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Wales has traditionally been divided into a number of ambiguous and ill-defined areas described as "regions", reflecting historical, geographical, administrative, cultural and electoral boundaries within the country. Presently, the most common form of division of Wales into "regions" has been using cardinal and intercardinal references: north or south-west for example. None of the variously described "regions" have official status or defined boundaries; neither is there a fixed number of regions. Various organisations use different regions and combinations of regions for their individual purposes. This includes devolved institutions, such as Visit Wales, Natural Resources Wales, and the Welsh Government itself, using different sets of Wales' regions. Wales is most commonly sub-divided into between two and four regions, with a North–South divide, and North, Mid, South East and South West division being common. This article lists the various terms applied to be the "regions of Wales" and the regions used by various organisations.
Regional economy in Wales is centred on four regional economic boards in Wales. Each board oversees a city or growth deal, signed between 2016 and 2022, lasting 10–15 years. Two of the deals are city deals signed and proposed by their respective economic boards, and their areas are described as "city regions"; the Cardiff Capital Region and Swansea Bay City Region. Whereas in North Wales, the North Wales Economic Ambition Board negotiated a North Wales growth deal signed in 2020, and in Mid Wales, the Growing Mid Wales Partnership, led negotiations for a Mid Wales growth deal signed in 2022. The programmes are based on the City deal and Growth deal initiatives set up by the Coalition UK Government in 2012, to promote the decentralisation of the UK economy, by stimulating local economic growth.
References
- ↑ Defining the boundaries of the Wales Spatial Plan areas for statistical data analysis
- 1 2 Sustainable Regeneration Framework Swansea Bay: The Waterfront and Western Valleys Spatial Plan Area
- ↑ Revision of Travel to Work Areas
- ↑ Demographic data summary: Swansea Bay (a)
- ↑ WDA: South West Wales Key Sites
- ↑ source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/07/11/report-calls-for-city-regions-around-cardiff-and-se-wales-and-swansea-bay-91466-31373952/
- ↑ Report recommends Swansea Bay gets City Region status
- ↑ BBC News - Swansea Bay city region launched to boost economy
- ↑ "Swansea Bay City Region". Welsh Government. February 16, 2015. Archived from the original on June 29, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ↑ "Celtic Manor's Sir Terry Matthews is Swansea region chief". BBC News. September 24, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ↑ "Sir Terry Matthews to use 'global network' to boost region investment". BBC News. September 25, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ↑ "Sir Terry Matthews holds first regeneration board meeting". BBC News. November 19, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ↑ "Sir Terry Matthews revealed as the new chair of the Swansea Bay City Region". Media Wales. September 24, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2015.