CONCERNS over the need for quicker improvements to Newport’s city services have prompted a response from the council’s chief executive.

Unsatisfactory practices have been found within the department, which oversees waste collection, street cleaning and roads maintenance, during yearly internal audits.

Since 2015/16, two reviews within city services – also known as Streetscene – resulted in consecutive unfavourable audit opinions towards the amount of money being spent on agency workers and overtime within refuse services.

While the refuse service received a positive review earlier this year, a general lack of improvement elsewhere prompted the council’s audit committee to write a letter to chief executive Will Godfrey in April.

Written by committee chairman John Baker, it says: “The committee gain a level of assurance that appropriate controls are in place across the council’s services to safeguard its assets, to ensure sound financial management is in place, to minimise fraud, corruption and significant loss, and to ensure public money is being utilised appropriately.

“Members are concerned that lessons are not being learnt following audit reviews within the service area and improvements are not being made quickly enough.

“Members would like assurance from you as the chief executive of the council, that appropriate action will be taken to address these shortcomings and would welcome your response to their concerns.”

In a response, Mr Godfrey said the number of unsatisfactory audits was a “legacy issue” caused by several factors.

A new head of service was appointed in May 2017 after a “long period of instability” and has since met with the committee to discuss the negative audits, most recently in September 2018.

Mr Godfrey said: “The committee was appraised of the considerable changes that had already been made, which included a wholescale management restructure and a significant amount of work to eliminate previous patterns of overspending.”

An in-depth review of processes within city services, and further audits, has also been ordered, with Mr Godfrey warning members to expect more unsatisfactory reports while progress is made.

But the senior officer said work is already under way to tackle unsatisfactory audits referred to by the committee, namely in waste and cleaning departments.

“A new service manager and team managers have been appointed and are working extremely hard to improve the position and respond to audit recommendations,” said Mr Godfrey.

“The most recent review of the refuse collection service, completed in March 2019, achieved the first ‘good’ in the service area for many years.

“Whilst much good work has been done and further work is already under way, it will take a little more time to improve all of the many and varied functions that form part of city services.”

The committee will consider Mr Godfrey’s response at a meeting on June 6.