About GOVTC

 

GOVTC Origins

GOVTC was setup in 2018.

The business was founded by Bethan Evans, a nationally recognised legal professional with more than four decades of experience in advising and representing local authorities.

About Bethan Evans - Career Experience

Throughout my career, I have worked closely with elected councillors and love the involvement with members, working with them to support their democratic role. I have provided advice on all aspects of governance and decision-making. I have also been personally involved in designing and delivering training programmes and modules for elected members as follows:

In house lawyer

in four different councils

  • Leading the provision of legal and governance services
  • Acting as Monitoring Officer and Returning Officer
  • Managing code of conduct complaints
  • Leading induction and development programmes for newly elected councillors

Executive Director

Syniad (Welsh Local Government Association)

  • Instigating the Member Development Charter in Wales
  • Planning and personally delivering member training modules
    • New Executive and scrutiny arrangements
    • Role of a councillor as a corporate parent
    • Standards and conduct

Partner

Bevan Brittan LLP

  • Advising councils across England and Wales on complex legal issues and major projects including externalisation
  • Delivering training courses and workshops to client councils including
    • New ways of working
    • Probity and standards
    • Roles on outside bodies

Originally from Walsall, I have lived in Bristol for many years although I have worked in Cardiff, Birmingham, Leeds and London. I am now based in London and the West Country, from where I can operate across England and Wales.

“Beth Evans is an excellent trainer. Brilliant course. Superbly insightful.”

Course Delegate

 

Legal 500 Rankings

Bethan Evans is the ‘undisputed leader in the field’

Rankings 2017 (UK Local Government)

 

Chambers2018 - Ranked Band One

Bethan Evans is “an experienced public sector practitioner, specialising in local government”.

“She is very knowledgeable, always very accommodating and very responsive. It was great to work with her”.

Ranked Band One individual lawyer, UK-wide for Local Government

Associates

I work with a few, carefully identified, associates who share my approach and ethos to councillor training. They have significant experience in their fields.

About

Gill Sinclair

Gill is an experienced local government lawyer who has worked for over 20 years in the fields of governance, standards and planning.

Gill has extensive experience of providing advice to councils on decision-making, probity, standards and the Member Code of Conduct. She has undertaken all aspects of work relating to allegations of breaches of the Code, including assessment and investigation of complaints, reporting and advising the Standards Committee and providing training to Councillors.

She has also advised on all aspects of planning related matters, including major planning applications for new neighbourhoods, high profile planning appeals, strategic planning policies and plans (including joint strategic plans and Mayoral Strategic Development Strategies) and judicial reviews.

Gill regularly advised Councillors on interests and conflicts in relation to planning matters and the importance of probity in the planning process.

Gill works with me on Probity in Planning, sessions on standards and on investigations into Code of Conduct complaints.

Steve Evans

Steve Evans

Steve is an experienced local government officer with over 25 years’ experience at director level. He has worked in a District Council, London Boroughs and a Unitary Council. He has led services including leisure, environment, commercial services, highways, planning and transport. He has significant experience in developing and  modernising services and in implementing strategy. Steve has worked closely with elected members over many years in both committee and cabinet systems. Steve provides research and operational support to the consultancy and works with me on Effective scrutiny methods and New models of service delivery.

Steve Evans

Tonya Meers

Tonya is an experienced local government lawyer with over 30 years’ experience. She has worked in both district and unitary councils and has given advice on a wide range of areas including planning and corporate governance. Having been either a Monitoring Officer or Deputy Monitoring Officer for over 20 years she has advised on all aspects of governance and standards including advising Standards Committees, undertaking assessments and investigations for alleged breaches of code of conduct and provided governance advice and training to members of all levels of local government including town and parish councils. Tonya works with me on investigations into Code of Conduct complaints.