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 findings arising from the review of the Planning Service’s
governance arrangements, Audit Wales’ recommendations and the proposed
response to those recommendations comprising the adoption of a Planning
Protocol and Terms of Reference, amending the Scheme of Delegation (including
to make explicit reference to excluding Planning/related Officers’ own applications
Minutes - AR
No.
from delegated powers), and providing more explicit performance measurements
in future Service Plans be noted.
(2) T H A T the report be referred to Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny
Committee, thereafter to Governance and Audit Committee, and thereafter a
separate report to Cabinet for their oversight and endorsement, prior to being
reported to Full Council. It is proposed that the Terms of Reference, Planning
Protocol, and any specific changes to the Scheme of Delegation be provided to
Cabinet (and then Full Council).
Reasons for decisions
(1) To provide for scrutiny of the findings of Audit Wales’s review of the
Planning Service’s governance arrangements.
(2) To ensure the Council responds appropriately and implements areas of
improvement as identified by Audit Wales.
RESOLVED –
· That the report be noted.
· Audit Wales to establish whether the inequalities theme in their forward work programme includes work on digital inclusion and to report back to the Committee.
AGREED – T H A T both the reference and appended report from the Corporate
Performance and Resources Scrutiny Committee be noted.
Reason for decision
Having regard to the contents of both the reference and appended report to
update the Committee on the work being undertaken to tackle poverty and the
cost-of-living crisis within the Vale of Glamorgan and to set out the Council’s
approach to responding to three Audit Wales reports on the challenges of poverty
in Wales.
RESOLVED: that
1. the Participation Strategy 2023-27 be approved;
2. it be noted that no changes are to be made to the approved Petition Scheme, which is to be reviewed again in 2025/26;
3. The Constitution Guide be approved and the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make any minor amendments which may be required from time to time; and
4. authority be delegated to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Tackling Poverty, Equality & Public Health, to make any consequential amendments to the draft Participation Strategy 2023-27 following any recommendations made by the Policy Review and Performance Scrutiny Committee, together with any other minor amendments, as necessary, prior to publication.
RESOLVED – That the following matters be dealt with as indicated:
(1)
Application 1
The Sub Committee were asked to consider an application for the Grant of a Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver's Licence given that the applicant had been convicted of an offence of possession of a Class C Controlled Drug in 2019 and failing to surrender to bail in 2001.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the applicant stated that he had a conviction for driving while drunk and had been banned from driving twice around 20 years ago. After that, a good friend advised him to stop drinking entirely, which he did. He didn’t mention this on the application because of the 10 year guidance, he didn’t think it would be considered relevant.
He added that the second matter, concerning possession of a class C drug, happened after he went to a wedding where he and his friends took khat before collecting what was left in a bag at the end and putting in his car. A few days later, the police searched the car, found the bag and gave him a caution for possession.
Responding to questions from the Sub Committee, the applicant stated that he hadn’t declared his caution on his application because he didn’t think he needed to, which was a mistake. The Sub Committee noted that the question on the application was very clear about the need to declare cautions.
The Sub Committee also sought to clarify that he understood it would not be acceptable to have drugs in the work environment even if someone else put them there. The applicant confirmed that he understood this.
RESOLVED – that the application for the grant of a Hackney Carriage/Private Hire driver’s licence be refused.
(2)
Application 2
The Sub Committee were asked to consider an application for the Grant of a Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver's Licence given that the applicant had been convicted of an offence for Common Assault on 15th January 2016 and also declared an IN10 giving 6 points on his DVLA Licence in May 2022.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the applicant stated that his conviction for common assault was due to poor judgement as a young man, when he had reacted badly to a difficult situation. As for the six points, he was using his father’s car while working as a food delivery driver and his father told him he was on his insurance, but this was not true. He did have food delivery insurance but this had not been accepted as a replacement. He was sorry for his mistakes and emphasised that it would not happen again.
The applicant’s friend spoke on his behalf, explaining that they were from the same city and had been friends since they were children. He had never known him to react like that in any situation before or since. He used to employ the applicant as a driver at his company and found him to be a model worker who never had any complaints.
Responding to questions from the Sub Committee, the applicant clarified that he had assaulted his partner. They had been together for more than ten years now and had two children. He confirmed that he had not used any support services such as counselling since his conviction.
RESOLVED – that the application for the grant of a Hackney Carriage/Private Hire driver’s licence be refused.
(3)
Application 3
The Sub Committee were asked to consider if a driver remained a fit and proper person to continue to hold a Private Hire Driver’s License given that upon renewal of his licence there was an issue with the DBS process.
In the absence of the driver, the Licensing Officer clarified that this hearing was solely about the lack of a DBS certificate rather than what might be on it. He had just spoken to the driver, who confirmed that he had received the DBS, but as the licensing authority they had not yet received it.
The Committee suggested suspending the driver until he produced the DBS. The Legal Officer clarified that they had to specify a time period after which it could come back to committee, rather than leaving it open-ended.
The Committee agreed that a month’s suspension was appropriate. The Legal Officer added that the suspension could be lifted early if the driver provided a clear DBS before this time had elapsed.
RESOLVED – that the Hackney Carriage/Private Hire driver’s licence be suspended for one month.
(4)
Application 4
The Sub Committee were asked to determine if a driver remained a fit and proper person to continue to hold a Private Hire Driver’s Licence given that a common law notification from South Wales Police was submitted in relation to an incident which stated that the driver was arrested for assaulting a person in 2023, thereby occasioning them actual bodily harm.
The driver’s wife addressed the Sub Committee, stating that she was the person he had been arrested for assaulting. She explained that the time leading up to the incident had been very stressful as they were moving house and had an autistic son, who that morning had nearly been hit by a car. She and her husband had to drive to the recycling centre with her following, but she got lost and became frustrated when he wouldn’t reply to her calls. When they got to the centre, they argued and he swore at her, then she hit him and he hit her back.
Someone else saw this and reported her husband for assault. She had tried to explain that she was fine to this person but suggested that the report may have been racially motivated because they were Muslim. She and her husband had been married for 18 years and known each other for 22, and had three children together, and he had never done anything like that before or since. Her husband apologised to her straight away but the police came around that night anyway because it had been reported as an assault.
The Sub Committee noted that driving a taxi could be a stressful job, and asked how he would deal with situations where passengers were impolite, drunk or angry. The driver responded that he would just ignore them, as he was an experienced driver who had been licenced in London before as well and had experienced violent passengers in the past.
Responding to questions from the Sub Committee, the driver’s wife confirmed that they had not complained to the police about what they felt could have been a racially motivated report by the witness. The driver also confirmed that after the incident took place, the police took him to the station, gave him a caution and then released him.
RESOLVED – that the driver receive a written warning.
(5)
Application 5
The Sub Committee were asked to consider an application for the Grant of a Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver's Licence given that the applicant had been convicted of an offence of possession with intent to supply class A in 2018.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the applicant stated that he was truly remorseful about his previous behaviour, and there were no excuses for having been stupid and naïve. He was now aged 27 and had truly grown up and rehabilitated. Life had been difficult, and it had been hard to find decent and sustainable work. He had never been in any trouble before 2018 but fell in with people who exploited his naivety.
Since his conviction, he had had no further trouble with the legal system and tried to be the best possible citizen. He regularly attended his local mosque and had completed his SQA level 2. He wanted to show that he was a changed man who was committed to being a taxi driver. He posed no danger to the public and could conduct his duties in a professional manner. He had made a horrendous error in the past but did not want to be punished forever for the behaviour of someone who no longer existed.
Responding to questions from the Sub Committee, the driver clarified that the 6 points on his licence were from speeding offences in the last couple of years while working in Magor, and he wouldn’t do anything like that now.
RESOLVED – that the application for the grant of a Hackney Carriage/Private Hire driver’s licence be refused.
(6)
Application 6
The Sub Committee were asked to consider an application for the Grant of a Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver's Licence given that the applicant had convictions on his DBS.
Addressing the Sub Committee, the applicant stated that he had done everything possible to show that he could be trusted to drive a taxi, and understood the responsibilities of the role.
In response to questions from the Sub Committee, the driver accepted he had been to prison but believed he was innocent of the offences listed on his DBS, which included the possession of a class B drug and improperly obtaining another’s identity. He stated that he was not that type of person, and had not declared them on his application because they were a very long time ago. The Sub Committee noted that the most recent offence was in 2015.
RESOLVED – that the application for the grant of a Hackney Carriage/Private Hire driver’s licence be refused.
Swansea, Scrutiny Performance Panel - Service Improvement, Regeneration and Finance,