Questions raised over democratic process of City Status bid as Council Leader details ‘loud and clear’ support

Questions have been raised over the democratic process of a City Status bid after the council leader said there is ‘loud and clear’ support in Wrexham for the move.

Last week it was announced that Wrexham Council had unveiled two ambitious applications that could see the town become a city, and then also becoming a City of Culture with the council promising to share the benefits such a move would entail.

The Council last bid for City Status in 2012 as part of the Queens Diamond Jubilee Honours with the process back then costing around £20,000.

At an executive board meeting today, Council Leader Mark Pritchard inviting councillors to ‘agree to explore the opportunities to submit an application for city status’, and ‘explore benefits and disadvantages associated with city status by working with the economic specialists to engage with stakeholders about these benefits to gain their views’.

Lead Member for Economic Development and Regeneration Cllr Terry Evans, who seconded the report, said: “I would like to add my support, along with our business leaders and the business civic group supporting our bid this time around.

“A little bit of Hollywood magic, I’m sure it will kick Wrexham over the line this time. As the leader said there’s so many good things going on in Wrexham at the moment, if you take core COVID out of the equation, yes, Wrexham is a good place to do business and I fully support the recommendation today.”

Cllr Phil Wynn endorsed the report, adding it would be “foolish not to at least explore the opportunity of actually bidding for a city status”.

With a limited number of Executive Board members present the report was open for all councillors to comment on, starting with Plaid Cymru’s Marc Jones who had previously branded the idea as ‘daft‘.

Cllr Jones said: “Nothing has been learned from previous bids. The way this was slipped out of the last minute to avoid scrutiny says it all. If you are confident about this bid, Executive Board members, I think you need a united team behind it.

“But how are you going to present a united front if councillors, Welsh Government, the local MS, and presumably the local MP have not been included in debates about putting this forward? What does one Wrexham actually mean? If there’s no engagement with elected representatives?”

Cllr Jones asked for the costs of the bid, and expressed concerned that the economic development team putting the bid together had been ‘decimated over the past decade’ and have limited resources. Cllr Jones also probed the process that the bid came about, “Councillor Terry Evans mentioned the business group. We’ve heard also about the Civic Leadership Group. As far as I’m aware, that’s an unaccountable under the radar group of people.

“It’s dangerous to presuppose as some people are doing that Hollywood millionaires are going to back this bid. The Hollywood millionaires are investing in a town, they invested in a working class town with a proud heritage and a great future, not a city.”

“I’d like to ask why the Civic Leadership Group is being given 10s of 1000s of pounds of council funding to operate without any accountability or scrutiny. I know they’re planning to promote the town centre this summer with a £70,000 marketing budget.”

“I’d also like to ask the Executive Board members before they vote on this, can they name three tangible benefits of city status? Have you discussed the benefits of city status with Newport of or any other new city?”

Cllr Marc Jones wrapped up his lengthy speech by querying rebranding costs, and finishing on a quote from Dylan Thomas, “I want us to back our ugly lovely town, to go forward.”

Cllr Pritchard responded with an even longer speech, pointing out on costs, saying that he “won’t pluck figures out of the air at this moment in time, because I’m not sure to the costings.”

Cllr Pritchard said there was wide support for the city bid, noting two local MPs and Clwyd South MS Ken Skates were backing the bid, along with Glyndwr University along with “businesses from across Wrexham behind it”.

Directing comments to Cllr Marc Jones, Cllr Pritchard said: “Obviously you’re against it and you’re here today to oppose it. I understand that, and I respect you and I respect your opinions. But, you need to respect the opinions of other people as well.

“You don’t speak on behalf of everybody I can assure you, and what’s coming through loud and clear for me, from businesses, from MSs from MPs, and I am sure there will be other representations made from people who have a passion and a pride about Wrexham, who wants to take us forward.”

“I have lots of discussion and debates with manufacturing companies, with big companies, and they are looking to invest in cities. What’s wrong with Wrexham being ambitious? I do I get rather disappointed with individuals and certain people who continuously talk the town down, and talk it down at every opportunity. It is all about politics and it’s about personalities and it’s wrong. The people of Wrexham deserve better. We really do.

“I want to compete with the other cities in the south, where businesses continually invest because they have a status and they have a city. If it brings jobs and investments and improves this place as Wrexham so be it

Channelling a past council leader Cllr Neil Rogers who commonly used the “don’t talk the town down” mantra, Cllr Pritchard expanded it further with an anecdote how “you wouldn’t have a Liverpudlian knock Liverpool. You’re wouldn’t ever have a Mancunian knock Manchester, and you certainly wouldn’t have a Yorkshireman knock Yorkshire. Let’s get behind this bid. Let’s support it. Let’s take Wrexham forward.”

Cllr Dana Davies was concerned about the democratic process, stating: “What isn’t in this report for me, is ending that democratic process with the final decision. Who actually makes the final decision once the bid Working Group has done its work and come up with pros and cons and all the consultations fed into it. Does it come back to Executive Board with a report?

“Because I think it’s crucial here that if that bid goes ahead for city status, and then based on the outcomes of the pros and cons, and it’s crucial that we take the town with us, and all the stakeholders with us.

“So that information needs to be publicly visible. So how is that going to happen? Where does that final decision get made? Will it be a full report back to the Executive Board to make the decision on progressing the bid or to halt it at that point? We as 42 councillors need to be involved in that democratic process.”

Cllr Bithell pointed Cllr Davies to the report indicating that the 42 non Executive Councillors – and in effect most of the Executive Board as well – will not get that final say, noting it was ‘quite clear’ adding “a delegation is given To the chief executive in consultation with the leader, the deputy leader, and relevant portfolio holders to progress the work including in applications for both 3.1 and 3.2”.

Cllr Pritchard then explained he was happy “for the report to come back to the Executive Board, once the piece of work is done with regards to the city status”, as the cultural bid has a tighter deadline.

Cllr Dana Davies welcomed that from the Council Leader, however the Legal Officer then noted the recommendation did state the actual decision would be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Council Leader, Deputy and ‘relevant portfolio holders’.

Cllr Walsh queried time frames, and was told that the ‘economic benefit work’ could take around six weeks over summer, and then a period of engagement in the autumn.

Clarity was sought by Cllr Michael Dixon over the decision making process, noting that the recommendation now appeared different from the assurances reports would be brought back.

Cllr David A Bithell pointed back to the recommendations and said the delegation would stand, but ‘more detail’ would be given to councillors.

Wrapping up the debate Cllr Bithell explained: “I know people are quite passionate about this, I have seen quite a lot of social media comments. So just to be clear before we we we take the vote, we’re exploring and working to see whether we submit a bid, an expression of interest for city of culture, and we’re allowing that work via our chief executive, the leader, myself, and portfolio holders to progress to the next stage.”

“Just in response, Councillor Marc Jones, I’ve never been a massive fan of city status. At a time when we’re coming out of COVID and the pandemic, personally speaking, I think Wrexham deserves the opportunity to get some of that wealth back into the town at a time when we’re going to be facing difficult economic pressures. My personal view is that it could deliver economic benefits to Wrexham.

“We need the work to be done, this gives the authorisation to allow that work to be done. Then members will have the opportunity at the appropriate time.”

Cllr Davies attempted to call a Point of Order, but was told there wasn’t one by Cllr Bithell.

Persisting, Cllr Davies pointed out that the recommendation effectively contained delegated decisions despite it being said decisions would come back before the Executive Board.

Cllr Bithell said the recommendations would remain the same, but noted the Council Leader ‘giving and indication’ that reports would come back.

Cllr Davies pointed out the recommendations being voted on did not reflect what had been said, and needed amending ‘to align with what you’ve agreed to’.

Cllr Bithell reiterated, “The Leader has given a commitment to bring the report back when work has progressed” and then took the vote – with all the Executive Board present approving the move.