Following this month’s report by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales into a complaint against Flintshire County Council, and years of previous scandals within the local authority, North Wales Assembly Member, Mark Isherwood AM, has implored the Welsh Government to get involved.
Questioning the Local Government Minister in the Welsh Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Isherwood said given the number of serious issues within the Council over the years, with the same problems arising, an investigation by the Welsh Government should be carried out.
Speaking in the Chamber, he said:
“It's nearly two decades now since Flintshire's Internal Audit Manager successfully took action against the Council, and at the core of his complaints were denial of access to documents and failure to respond to correspondence. A few years later, we had the housing maintenance scandal, where similar problems were identified by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the independent Roots Report. A whole tranche of people left the Council, allegedly with non-disclosure agreements.
“A few years later, we had the AD Waste scandal, a similar pattern - again, two members of staff leaving the authority, but, again, the Police saying they couldn't prosecute, because of the lack of documentation.
“In 2018, Flintshire Council had a debate and called for action after a Councillor named and shamed officers who didn't reply to calls and e-mails, and called for further action to be taken.
“And now we have, this month, an Ombusman's report by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales into Flintshire County Council, which found that, despite identifying in 2014 a statutory nuisance, the Council didn't open an appropriate case file until 18 months later.
“The Council was aware from at least 2012 that they didn't have appropriate planning consent, but almost no planning records from before August 2018, failures in inter-departmental communication and co-operation, lack of records, the Council failed to respond to the complaints appropriately, there was an absence of clearly established ownership at senior levels in the Council, compounded by the length of the time the failures continued, and a lack of regard for the difficulties faced.
“These reports, going back 10 years, and 20 years, are all identifying the same problems, irrespective of the political leadership as it comes and goes.
“What are you going to do about it? Because last time I raised this with you, you said it's matter for the Council, and your predecessors over the years have always said it's just a matter for the Council. But surely this can't go on unchallenged and uninvestigated, when the same problems keep arising”.
The Minister said she understood Mr Isherwood’s concern, but again stated that “it is a matter for the Council”. However she did agree to look into the matter further with Mr Isherwood “to see whether there is something concerning emerging”.
