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
This item was deferred to a later meeting.
(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 License given that information had been received stating that he allegedly committed four speeding offences, but when contacted by police regarding these offences, returned documents with details stating that other drivers committed these offences. It was also alleged that when questioned by Licensing Officers, the driver stated that someone in his household had returned the documents. The driver had also disclosed a driving offence which was not on his licence.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the driver stated that he accepted responsibility for the speeding offences as he was the only person who drove his taxi, but he believed that someone else had filled out the inaccurate forms. He had had some family problems in the last few years and was worried that someone might have filled in the forms maliciously to get him in trouble.
The driver’s representative reiterated that the driver accepted responsibility for the speeding offences, and added that he would have filled in the paperwork accurately and responsibly had he received it. He had been driving a taxi in Cardiff for nearly twenty years with a very good record. He hoped that the Sub Committee would take into account that taxi driving was his sole source of income and he needed to support his family.
Responding to questions from Members, the driver confirmed that he did not know any of the names provided in the paperwork, and did not think the forms were in his handwriting.
The witness, representing South Wales Police, stated that in his view, the only reason the forms would have been filled in falsely would have been to help the driver avoid a penalty for speeding. He did not accept the explanation that they had been filled out maliciously by someone else, as they had resulted in the driver getting away with several speeding offences until he was eventually caught out.
Members queried the supporting documentation and heard that the driver had initially provided a copy of an informal rental agreement with another individual for temporary use of the vehicle. South Wales Police had not been able to track down this person and confirm that they either existed or had the required licence and insurance to drive a taxi. The witness suggested that having initially been caught speeding, the driver had claimed someone else was driving, only to realise that this would be a breach of the insurance and then admit it was him.
RESOLVED – that the Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver’s License be revoked.
(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 License given that a complaint had been received stating that he refused to take an assistance dog, claiming he had a medical condition.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the driver recalled that on the day in question he was suffering from bad hay fever which was making him itch and sneeze. He accepted the job, but when he saw it was a dog he called Dragon Taxis and apologised for not being able to take the passenger. The operator explained that he wasn’t allowed to refuse a guide dog but he had to insist because it was a medical issue. He was very sorry to have inconvenienced the passenger, and would not do it again.
The driver’s daughter added that he had a history of hay fever and medical records to support that. It could be triggered around pets and it was hard to drive when he was sneezing and coughing. He felt it was better to arrange an alternative, but did not intend to offend or dismiss the customer in any way. He had never had another complaint and had already been suspended by Dragon Taxis for a month for this incident.
Responding to questions from Members, the driver said that he was unaware that he could apply for a medical exemption certificate which would allow him to not take assistance animals. Rather than a specific allergy to dogs, it was hay fever which could sometimes be exacerbated by them. He understood that without an exemption certificate, he was legally required to take them.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the witness recalled that she booked a taxi from Leckwith to Barry at about 8:15pm. She could see on the Dragon app that the driver who had accepted the job was at the traffic lights nearby, so she went out to wait for him, only to see him do a U-turn and park on the opposite side of the road. It was dark so she didn’t approach the car. She then got a call from Dragon asking whether it was a guide dog, which she confirmed.
The witness emphasised that the driver should have come over and spoken to her in person if he was unable to take her and her dog. The operator had not explained why the driver was not willing to take the dog. She found it humiliating and exhausting to have to fight for equality to access a taxi.
The Sub Committee listened to recordings of the two calls in question provided by Dragon Taxis, one with the passenger and one with the driver.
The driver apologised to the witness for his mistake, which he assured her would never happen again. He had never turned down taking a dog before and understood that it was required as part of his licence.
RESOLVED – that the driver receive a written warning, and be required to complete the relevant SQA course within twelve weeks.
(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 License given that a complaint had been received stating that he had 11 points and £300 in fines on his driving licence. This was in respect of 3 speeding offences, 2 other speeding offences where he was fined £290 and £250, and a further speeding offence for which he attended a speed awareness course. None of this information was provided by the driver, as required in Section M of the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers Licence Conditions.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the driver stated that he had committed six speeding offences and made a mistake when filling out the necessary forms, because he thought he was driving his private car when it was actually his taxi. He went to court for the offences and received 11 points in total, and had sent evidence of his offences to the licensing authority.
The witness, representing South Wales Police, explained that this case had been flagged due to the six offences occurring in a short space of time, and during the investigation it was discovered that the driver had nominated two different people who were found not to be insured on the taxi. He was sceptical of the suggestion that the driver could have been confused about which car was involved, as each NIP form displayed the make, model and registration in bold capital letters on the front page. The witness suggested that the driver had only now decided to tell the truth having gone to court for the six offences, where he had agreed a deal to take 11 points and be able to continue driving.
The driver responded that his confusion over the vehicle was due to him being new to driving the taxi at the time, and the two cars having similar numberplates. He had also suffered a number of family tragedies around that time which would have contributed to his stressful situation. Members queried whether a picture of the vehicle would have been provided in the letter, which the Legal Officer clarified was not automatic although it could be requested.
The driver’s representative summarised that the driver had believed the speeding offences had each been committed in his private vehicle rather than his taxi, and had provided the real names of his friends and family who had been using the other car at that time. He now accepted that he was mistaken and had been driving his taxi on each occasion. He had since been punished in court for each offence with fines and penalty points.
RESOLVED – that the Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver’s License be revoked.
(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 License given that he had declared a caution for battery.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the driver stated that he did not feel that battery was an accurate description, as it related to a domestic dispute where he and his wife had both pushed each other. The Legal Officer clarified that the definition of battery included physical contact and not necessarily hitting or wounding. The police had found sufficient evidence to charge him with it, and by accepting the caution, he had admitted the offence.
The driver’s wife added that he was not a violent person at all but they had had a bad day, and he had then misunderstood what he was admitting to when he accepted the caution due to not speaking English as a first language. She hoped that Members would take into account that they had a mortgage and children to support.
Responding to questions from Members, the driver stated that he had been unaware of the duty to inform the licensing authority of any offences, and would do so straight away if anything happened in the future.
RESOLVED – that the Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver’s License be suspended for one week, and 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 License given that a complaint had been received stating that the driver was alleged to have provided false information to South Wales Police in relation to identifying the driver following a speeding offence notification.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the driver stated that he had received a speeding ticket and spoken to a friend about it, who advised him to put down a false name as it was his second offence. This was a stupid mistake which he never should have done. He had learned the hard way and apologised.
The witness, representing South Wales Police, stated that the driver had now accepted that he lied on his form, but previously sent a fraudulent insurance document to back it up. The witness had spoken to the company in question, who made clear that they had not issued the policy. The driver had been able to plead guilty to the original speeding ticket rather than to lying on his form, receiving three points rather than six and a smaller fine. He had knowingly and deliberately lied to the police, and offered no defence other than that he didn’t want a ticket.
The driver’s representative asked that the Sub Committee take into account the circumstances of the case. The driver had accepted that he had lied and given the reasons behind that. There was a scam going round where drivers were misled by individuals promising that they could make offences go away in return for money. The driver had not been honest at the outset but had been now, and he understood the importance of honesty and integrity when serving the public. He categorically assured Members that he would never do anything like this again, and would help with further inquiries into the issue.
The witness suggested that the driver knew from the start what he needed to do to declare his offence properly, having previously received a speeding ticket and complied with the legal requirements, but chose not to this time. He compounded the issue by continuing to knowingly lie, and only told the truth after being caught.
Members asked how many points the driver had on his licence in total, and heard that he had six.
RESOLVED – that the Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Driver’s License be revoked.
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the Final Statement of Accounts and Annual Governance Statement
at Appendix A and B to the report respectively, be approved.
(2) T H A T delegate authority be granted to the S151 Officer in liaison with the
Chair of the Governance and Audit Committee to make any final adjustments to the
Final Statement of Accounts and Annual Governance Statement as necessary.
(3) T H A T the response to the Audit Wales Audit Enquiries at Appendix C to the
report be noted.
(4) T H A T the Audit Wales ISA260 and management actions agreed by the Vale
of Glamorgan be noted.
December 02 Minutes and DN (JLT)
(5) T H A T the Letter of Representation attached at Appendix E to the report be
approved.
Reasons for decisions
(1) Council is the body responsible for the final approval of the Statement of
Accounts and Annual Governance Statement.
(2) The Audit of the Statement of Accounts and Annual Governance Statement is
complete.
(3) Audit Wales has written to both offices and those charged with governance
with a set of queries to provide assurance on fraud, legal and related parties.
(4) The ISA260 is for noting and any adjustment required have been made in the
Statement of Accounts and Annual Governance Statement being put forward for
approval.
(5) To enable the submission of the Letter of Representation ahead of the sign off
of the Accounts by the Auditor General.
RESOLVED – T H A T the use of the Urgent Decision Procedure (Cabinet Minute
No. C131, 10th October, 2024 (as set out in Section 15.14.2(ii) of the Council’s
Constitution) be noted.
Reason for decision
The reporting of the use of the Urgent Decision Procedure is a requirement of the
Council’s Constitution.
FINAL VALE OF GLAMORGAN COUNCIL ANNUAL SELF-ASSESSMENT REPORT 2023/24 (REF)
RESOLVED – T H A T the use of the Urgent Decision Procedure (Cabinet Minute
No. C134, 10th October, 2024 (as set out in Section 15.14.2(ii) of the Council’s
Constitution) be noted.
Reason for decision
The reporting of the use of the Urgent Decision Procedure is a requirement of the
Council’s Constitution.
CO-ORDINATED ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS SCHEME 2027-28 (REF)
RESOLVED – T H A T the use of the Urgent Decision Procedure (Cabinet Minute
No. C168, 7th November, 2024 (as set out in Section 15.14.2(ii) of the Council’s
Constitution) be noted.
Reason for decision
The reporting of the use of the Urgent Decision Procedure is a requirement of the
Council’s Constitution.
RESOLVED – T H A T the reference be noted.
Reason for decision
In recognition of the separate report on the same subject being also on the agenda
for the meeting.
RESOLVED – T H A T the final Governance and Audit Committee Annual Report
2023/24 be endorsed.
Reason for decision
Having regard to the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 and the
requirement for consideration by Full Council.
RESOLVED – T H A T the proposed change to the Joint Working Agreement under
a Deed of Variation between the partner Councils for the provision of Regulatory
Services be approved.
Reason for decision
To ensure that appropriate approvals were sought in relation to the proposed change
to the Joint Working Agreement through the addition of the Public Health Wales Act
2017 to the list of functions delegated to the Joint Committee and contained in Part 1
to Schedule 1 of the Shared Regulatory Services Joint Working Agreement to be
agreed by all three partner Councils.
FINAL DRAFT VALE OF GLAMORGAN ANNUAL SELF ASSESSMENT REPORT 2023/24 (REF)
The Leader, in presenting the reference, shared how the report had been developed
based upon feedback from Cabinet, Scrutiny and the Governance and Audit
Committee. She referred to the need to look at a plain language version being a
longer-term consideration as this needed to be understandable to residents but also
to fulfil legislative requirements. The Leader indicated that the assessment had been
moderated based upon feedback, but that the Council had still had a good year. The
Leader moved the recommendation that the Draft Vale of Glamorgan Annual Self
Assessment be approved contained as contained within the reference which was
seconded by Councillor Brooks.
Councillor Hooper shared that he felt that the report was an improvement based
upon previous years, with an increased sense of contrition and honesty. He also
said it was important to improve accessibility. He referenced the “good” grading and
sought clarification of how this could be progressed.
The Leader said it was a statutory requirement, and they would continue to learn,
including feedback from the Peer Panel Assessment and the Corporate Plan. She
agreed that there was an issue surrounding the need to have an open conversation
with residents and was not sure how this would be achieved but would continue to
try. The Leader further commented that the good rating was based upon reflection
upon performance against what was set out in the Annual Delivery Plan, and advised
this would be a discussion for the next self-assessment to consider the Council
benchmarks, increased data and feedback.
Councillor Carroll said that it would be bizarre for him to endorse the “good”
assessment based upon previous comments in the meeting but welcomed the
changes in format of the report to improve accessibility. He also welcomed the
changes to the format of reports which was noted and agenda planning which would
be considered by Democratic Services.
Following a request a recorded vote on the recommendations with item took place as
follows:
December 02 Minutes and DN (JLT)
Members For Against Abstain
Anne Asbrey √
Julie Aviet √
Gareth Ball √
Rhiannon Birch √
Bronwen Brooks √
Gillian Bruce √
Ian Buckley √
Lis Burnett √
Samantha Campbell √
George Carroll √
Christine Cave √
Charles Champion √
Janice Charles √
Millie Collins √
Marianne Cowpe √
Pamela Drake √
Vince Driscoll √
Anthony Ernest √
Christopher Franks √
Wendy Gilligan √
Russell Godfrey √
Emma Goodjohn √
Ewan Goodjohn √
Stephen Haines √
December 02 Minutes and DN (JLT)
Sally Hanks √
William Hennessy √
Nic Hodges √
Mark Hooper √
Catherine Iannucci-Williams √
Gwyn John √
Dr. Ian Johnson √
Susan Lloyd-Selby √
Belinda Loveluck-Edwards √
Julie Lynch-Wilson √
Kevin Mahoney √
Naomi Marshallsea √
Michael Morgan √
Jayne Norman √
Helen Payne √
Elliot Penn √
Sandra Perkes √
Ian Perry √
Joanna Protheroe √
Ruba Sivagnanam √
Carys Stallard √
Neil Thomas √
Rhys Thomas √
Steffan Wiliam √
Margaret Wilkinson √
December 02 Minutes and DN (JLT)
Eddie Williams √
Mark Wilson √
Nicholas Wood √
TOTAL 30 22
The recommendation being carried it was
RESOLVED – T H A T the Final Draft Vale of Glamorgan Council Annual Self
Assessment Report 2023/24 as considered by Cabinet on 7th November, 2024
(Minute No. C166 refers) be approved.
Reason for decision
Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
TREASURY MID YEAR MANAGEMENT REPORT 2024/25 (REF)
The Leader, in presenting the reference that had been sent to Members that day
following the decisions of Cabinet on 28th November, outlined the mid-year (April –
September) report, highlighting that this information had also been provided to the
Governance and Audit Committee. The report considered an economic update
which looked at the factors that drove the UK economy during the period under
review and an analysis of interest rate forecast for the period December 2024 to
March 2027. There were no policy changes to the Treasury Management Strategy
as a 30th September, 2024. The report emphasised that new loans were borrowed
on a shorter term basis as interest rates were forecast to fall, creating a temporary
breach of the maturity structure of borrowing, but that the Council had considered
this to be prudent in this situation. The Leader further advised that borrowing was
supporting the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and that external debt had
increased.
The Council unanimously
RESOLVED – T H A T the Treasury Management Mid-Year Report for the period
1st April to 30th September, 2024 be approved and the use of the urgent decision
procedure be noted.
Reason for decision
Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting and the
Cabinet’s use of the urgent decision procedure to enable the matter to be considered
at this Full Council meeting.
December 02 Minutes and DN (JLT)
RESOLVED: Council AGREED:
1.
To approve the audited Statement of Accounts 2023/24 – Cardiff Council and Cardiff Harbour Authority (Appendix 1);
2.
To approve the audited Statement of Accounts 2023/24 – Cardiff & Vale of Glamorgan Pension Fund (Appendix 2);
3.
To approve the Annual Governance Statement 2023/24 (Appendix 3);
4.
To note the Audit of Accounts Reports (ISA 260) from Audit Wales on the Statement of Accounts of Cardiff Council, Cardiff Harbour Authority and Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Pension Fund for the year ending 31 March 2024 (Appendices 4, 5 and 6);
5.
To approve the Cardiff Port Health Authority Annual Return 2023/24 (Appendix 7);
6.
To note the final Letters of Representation for Cardiff Council, Cardiff Harbour Authority and Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Pension Fund included within Appendices 4, 5 and 6;
7.
To note that the following documents will be signed following the conclusion of the meeting:
Statement of Accounts for Cardiff Council – Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources;
Statement of Accounts for Cardiff Harbour Authority – Corporate Director Resources;
Statement of Accounts for Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Pension Fund - Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources;
Annual Return of Cardiff Port Health Authority – Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources;
Annual Governance Statement – Leader of the Council and Chief Executive;
Audit Certificate for the Cardiff Council and Cardiff Harbour Authority – Appointed Auditor, Audit Wales;
Letter of Representation for Cardiff Council - Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources;
Letter of Representation for Cardiff Harbour Authority – Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources;
Letter of Representation for Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Pension Fund - Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources.
RESOLVED:
1. That the report be noted;
2. That Members send any further questions on the Education and Lifelong Learning Directorate Control Environment report, relevant to the committee’s terms of reference, to the Audit Manager.
RESOLVED – That:
1. The contents of the Internal Audit and Investigation Team Progress Reports be noted;
2. The deferral of the 27 audits from the Audit Plan 2024/25, as highlighted in Appendix B, be approved.