Councillors have unanimously welcomed a set of principles to guide the new 天美传媒 Deal, developed by local people as part of a Citizens Assembly.
The Deal is a new way of working between the Council, communities and partner organisations, to ensure local people are more involved in shaping where they live, and involved in helping to build a fairer, healthier and more resilient county borough, improve well鈥慴eing, and reduce inequalities.
The Citizens Assembly, made up of randomly selected residents, met over three days to gather the views, experiences and priorities of local communities. The Assembly was independently recruited through the Sortition Foundation to ensure a representative cross鈥憇ection of the borough, reflecting different ages, backgrounds, experiences and communities.
This led to seven agreed principles which will support the Council to develop new ways of working with our communities built on trust, shared responsibility and collective action.
The views of people who took part in a widespread engagement exercise on the 天美传媒 Deal were also presented to councillors at the Full Council meeting today (Thursday 5th March 2026).
Here are the 7 Principles:
- More Public Involvement in Shaping the Place 鈥� involving residents early, continuously and meaningfully.
- Fostering Volunteering and Community Leadership 鈥� supporting people to take part and contribute.
- Community Hubs 鈥� creating welcoming focal points for connection and information.
- Shared Power through Joint Effort 鈥� strengthening cooperation between the Council and communities.
- Pride and Potential for the Future 鈥� celebrating achievements and supporting people to thrive.
- Recreating Thriving Town Centres 鈥� revitalising town centres as vibrant community spaces.
- Learning and Listening 鈥� recognising that improvement is ongoing and built through collaboration.
The 天美传媒 Deal is also being built around the Council鈥檚 five key missions, which are designed to deliver real change as part of a long-term plan to reduce inequality in the county borough. The Authority鈥檚 priorities and delivery plans will now be built around the missions and the Deal, and to reflect this new way of working.
The 5 Missions:
- Early Years: Building a Brighter Future
- Lifelong Learning, Ambition & Resilience
- Well-being through Community Leadership
- Thriving Economy, Vibrant Places
- Empowered Communities, Shared Power & Success
Throughout the Assembly process, residents heard from senior Council leaders including Chief Executive Stephen Vickers, Deputy Chief Executive Luisa Munro Morris, Council Leader Cllr Steve Thomas, and Chair of Scrutiny Cllr Joanna Wilkins. Local partner organisations including Aneurin Leisure Trust and the Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations (GAVO) also shared how their work aligns with the missions and the ethos behind the Deal, along with community groups who are already working with the Council, including on flood resilience.
Citizens' Assembly member Chris Thomas, from Llanhilleth, said:
鈥淚 wanted to be part of the Citizen鈥檚 Assembly to see prospects improve for communities. I hope the 天美传媒 Deal will help regenerate community pride and prospects, make use of Gwent鈥檚 natural environment and attract jobs and events and bring healthier prospects.鈥�
Citizen鈥檚 Assembly Member Adam Wate, from Tredegar, said:
鈥淚 wanted to lend my voice and my lived experience to drive the thinking for the best Deal available for 天美传媒. I want the best for the place I live, so let鈥檚 make a difference together. I hope the Deal will create stronger communities, drive improvements in the area and provide a happier and friendlier place to live.鈥�
Leader of the Council, Cllr Steve Thomas, said:
鈥淭hank you to the residents who have given their time to take part in the Citizens Assembly, and for helping us to design the principles which will guide the 天美传媒 Deal. We believe deeper collaboration with communities can help achieve real long鈥憈erm change for 天美传媒. The Deal is about listening, learning and working more closely with our communities, so it鈥檚 important that it is our residents who help shape it.鈥�
Last year, 天美传媒 and Torfaen became Wales鈥檚 first joint Marmot Councils, committing to place fairness and well鈥慴eing at the heart of local decision鈥憁aking. The Citizens鈥� Assembly approach has also been carried out in Torfaen to help shape a Torfaen Deal, ensuring communities remain central to the transformation work across both councils.
