Agenda item

The Committee considered the report from the Chief Executive appending the findings and suggested improvements from Assurance Lincolnshire following their audit of decision-making surrounding the sale of Municipal Buildings and proposed extension to London Road car park.

The Chief Executive highlighted how the circumstances had brought the Council into conflict with some members of the community, which was distressing for the community, and also some Members and staff. The Council would not want a repeat of these circumstances.  By undertaking an independent review, the Council will be able to learn from this going forward, which was really important. The Chief Executive wanted those present at the Audit & Governance Committee meeting to understand how really sorry he was for the upset caused.

The report provided background to the reasons the audit was commissioned. At an extraordinary meeting of Full Council held on 24 November 2021, it was agreed to rescind a previous decision taken by the Council on 12 October 2021 to proceed with an extension to London Road car park.

The circumstances leading up to this decision were considered in the audit report. Assurance Lincolnshire was commissioned to provide an independent review of the facts surrounding the decision-making process and to identify any lessons learnt.

Members were advised that the report had been shared with two external stakeholders before the Committee meeting took place as Assurance Lincolnshire had consulted with them as part of the review – Newark Civic Trust and Protect Newark Green Spaces.

Members were asked to consider the action plan appended to the report.

Councillor Harris asked a number of questions, including in respect of the scope of the review, the Council’s current approach in relation to exempt items, the Council’s approach to engagement and the legal advice referred to in the report. In relation to Suggested Improvement 2.6 in the action plan, he asked whether ‘environmental case’ could be included as a key question in all business cases. This was confirmed. Councillor Harris also expressed his view that a wider debate should be held on the report, rather than focussing on the action plan.

Councillor Blaney referenced Suggested Improvement 2.12 in the action plan regarding ‘corporate memory’ and suggested that there should be a commitment to implement a process.

At this point, in accordance with Procedure Rule 4.10.1, Councillor J Lee moved and Councillor B Laughton seconded that the question be now put given the full debate which had taken place. No vote was taken at this point on this procedural motion with the Chairman inviting further comments on the action plan, prior to inviting the Committee to vote on the substantive motion as set out in the report, at the conclusion of the debate.

Councillor Smith asked for further information in relation to Suggested Improvement 2.4 regarding communication and engagement. It was confirmed that an updated strategy is due to be presented to Cabinet in November 2022.

Other Councillors expressed the view that now was the time to move forward and acknowledged actions that had been completed already.

The Chairman concluded that the results of the internal audit were never going to satisfy everyone and that was why an independent audit was commissioned, that the Council has taken stock of its procedures to ensure a similar situation does not arise again, and that it is now time to move on.

AGREED (with 9 votes For and 1 vote Against) that the Audit & Governance Committee approved the action plan set out at Appendix 2 to this report in response to the audit.