Letter from the Minister for Local Government to Sir Tony Redmond, Chair of the Nottingham City Council Improvement and Assurance Board, outlining the Secretary of State’s intervention package.
A copy of the ministerial letter from Simon Hoare MP, Minister for Local Government, to Sir Tony Redmond, Chair of the Nottingham City Council Improvement and Assurance Board, detailing the decision by the Secretary of State to intervene and appoint Commissioners and thanking the Board for their role to date.
‘Dear Tony,
NOTTINGHAM CITY COUNCIL: INTERVENTION
‘As Chair of the Nottingham City Council Improvement and Assurance Board (‘the Board’), I
wish to inform you that, after considering carefully all the representations received and all other developments since his ‘minded to’ proposals, the Secretary of State has today made Directions, under section 15(5) and (6) of the Local Government Act 1999, and appointed
Commissioners at Nottingham City Council (‘the Council’). These Directions replace the
Directions issued on 2 September 2022 with immediate effect.
‘Following this decision, I would like to take the opportunity to thank you and the Board again for the skills and experience that you have brought to the intervention over the past three years. This is evident in the quality of your progress reports that clearly set out the challenges the Council continues to face, alongside constructive areas for improvement and changes that the Council need, as well as the recommendations you issued to the Council in February 2023 and January 2024 targeting its most pressing concerns. It is also clear that you have built constructive working relationships with officers and members at the Council, at a time when the strength of such relationships has been invaluable.
‘Your work on the intervention and all reports to date has enabled me to decide on next
steps, and I would like to put on record the instrumental role that you and the Board have
played in Nottingham City Council’s improvement journey to date. Moving forward, the
Secretary of State and I expect a managed transition from the Board to the Commissioners
and that momentum isn’t lost, particularly over the critical budget setting period for 2024/25.
‘We are supportive of the Commissioners drawing on reasonable support to facilitate this
transition, including from yourself and other former Board members, if they wish and in the
terms they deem reasonable. I am very grateful for your flexibility to support the Commissioner team throughout this transition period, which I know will be of vital importance given the challenging decisions the Council will need to take over coming weeks, particularly as it finalises the budget for 2024/25.
‘Thank you once again for your work and for your diligence in contributing to the improvement at Nottingham City Council, and I am grateful for your continued input at Woking Borough Council where you continue to provide your expertise.’
SIMON HOARE MP
