Nottingham City Council is yet to receive any news from the Conservative Government over planned commissioner intervention. Ministers revealed they were "minded to" send in commissioners to take control of operations over a month ago, but the collapse of Boris Johnson's Government has left the city in limbo.
It is understood the Government has been considering sending in two commissioners, having become further concerned over the discovery of the mismanagement of funds in the council's Housing Revenue Account. Money from the HRA is intended for council tenants only, but it is now thought an estimated £40m may have been misspent.
Sir Tony Redmond, who is the current chairman of the Improvement and Assurances Board (IAB), which was appointed after the collapse of Robin Hood Energy, was intended to become the lead commissioner. The IAB is the body which reports back to the Government's Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and ministers then respond with their thoughts on the council's progress.
Commissioners are paid up to £1,200 per day, funded by the taxpayer, and are tasked with bringing about urgent cultural, operational and financial change within local authorities. On June 23 this year it was revealed the HRA issues had been the final straw and minister Kemi Badenoch wrote to the council to say the Government was now "minded to" intervene further.
Since then however there has been little to no communication from the Government following the demise of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the collapse of his leadership. Michael Gove, the secretary of state for the department overseeing Nottingham City Council, was sacked and his minister Kemi Badenoch then resigned to enter the Tory Party leadership race.
The turbulence among the top brass has left Nottingham in limbo. Speaking of the situation, Councillor David Mellen, leader of the council who represents the Dales ward for Labour, said the resignations in Government "has meant that there has been some drift and uncertainties".
"We are still awaiting confirmation of [commissioner intervention] happening," he said. "We were given two weeks to reply to that 'minded to' decision. I believe at least 25 letters went in from Nottingham in support of the council to the minister, but obviously the minister has changed and so we are not yet certain."
During a meeting at Loxley House on August 3, Councillor Gul Khan, who represents the Dales ward for Labour, asked the leader if there had been any new messages from the IAB. Councillor Mellen responded and said: "No there hasn't been an official response to the last two improvement board reports from Government. Obviously the minister who was responsible has gone and there is a new minister for that.
"The latest message from the improvement board is they don't want this hiatus, this gap from the central Government, to stop our improvement work and we are certainly not doing that."
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has only responded to say its position as of June remains the same.
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