Melton Borough Council: Supporting chief executives in NOC change of control councils

• Created in 1974, Melton Borough Council is a non-metropolitan district in Leicestershire County.
• Melton Borough has a population of 51,000 at 2021 census and is one of seven district councils within Leicestershire.
• There have been two long periods of Conservative majority control since 1974 (1974 to 1995 and 2003 to 2023), interspersed with no overall control.
• In 2019, a governance review led to a managed transition from a committee system to a cabinet and leader model.
• In May 2023, the local election resulted in a position of no overall control and the council is currently led by a Labour – Independent administration. Amongst the current administration are a number of elected members who are new to the council.

Melton Borough Council is a Leicestershire district in the East Midlands. Melton is one of seven district / borough councils within Leicestershire and was established in the 1974 local government reorganisation. Across its 50 years of existence as a council, 41 of these have been held by a Conservative majority administration.

Edd de Coverly joined the council as chief executive in August 2017 and following an LGA Peer Challenge and subsequent governance review, supported the transition from a committee system to a cabinet and leader model, which remains in place today.

In May 2023, the local election resulted in a position of no overall control and the council is currently led by a Labour – Independent administration, with a number of independent councillors forming a group. Amongst the current administration are a number of elected members who are new to the council.

Edd has proactively supported and navigated various changes and challenges as chief executive, working closely with and supporting elected members and his teams, including to effectively support transition through a period of a no overall control and with a newly formed administration. Just over one year on, and with a new corporate strategy and long-term vision in place and being delivered, Edd reflects here on lessons learned and a chief executive’s perspective on navigating a successful transition through no overall control to a new joint administration and in leading organisational stability and delivery.

After boundary changes in 2003, the council has 28 councillors serving 16 wards. All out elections take place every four years.

*by-elections in November 2023 and May 2024 and changes in political affiliation

The 2023 elections produced significant political change in an authority which had been used to a long period of majority control. Only four years previously, there had been six uncontested seats, however in 2023 there were no uncontested seats and new political groups emerged. There was also a significant turnover in councillors and a good proportion of new councillors.

Of the now 11 independent councillors, nine have formed a group (‘Independent Group’) and formed a joint administration with the Labour Group since May 2023. As part of this arrangement, described by elected members as a ‘harmony cabinet’, the Leader of the council is a Labour councillor, and the Deputy Leader is an Independent Councillor.

The council operate a ‘cabinet and leader’ governance system. There is a cabinet of five (two Labour and three Independents) including the Leader and work was undertaken with the Cabinet to define clear and coherent portfolio responsibilities and alignment with directors to ensure direct support and relationship building.

The Cabinet meets formally every month to six weeks, and regular informal briefings to Cabinet and collaboration with officers to support policy development and pre-agenda report sign off is valued.

There is a single politically balanced Scrutiny Committee of 10 councillors: four Independents, four Conservatives and two Labour. The chair is drawn from the Labour group and the vice chair from the Independent Group. The committee is supported by a senior officer and the function and impact of scrutiny is valued – as a result it is having a demonstrable impact on organisational effectiveness and stability and work plan development and delivery is positive and proactive. There is also an Audit and Standards Committee and the usual planning and licensing committees.

Following the May 2023 elections, an early focus for the joint administration was to agree and ensure delivery of opportunities for initial impact – this was important for a number of reasons, not least because there was no single set of manifesto commitments and building trust and confidence was key. The joint administration also considered whether the council should revert back to a committee system of decision-making to enable a more inclusive form of decision-making. Having explored the options, and piloted a number of collaborative approaches, it is generally now felt that more minor adaptations to governance arrangements, rather than wholesale change, is required to enshrine the desired approach. Melton has therefore not moved to a committee system but instead is seeking to incorporate adaptations to the cabinet and leader system to ensure a more inclusive approach, for example, through the creation of cross-party working groups. Wrapped around this is an increased focus on member communications, through a fortnightly bulletin which is helping to support awareness and information flow regarding council activities. Positive feedback has been received regarding this.

Pre-election scenario planning and implication assessment

As a chief executive and wider senior leadership team, we were alert to the fact that political change was (and is always) a possibility. We were deliberate about preparing for the election by undertaking pre-election scenario planning, reviewing different potential scenarios and assessing potential implications. We also planned a thorough induction for members post-election, irrespective of the political makeup and with an awareness that there were many candidates standing for election who had not been councillors before. As a team we recognised the value of investing in this scenario planning and early work to build relationships and knowledge amongst out elected member cohort. Ideally, as chief executive I would have reached out and had pre-existing relationships with opposition group leaders prior to the election to discuss and understand manifesto plans and aspirations, but there were limited opportunities to do this as the Leader of the only opposition group at the time was standing down and a number of groups that have subsequently formed had not previously existed.

Maintaining impartiality while offering support

We were aware of how important a smooth transition, a well organised induction and clear and coherent information for members would be to help to get them up to speed and to feel informed and confident in their roles. Investing time and effort in induction was intensive but worthwhile and has paved the way for a strong and coherent set of relationships.

Previously built relationships and institutional knowledge can disappear overnight with electoral change. As chief executive I am also the returning officer in Melton and recognised the importance of ensuring that the elections ran smoothly both to deliver the right outcome, but also to make a good first impression and confident start.

After the election, understandably, there was early uncertainty over which groups or collaboration arrangements may emerge and lead the council. In this early and uncertain phase, we ensured that we provided reassurance to the organisation and reminded them that this was a natural part of democratic evolution. There were different possible options, as no one group could form a majority, and the emergence of new groups and new councillors meant that there was a period of dialogue and negotiation between different councillors and groups. As an officer group we had a facilitating role in this period and crucially, we emphasised the importance of our impartiality; emphasising that we serve the whole council and not an individual party or parties.

While things were uncertain, and particularly before it was clear who might emerge as new group leaders, as chief executive I took the early step to write to all councillors setting out the current situation and reaffirming the impartial role of officers, whilst also offering to provide confidential advice to any councillor who requested it or who wanted to understand the possible consequences of the political balance or any procedural matters. Strong technical knowledge from the senior leadership team was crucial during this period, and as the election timing had aligned with the departure of the former monitoring officer, securing interim expertise pending a longer term recruitment process was also invaluable - ensuring a calm and confident response to support councillors as they negotiated and eventually formed groups.

Give yourself time before the Annual Council

While the annual council meeting would usually take place in Mid-May, in 2023 it was to be held on the 24 May. Having three weeks to prepare after the election, rather than two, was enormously helpful while negotiations went on between the groups. During this time, as chief executive I worked intensively with the monitoring officer as we prepared for full council. A key focus was to ensure that whatever the outcome, procedurally the annual council meeting worked as it should – particularly given a number of other councils which had moved into NOC had found things had got ‘confused’ and ‘messy’. We worked through the various scenarios that might take place to ensure that procedures were clear for every possible eventuality. For example, typically, under a majority administration, voting on Chair positions would usually be voted through en-bloc. This time, because the likely outcome was less clear and voting was likely to vary with each position, it was necessary to vote on each separately. We were determined to ensure a coherent and professional tone for the first meeting; and worked diligently to understand all the details and their implications. I also met proactively with group leaders to gain their support, and assistance, in ensuring the meeting went well. Again, I took the opportunity to reaffirm a key message that officers did not mind who took power, but that ultimately the Council needed a ‘stable administration that was able to provide clarity of direction’.

Supporting the formation of a new administration

While remaining impartial, the chief executive does have a role in working with group leaders to facilitate the establishment of a stable administration. During the discussions with group leaders, aware that various interactions were taking place between them, I provided some specimen partnership agreements obtained through the LGA, and offered support in producing a draft which would potentially work in Melton. This was ultimately used by the emergent administration and became the backbone of their verbal agreement. It is important to be aware that during this period, and the formation of any joint administration, that policy options and ideas may be traded or discussed to facilitate any agreements. This is ultimately a matter for political agreement, but through discussions with group leaders it is helpful for the chief executive to be aware of these options and to proactively provide guidance and advice, so as to ensure the implications of any propositions or commitments are understood, and where necessary deferred or reviewed further so as to avoid any unintended consequences or difficulties in implementation.

After the Annual Full Council: Building relationships and a shared agenda

The annual general meeting went smoothly and was procedurally sound. There was something of an organisational ‘exhale’ after getting smoothly through this first crucial hurdle. The council had invested in a robust induction process, had strengthened member communications, invested in relationship building and the senior officer team worked extensively with the new cabinet of five – two Labour and three Independent, some of whom were new members; building relationships and briefing on key matters, particularly those which required an early decision.

The most intensive period was the first three months up to the end of the summer. There were fortnightly cabinet briefing sessions bringing together the cabinet and Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and any other officers needed as required. There were also frequent bilateral meetings between portfolio holders and their lead director (plus assistant directors where required). After three months of this intensive meeting schedule, cabinet briefings went to monthly meetings. Cabinet briefings are held two weeks before the formal cabinet. The agenda has two parts: there are the pre-agenda discussions for the cabinet meeting; and then there is a policy development session where officers can get an early steer on key issues from politicians prior to working up more formal proposals. Investing time and effort in these things matters and has enabled a smooth transition in what could otherwise have been vulnerable to ‘shifting sands’. Working in NOC requires more consensus and compromise, and there is generally a perception that this can lead to slower decision making, but it also has the benefit to create a more stable policy platform due to greater consensus having been achieved.

A more inclusive governance system

Changes have been made to the governance system to ensure it works more inclusively, and all members have had opportunity to consider what changes would support this aspiration whilst still retaining clarity and accountability. Thematic cross party working groups chaired by the cabinet member have provided wider ownership of policy, and Scrutiny is working well with a strong focus on pre-development working and policy development, with a string and effective partnership established between the Chair and a senior officer who champions its work.

A different system but a productive one

The system under a joint administration is different to working with a majority administration but it can be equally productive. An all-member review of working arrangements was undertaken before Christmas 2023 with a clear sense that roles were clear, but members felt able to contribute on a range of important areas. It was recognised that a governance system can help provide structure, but ultimately it is how officers and members conduct themselves within it which will ultimately determine success or failure. A new corporate plan was agreed in early 2024, and during the period of its development, action was being taken to deliver on ‘quick wins’ to build momentum, consensus and impact on areas of mutually agreed importance. The budget setting process was ‘disciplined and focussed’ with the opportunity for a coherent debate and consideration of an alternative budget, and organisational effectiveness has been retained, validated also through strong organisational performance and audit outcomes.

Building a shared purpose and a shared sense of team

Both in preparation before the election and supporting the transition after, the SLT has worked together to ensure ‘shared ownership’ and confidence amongst the officer team to deliver, and to support their teams and members to deliver in a new political environment. Before the election, officers worked to prepare effectively and since the election have worked closely and positively with their respective Portfolio Holders individually and Cabinet collectively. This has helped build a shared sense of purpose and team across officers and members. There is confidence that the council can deliver for its communities.

Experience of NOC and empathy for politicians

As chief executive I had previous experience working in an NOC council which had seen significant political change, and I had nearly two decades worth of working in senior officer teams with plenty of experience of working with senior politicians. The foundations of any relationship is empathy and respect and making sure you ‘put yourself in the shoes of others’. It is imperative that officers recognise and value the vital and important role members have, as well as the challenges they will face. Thinking how you can help deliver their aspirations, and overcome those challenges is a great place to start.

• Invest in preparation before the election
• In any period of uncertainty or transition, use consistent, clear messages concerning the role of officers – supporting the whole council, offering impartial advice to all members, and working to facilitate the establishment of a stable administration. 
• Success involves intensive relationship building – spend time getting to know each other and build honest relationships.
• It will work differently to majority control…
• But it can be really productive

Edd de Coverly
Email: [email protected]