The Shareholder Cabinet Sub-Committee met on Thursday 14 May 2026 to discuss the governance of council-owned companies. The committee approved recommendations from an Internal Audit report on the governance of these companies, with a commitment to further updates and a focus on rationalising company structures.

Governance of Council-Owned Companies

The committee reviewed the final report of Internal Audit concerning the governance of council-owned companies for the 2025/26 period. This audit, commissioned in December 2024, assessed the governance arrangements across four identified companies, including those inherited from predecessor authorities. The report highlighted key findings and provided an overview of recommendations, with a management action plan indicating that several recommendations were already being implemented.

Key discussions during the meeting included:

• Board Meeting Schedules: Members requested a schedule of board meetings for the companies. Officers confirmed that details would be provided at the next meeting, though noted that direct member attendance might not always be appropriate due to the nature of these meetings.
• Vacancies: Concerns were raised about existing vacancies, particularly for non-executive director and member roles, and the timescales for filling these positions.
• Policy Adoption: Questions were posed regarding whether newly established or existing companies would be required to adopt West Northamptonshire Council's (WNC) policies, such as the recently approved waste policy, or if they would operate under their own frameworks. Officers clarified that while WNC could not enforce its policies on these companies, it could offer guidance and support.
• Senior Officer Resignations: The process for handling the resignation of a senior officer from a company role was discussed, with officers confirming that succession planning and the identification of suitable replacements were carefully considered.

The committee was informed that the next phase of work would involve reviewing dormant companies and exploring opportunities to rationalise or merge company structures where appropriate. The committee ultimately approved the recommendations set out in the Internal Audit report.

The meeting was attended by Councillor Mark Arnull (Chair), Councillor Keith Holland-Delamere, Councillor Christine Ware, and Councillor Laura Couse (substitute). Officers present included Sarah Hall, Corporate Director for Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer, Paul Hanson, Head of Democratic & Elections, and Sofia Neal-Gonzalez, Democratic Services Officer. Councillor Adrian Cartwright was also in attendance. Apologies were received from Councillor Charlie Hastie, Councillor James Petter, Councillor Dan Lister, and Councillor David Smith. No declarations of interest were made. The minutes of the previous meeting were signed as a true and accurate record. The meeting closed at 2.34 pm.