Renfrewshire must improve engagement with communities to rebuild trust

Renfrewshire Council faces significant challenges in rebuilding the trust of local people, following failings in providing school accommodation for Dargavel Village that will cost £60 million to rectify.

An Accounts Commission report on how the council has responded to an independent review of the issue says that since the primary school project, the council has now failed to engage appropriately or transparently with communities over the expansion of secondary school provision. This risks repeating past mistakes and further undermining public trust and confidence.

Audit work found that, overall, the council has effective governance arrangements in place, and an action plan to address the numerous specific failings identified in the independent review. However, the Commission says these actions must be implemented quickly and transparently, particularly those regarding leadership, scrutiny and governance, and that the council must show it is engaging better with its communities.

The Commission has asked auditors to urgently investigate a range of issues at the council by June 2024. It reserves the right to hold a public hearing if it is not satisfied with the findings.

Andrew Burns, Member of the Accounts Commission, said:

The multiple, negative impacts of poor decision-making, and a culture that meant warnings were not heeded, continue to be felt within the local community. This potentially affects the education of hundreds of children and will cost an estimated £60 million to rectify. Further, this will exacerbate an already tough financial situation for the council, and it will need to make difficult decisions about prioritising its spending.

It appears to the community that no one has been held to account for these significant failings until now. We have therefore asked for assurance on a range of issues, and if we fail to get that we reserve the right to hold a public hearing into the council.