WECA out of special measures after political leaders improve relationships

The government has taken the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) out of special measures. It issued a ‘best value notice’ to the organisation in March 2024 ordering it to address a host of issues, including repairing the ‘poor state of relationships’ between Labour metro mayor Dan Norris and the leaders of the councils that make up Weca – Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset.

Now the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has confirmed it will not renew the notice, which lasts 12 months but can be rescinded, escalated or reissued at the end of the period, following a range of improvements. Mr Norris, who ousted Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg at last year’s general election to become MP for North East Somerset & Hanham, which means he must stand down as West of England mayor this spring, welcomed the decision.

He said: “We have rolled up our sleeves to get on with the people’s priorities. As well as the important organisational improvements delivered over the last year, people will be noticing the difference which my mayoral combined authority is making for our region, exemplified by the recent good news on our imminent work to reopen the Bristol & Portishead Line.”

The mayor said Weca had put money back into residents’ pockets, cut congestion through the ‘enormous success’ of the Birthday Bus scheme,and opened two new railway stations in as many years with five more coming down the track. Mr Norris said: “From working with investors to push forward major regeneration and secure tens of thousands of new jobs, to launching the country’s first Local Nature Recovery Strategy and a £100million green growth fund, our region is really starting to run where we previously walked or just talked.

“Since July’s general election, my mayoral combined authority has secured record investment for our region, driving jobs and growth.” Mr Norris said he remained ‘laser-focused’ on securing even more for the region as his time as mayor drew to a close.

South Gloucestershire Council ’s Labour group, which runs the local authority in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, said the government’s decision showed progress had been made across the West of England and that South Glos was heading in the right direction. Council co-leader and Labour group leader Cllr Ian Boulton said: “I am delighted that the best value notice issued to the West of England Combined Authority has been allowed to lapse after significant efforts to reset the working relationships between the combined authority and the constituent unitary authorities.

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“I am pleased that, since forming the South Gloucestershire administration, we have worked hard to consistently demonstrate the positive behaviour necessary to achieve the results residents across the West of England expect and require of us and our partners.” In the letter on Wednesday, March 5, to Weca chief executive Stephen Peacock, MHCLG deputy director of local government stewardship and interventions James Blythe said Weca had engaged proactively with the department and gained external scrutiny over the last year, including setting up an independent improvement panel.

He said: “The panel has agreed to renewed values and principles with the aim of improving decision-making processes and increasing co-collaboration and co-creation [of policy]. The department will continue to monitor the authority’s implementation of these principles, to ensure they are being followed.

“The mayor and representatives of the constituent members of the authority have shown progress against improved relationships and ways of working. These renewed commitments have led to more opportunities for the local residents of the West of England.

“Ministers are reassured as to the West of England Combined Authority’s capacity to comply with its ‘best value duty’ under the Local Government Act 1999 and the notice will not be reissued at this time. Whilst we will not be renewing the notice, we expect to see the progress made by the combined authority and all constituent members fully embedded and sustained.”

The best value notice was issued on March 5, 2024, by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities under the former Conservative government. It told Weca to reset culture and relationships, develop strategic priorities for the region, and update the authority’s constitution to improve decision-making and scrutiny.

The organisation’s external auditors Grant Thornton had previously warned in November 2022 that the strained relationships between the political leaders were a “significant weakness” and called on them to work together, but last year’s notice from the government said there had been “inconsistent action” on this.