Ten councils in Wales have issued proposals to establish a combined authority for the South East Wales region to take control of strategic issues of development, planning and transport.

The ten constituent authorities of the region include Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan Councils.

Welsh chiefs were inspired by the success of English city regions such as Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield in striking new funding relationships with central government to follow the model of a democratic combined authority to advance strategic economic and planning objectives.