Auditor reports on council’s ‘good progress’

Services delivered by Pembrokeshire County Council have been generally assessed as good according to the authority's annual 'health check.'

The District Auditor's Regulatory Plan - which assesses how much the authority needs to be regulated over the next 12 months – says there is "clear evidence" that the council has taken opportunities to improve services and functions and that it has a proven track record for implementing change.

The council's corporate governance committee was told by the district auditor, Ceri Stradling, on Tuesday that the plan reflected the authority's "good progress and track record."

Mr. Stradling said that as a result future emphasis from the council's auditors and inspectors would be on support for further improvement rather than traditional regulation.

One of the consequences of this achievement, he added, would be a decrease in the council's bill for regulatory fees.

In his report, Mr. Stradling also found that the council had made good use of employee views through Focus Groups, though he asked if there might be greater scope for the authority to engage with external stakeholders.

He conceded this was being addressed by the council through the Wales Programme for Improvement Reviews which incorporates stakeholders.

Afterwards council leader, Clr. Maurice Hughes, said he welcomed Mr. Stradling's assessment. "It confirms that Pembrokeshire County Council is a robust authority and moving in the right direction," he said.