The Economy and Culture Scrutiny Committee met on Tuesday 26 May 2026 to discuss the Regeneration Strategy and the Investment Zone update. The committee also reviewed progress on the 'Filming in Cardiff' inquiry recommendations.

Regeneration Strategy

The committee reviewed the draft Regeneration Strategy 2025-2030, which aims to enhance the vitality and viability of Cardiff's district and local centres and support the creation of sustainable communities. The strategy has been developed following extensive consultation, including targeted engagement with young people, and incorporates feedback on themes such as funding, delivery, accountability, parking, and public transport.

Key changes to the draft strategy include a restructured format for improved readability, a stronger focus on inclusive design, safety, heritage, and community engagement, and the inclusion of a community asset map. The strategy will be used to secure funding, align resources, and facilitate knowledge sharing across council departments and partners.

Members raised several points during the discussion:

• Consultation Feedback: Concerns were raised about the inclusion of predominantly negative comments in the consultation feedback summary, with officers explaining this was due to those who disagreed being more likely to leave detailed comments. It was suggested that efforts should be made to encourage positive feedback.
• Funding and Ambition: Questions were asked about the potential impact of the change in Welsh Government on regeneration funding, with officers stating they would operate on a business as usual basis and continue to advocate for urban areas. The ambition of the strategy was discussed, with assurances that it was ambitious but not overly so, focusing on priority areas for initial placemaking plans.
• Sustainability and Longevity: Members emphasised the importance of ensuring regeneration schemes are sustainable and long-lasting, with officers highlighting the need for partnership working with communities and businesses to maintain improvements. The issue of the council not always maintaining its own public realm standards was raised, with assurances that integration within a single directorate should improve coordination.
• Measuring Success: It was clarified that while measuring the success of the overall strategy would be challenging, individual placemaking plans would have measurable outputs and outcomes. Progress would be monitored through the Asset Management Board and corporate plan KPIs.
• City Centre Strategy: Members were informed that the committee's proposed City Centre Users' Experiences Inquiry would inform the development of a new city centre strategy, though a timeline for this was not yet available.

The committee resolved to write to the Cabinet Member to convey their observations and recommendations.

Investment Zone Update

The committee received an update on the Investment Zone report to Cabinet, which included the council's response to the Economy and Culture Scrutiny Committee's inquiry on place-based economic interventions. Cabinet had accepted all the committee's recommendations, with the caveat that the Corporate Joint Committee (CJC) holds the ultimate decision-making power.

Key points discussed included:

• Timelines: The Investment Zone was expected to be enacted almost immediately following UK and Welsh government approval, with implementation dependent on business cases for specific propositions.
• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): The MOU was described as setting out expectations rather than being legally enforceable, designed to protect the council from financial exposure.
• Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) Retention: Concerns were raised about Wales retaining only 50% of NDR, compared to England's schemes. The Cabinet Member stated they would ask the Welsh Government to revisit this issue and welcomed the proposal for a Welsh Development Agency.
• Environmental Alignment: It was noted that much of Cardiff's Investment Zone proposals are linked to public transport, aligning with the 'One Planet Cardiff' ambitions. The CJC also has low-carbon ambitions.
• Governance and Scrutiny: While the CJC makes final decisions, Cardiff and Newport councils would have significant influence as core members. The committee requested that Cardiff's elements of CJC scrutiny be made available for them to review, and the Cabinet Member agreed to advocate for greater transparency and better scrutiny arrangements for the CJC.
• Collaboration between Cardiff and Newport: It was emphasised that the Investment Zone is intended to be complementary, focusing on exploiting opportunities together rather than competing, with the overall goal of attracting investment to South East Wales.

The committee resolved to write to the Cabinet Member to convey their observations and recommendations.

Filming in Cardiff Inquiry Monitoring

The committee received a progress update on the implementation of Cabinet's response to the recommendations from the 'Filming in Cardiff' inquiry. Cabinet had fully accepted nine recommendations, partially accepted four, and rejected one.

Progress has been made on improving the Film Office website, including adding more detailed information, location pages, and links to partners. However, details on vacant buildings are not publicly listed due to security concerns.

Key discussion points included:

• Website Improvements: Members suggested further enhancements to the website, such as adding more photos of filming locations, improving hyperlinks between pages, and fleshing out entries for locations like Llandaff.
• Tourism Dividend: The potential to capitalise on filming locations for tourism was discussed, with officers agreeing to explore this with Visit Wales and present the idea to the Visitor Levy Partnership Forum.
• Cardiff's Portrayal: Members raised the point that Cardiff is often used as a stand-in for other locations, and it would be beneficial if Cardiff itself was more prominently featured in productions filmed there. It was noted that recent appointments of Welsh individuals to key BBC roles could help strengthen Cardiff's visibility.
• Resources: While the Film Office stated they felt adequately resourced, the Cabinet Member acknowledged that a business case would be needed for any future investment if increased funding became available.
• Collaboration: The committee noted the positive relationship between Ruth Kayford (Operational Manager, Culture and Creative Industries) and Creative Wales, and the potential for collaborative work with Welsh Government to attract major productions.

The committee resolved to write to the Cabinet Member to convey their observations and recommendations.

Correspondence

An update was provided on correspondence sent and received by the committee. Responses had been received from Councillor Burke regarding the allotment service and from Councillor Weaver concerning fees and charges. However, responses were still awaited on several other matters. The committee noted the update.

Way Forward

The committee discussed the way forward for each item. For the Regeneration Strategy, members agreed to capture specific points for the letter to the Cabinet Member, including asking for maintenance of infrastructure to be built into future regeneration schemes. For the Investment Zone, members were content with the recommendations to Cabinet. For the Filming in Cardiff inquiry, members requested to be updated on the progress of exploring the tourism dividend and agreed to ask for active updates on the implementation of recommendations.

The next meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, 16 June 2026.