The government has issued the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) with a Best Value Notice after concerns from ministers about the way it is run.
A letter from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities says the 12-month notice has been issued following “inconsistent action against concerns highlighted by a value for money report published by Grant Thornton in November 2022, a further independent review of the West of England Combined Authority published by the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives in February 2023, and subsequent engagement between the department and the Authority and relevant stakeholders”.
The concerns identified include:
- The poor state of professional relationships between the WECA Mayor Dan Norris and the representatives of the constituent members (Bath & North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bristol City councils), which is impacting partnership working and potentially limiting the authority’s ability to optimise strategic opportunities.
- WECA’s constitution needs review and clarification to work in a more effective and agile way.
- The function and purpose of WECA has not been collectively understood and the roles, responsibilities and ‘powers’ of a combined authority are not fully grasped, resulting in confusion between strategic governance and day-to-day transactional activity.
- The Authority lacks a clear, shared narrative regarding the West of England and how it will operate for the benefit of the wider region.
The letter noted that WECA has engaged constructively and openly with the Department and has already taken some steps to address the concerns raised in both the external audit report and independent review.
It said: “A good level of progress has been made at officer level, with a comprehensive Transformation Plan developed, some of which is already being implemented, in response to these findings.
“However, we expect the Authority to continue to improve and, specifically, to set out plans to address ongoing concerns and deliver all recommendations at pace with the support of strong political leadership and stability of statutory officers.”
WECA is now expected to:
- Reset the culture and relationships between the WECA Mayor and representatives of the constituent members of the Authority, taking advantage of external support in facilitating coaching and development for the political leadership of the West of England Combined Authority and unitary authorities.
- Through strong partnership working, develop and agree strategic priorities for the West of England which will benefit residents in the wider region.
- Review and update the Authority’s constitution to enable more effective decision-making and scrutiny processes, making representations to the Department on any proposed changes.
- Engage with the Department on a range of ongoing issues with the aim to enhance the operation and structure of WECA.
- Establish an independent improvement panel to support WECA in delivering the necessary improvements detailed in this notice, engaging with the Department in determining its timing, scope, membership, and terms of reference.
Richard Ennis, WECA’s interim chief executive, said: “The West of England Combined Authority has made significant progress through our Transformation Programme during the last 12 months. I’d like to thank all the officers at the Combined Authority, whose hard work has made this progress possible.
“There is still more work for us to do, and I look forward to working with our regional partners and the Independent Improvement Board to address the challenges specifically highlighted in the Best Value Notice.
“We are focused on resolving the issues as swiftly as possible and build on the positive steps already taken through the Transformation Programme to deliver for the residents and businesses of the West of England.”
In a press release, WECA said it has made “demonstrable progress including strengthening senior officer collaboration forums, publishing forward plan of key decisions and developing a new set of corporate values”.
It added: “The West of England Combined Authority is delivering for residents and communities across the region.
“By investing in transport, high streets and town centres, supporting residents to develop their skills and progress in their careers, and working with partners across the region and beyond to build a greener economy for the West of England.
“The action the Combined Authority will take to respond to this Notice with its Committee members will strengthen its partnership and further strengthen the positive impact for the region and its residents.
“The improvement plans will be made public, and progress will be reported quarterly to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Combined Authority Audit, Overview and Scrutiny and Main Committees at their regular quarterly meetings.”
This story was first published on The Week In, our sister title.