GUILSFIELD Community Council (GCC)  has been rapped over the knuckles by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales for maladministration.

A complaint for maladministration was upheld into the way they handled a complaint

Newly installed GCC Chairperson, Cllr Ian Harrison, says the community council has accepted and complied with the report.

The complaint was in threefold, that complaints by Mrs X were discussed in a closed session of GCC in April 2018 and should not have been.

That her name appeared in the GCC official minutes for that meeting and that in corresponding with the Guilsfield Chair at the time (Cllr Pauline Gittins)  – she had not been signposted to the Ombudsman to further her complaint.

On three issues the Ombudsman sided with Mrs X on only one and dismissed the other two accusations.

Ombudsman investigation officer, Dan Allbon, said of the April (2018) meeting: “The council cannot claim that an item is confidential yet disclose some of the authors of the correspondence. This is maladministration and I uphold this part of the complaint.”

On the item in April being discussed in private session, Mr Allbon said: “In fact, the minutes give the the impression that it was a unilateral decision by the chair.

“This is maladministration, however, the injustice to Mrs X was minimal as it was only the choice of attending the meeting that was taken away from her.”

On the third allegation Mr Allbon added: “I am satisfied that the chair’s letter dated May 12 addressed Mrs X’s concerns, although there was no information about escalating her concerns further to either a second stage of the Ombudsman.

“I recommend that the council, within one month of the final report should:

  • Apologise in writing to Mrs X for the failing identified.
  • Redact Mrs X’s name, and other complainant names, from the approved minutes of the April meeting and any further meeting minutes where their complaints were discussed.

“I am pleased to note the council has agreed to implement these recommendations.”

Guilsfield CC chairperson, Cllr Ian Harrison: “We have accepted and complied with all of the recommendation in the Ombudsman’s report.

“We hope that we will be to attain in  future the high levels of governance expected of us by the government in future. And hope this will bring a close to this issue.”

The whole issues started in the autumn of 2017 over the council’s decision to back a planning application to have two holiday cabins and associated works built at Llidiart Wood, Moelygarth.

The application was withdrawn in August 2018 but was resubmitted in December 2018.