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The committee agreed two changes to its work programme and asked for a further progress report on planning governance. It also agreed recommendations on the draft hybrid working policy for Executive Board, the council's main decision-making body.
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AGREED – To sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 20 March 2025.
Decision as recorded
AGREED – That the work programme as attached at Appendix 1 to the report COGC/28/25 be agreed, subject to the aforementioned changes.
The Chief Officer Governance and Customer submitted a report COGC/28/25 which allowed Members to consider the work programme of the Customers, Performance, Resources & Governance Scrutiny Committee attached at Appendix 1. The Scrutiny Facilitator referred the Committee to the changes that had been made to the work programme since the last meeting. The following proposals were put forward and subsequently agreed: · ‘Change Programme Update’ – to be deferred from the April to May 2025 meeting. · ‘Council Plan Annual Performance Report’ – to be deferred from the July to September 2025 meeting. AGREED – That the work programme as attached at Appendix 1 to the report COGC/28/25 be agreed, subject to the aforementioned changes.
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Decision as recorded
AGREED - i. That a further progress report on governance arrangements be submitted within three months of receipt of feedback from the recent Audit Wales visit, to include:- - Details of the outcome of Action 8 – review of Code of Conduct. - WLGA Action Plan populated with details of leads and timescales. (ii) That the Planning Enforcement Workshop delivered to Planning Committee Members be extended to all Councillors.
The Lead Member for Strategic Planning and Public Protection submitted a report (COEP/27/25) which provided the Committee with an update on progress with the implementation of the recommendations of the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) Summary Report (December 2024) following the recent workshop arranged in response to the findings and recommendations of the Audit Wales (AW) Report. During his introduction, the Lead Member highlighted the ongoing efforts to foster positive relationships and improve mutual respect within the planning framework. He stated that a strong working relationship had been established with the Chief Officer and regular meetings were held. In addition monthly meetings were taking place with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Planning Committee. The Lead Member acknowledged the dedication of officers, who had continued to deliver services under challenging conditions. He reminded the Committee that the object of today’s meeting was to discuss and review progress on the action points within the Audit report rather than to revisit the original findings. The Lead Member responded to questions accordingly, with input from the Chief Officer Economy and Planning. A debate ensued and a number of issues were discussed, including: · The role of the Planning Committee and the behaviour of the Members appointed to that Committee was subject to specific requirements. · One objective from the action plan included clearer detail around the role of those Members appointed to the Planning Committee in terms of determining planning applications on a county wide, rather than ward basis. · Members appointed to the Planning Committee were subject to compliance around a specific training programme which was implemented on an ongoing basis with regular key topic updates. It was suggested that the monitoring element on the Council’s e-learning platform be extended to Group Leaders. · Performance indicators reflected that the Planning Department was consistently meeting or exceeding Welsh Government targets. · Suggestion that Community Councils should receive improved training on planning matters to ensure their comments on applications remain relevant and constructive. · Confirmation that all actionable points within the WLGA action plan had been assigned to either the Lead Member or the Head of Development Management, with progress categorized into short-, medium-, and long-term objectives. It was noted that some issues would advance following the resolution of the Local Development Plan. · The successful recruitment of a full team within the Planning and Enforcement Departments demonstrated significant progress. · Concerns that, despite the Code of Conduct being in place in previous years, there were issues particularly regarding governance and decision-making within the planning process. · The need to ensure that the current set of actions provided sufficient safeguards to prevent similar incidents reported in the Audit Wales report from reoccurring. · Clarification was sought on the status of Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) pending the conclusion of the Local Development Plan (LDP) process. · The need to explore cost-effective solutions for Council-led planning appeals. · Consideration of how the council’s “Grow Your Own” policy aligned with workforce development and resource allocation. · Assurances were sought on how the Human Resources Department was monitoring staff well-being within the planning department. · Relationships had improved significantly over the past year, though adherence to governance protocols, particularly the planning code of conduct, remained an area for further progress. · The latest Audit Wales visit was underway, with findings expected in the coming weeks. AGREED - i. That a further progress report on governance arrangements be submitted within three months of receipt of feedback from the recent Audit Wales visit, to include:- - Details of the outcome of Action 8 – review of Code of Conduct. - WLGA Action Plan populated with details of leads and timescales. (ii) That the Planning Enforcement Workshop delivered to Planning Committee Members be extended to all Councillors.
Decision as recorded
AGREED –That the Committee (i) Thank Officers and the Lead Member for the report. (ii) Express their thanks to all the staff who had taken part in the questionnaire (iii) Recommend to the Executive Board that the hybrid working policy which is adopted is no less flexible than the current arrangements, particularly the office/site and home working ratios, as outlined in paragraph 6.1 of the draft policy. Any ratios should remain as an average for guidance purposes rather than as a hard measure (iv)Request a progress report on hybrid working be submitted following the implementation of the hybrid working policy (v) Recommend that all Members be encouraged to use Teams as the method of contacting staff and the relevant training is provided
(The Chair vacated her seat during consideration of this item and the Vice Chair took over this role). The Lead Member for Corporate Services submitted a report CE/07/25 which sought pre-decision Scrutiny Committee feedback to Executive Board on the draft employee Hybrid Working Policy. During the debate a number of points were raised, including: · Concerns around any costs associated with any changes to increase the ratio of the current average 3 days in office/on site e.g. desks/accommodation/ IT equipment. · The need for appropriate checks and balances in place that would provide Members and Officers with the necessary assurances around effective and efficient use of staff time. · Concerns around staff recruitment and retention, especially for those posts requiring a high level or specialised skill set, and the need to ensure that the hybrid working policy did not have a negative impact on this issue. · Concern regarding the wording in paragraph 3.4 of the draft policy which stated that the Council reserves the right to cease hybrid working at any time for any reason with reasonable notice. The Head of HR&OD assured Committee that there would be further consultation if this was the case. · The need for a hybrid working policy that offered flexibility to employees and allowed them to meet the needs of the service. · Suggestion that the Hybrid Working Policy form part of the Council’s Flexible Working Policy. · The need for a policy that encouraged trust between the employer and the employee whilst also allowing the relevant Line Manager to challenge any member of staff who was utilising a hybrid working pattern that was not supportive of the needs of the job. AGREED –That the Committee (i) Thank Officers and the Lead Member for the report. (ii) Express their thanks to all the staff who had taken part in the questionnaire (iii) Recommend to the Executive Board that the hybrid working policy which is adopted is no less flexible than the current arrangements, particularly the office/site and home working ratios, as outlined in paragraph 6.1 of the draft policy. Any ratios should remain as an average for guidance purposes rather than as a hard measure (iv)Request a progress report on hybrid working be submitted following the implementation of the hybrid working policy (v) Recommend that all Members be encouraged to use Teams as the method of contacting staff and the relevant training is provided