 15 years.

Those who attended the event at the Ramada Hotel learnt how the North Wales Economic Ambition Board plan to bring in the massive amount of investment.

The conference brought together policymakers and stakeholders to discuss the next steps for the effective implementation of the North Wales Growth Deal and consider the challenges for moving the Deal forward.

It follows the UK Government budget commitment of £120m to the Deal, which has been matched by the Welsh Government in order for it to be agreed.

However, Flintshire County Councillor Aaron Shotton, Chair of North Wales Leaders Group for Economic Growth, says that exciting and progressive steps are already being made to improve infrastructure in North Wales.

“Positive announcements and investments have already been realised.

“To name just a number of projects currently announced or underway, a new advanced manufacture research institute, HMP Berwyn just down the road here in Wrexham, much needed transport commitments on the A494 providing a new gateway to North Wales linking in to the M56, additional rail services, and a new railway station to serve one of the biggest employment parks in western Europe in Deeside.”

The North Wales Economic Ambition Board was set up in 2016 when the six County Council’s in North Wales came together to form a constituted joint committee with aims to improve the regional economy for it’s residents and businesses’.

Leading councillors, as well as representatives from higher education establishments and representatives of the private sector make up the board.

Mr. Shotton was just one of many keynote speakers at the conference, in which many topics were discussed including plans to create new jobs and apprenticeships, development of infrastructure to support growth, as well as how North Wales could further reduce it’s carbon emissions.

However, the Flintshire councillor was the first to admit that implementing the Deal would certainly not be an easy task, and that there were many challenges ahead that would need to be faced, but remained confident about the goal the board was working towards.

“Our growth vision is very clear, we aim to break down barriers to further economic growth. We want to create conditions to not only attract new investment, but we also want to build upon our existing strengths.

“North Wales is already a leading area for advanced manufacturing, and energy generation just to name two of our many sectoral strengths.

“Some of the barriers we face that we want to be honest about, can be summarised as an ageing population, an outward migration of skills, as well as a lack of developed and readily available sites and significant transport infrastructure needs.”