Calls for Greater Transparency on Council-Owned Companies

An appeal has been made to a local authority to enhance openness concerning the activities of businesses it fully or partially controls, citing the public’s “a right to know”. This appeal comes after a Coventry City Council session where several deliberations occurred confidentially, reportedly due to their inclusion of financial data legally mandated to remain private. Gary Ridley, who leads the Conservative group, expressed opposition to this decision, stating: “I think it’s wrong some of this information is being [kept] private.” George Duggins, the Labour leader of the authority, asserted the council’s transparency, yet an agreement was reached that upcoming meetings might address certain companies with greater openness. Private discussions have encompassed the operational performance of Coombe Abbey hotel, Tom White Waste, the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, and the Growth Hub. Ridley’s initiative to have these matters debated in a public forum received support from fellow Conservative Julia Lepoidevin, who commented that she was “deeply, deeply concerned and feel that the public should know”. Additionally, Labour cabinet member Jim O’Boyle stated he found no justification for the Growth Hub documents to remain confidential. He expressed astonishment, noting that relevant information was publicly available and that he believed Ridley was “absolutely right”. While five other Labour members of the scrutiny committee did not endorse the proposal, the assembly concluded that the companies would be discussed openly once their accounts are submitted at the close of the year. Furthermore, council officials concurred that future reports pertaining to the Growth Hub could be made public. Duggins remarked that it was an “inevitability” for the primary concerns regarding the performance of the council’s investment management company to be contained within its private report. He attributed this to “the fact of the commerciality in particular around Coombe and Tom White Waste.” The Local Democracy Reporting Service, which reports on local authorities and other public service entities, compiled this information. For further updates, follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire via BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for material found on external websites. Details regarding our policy on external links are available for review.