A set of ‘essential’ actions to improve the Isle of Wight Council after the damning Penn report described it as ‘dysfunctional’ were agreed by councillors earlier this week.
Full council endorsed independent consultant Richard Penn’s recommendations, which include enforcing codes of conduct at meetings, creating a standards committee and increasing member involvement in policy development.
Mr Penn, a former Commissioner for Standards at the Welsh Assembly, compiled a review of the local authority which highlighted a troubled organisational culture.
His report said policies and procedures meant to provide ‘checks and balances’ on the behaviour of members and officers are ‘all too often ignored’ or ‘forgotten’.
It also featured concerns raised by some councillors relating to staff performance, with one representative describing County Hall as ‘like the Marie Celeste’ on Fridays because of the work-from-home policy.
Addressing the chamber on Wednesday, Mr Penn said he hoped his work would allow the council a “much-needed reset” but added he had been “somewhat humbled” by how the report had been received by councillors.
He said:
“I’ve read the various statements in the local media with a genuine appreciation.
Article continues below this advertisement “The open and honest way in which councillors have responded to the report and acknowledged the shortcomings in the way the council’s operated in the past and the enthusiasm for change and improvement.”
Councillor Andrew Garratt, County Hall’s deputy leader and leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said by passing Mr Penn’s recommendations, councillors were ‘saying sorry’ to colleagues, members, officers and ‘most of all’ to the public they represent.
Meanwhile, the independent member for Newchurch, Havenstreet and Ashey, Clare Mosdell, said:
“When this report came out, most of the comments online were ‘no surprise here’.
Article continues below this advertisement “People haven’t been behaving like decent people and behaviour you wouldn’t get away with in a workplace – you would have been hauled over the coals, and you wouldn’t have a job anymore.”
Councillor Matthew Price, the Conservative representative for Fairlee and Whippingham, said:
“I’ve sat through some awful situations, perhaps I should have been the one that stood up and said let’s stop this behaviour.”
However, Cllr Price said even in his most agitated state he had ‘hardly been rude’ and conducted himself as respectfully as possible.
Newport Central Alliance ccouncillor Julie Jones-Evans described the Penn report as ‘very sobering’ and told the chamber that while it was possible to ‘disagree and challenge’, this should be done in a civil manner.
Councillor Peter Spink, the Empowering Islanders member for Freshwater North and Yarmouth, said training for officers and councillors recommended by the Penn report should be partly combined. He said this would minimise a feeling among some councillors of ‘them and us’ and lead to an understanding of each separate role.
If we were allowed our democratic vote,we would have reset these fools back in may!
Clare ha what a statement from you
If people only knew what you was like in one of your places of work years ago
I had first hand of your nonsense but people like you worm your way out of anything
The buck stops with the Council Leader and he should resign.
But is there some one fit for the job that would take it on?
Time for change.
The only “reset” the council needs is the complete and permanent removal of all current councillors and election of replacements who are both competent and actually care and listen to their voters.
Open &honest most definitely not words anybody would associate with any of The Isle of Wight Councillors,they all have their own agenda and all are “amicable to the sound of a Brown envelope being folded “!.