Blaenau Gwent Councillors to Choose Next Chief Executive in Face-to-Face Meeting at Bedwellty House

ALL 33 Blaenau Gwent councillors can attend a face-to-face council meeting at Bedwellty House in Tredegar next month to choose the authority’s next chief executive.
At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council on Thursday, November 23, councillors discussed changes to the constitution which are needed to allow all councillors to take part in the interview process.
In recent weeks the council has been advertising for a new person to take the top job at the authority.
Former social services director Damian McCann has been the council’s interim chief executive since April 2022, and is understood to be retiring soon.
The current rules state that councillors at a full council meeting are only allowed to rubber stamp the appointment of a new chief executive with the actual decision being taken by a “committee or sub-committee.”
The proposal would see the full council interview and appoint the chief executive.
This follows a committee whittling down the number of candidates to produce a shortlist for the final interview in front of the councillors.
Cllr Lee Parsons (Independent) said: “Does that means that every candidate can be questioned by all 33 members?”
Council leader, Labour’s Cll Steve Thomas: “To be fair to every candidate there will be three to five set questions which will be put to canidates by the interim chief executive.
“Members will be there to listen to what candidates put forward in terms of their view for Blaenau Gwent for the future, and then vote at the end.
“It wouldn’t be practical or right for 30 questions to be fired off and different questions to different candidates.
“We have to be fair to each candidate.”
Cllr Thomas added that the interview meeting was being arranged to happen in the assembly rooms at Bedwellty House and Park in Tredegar.
In the past Cllr Parsons has aired frustrations that full council meetings are being held online since the closure of the Civic Centre – which has now been demolished.
This is due to the lack of a room at the new council headquarters at the General Offices in Ebbw Vale able to accommodate all 33 councillors and staff needed for the meeting.
Cllr Parsons said: “Perhaps we can look to hold full councils there.”
Cllr Thomas said: “Bedwellty House doesn’t have that (hybrid) system installed and working.
“Wherever we go would need to comply with Welsh Government policy.”
He added that “costs” would have to be considered as well.
Cllr David Wilkshire (Labour) said that full council meetings appointing someone to the top job had “always” been the process the past, before it was changed by the previous administration.
Cllr Wilkshire said: “The last one (chief executive/managing director) I didn’t know anything about them or where they came from – they just appeared on the horizon.
“This is democracy it’s fair and transparent and we got to praise the leader, he didn’t have to do this,
“You can see and mingle with them so you have an idea how they behave and how they will represent us.”
Councillors unanimously approved the changes and the meeting to appoint a new chief executive is scheduled to take place on December 11.
Set in the heart of Tredegar, Bedwellty House and Park is a historic, Grade II-listed building built in the early 19th century.
In the early 20th century, it was given to the community by the Morgan family and it was used as Urban District Council offices.
Aneurin Leisure Trust manage the house and park on behalf of the council. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​