COUNCILLORS have raised concerns about the “direction of scrutiny” over the setting up of a new organisation which will provide tourism, leisure, culture and youth services in Monmouthshire.

Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) has already agreed to set up an Alternative Delivery Model (ADM), but at a meeting last week members of the economy and development select committee raised concerns over scrutiny of the issue.

The new set-up will see tourism, leisure, culture and youth services delivered by a trading company under the control of MCC.

Similar models have been set up in Newport and Torfaen, where Newport Live and Torfaen Leisure Trust run the services.

At the meeting, chairman of the committee Cllr Paul Pavia (Larkfield ward) said concerns had been expressed in a pre-meeting.

He said: "I think this committee is concerned about the direction of scrutiny on this particular issue and hence we have asked officers to re-look at this and to defer this for another meeting.

He added: "I think the discussions with officers have been noted and we have taken a strong stand on the issue of scrutiny and our purpose here and what our we should be looking at in the ADM and I think they will go back and reflect on that."

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Armand Watts (Thornwell ward) said the issue should have come before the committee at an earlier date. He also said details about the business model of the ADM were still ‘unclear.’

“We have not had the chance to explore the issue or to ask questions because they have already made the decision,” Cllr Watts said.

“What they are asking us to do is retrospective scrutiny.”

He added: “There was a sense of unity from councillors of all political parties on the committee which was nice. We were determined to hold them to account on this.”

Kellie Beirne, deputy chief executive at MCC, said pre-meetings are held  to ensure debate and questions are appropriate.

She added: “During last week’s pre-meeting, committee felt scrutiny on the next stage of developing the ADM business case, had come slightly too early.

"In view of the work other committees are currently doing to shape and inform arrangements, economy and development select agreed to wait until more formative work on the heads of terms and governance frameworks had been undertaken."