Councillors Back ‘Essential’ Changes Following Damning Penn Report

The Isle of Wight Council has agreed a set of “essential” actions aimed at improving its operations after an independent review described the authority as “dysfunctional.”

Full council endorsed the recommendations of Richard Penn, a former Commissioner for Standards at the Welsh Assembly, at a meeting on Wednesday 19 November.

Key measures include enforcing codes of conduct at meetings, creating a standards committee, and increasing councillor involvement in policy development.

Mr Penn’s report highlighted a troubled organisational culture, noting that policies and procedures meant to provide “checks and balances” were “all too often ignored” or “forgotten.”

It also raised concerns about staff performance, with one councillor likening County Hall on Fridays to the Marie Celeste due to the work-from-home policy.

Addressing councillors, Mr Penn said he hoped his review would provide a “much-needed reset” and praised the willingness of members to acknowledge shortcomings and embrace change.

Deputy leader Cllr Andrew Garratt said passing the recommendations was a way of “saying sorry” to colleagues, officers, and the public.

Independent councillor Clare Mosdell added that the report reflected behaviour the public “wouldn’t get away with in a workplace.”

Conservative councillor Matthew Price admitted he had witnessed “awful situations” but had tried to maintain respectful conduct, while Newport Central Alliance councillor Julie Jones-Evans called the report “very sobering,” emphasising that disagreement should always be civil.

Cllr Peter Spink of Empowering Islanders suggested combining some of the recommended training for councillors and officers to reduce divisions and improve understanding of each other’s roles.

The council now plans to implement the changes recommended by Mr Penn to rebuild trust and improve the effectiveness of local government on the Island.