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 progress to date in addressing existing recommendations and
improvement proposals made by the Council’s external regulators be noted.
(2) T H A T Cabinet be asked to consider the recommendation of the
Governance and Audit Committee for the inclusion of a Priority Status Tracker.
Reasons for decisions
(1) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
(2) In order to allow Cabinet to consider a recommendation from the
Governance and Audit Committee for the inclusion of a Priority Status
Tracker.
Vale of Glamorgan, Early Retirement and Redundancy Committee,
AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Vale of Glamorgan, Licensing: Public Protection Committee,
RESOLVED – T H A T the report and quarterly newsletter be noted, it being
accepted that the comments of the Standards Committee relating to the reasons why
some Key Performance Indicator targets, as referenced on page 124 of the report,
had not been met, be raised by the Chair at the next meeting of the National
Standards Committee Forum.
Reason for decision
Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the report and the feedback received in respect of observation visits
undertaken by Independent Members of the Standards Committee to Town and
Community Council meetings be noted
(2) T H A T, where matters following observation visits of Town and Community
Council meetings are highlighted by Independent Members as issues requiring
further attention or further visits and / or requests are made by the Monitoring Officer/
Head of Legal and Democratic Services for visits to be undertaken, these be
arranged as and when required.
(3) T H A T a lessons learned report following all Town and Community Council
Observation visits undertaken to date be presented to the January 2024 meeting of
the Standards Committee for its consideration.
Reasons for decisions
(1&2) Having regard to the observations undertaken and the role of the Standards
Committee.
(3) To maintain a watching brief having regard to the role of the Standards
Committee and the Monitoring Officer.
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the provisions as set out in paragraphs 2.6 to 2.10 of the report be
noted.
(2) T H A T the Group Leader amended proforma attached at Appendix B to the
report be agreed.
(3) T H A T delegated authority be granted to the Monitoring Officer in
consultation with the Chair of the Standards Committee to prepare a document, to be
shared with Standards Committee Members and Group Leaders, having regard to
paragraph 2.6 of the report, discussions at the meeting and the threshold which the
Standards Committee would use to establish whether it was content that political
group leaders had complied with the duties of the 2021 Act.
Reasons for decisions
(1) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
September 28 (KB)
(2&3) Having regard to the amendments reflected in the WG Statutory and Non-
Statutory Guidance published in June 2023 and the discussions at the meeting.
RESOLVED – T H A T the Scrutiny Committees’ Annual Report for the Municipal
Year 2022/23 be received.
Reason for decision
To receive the Scrutiny Committees’ Annual Report as required under the Council’s
Constitution.
RESOLVED – T H A T the use of the Chief Executive’s Emergency Powers as
contained within the report be noted.
Reason for decision
Having regard to the Council’s Constitution.
RESOLVED – T H A T the use of the Urgent Decision Procedure (Cabinet Minute
No. C96, 7th September, 2023 (as set out in Section 15.14 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.