The West of England Combined Authority has been issued with a Best Value Notice as a result of concerns over its working arrangements, constitution, function and purpose.
A Best Value Notice is a non-statutory but formal notification that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has concerns about an authority, and is also a request that the authority engages with the department to provide assurance of improvement.
In a letter to the authority, DLUHC said the notice had 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 combined authority published by the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) in February 2023; and “subsequent engagement between the department and the authority and relevant stakeholders”.
DLUHC said it had concerns over the “poor state” of professional relationships between the West of England Combined Authority mayor and the representatives of the constituent members of the authority, which it said “is impacting partnership working and potentially limiting the authority’s ability to optimise strategic opportunities”.
The authority’s constitution also “needs review and clarification to work in a more effective and agile way”, according to DLUHC, while the function and purpose of the authority “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”.
Finally, DLUHC said the authority lacked a “clear, shared narrative regarding the West of England and how it will operate for the benefit of the wider region”.
The West of England Combined Authority has engaged “constructively and openly” with DLUHC, the letter noted, and has “already taken some steps to address the concerns raised in both the external audit report and the independent review” with a “good level of progress” being made at officer level. This includes a comprehensive transformation plan being developed.
The Best Value Notice, however, signals that DLUHC expects 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”.
The letter noted that priorities should be resetting the culture and relationships at the authority; developing strategic priorities for the West of England; updating the constitution; and enhancing the operation and structure of the authority.
An independent improvement panel should also be established to support the authority in delivering the necessary improvements, DLUHC said.
The Best Value Notice will remain in place for 12 months, but may be reissued. The notice can be withdrawn or escalated at any point.
As reported, a Best Value Notice has also recently been issued at Bradford Council over “serious concerns” highlighted in a CIPFA review around financial resilience and a children and families trust.
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