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 –
(1) T H A T the proposals set out in paragraphs 2.3 to 2.8 of the report, in
relation to meetings with Political Group Leaders, be agreed.
(2) T H A T the amended Group Leader proforma, as attached at Appendix A
to the report, be noted.
Reasons for decision
(1) Having regard to the content of the report and discussions at the meeting.
(2) Having regard to the amendments reflected in the Welsh Government
Statutory and Non-Statutory Guidance for Principal Councils in Wales published in
June 2023.
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the draft Annual Report attached at Appendix 1 to the report be
approved and forwarded to Full Council.
(2) T H A T delegated authority be granted to the Monitoring Officer / Head of
Legal and Democratic Services and the Chair of the Standards Committee to
include the additional comments made at the meeting in order to finalise the
Annual Report before submission to Full Council.
Minutes - AR
(3) T H A T a copy of the finalised report, following presentation to Full Council,
be forwarded to each Vale of Glamorgan Town and Community Council Clerk and
the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.
Reasons for decision
(1) In compliance with the requirements of Section 63 of the Local Government
and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.
(2) In order to insert additional comments into the Annual Report as discussed
at the meeting.
(3) For information.
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, the
Vale of Glamorgan Political Group Leader Threshold Criteria, and the proposals
set out in paragraphs 2.3 to 2.8 of the Part I report.
Minutes - AR
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the recruitment and selection arrangements as described for the
three positions in the body of the report be approved.
(2) T H A T delegated authority be granted to the Chief Executive, in
consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member, Service Director and Head of
Human Resources and Organisational Development to progress:
• advertising the positions;
• progressing the necessary arrangements for long-listing and any necessary
assessment of candidates in advance of shortlisting;
• drawing up a final short-list for interviews, the interviews of which would be
undertaken by future meetings of this Committee, and to;
• agree costings and resource requirements relating to the processes
required to pursue the recruitment and selection processes.
Reasons for decisions
(1) To ensure the appointments are progressed in accordance with the
requirements of the Council's Constitution.
(2) To allow matters to be progressed in advance of the final stage of
recruitment.
Vale of Glamorgan, Senior Management Appointment Committee,
RESOLVED: Council AGREED to:
a.
Note the determinations of the IRPW in its Annual Report published in February 2024 attached as Appendix A;
b.
Note the Guidance for Principal Councils, Community and Town Councils, National Park Authorities, Fire and Rescue Authorities and Corporate Joint Committees in Wales – remuneration of members shown at Appendix B;
c..
Delegate authority to the Monitoring Officer to finalise the draft Members’ Schedule of Remuneration (Appendix C) to reflect the appointments made at the Annual Council;
d.
Delegate authority to the Monitoring Officer to update the Members’ Schedule of Remuneration in the Constitution and to make any necessary amendments to the 2024-2025 Schedule from time to time during the municipal year in order to reflect any changes in membership of the Council, Cabinet or Committees or as a result of any Supplementary Reports issued by the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales.