Southampton City Council's decisions come under scrutiny

The council said it commissioned the independent review as part of an "ongoing commitment to learning and improving"

A former council administration has been found to have put pressure on officers and to have been "unwilling" to take their advice when making decisions on some occasions.

The findings follow an independent review into the decision-making process at Southampton City Council.

The Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS) found no wrongdoing.

But it concluded the approach taken by the previous Conservative administration presented risks.

The Conservatives - who ran the council between May 2021 and May 2022 - said their decisions were taken "entirely legally", "professionally" and "within the council's framework".

The CfGS looked at four decisions, these included plans to invest £250,000 to repair a private road in Lordswood Close, proposals to sell land between Lime Street and Evans Street to allow the construction of a new free school and the actions taken following an inspection of the children's service department.

The CfGS concluded there were "no fundamental and systemic flaws in the council's governance framework overall".

But it also revealed the administration "valued pace above some other considerations - wishing to cut through bureaucracy to deliver their objectives - and in some cases responded poorly to reasonable officer advice that a more considered approach was necessary".

Conservative leader Dan Fitzhenry defended the actions taken by his administration

In its report, the CfGS said officers "were clearly placed under pressure by members".

"This substantively altered the nature of the advice that they were prepared to give," it added.

The CfGS said it was advised that members of the administration "specifically requested that certain reports be redrafted to remove advice, or analysis, which contradicts action which they proposed to take".

Conservative councillor Daniel Fitzhenry, who was leader of the council between 2021 and 2022, said the decisions taken by the Conservatives represented the administration's approach to deliver for residents.

He said he was proud of the approach taken and of the "delivery of objectives, whilst accepting things can always be improved".

Current cabinet member for finance, Labour councillor Steve Leggett, said the current Labour administration remained committed to "ensuring good governance and offering value for money".

The authority's chief executive Mike Harris said measures, such as training for senior officers and new councillors, would be put in place.