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 verbal representations made by Group Leaders present at the
meeting be noted.
(2) T H A T the Group Leader Code of Conduct Compliance Pro-forma (Appendix
A) and Threshold Criteria (Appendix B) remain fit for purpose.
(3) T H A T the completed Group Leader Code of Conduct Compliance Pro-
formas be considered under the Part II report later on the agenda.
Reasons for decisions
(1) 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.
(2) To ensure the Committee continued to have effective mechanisms for
assessing compliance with statutory duties.
(3) To assist the Committee in determining whether Political Group Leaders had
complied with their statutory responsibilities.
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the completed Group Leader Code of Conduct Compliance Pro-
formas, attached at Appendices C – F of the report, be noted.
(2) T H A T the Standards Committee Annual Report be amended to reflect the
Committee’s satisfaction, following assessment, that the statutory duties placed on
Group Leaders had been met.
(3) T H A T a training session proposal be shared with all Standards Committee
Members by the Monitoring Officer in relation to Part II requirements for the
Committee.
Reasons for decisions
(1) 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.
(2) Having regard to discussions held at the Standards Committee meeting with
political Group Leaders and the completion of the Group Leader Code of Conduct
Compliance Pro-Formas and the Vale of Glamorgan Political Group Leader
Threshold Criteria.
(3) To ensure that all Standards Committee Members were fully aware of the
Committee's responsibilities and obligations in relation to Part II business, enabling
them to discharge their duties effectively, consistently and in accordance with
statutory and constitutional requirements.
RESOLVED – T H A T the content of the report, including the matters discussed at
the Monitoring Officer meeting with Town and Community Council Clerks held on
4th June 2026, be noted.
Reason for decision
To ensure the Committee was informed of recent engagement with Town and
Community Councils, including any emerging issues, themes, and guidance
provided in relation to the Code of Conduct, in support of its oversight role.
RESOLVED – T H A T the dispensations as set out in the schedule below be
granted up to the date of the next Local Government Elections:
Member Requesting Paragraph(s) of the Decision
Dispensation Standards Committee
(Grant of
Dispensations) (Wales)
Regulations
2001 Under Which
Dispensation is Granted
and as applied for
Llantwit Major Town (d) and (f) To Speak, Vote and remain
Councillor P.D. Ellis in meetings of Llantwit Major
Town Council when matters
relating to the Local History
Society are discussed.
Llantwit Major Town (d) and (f) To Speak, Vote and remain
Councillor G. Morgan in meetings of Llantwit Major
Town Council when matters
relating to the Local History
Society are discussed.
Llantwit Major Town (d) and (f) To Speak, Vote and remain
Councillor P. Dickson in meetings of Llantwit Major
Town Council when matters
relating to the Local History
Society are discussed.
Reason for decision
Having regard to the applications submitted and discussions held at the meeting.
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the final interviews for the post of Head of Regeneration and Strategic
Project Delivery be conducted to determine whether a suitable candidate should be
appointed to the role on a two-year secondment or fixed-term contract basis in the
first instance.
(2) T H A T delegated authority be granted to the Chief Executive, in consultation
with the Director of Place and the Head of Human Resources and Organisational
Development, to complete any remaining employment and contractual arrangements
following the Committee's decision.
Reasons for decisions
(1) To enable an appointment to be made in accordance with the Council's
Constitution and the recruitment arrangements previously approved by the
Committee.
(2) To conclude the recruitment process efficiently.
Vale of Glamorgan, Senior Management Appointment Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the Statement on Compliance with the Financial Management Code
and the Contents of the Review as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be noted and
forwarded to Cabinet to its consideration.
(2) T H AT the following comments for areas for improvement be referred to
Cabinet for consideration:
• Greater involvement and engagement with the Youth Council
particularly in regard to Scrutiny;
• Focus and greater emphasis on Corporate Complaints following the
shift in responsibility from CIV to Democratic Services to ensure that
that function remains effective and to ensure timescales around
responding to complaints are reviewed;
• Greater emphasis on Member involvement around Directorate self-
assessments and budget setting processes.
(3) T H A T Cabinet be requested to consider the introduction of a Budget
Working Group to allow Elected Members to delve deeper into budgetary and saving
proposals.
Reasons for decisions
(1) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
(2) To allow Cabinet, the Chief Executive and the Section 151 Officer to consider
the comments made by the Governance and Audit Committee.
(3) To ensure more robust scrutiny within the Council’s budget setting process.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the findings from Audit Wales’ national review of Capital Planning in
Councils in Wales (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 address the recommendations.
Reasons for decisions
(1) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
(2) To ensure the Council responds appropriately and implements areas of
improvement as identified by Audit Wales.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the findings from Audit Wales’ review of the Council’s scrutiny
arrangements (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) to address the
recommendations.
(3) T H A T progress against the recommendations be reported through the
regulatory recommendation tracker process.
Reasons for decisions
(1) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
(2) To ensure the Council responded appropriately and implemented areas of
improvement as identified by Audit Wales.
(3) To ensure the Committee monitor progress against the Audit Wales
recommendations.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
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 contents of the report be noted.
(2) T H A T Governance and Audit Committee continues to receive annual reports
regarding implementation of the Whistleblowing (Speak Out) Policy and reported
incidents.
(3) T H A T information relating those staff that have left the employment of the
Council be provided as part of the next annual report.
Reasons for decisions
(1) To enable the Committee to fulfil its governance and oversight responsibilities
in relation to the operation of the Whistleblowing Policy.
(2) To ensure ongoing monitoring of whistleblowing activity, trends, organisational
risks and lessons learned.
(3) To provide information of those staff that had raised a concern through the
Whistleblowing (Speak Out) Policy.
Vale of Glamorgan, Governance and Audit Committee,
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the draft Annual Governance Statement for 2025-26 be noted.
(2) T H AT the following comments and areas for improvement (for 2026/27) be
for considered by Officers for inclusion into the Draft Annual Government Statement
2025/26:
• Greater involvement and engagement with the Youth Council,
particularly in regard to Scrutiny;
• Focus and greater emphasis on Corporate Complaints following the
shift in responsibility from C1V to Democratic Services to ensure that
that function remains effective and to ensure timescales around
responding to complaints are reviewed;
• Greater emphasis on Member involvement around Directorate self-
assessments and budget setting processes.
(3) T H A T Cabinet be requested to consider the introduction of a Budget
Working Group to allow Elected Members to delve deeper into budgetary and saving
proposals.
Reasons for decisions
(1) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
(2) To allow Cabinet, the Chief Executive and the Section 151 Officer to consider
the comments made by the Governance and Audit Committee.
(3) To ensure more robust scrutiny within the Council’s budget setting process.