The huge numbers of local councillors makes such scrutiny practically impossible. Many, possibly even most, local councillors act in good faith but there are a significant number of rogues whose main concern is lining their own pockets. Private Eye often makes very illuminating reading on corruption in local politics. A business exists for one reason and one reason only - to generate profit for shareholders. Nothing else matters or will be allowed to get in the way of this.
Public opinion counts for nothing unless it impacts that profit.