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WECA ordered to improve by Westminster
The breakdown in the relationships between metro mayor Dan Norris and council representatives from across the wider Bristol area is one of the reasons why the West of England Combined Authority has been ordered to improve by senior civil servants.
WECA has been issued with a ‘Best Value Notice’ by the Department for Levelling Up, Houses & Communities (DLUHC), with the government department expressing serious concerns about the combined authority’s ability to deliver its core functions.
Despite the notice, WECA bosses claim that it “is delivering for residents and communities across the region”.
is needed now More than ever
In the Best Value Notice, DLUHC highlight:
- “the poor state of professional relationships” between Norris and the leaders of Bristol, South Glos and Bath & North East Somerset “which is impacting partnership working and potentially limiting the authority’s ability to optimise strategic opportunities”
- “the Authority’s constitution needs review and clarification to work in a more effective and agile way”
- “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”
- “the Authority lacks a clear, shared narrative regarding the West of England and how it will operate for the benefit of the wider region”
Labour mayors Marvin Rees and Dan Norris do not always see eye to eye – photo: Bristol Beacon
DLUHC now expect WECA “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”.
Among other requirements, WECA needs to “reset the culture and relationships between the West of England Combined Authority Mayor and representatives of the constituent members of the Authority”, “develop and agree strategic priorities for the West of England which will benefit local residents in the wider region”, and “review and update the Authority’s constitution to enable more effective decision-making and scrutiny processes”.
Protesters occupied WECA’s headquarters in Redcliffe in September 2023 to demand better bus services – photo: Youth Strike 4 Climate
WECA interim chief executive, Richard Ennis, said: “The West of England Combined Authority has made significant progress through our Transformation Programme during the last 12 months.
“I’d like to thank all the officers at the Combined Authority, whose hard work has made this progress possible.
“There is still more work for us to do, and I look forward to working with our regional partners and the Independent Improvement Board to address the challenges specifically highlighted in the Best Value Notice.
“We are focused on resolving the issues as swiftly as possible and build on the positive steps already taken through the Transformation Programme to deliver for the residents and businesses of the West of England.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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