The constitution, councillors' conduct, audit, performance and complaints.
What councils do
How the council itself is run: its constitution, staff, buildings, IT, complaints, and how councillors behave.
Who decides
The full Council agrees the constitution. A standards committee deals with councillors' conduct; the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales investigates complaints.
Having a say
Complain to the council first; if you're not satisfied, you can go to the Ombudsman. Council meetings are public, and many are broadcast.
In numbers
Welsh councils plan to spend £67 per person on this in 2026-27.
It ranges from -£4 in Monmouthshire to £167 in Blaenau Gwent.
Council tax collected: 95% across Wales (2025-26).
Council tax unpaid at the end of the year: £119 million across Wales (2025-26).
Council tax still owed from earlier years: £199.3 million across Wales (2025-26).
Council tax written off: £9 million across Wales (2025-26).
RESOLVED – That the following matters be dealt with as indicated:
(1)
Application 1
The Sub Committee was asked to determine if a driver remained a fit and proper person to continue to hold a Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver’s Licence given that a complaint had been received stating he was abusive and threatening to a parking enforcement officer.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the driver’s representative stated that the driver regretted the way he had acted. In terms of extenuating circumstances, he explained that the driver had been having a very difficult day and getting a parking ticket was the culmination of this.
Members asked the driver for his reflections, having watched the video of the incident back, and heard that he understood it wasn’t appropriate to have reacted in that way. The driver apologised to the witness for his conduct.
The driver’s representative noted that the witness’ statement indicated that the car was unattended, which he disputed.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the witness explained that he was a parking enforcement officer for Cardiff Council, and had given an unattended vehicle on Albany Road an instant ticket for double parking. As he was issuing the ticket, the driver came out and challenged him about it. The driver started shouting so he activated his body camera, which also captured the 30 seconds before the button was pressed. The video of the incident showed the driver calling him a racist and a coloniser, and threatening the officer for giving him the ticket.
The witness added that while the driver was shouting, a security guard came over to try to calm him down. After a minute or two he got back in his car and took the ticket. He explained that he could appeal it and that it would cost £35 if he paid it within 14 days, at which point the driver got out of the car and started shouting again. Eventually he took the ticket and drove away.
Members asked how the incident had made the witness feel, and heard that he had been shocked. Although he got a lot of verbal abuse in his job, people normally calmed down when they were told they were being recorded, and sometimes they even apologised.
Responding to questions from the Sub Committee, the driver confirmed that he had paid the parking fine.
The driver’s representative emphasised that the driver was genuinely shocked looking back at his reaction in the video, which was totally out of order. It was out of character for him, and he had learned from the incident and would ensure it would never happen again.
RESOLVED – that the Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Drivers’ licence be revoked.
(2)
Application 2
The Sub Committee was asked to determine if a driver remained a fit and proper person to continue to hold a Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver’s Licence given that he had nine penalty points on his driving licence.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the driver acknowledged his mistake and emphasised that he would be more careful next time. He was aware that if he had any other offences in the next year, he would lose his licence. He had been driving taxis since 2003 with no other issues.
RESOLVED – that the driver receive a written warning.
(3)
Application 3
The Sub Committee was asked to determine if a driver remained a fit and proper person to continue to hold a Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver’s Licence given that he had nine penalty points on his driving licence.
The hearing took place in the absence of the driver.
RESOLVED – that the driver receive a written warning, and be required to complete the ‘Introduction to the Role of the Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver’ BTEC course within twelve months.
(4)
Application 4
The Sub Committee was asked to determine if a driver remained a fit and proper person to continue to hold a Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver’s Licence given that he had 15 penalty points on his driving licence and was disqualified from driving for six months.
Addressing the Sub Committee on behalf of the driver, the driver’s friend explained that he had been licensed since 2001 but had now been disqualified from driving for six months after accruing 15 points. He was very regretful about what had happened and had informed the council and returned his badges immediately.
He added that if he got his licence back in December, he would take extra precautions to drive especially safely. He was 65 years old but was still keen to get back to work and not rely on benefits. He didn’t have any other sources of income, as this had been his job for more than 20 years, and he had five children to look after.
Members queried the circumstances of the offences, and heard that two of them were in the same location on Newport Road near St Mellons, where a 30mph zone changed suddenly to 20mph. He had been caught going at 27mph and then 30mph by the same camera.
RESOLVED – that the driver receive a written warning, and be required to complete the ‘Introduction to the Role of the Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver’ BTEC course within six months.
(5)
Application 5
The Sub Committee was asked to determine if a driver remained a fit and proper person to continue to hold a Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver’s Licence given that he had 9 penalty points on his driving licence.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the driver stated that he had been a taxi driver for 20 years with no issues or complaints in that time, and this was his first time before the Sub Committee. Driving his taxi was his only source of income.
He had received nine penalty points, three of which were for a speeding offence in 2023 where he didn’t realise a speed limit on Manor Way had recently changed from 40mph to 30mph, and was caught going at 37mph.
He added that the other six were for failing to give information as to the identity of the driver. Members queried this and heard that he believed his car was in the garage at the time, but he had been unable to prove this and accepted the punishment.
RESOLVED – that the driver receive a written warning.
(6)
Application 6
The Sub Committee was asked to determine if a driver remained a fit and proper person to continue to hold a Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver’s Licence given that he had twelve penalty points on his driving licence.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the driver explained that he had received six points and a fine in May for failing to give information as to the identity of the driver, after he didn’t see a letter which was sent to his family’s house while he wasn’t living there.
He added that he had received a ticket on Manor Way for going 39mph in a zone that used to be a 40mph zone but had recently changed to a 30, and there was another offence where he went 55mph in a 50mph zone.
The driver’s representative added that the driver had been up front and honest about what had happened, and reported his offences to the authority as soon as possible. In his view, he was clearly responsible enough to continue driving taxis.
RESOLVED – that the Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver’s Licence be suspended for 7 days.
(7)
Application 7
The Sub Committee was asked to determine if a driver remained a fit and proper person to continue to hold a Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver’s Licence given that he had 9 penalty points on the driving licence.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the driver’s solicitor explained that he had received a fine and three points for misjudging going through a light when there were no passengers in the car. He had also exceeded the speed limit on two occasions very close to each other, which the driver explained were in the same place on Newport Road near Rumney, driving towards the city centre. The limit in this area had changed from 30mph to 20mph, and in both cases he was going under 30.
The driver added that he had been driving since 2001, and had only been before the Sub Committee once in that time. On that occasion, his licence had been revoked, but this decision was overturned on appeal. Other than that, there had been no issues in the last 24 years, and he felt he was a fit and proper person to drive a taxi. He had declared everything that was relevant to the authority, and had demonstrated his fitness over a long period of time.
The driver’s solicitor added that he had another speeding offence pending, which would go to court in September. He would plead special hardship reasons to be allowed to continue driving, and wouldn’t be able to drive if this was not accepted.
RESOLVED – that the hearing be deferred until the resolution of the pending speeding offence.
(8)
Application 8
The Sub Committee was asked to determine if a driver remained a fit and proper person to continue to hold a Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver’s Licence given that he had nine penalty points on the driving licence.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the driver explained that he had been driving for a long time and had unfortunately collected nine points recently: three for exceeding a 30mph limit and six for using a mobile phone while driving. He was still not sure what had happened with the phone offence, having received a letter about it with no pictures of details.
Responding to questions from the Sub Committee, he explained that he did not have passengers in the car on either occasion. He never took phone calls when he had passengers because they wouldn’t like it.
Regarding the speeding offence, he explained that this was on Newport Road near St Mellons, and he had been caught going at 26mph in a 20mph zone that he thought was a 30.
RESOLVED – that the driver receive a written warning.
(9)
Application 9
The Sub Committee was asked to consider an application for the grant of a Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver’s Licence given that the applicant had a motoring conviction contrary to the guidance.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the driver explained that he had made a mistake some time ago when he was new in the country, and got the wrong type of insurance for his car while working as a delivery driver for Amazon. He had now sorted this out and had the correct business insurance, and wanted to drive taxis in addition to doing deliveries.
RESOLVED – that the application for a Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver’s Licence be granted.
RESOLVED – T H A T the contents of the report be noted.
Reason for decision
Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the unaudited Vale of Glamorgan Council Statement of Accounts for
2024/25 be noted.
(2) T H A T the Head of Finance / Section 151 Officer notes the concern of the
Governance and Audit Committee in regard to the delay in the production of the
Cardiff Joint Committee accounts for this year.
(3) T H A T the Chair of the Governance and Audit Committee write to the Chief
Executive of the South East Wales Corporate Joint Committee expressing concern
about the delay of the Statement of Accounts and also to express the Committee’s
concern regarding the impact that it is having upon the production of the Vale of
Glamorgan Council’s draft Statement of Accounts.
Reason for decisions
(1-3) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the contents of the report be noted.
(2) T H A T the Governance and Audit Committee continue to receive Annual
Reports in relation to policy implementation and incidents with the next report to be
provided following the end of the current financial year.
Reason for decisions
(1&2) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the draft Vale of Glamorgan Council Annual Self-Assessment Report
2024-25 be noted.
(2) T H A T the comments of the Governance and Audit Committee be referred to
Cabinet for its consideration. The comments relating to the following:
• For the presentation of calculations in relation to the percentages of
actions and measures completed to be more clearly defined;
• For any trends relating to the direction of travel of different judgements
over time to be considered and presented;
• The importance to explore the potential for partner engagement in the
self-assessment process;
• For an easy to read/ young person's version of the self-assessment to
be devised post consultation.
Reason for decisions
(1&2) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the contents of the report be noted.
(2) T H A T the report be referred to Cabinet for its oversight.
Reason for decisions
(1&2) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the findings from Audit Wales’ review of the Council’s arrangements
for Commissioning Services (Appendix A to the report) and the response to the
Review findings and Audit Wales’ recommendations (Appendix B to the report) be
noted.
(2) T H A T the report be referred to Cabinet for its oversight and endorsement of
the proposed Council actions (Appendix B to the report).
Reason for decisions
(1&2) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the findings from Audit Wales’ review of Urgent and Emergency Care:
Flow out of Hospital – Cardiff and Vale Region be noted.
(2) T H A T the report be referred to Cabinet for its oversight and endorsement.
Reason for decisions
(1&2) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
Vale of Glamorgan, Early Retirement and Redundancy Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the agenda for the meeting of the National Standards Committee
Chairs Forum meeting be noted.
(2) T H A T the verbal update from the Chair following their attendance at the
Forum be noted.
Reason for recommendations
(1&2) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussion held at the meeting
in relation to the previous National Standards Committee Chairs Forum meeting.
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the contents of the report be noted.
(2) T H A T the draft Terms of Reference (“ToR”) for the revised Standards
Procedures Working Group be approved as presented, subject to further
consideration of the ToR document at the first meeting of the Working Group, with
the first Working Group meeting to be scheduled no earlier than September 2025.
Reasons for decisions
(1) To inform the Committee of the background and context of the review.
(2) So that the first meeting of the Working Group may be arranged to formulate
the scope and process for the Working Group’s review and agree on a reporting
timeline and timescale within which to present a further report for consideration by
the Standards Committee.
RESOLVED – T H A T the Scrutiny Committee Annual Report be amended to reflect
the Committee’s satisfaction, following assessment, that the statutory duties placed
on Group Leaders have been met.
Reason for decision
Having regard to discussions held at the meeting with political Group Leaders on the
completion of the Group Leader code of conduct compliance pro-formas and the
Vale of Glamorgan Political Group Leader Threshold Criteria.
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T both the Group Leader Code of Conduct Compliance Pro-forma
(Appendix A) and Vale of Glamorgan Political Group Leader Threshold Criteria
(Appendix B) be considered fit for purpose.
(2) T H A T the verbal representations made by Group Leaders present at the
meeting be noted.
(3) T H A T the Group Leader Code of Conduct Compliance Pro-formas, provided
by Group Leaders in advance of the meeting, be considered under the Part II report
later on the agenda.
Reasons for recommendations
(1) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
(2) To meet the Standards Committee duty to establish whether it was content
that Political Group Leaders had complied with the duties of the 2021 Act.
(3) To meet the duties placed upon Political Group Leaders in line with Section
52 of the Local Government 2000 Act as amended by section 62 of the Local
Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.