A message from Mel Barrett, Chief Executive
In a letter I received earlier today, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) confirmed that the Secretary of State, after considering representations and all other developments since his ‘minded to’ proposals, has decided to appoint Commissioners.
The Lead Commissioner will be Tony McArdle OBE who was previously Lead Commissioner at the former Northamptonshire County Council and is currently Chair of the London Borough of Croydon Improvement and Assurance Panel. He will be supported by Margaret Lee as Commissioner for Finance, with the intention that a Commissioner for transformation will be nominated in due course.
What this means for the council
The Commissioners have been granted extensive powers and will oversee the full range of the council’s improvement activities, including strategies to secure the medium and long term financial sustainability of the council and plans to transform front line services.
The appointment of Commissioners replaces the Improvement and Assurance Board with immediate effect, although the Commissioners will be able to draw on the input of Sir Tony Redmond and former Improvement and Assurance Board members as they see fit.
As you will know, major pressures affecting local government nationally, including the cost of increased demand for children’s and adults’ social care and rising homelessness presentations, have led to a £23 million overspend in 2023/24 and the need to request Exceptional Financial Support from Government in the form of capitalisation which allows the council to use capital receipts from asset sales to meet ongoing revenue costs as a short term measure.
In addition, the extensive budget savings package put forward, which will have a significant impact on local services, is due to be decided on by councillors at a meeting of the City Council scheduled for 4 March 2024.
The council is committed to working in collaboration with the Commissioners to continue our improvement journey at pace, reshaping the organisation to put the authority on a stable financial footing, while delivering essential services for Nottingham residents within the resources that we have.
Our wider transformation work is already well under way and the expert input and challenge from the Commissioners will be invaluable to our officers and councillors as they look to accelerate that process further.
Further information and support
I appreciate the appointment of Commissioners can create uncertainty for colleagues but we are committed to keeping staff informed, supported and engaged.
The existing FAQs which I know colleagues have found valuable will continue to be updated following the announcement. You can download these here.
We will be looking to set up opportunities for colleagues to meet with myself and other senior managers through ‘all Manager’ and ‘all colleague’ briefings. I hope as many people as possible will be able to attend to engage and ask questions. Further details will be available shortly.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to providing essential services to our citizens and our city.
Mel Barrett, Chief Executive
Feedback submitted to us on this form is monitored but you won’t receive a reply. If you need a response please contact us.