Flintshire council performance report criticised by opposition
An annual performance report by Flintshire County Council has been criticised by opponents who say it harms the authority’s fight for a better financial settlement.
The Annual Performance Report, a statutory self-assessment performance review required by Welsh Government – recorded Flintshire failed to meet the required standard in just 16 out of 86 performance measures.
Among the key highlights were the ‘successful transition to three-weekly residual waste collections’, a 91.3% attendance rate for school pupils in the county and a 25% increase in moving homeless individuals into more stable permanent accommodation.
In its introduction – written jointly by council leader Cllr Dave Hughes and Chief Executive Neal Cockerton – the report says:
“Flintshire County Council prides itself on being a council which performs highly for its local communities, and one which is guided and motivated by a set of strong social values.
“However, the council is operating in a challenging environment with escalating budgetary pressures and the council recognises that to deliver our objectives whilst maintaining effective and efficient services, our journey is one of continuous review and change.
“Flintshire County Council is a well-governed and progressive council. We continue to perform well as a direct provider and commissioner of public services, and as a partner to others.”
But opposition councillors branded the report ‘self-congratulatory’ and said such a public pat-on-the-back sat uncomfortably alongside Flintshire’s claim that a poor budget settlement was forcing it to cut services and increase council tax.
“Looking at the contents of this report it’s a big pat on the head for the council, by the council and it’s understandable why members of the coalition would want to vote for that,” said Cllr Alasdair Ibbotson of Flintshire People’s Voice.
“An honest report would look and identify areas where we are failing as a council, drive improvements and place the blame where it lies – sometimes with the coalition, sometimes not.
“People across this chamber have argued we cannot deliver the services that the people of Flintshire need without proper funding.
“But this report says everything’s fine with the funding we’ve got. There is nothing wrong, the council is great! Why, in that case, does the council need more funding?
“The majority in this chamber shoot themselves in the foot when they produce self-congratulatory reports like this.”
Cllr Ibbotson’s assertion was rebuffed by Mold Cllr Chris Bithell who countered: “What always amazes me is what has been achieved.
“We all know the pressures that are on this authority, we don’t need reminding.
“But what we’ve achieved, with what we’ve got, is truly amazing. It’s a great tribute to the officers of this council and indeed to the members who have fought to get the best for the people of Flintshire with limited resources.
“We can always do better but I’m not going to kick people – officers and members – who are doing their damndest with limited resources to deliver the best they can.”
Tabling a fallen amendment to note rather than approve the report, Liberal Democrat group leader and Cilcain Cllr Andrew Parkhurst highlighted a few key areas where he said the report missed opportunities to focus on improvements.
“A lot of good work has been done by this council and its officers who are no doubt dedicated,” he said.
“I find this report frustrating however as it seems to be self-congratulatory. It doesn’t reflect how many residents feel.
“The education portfolio I believe is well managed but there are no areas for improvement indicated in this report and surely a portfolio, however well managed, will have some areas to improve.
“Comparing school attendance to the Welsh average we do perform exceedingly well, but not compared to the English average. I would suggest that the Welsh standards overall are not particularly high. Attendance has actually decreased if you look at the pre-covid levels and the post-covid 2022/23.”
Cllr Parkhurst also pointed out the change to three-weekly waste collections, which he said had seen a 14% increase in missed collections since April.
“Regarding Streetscene it says ‘a successful transition to three-weekly bin collections’,” he said. “I applaud the increase in recycling that has promoted. But there are no areas identified for improvement – for example missed bin collections or potholes.”
But defending the performance review, Cabinet Member for Environment, Regeneration, Countryside and Tourism Cllr Chris Dolphin argued the council should be more vocal about its achievements.
“Something this council doesn’t do is shout a little about its achievements,” he said. “We’re all very good at pulling things down.
“There’s a massive amount of achievements in this council. Promoting energy efficiency is one, with 452 households receiving advice to reduce their bills and 496 energy saving condensing boilers installed to reduce emissions.
“The total social value was calculated at £8.4 million. Volunteers spent 3,140 hours working in Wepre Park alone. We need to celebrate more.”
By Alec Doyle – Local Democracy Reporter
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