In May 2023, a ‘revolution’ took place at South Kesteven District Council when Independent Councillors, with the support of Greens and Lib-Dems, formed an Administration which forced Conservatives into opposition for only the second time in 50 years.

There were a number of reasons why residents removed so many local Conservative councillors, including the then incumbent Leader and Deputy-Leader. One of the factors was the lack of transparency at SKDC caused by many secret meetings and a reluctance to face scrutiny from other councillors and also from members of the public.

This is something the new Administration, which I now lead, has been keen to put right. Here are some of the ways we have made it easier for people to find out what’s happening at SKDC:

1. Supplementary Questions from the Public
   Members of the public who register to ask questions at public meetings are now allowed to ask a supplementary question. For many years, people who drive to Grantham to attend meetings had a right to ask a supplementary question but the Tories removed it and refused to re-introduce it.
   One of the first constitutional changes of the new administration was to re-introduce the opportunity to ask a supplementary question.
   
2. Questions to Cabinet
   The Conservatives viewed Cabinet meetings as a showcase and decisions were fait accompli with no real debate allowed, let alone encouraged. The attendance of backbench and opposition councillors was tolerated but difficult questions or statements were met with hostility. Questions were only permitted in relation to items on the Cabinet agenda which was set by the Leader.
   In recent months, I have allowed ‘open questions’ at the end of Cabinet Meetings to allow councillors to raise residents concerns in a public forum without having to wait for a meeting of the Full Council.
   The Full Council on 26th September changed the formal rules of procedure to allow members of the public, and councillors, to ask open questions to the council’s leadership during Cabinet meetings.
   Effectively, this means far more opportunities for people to question the Cabinet in a public forum because the Cabinet meets far more often than Full Council.
   
3. Website information
   Far more information, statistics and performance infomation is now available on the council’s website, and much of it is far more open to interrogation. Some of the information is displayed via ‘Power-Bi’ which makes it much easier for people to interrogate.
   
4. Informal meetings of Cabinet
   The new Independent-led has been keen to understand the needs of residents across the District and to ensure the council is not just naval-gazing at St Peter’s Hill in the District’s largest town, Grantham.
   In order to illustrate and underline this attitude, the Cabinet holds regular informal meetings around the District. In the last 18 months, the Cabinet has held meetings in Corby Glen, Billingborough, Market Deeping, Stamford, as well as Wyndham Park and the Earlsfield community centre. The numbers of public attending these events varies greatly but each one has been educational to the Cabinet members in attendance.
   
5. Overview and Scrutiny Committees
   The main role of the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committees (OSCs) is to monitor the council’s performance and to offer constructive criticism and ideas for improvement. Prior to May 2023, the scrutiny of the Council’s struggling Housing Department was supposed to take place at the Rural and Communities OSC – It was an after-thought or an also-ran.
   The introduction of a dedicated Housing OSC has enabled councillors to shine a light on long-neglected issues around void properties, repairs, housing acquisitions and homelessness. The fresh focus on SKDC housing, led first by Cllr Phil Dilks and more recently by Cllr Virginia Moran as the responsible Cabinet Members, is one of the success stories of our administration of which I am most proud.
   
6. A new Customer Service Centre
   The Conservatives shut down the Council’s main customer service centre and sold the building it was in. Since then, the outward-facing customer service team in Grantham has been operating from two small rooms at the back of the Guildhall cafe. This has been uncomfortable for staff and customers alike, and the Independent-led administration has been determined to find somewhere more appropriate for in-person visitors to the council.
   Today, we have opened a brand new Customer Service Centre where any residents can ask questions by appointment (weekday mornings) or by turning up (weekday afternoons til 3pm). The centre is available for queries about housing, planning, licensing and most other council services.
7. Access to Information Working Group
   In response to a question from a member of the public at a Full Council meeting, councillors decided to set up an “Access to Information Working Group”. The purpose is to examine how easy it is for people to get information about the Council. The scope includes the information available on the council’s website as well as the standard of responses to FoIs (Freedom of Information Requests) SARs (Subject Access Requests) and other enquiries.
   
   As an opposition councillor prior to May 2023, I was often frustrated with the number of decisions which were made behind closed doors and the opacity of information about the council. Now, as Leader of the Council, I am determined to welcome the sunlight of proper scrutiny.