Local government chiefs have issued a final report on City of York Council after monitoring the fallout from the controversial exit of its previous chief executive for more than a year.
Experts from the Local Government Association (LGA) were drafted in to monitor the implementation of the council’s action plan following a damning public interest report (PIR) in April 2021.
The PIR found that a £400,000 pay-off for ex-council chief executive Mary Weastell was not “properly approved” and was “arguably an unlawful payment”.
Auditors also said council leader Keith Aspden, who chaired a private meeting where the issue was discussed, had a clear personal interest because Ms Weastell had filed an employment tribunal claim against him.
The LGA’s new report, set to be discussed by councillors next week, states that officials are satisfied that the council’s action plan addressed the recommendations made in the PIR report, including new standards on exit payments, reviewing policies relating to conflicts of interest and updating the council’s constitution.
“What is less clear is whether the culture is changing enough,” the report stated.
“There is only some small evidence of change and progress towards that longer term need for the rebuilding of trust.”
The report, however, also praised the attitude of the council and its staff in wanting to address problems.
Cultural issues previously highlighted include concerns about the behaviour of some councillors, a lack of respect between councillors and officers and problems surrounding conflicts of interest.
“If the council is to draw a line under the past and move forward, some members need to change their behaviour and officers need to carry out their roles, and be allowed to carry out their roles, effectively,” the report said.
It goes on to say that too often councillors get caught up arguing about “process and minutiae” rather than “important issues such as outcomes for residents and the city".
“Instances of ‘feeding’ information to people outside the council and encouraging them to ‘stir’ urgently needs to stop, as this undermines trust and confidence within the council,” the report added.
The council’s standards process – whereby complaints against its members are investigated – has also been abused by some councillors for political purposes, the report said.
Opposition Labour councillors have previously said that the last PIR did not come about as a result of there being too few rules, but from a wider culture in which senior leaders in the current Liberal Democrat-Green administration ignored them.
But the LGA’s report does not apportion blame to any one political party.
It said: “Similar issues around member behaviour have been cropping up in York for a long time. This has been under varying political control.
“This does underline the softer cultural point that the LGA team identified. Now is the time to draw a line under the past, take the opportunity to reset relationships and to deal with these issues seriously and once and for all.”
Councillors on the audit and governance committee will discuss the report on Tuesday, February 7.
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