Members at Welsh council “frequently undermine” professional officers by requesting second opinions from external legal providers, watchdog finds in governance report
A report carried out by Audit Wales on governance arrangements at Wrexham Council, with a specific focus on its planning service, has found that delays in adopting key strategic documents created “significant risks” for the local authority, and relationships between some members and officers were fractured.
The Auditor General, Adrian Crompton, noted that as a result, the Planning Service was “hindered in fulfilling its role as a key enabler across the council.”
Audit Wales undertook a review of the arrangements at Wrexham’s Planning Service and the extent to which it is supporting delivery of the council’s overall objectives.
The report investigated and concluded that the Planning Service has appropriate governance arrangements, providing comprehensive member training, but member relationships with officers were “fractured”.
The report warned: “Member and officer relationships appear to us to generally not be productive. We observed members questioning professional officer advice when dissatisfied with officers’ explanations on planning policies. Members frequently undermine professional officers by requesting second opinions from external legal providers.
“The council needs to consider whether members are acting efficiently and with regard to value for money as well as how this behaviour impacts the well-being and resilience of officers.”
Further, the report stated that the Planning Service monitors its performance but is the only council in Wales unable to benefit from data produced for statutory Local Development Plan (LDP) monitoring reports “to inform and underpin decision making arrangements”.
Audit Wales made the following three recommendations for the council:
- Officer and member relationships: The council ensures that members adhere to all policies and procedures relating to conduct and have full regard for the risks of going against professional officer advice.
- Understanding roles and responsibilities: The council ensures that members demonstrate an understanding that roles and responsibilities vary across different council committees and adhere to those roles. This would ensure that discussions at committees are relevant and proportionate to a committee’s purpose.
- Corporate Risk management: The council ensures its Corporate Risk Register includes appropriate mitigating measures that are allocated to specific owners so that all members and officers are aware of their role in assuring the risk is managed appropriately. If no mitigating actions can be identified for a specific risk, the council should note the reasons for this within the register to ensure transparency.
In December 2023, Wrexham adopted its local development plan following a warning from its monitoring officer that councillors could face prison if they defied a court order to approve the plan.
Eyre J made the order on 29 November as part of judicial review proceedings that were brought by a group of developers after the council twice rejected the LDP despite it having been deemed sound by a planning inspector and recommended by officers.
Wrexham Council has been approached for comment.
Lottie Winson
