Caerphilly Council's hunt for new economy and environment director halted

Caerphilly Council's headquarters in Tredomen — Caerphilly Council’s headquarters in Tredomen

A search by Caerphilly County Borough Council for a new boss in charge of the economy and the environment has been halted.

Interviews for the Corporate Director Economy and Environment role were due to take place on November 30, but were cancelled after councillors decided to “pause” the process to have a rethink.

Members of the council’s Appointments Committee, which oversees recruitment to senior positions, made the decision after applications closed. However, the council refused to disclose the number of applicants because it’s an “ongoing process”.

What is the Appointments Committee?

The Appointments Committee is made up of nine councillors (Six Labour, two Plaid Cymru and one Independent).

The role of the committee is to recommend appointments to senior positions in the council.

For example, the Appointments Committee recommended Christina Harrhy for the role of chief executive last year, before councillors voted to follow through with the committee’s recommendation.

The committee plays a part in the appointment process, and has a say on how a job is advertised and how interviews are conducted.

Councillors on the Appointments committee are:

Cllr Elizabeth Aldworth (Bedwas, Trethomas, Machen) Labour
Cllr Wynne David (St Catwg) Labour
Cllr Vincent James (Maesycwmmer) Labour
Cllr Colin Mann (Llanbradach) Plaid Cymru
Cllr Jamie Pritchard (Morgan Jones) Labour
Cllr Graham Simmonds (Cefn Fforest) Independent
Cllr Julian Simmonds (Crosskeys) Labour
Cllr Eluned Stenner (New Tredegar) Labour
Cllr John Taylor (Aber Valley) Plaid Cymru

No public record is available on the council’s website detailing the decision.

Caerphilly Observer spoke with the chair of the Appointments Committee, Labour councillor Liz Aldworth, who referred us to the council’s press office.

She told us she was “satisfied” with the reasons for pausing the appointment process.

According to a council spokesperson, this was to “allow a review of the wider senior leadership capacity of the council to take place”.

Caerphilly Observer has asked for further information.

What is Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet?

A council’s cabinet is made up of councillors in charge of different policy areas – such as education, environment, local economy, etc – and a leader.

It is separate to the council’s corporate management structure, which is headed up by its chief executive and various directors. Cabinet is made up of councillors, who are elected and have the ultimate say.

Typically, cabinet members are councillors from the party with the most elected council members.

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet is made up of:

Cllr Sean Morgan (Nelson) – Leader
Cllr Jamie Pritchard (Morgan Jones) – Deputy Leader; Prosperity, Regeneration and Climate Change
Cllr Nigel George (Risca East) – Corporate Services and Property
Cllr Eluned Stenner (New Tredegar) – Finance and Performance
Cllr Carol Andrews (Gilfach) – Education and Communities
Cllr Shayne Cook (Morgan Jones) – Housing
Cllr Elaine Forehead (Van) – Social Care
Cllr Philippa Leonard (Risca East) – Planning and Public Protection
Cllr Chris Morgan (Machen and Rudry) – Waste, Leisure and Green Spaces

Corporate management is made up of unelected employees of the council and has responsibility for day-to-day management of services, such as making sure the bins are collected. Corporate directors work with cabinet members to come up with policy which is then agreed upon by the cabinet.

_{Last updated October 13, 2023}

The Plaid Cymru group, whose leader Cllr Colin Mann is a member of the Appointments Committee, claimed there was a proposal to split the economy and environment role in two. This was not taken any further however.

Cllr Mann told Caerphilly Observer: “Members of the Plaid group were not at all happy with the proposed creation of another director post because we didn’t think it was appropriate to consider it at this time.

“We did agree to ask for more information but this proposed appointment wouldn’t have found favour with the Plaid group. We did not feel it would be right appointing another officer at a very high salary – particularly when frontline roles were disappearing.

“I’m sure if this appointment had gone ahead many members of the public, who have seen the multimillion pound cost and chaos of the senior officers’ pay scandal, would have been furious and rightly so.”

The role of Corporate Director Economy and Environment was advertised in October (including in Caerphilly Observer’s print edition) with a yearly salary of between £117,115 and £130,128.

According to an information pack produced by the council, the position would be in overall charge of areas such as planning and regeneration, infrastructure, property services and public protection.

caerphilly_corporate_director_economy_environment_2020

Council’s search for new economy and environment director halted

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