Advisers helping council named
THE two advisers brought in by the Welsh Government to help troubled Merthyr Tydfil council have been named.
John Gilbert, the former chief executive of Swindon Council, has been appointed as the external adviser to undertake an initial review.
Julie James AM, the Welsh Government’s minister for housing and local government, said it will be a “rapid” review and will look at the main challenges the council faces.
At the end of the review, Mr Gilbert will provide a report setting out his findings which will be used to look at what immediate actions are needed and what should be in the next part of the support package.
The Welsh Government has also appointed Kate Allsop, the former mayor of Mansfield, as a political adviser to the council.
She will provide expertise and work with the political members to develop and strengthen working relationships and she will also write a report of her findings.
It is not yet known how long they will be with the council or how much
they will be paid for carrying out the roles as the details of their appointments are being finalised but it is hoped they will start as soon as possible.
It follows a damning Wales Audit Office letter to the council which highlighted issues with the council’s financial challenges, service pressures, leadership and governance issues.
It pointed to the council’s use of reserves and budget pressures in social services and education, as well as significant concerns over the future of leisure services.
It also said the council has a very lean management structure and highlighted the effect of the recent round of voluntary early retirement and redundancy on staffing levels.
The letter also identified weaknesses in overview and scrutiny with committees not holding the cabinet to account, that scrutiny is not well planned and the council can’t show the effectiveness of scrutiny.
It led to the leader of the council Councillor Kevin O’Neill requesting support from Welsh Government.
They agreed a non-financial package of support which includes the appointment of the two advisers.
Cllr O’Neill said he believes this support is good news for Merthyr Tydfil.