During Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government in the Senedd this week, Vale of Clwyd MS, Gareth Davies, raised concerns about governance, transparency and performance within Denbighshire County Council. He highlighted several recent issues, including the council’s rollout of the updated waste collection system in 2024, which generated more than 15,000 complaints from residents.
Mr Davies also referred to findings by the Auditor General for Wales, who identified shortcomings in the council’s handling of the proposed sale of Denbighshire Leisure Ltd, highlighting the decision being made behind closed doors with poor documentation of public consultation being provided. He also noted that the local authority has opened a fraud investigation this month which he argued raises further questions about leadership, accountability, and public trust.
He asked the Local Government Minister what steps the Welsh Government will take in cases like Denbighshire, where failings are identified in delivery and transparency, and whether they will start enforc improvements rather than making unenforceable recommendations.
In response, the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, Jane Bryant, said that regulators such as Audit Wales are responsible for addressing non-compliance, adding that support is available to councils to make improvements through the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA).
Commenting following the exchange, Gareth Davies MS said:
“Many Denbighshire residents are seeing serious problems in how their council is run, from a new waste system that generated over 15,000 complaints to major decisions being taken without proper transparency, and now fraud investigations being opened.
“With a growing list of controversies and shortcomings in service, coupled with yearly council tax rises, it raises serious questions about whether taxpayers’ money is being used properly and whether the council’s leadership is operating in an accountable way.
“The Welsh Government must go beyond offering guidance and ensure that, where councils are failing residents, enforceable improvements are put in place so that services are fixed, transparency is restored, and public confidence can begin to recover."