'Progress' made in Argyll and Bute Council

Despite “solid improvement”, Argyll and Bute Council still has issues with decision making, scrutiny, governance and relationships, the Accounts Commission has found.

In its ‘best value’ audit report, published today, the local government finance watchdog found the council had made progress since 2013, but it still needed to work on a number of key areas, including transparency and engagement with communities.

The audit found that new committee arrangements are improving decision-making and scrutiny and the senior management team is improving the way it works and the organisational culture.

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It also noted a continued stability in the council’s leadership and growth in confidence among councillors.

However, the report criticises Argyll and Bute Council’s approach to saving money by cutting services rather than looking at different approaches for delivery, which it says is “not sustainable”.

The commission also “notes with disquiet the dysfunctional relationships which persist between a number of individuals” and says that “long-standing political and personal differences among a small number of key individuals” are “played out in a very public way and are damaging the council’s image and reputation.”

The political dynamics in Argyll and Bute contribute to the relationship issue, the commission suggests, stating they “would offer challenges in any council area”.

The council administration is formed of two affiliated groups, the Argyll and Bute for Change Alliance and The Argyll, Lomond and the Islands Group, made up of a mixture of independents, LibDems and Conservatives, while the opposition consists of independents, SNP and Labour members.

This is the third audit of Argyll and Bute in just over two years, since the Controller of Audit found “substantial risks” in October 2013.

These included concerns that the leadership of the council was “inadequate”, political management arrangements were “not fit for purpose” and that councillors and officers needed to work together better.

Today’s report concludes that “Argyll and Bute is a significantly different council now than it was when we reported in 2013, with a consequent reduction in risk”.

Chair of the Accounts Commission Douglas Sinclair said that Argyll and Bute has made good progress, but has more to do in key areas such as openness and transparency, engaging with the public and developing a long-term financial strategy.

“There are now good foundations on which it can build,” he said.