Lack of salary WCBC can offer affects calibre of job applicants.
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At the Scrutiny meeting of EBISC a council officer put forward one reason that WCBC could not attract the right calibre of candidate for the regeneration team, was due to the lack of salaries WCBC can offer.
Does this mean that the present staff of the regeneration team, having accepted the obvious same pay structure, are below the required calibre?
The market regeneration now enters its sixth year and is still no further forward.
I don’t believe for one second that appointees aren’t ‘up to the job’.
Rather, the fault lies with many elected Members who aren’t up to the job.
Taking planning as an example – Officers diligently apply codes of practice and legal requirements to applications equitably, only for their recommendations to be either stifled or overturned by Members based on nothing more than a whim.
There appears to be no coherent strategy and that, in my opinion, is why we are all being failed by local governance.Taking planning as an example – Officers diligently apply codes of practice and legal requirements to applications equitably, only for their recommendations to be either stifled or overturned by Members based on nothing more than a whim.
It’s fine though – the inspectors in Cardiff apply the same codes of practice and legal requirements so usually end up siding with the recommendation anyway. All so said members get brownie points by blaming that big nasty “South Wales government”.
Got to endorse Benjamin’s observations concerning those few areas of Council life I’m familiar with. I had a considerable amount of dealings with the very capable Peter Scott in Economic Development in terms of developing the Markets. When push came to shove, several years ago, all of the good work was shelved and the Ty Pawb template was parachuted into the equation. This seemed driven by the elected Councillors who have little expertise in any of their briefs. That wouldn’t be a problem if they didn’t stifle the work of those who do.
Peter Scott now works for Widnes Council
Some recent council job advertisements have attracted no qualified candidates and in some cases no applicants at all. Cheshire, Shropshire and other counties, not to mention other Welsh and UK government organizations, offer more attractive salaries, as well as the private sector, so people go there instead. It is a jobs market out there and talent is always mobile. The best can pick and choose in a country where there is a massive skills shortage.
I would echo AlunH comments on the economic development department (as existed, its been gutted) and Peter Scott (who was a part of ITEC for some years iirc).
I have limited experience of the “elected” council members, but it has been generally of low impression; I have said for years however that the council “officials” were of a split personality. Half appear to be helpful beyond words in pushing forward Wrexham as a town, the rest appear to exist to stop the first half doing their job.
The economic development team and Mr Scott, were head and shoulders in the first camp.
Planning ? A bit like the size/lack of windows in the apartments on King Street, Benjamin ?
The same planning department that ok’d the lack of car parking spaces for new apartments in Cefn Mawr because the people won’t have cars and anyway, there’s a bus stop nearby.
The same planning that recommended the removal of obligations to the local community regarding schools, because the buyers wouldn’t have children, as regards the Air Products site in Acrefair which resulted in the price of the land sky rocketing and making a huge profit for the developers.
That planning ?
If you ever have any dealings with Planning Officers you would know how they push their own agenda. At least the Planning Committee is made up with local people with some knowledge of local needs and sometimes they use common sense before passing or not passing some things.
Planning Committee/ common sense? Surely in all sincerity you cannot believe those two terms are compatible, can you?
I watched (amongst a lot of others) the planning meeting when the Planning officer (David Williams) stated that it would be the worst result that Wrexham Council had ever made to allow a Farm shop on the Straight Mile. Llay. He said it would be outside the boundary for Llay and the road with a 50mph speed limit was to fast for people to cross. He allowed 362 houses and a Aldy to be built outside the boundary and the speed limit on the straight mile was supposed to be reduced to 40mph before any houses were occupied. Thank goodness the planning committee saw sense and over ruled him and within 3 days he handed his notice in.
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