Community councils 'dysfunctional and wasteful' - Audit Wales

One of the councils acted unlawfully in its awarding of a number of grants and public contracts, the auditor found

Infighting, unlawful awarding of contracts and "dysfunctional" behaviour have been criticised at community councils by Audit Wales.

Four were accused of financial mismanagement which led to "a waste of money" and undermined public trust.

"Significant deficiencies" were found at St Harmon, Magor with Undy, Llanpumsaint and Sully and Lavernock.

All four councils have been contacted for comment. But Llanpumsaint's clerk disputed the findings.

Eight months after Jackie Weaver became an overnight internet sensation when a video recording of a of a local parish council meeting went viral, the auditor's findings have shone a light on the inner workings of community councils in Wales.

Audit Wales found St Harmon community council in Powys had acted unlawfully in its awarding of a number of grants and public contracts.

It also said Magor with Undy community council in Monmouthshire had breached its own rules around procurement, leading to more than £85,000 in unlawful spending.

Llanpumsaint community council in Carmarthenshire was accused of failing to submit its annual accounts, with the council's clerk accused of obstructing the audit process.

Sully and Lavernock community council in the Vale of Glamorgan was described as "dysfunctional", as a result of infighting between its members.

Audit Wales said this had caused "significant deficiencies in the council's financial systems and financial management".

Clerk Steve Oaten said the report is being considered by councillors, however, changes have been made in the 12 months since it was put together.

"Councillors have resigned, new councillors and a new clerk have been appointed and some of the report's recommendations have already been implemented," he said.

A public meeting will also take place, where the contents will be discussed.

Adrian Crompton said all town and community councils should take lessons from the findings

The Auditor General for Wales, Adrian Crompton, said the issues had highlighted "serious weaknesses in the community councils, undermines public trust and has led to a waste of public money".

He added that all town and community councils in Wales should learn from the problems that had been identified.

What did the audits find?

In its audit of St Harmon community council, Audit Wales concluded that the council's overall governance and financial management standards were "poor".

It said the council had failed to comply with multiple legal requirements and had breached its own rules around procurement and the hiring of the council clerk.

It found the council's allocation of a community grant scheme was "fundamentally flawed and potentially unlawful".

The co-opting of two new members of the council in February 2019 was also described as "fundamentally flawed".

The auditor found Magor with Undy community council had unlawfully spent £62,793 on procurement, and a further £22,337 on staff.

The community councils' actions undermined public trust, said the auditor

The report said that the council had failed to follow its own internal processes, likely because of a breakdown in relationships between members.

Audit Wales said there was no evidence that the council had "deliberately sought to circumvent proper arrangements".

The council, which has an annual precept of more than £200,000, was also found to have insufficient processes in place to secure value for money.

Magor with Undy community council said its councillors would be meeting to discuss the report's findings.

'Lack of transparency'

In its assessment of Llanpumsaint community council, Audit Wales criticised the actions of the council clerk, who it said had "obstructed the audit by failing to provide necessary documents and explanation".

It added the clerk had failed "to discharge the responsibilities of his role" and had provided "extensive but irrelevant adverse commentary on audit requirements".

It said this had led to the cost of the audit increasing significantly.

Audit Wales accused both the clerk and council of displaying "a lack of transparency and understanding of accountability".

The report concluded that accounting records provided by the council were incomplete and inaccurate.

The clerk of Llanpumsaint community council said he disputed the report's findings and claimed he was prevented from submitting the accounts because he couldn't use his own accountant.

He added that the council was taking legal action against Audit Wales.

Sully and Lavernock community council was found to have "a long-standing history of in-fighting and conflict between members".

This, the report said, coupled with the suspension and subsequent dismissal of the council's clerk, had led to delays in submitting annual accounts.

Audit Wales said it had also not been provided with a number of important records, adding that the accounts submitted failed to meet the minimum expected standards.