The Government has criticised the West of England Combined Authority for what it describes as ‘inconsistent action’ over repeatedly flagged value for money concerns.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has issued the combined authority with a best value notice setting out a long list of concerns.
The DLUHC cites the poor state of professional relationships between the mayor and the members of the authority and warns the purpose of the authority has not been ‘collectively understood’.
The department also said the combined authority ‘lacks a clear, shared narrative regarding the West of England and how it will operate for the benefit of the wider region.’
The notice follows reports by Grant Thornton and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) in 2022 and 2023 respectively which raised best value concerns.
Richard Ennis, West of England Combined Authority interim chief executive, said the authority had made ‘significant progress’.
He added: ‘There is still more work for us to do, and I look forward to working with our regional partners and the Independent Improvement Board to address the challenges specifically highlighted in the best value notice.’
