We must be more open to private and third sector ideas
James Pritchard
The private, the third sector and the Local Authority could and should operate in a healthy environment where new ideas and a different way of working is encouraged.
I see there being no conflict in working with the private and third sector and being Deputy Leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council. In fact – These are inextricably linked.
At a time when budgets are continually under pressure, and every pound of spend is scrutinised for best value, we must consider core council services first such as education, social care, waste and highways, while looking to community groups, third sector and the private sector to deliver on some of the other services where they can play a more dynamic role.
Enthusiasm
Why would we, as a Council, limit the enthusiasm and ingenuity of our partners and the huge benefits that they can bring. I’m not afraid to say, sometimes the Council does not know best, and it doesn’t possess all the answers to every challenge within its county lines. It is therefore important for us to reach out beyond the Council and have a closer relationship with the third sector and business and work with them to deliver for residents of the county borough.
There is often scant consideration from some elected members as to what role the private sector could play in developing venues on a more commercial, but socially responsible manner.
As Cabinet Member for Regeneration, I helped to make the case with the leader of Council, that the former Coffi Vista offer in Caerphilly had to transfer into private ownership.
The new management of Rossita’s, who have taken over the building, will be bringing a whopping 25 new jobs and extended opening hours when they open on St Davids Day. This is an example where embracing the private sector has clearly been in the public interest.
New operating model
The Blackwood Miners Institute is now set towards transitioning into a new operating model, and one that isn’t solely reliant on public subsidy. Following detailed engagement with the Councils Arts Development Team, an outside funding allocation of £210k has been awarded to the venue, therefore dramatically reducing the Council subsidy for the venue in 25/26 as opposed to 24/25.
Does everything have to be run by the Council in exclusivity, regardless. Again – We believe this approach blocks out ideas that would otherwise come to the fore.
Llancaiach Fawr Manor is another venue where we can transition from solely Local Authority control to another model.
The venue offers so much potential for new operators.
What is certain, is the Council is looking for an operation that becomes a strong local economic driver that compliments the existing Leisure/hospitality offer in the county borough. We will not simply be looking to award to the highest bidder, but we will consider the breadth of all bids. The private sector can play a strong role in developing the historic venue, with limited or no public subsidy.
Library services
When it comes to our library services, we are out to consultation on transitioning to a new Hub model, where our principal town centre facilities will become the open door to the Council. Our Rhymney Hub has seen a doubling of visitors since we transitioned, with many thousands of additional individual points of contact between the Council and the resident. Generating further footfall in our main population areas will help the high street, and therefore business.
We are now asking residents and community groups whether they would like to take over the running of ten of our less used libraries to allow for a greater community say in those facilities.
If we simply ignored the role that business and the third sector can take in working to develop some former Council – run facilities in a better way, we would be ignoring ideas and burying our heads in the sand. There is often a tendency for some politicians to take the prevailing wind of social media comments as the barometer of public opinion and run their campaigns according to what they believe Facebook will agree with.
This ultra – conservative, no change way of thinking just stifles creativity, and it isn’t in the long – term interests of residents. We must be more open to private and third sector ideas.
Cllr James Pritchardis Deputy Leader And Cabinet Member For Prosperity, Regeneration And Climate Change for Caerphilly County Borough Council.
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The third sector being, of course, quangos. Unelected and unaccountable, bodies given money and power, and mostly staffed by government cronies.
There are some actual charities too.
The Welsh Development Agency was a Qango that worked *acheived results) so they closed it. I agree that there are not so many in that category.
When I was PCC I used to commission services from the third sector. I had little confidence in the six local authorities to deliver an efficient and effective services and value for money. Also doing anything with any council is like trying to reverse a juggernaut, the bureaucracy was unbelievable.
Pure Labour propaganda from a Labour member, imbued with the spirit of Rachel from Accounts! Unless the public sector thrives, the other sectors won’t. Labour, Reform and the Tories are trying to outdo each other in their devotion to the neo-liberal creed. That creed hasn’t worked for us, and won’t. It is not designed to work for us, but merely to facilitate trickle-up to the !%! We need to recognise that Labour has forsaken its heritage. No longer champions of the working classes and the dispossessed, it has thrown in its lot with the City of London. There are undoubtedly… Read more »
I think the flip side of this is why are local authorities so inept at running anything commercially.
Caerphilly council have appointed ‘transformation mangers’ and put people in jobs they have absolutely no skills for.
It’s an absolutely frightening thought that a council can’t run a coffee shop in a key town like Caerphilly at a profit.
As for Pritchard, he can’t run a bath so how on earth he’s in the position he’s in says all you need to know.
I
Cllr James Pritchard is wrong. The third sector in Wales, which is mainly financed by taxpayer grants has spent hundreds of millions in pet projects and ends up extracting wealth from poorer areas mainly into the wallets of those who live in posher areas. Remember Communities First? The only beneficiaries are washed up Labour politicians using it as a bolt hole to continue to fund the lifestyle they have become accustomed to. A prerequisite of a positive role the third sector can play in Wales is the devolution of charity regulation, like in Scotland.