The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) allocated nearly half a million pounds to exit packages and settlements for senior staff in Dan Norris’ final year as mayor. According to the 2024/25 interim annual report by auditor Grant Thornton, WECA paid out £475,713 to three departing directors alongside other settlements linked to historic staff grievances.
These significant payouts coincided with efforts to stabilise the organisation after a period marked by unusually high staff turnover, including earlier exits of the interim chief executive and interim monitoring officer in 2024. Grant Thornton described the exit payments as “reasonable in context” but cautioned that repeatedly paying senior staff to leave is not a sustainable or value-for-money approach.
The departing directors included the chief finance officer, the strategic director of infrastructure, and the director of people and assets. The report highlighted underlying issues such as ineffective performance management and “poor relationships” between senior officers and the former mayor, which heightened the authority’s vulnerability to legal challenges from employees.
READ MORE: New Bridgwater Flats Prioritise Local Residents Amid Rumours
READ MORE: American Couple Travels to UK M5 Service Station for the Best Sausage Roll, Thanks to Reddit
WECA, which is governed by Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bristol City Council, and South Gloucestershire Council, had been issued a “best value notice” by the government in March 2024. The notice demanded improvements in governance and officer-politician relations after numerous confrontational committee meetings and a boycott by council leaders in 2021.
The notice was lifted later in 2024, shortly before Helen Godwin (Labour) succeeded Dan Norris as mayor. The auditors noted “significant momentum” in repairing relationships following her arrival. Godwin appointed Kevin Guy, Liberal Democrat leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council, as her deputy mayor — a move Grant Thornton called a “significant step” toward better political cooperation.
Despite the turbulence, the report commended progress made under both Godwin and Norris, noting the latter participated sufficiently in WECA business before resigning as mayor after his parliamentary election in July 2024. There were no further disruptions to committee meetings such as adjournments or walkouts seen in previous years.
Stephen Peacock, WECA’s chief executive officer, welcomed the report and affirmed continued efforts to strengthen governance and organisational stability. However, the audit underlined areas requiring further attention, including implementing stricter controls to ensure compliance with procurement rules — especially after the authority admitted breaching internal processes when engaging former Bristol City Council staff as contractors.
Dan Norris faces ongoing police investigation on serious allegations unrelated to WECA matters. He remains on bail and was suspended from the Labour Party following his arrest in April 2025. Norris chose not to run for re-election as mayor after becoming MP for North East Somerset and Hanham, with Labour arranging a proxy vote on his behalf during his police bail period.