Nottingham raises objections to Gove plan to send in commissioners

Nottingham City Council has written to the Government to say it believes continued retention of an Improvement and Assurance Board (IAB) with "enhanced powers" would better support its financial recovery rather than the appointment of commissioners.

The letter comes as part of the council's response to a call for representations made by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove in his December 'minded to' letter, which proposed the appointment of three commissioners at the council.

Gove's letter was sent a month after Nottingham issued a section 114 notice (November 2023), which the council blamed on inflation, the rising cost of social care for children and adults and increased homelessness rates.

The IAB has been overseeing improvements at the council since 2021, and its aim is to improve the council's governance and financial position.

It was bolstered in September 2022 when the Government handed it powers of direction and has issued instructions for specific areas of work that build on the council's improvement plan.

In the letter to the Government, the council's Leader, Cllr David Mellen and Chief Executive, Mel Barrett, said: "Given the depth of knowledge and working relationships built up between the Council and the Improvement and Assurance Board members, we believe that the continued retention of that structure with enhanced powers could successfully support the Council's recovery, and we have previously indicated a preference for that arrangement rather than the appointment of Commissioners."

The letter asked that, if a decision to send in commissioners is made, it is done expeditiously and that a period of transition with the existing IAB is incorporated, so the change to increased intervention can be managed as seamlessly as possible.

A cabinet member at the council has also urged the government to reconsider plans to send commissioners into the local authority, citing concerns for the "democratic wishes" of voters.

Writing to Gove, Cllr Steve Battlemuch – who is portfolio holder for Skills, Growth, Economic Development and Property – said: "We have worked hard as elected Cllrs with the IAB since 2021 and are naturally now disappointed to receive your 'minded to' letter on the appointment of commissioners.

"It is hard to work out how the appointment of three new people could do something that the three IAB consultants can't do."

He added: "We strongly believe that democratic control of the council is a really important principle. Bringing in commissioners to run the council undermines the democratic wishes of the voters of Nottingham and undermines the hard working senior officers of the council.

"I urge you to pull back from this step and allow the democratically elected Cllrs and senior officers of the council to run the council with appropriate levels of support from your officials and the LGA."

Adam Carey