Government confirms plan to de-escalate intervention at Nottingham City Council

The latest intervention package, which is due to be in place until 30 September 2027, comprises specific actions the council is required to take, and appoints Ministerial Envoys to support the council and oversee improvement work.

Directions issued this week require Nottingham to:

• Work with the Ministerial Envoys to establish a Continuous Improvement Committee with appropriate membership, including external Leads for Adults Social Care and Children’s Services.
• Work with the Ministerial Envoys to prepare a Continuous Improvement Plan within three months, and respond promptly and in public to any Committee recommendations on the Plan and its implementation.
• Continue to work with other councils in the Nottinghamshire area for unitary local government.
• Cooperate with the Ministerial Envoys and provide assistance and access to them as set out in the Directions and required to deliver improvement.
• Pay the Ministerial Envoys’ reasonable expenses and such fees as the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government determines.

The first envoy to be appointed is Sharon Kemp, who has already been acting as a Commissioner at Nottingham. A second envoy, who is expected to have a political background, will be named in due course.

The envoys will report to the Secretary of State after six months.

Alison McGovern, Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness, outlined the revised intervention last month, noting that the council had made significant improvement in many aspects of its operation and was now meeting its Best Value Duty across most, but not all, themes.

In a written ministerial statement this week, McGovern said: “The intervention package represents a de-escalation of the previous arrangements, reflecting the substantial progress the council has made to date and the strength of its leadership. It is designed to build on and reinforce that progress, enabling the council to continue driving its own improvement with the necessary support from the Ministerial Envoys.”

She added that the Secretary of State had reduced the number of days of support the Ministerial Envoys can provide compared to Commissioners, with a maximum of 75 days each per year, reducing the level of oversight, and cost to the council.

The Secretary of State will review the directions and the Ministerial Envoys’ roles after 12 months.

“Subject to clear and sustained evidence of improvement, the intervention may be de-escalated further ahead of the expiration of the Directions,” McGovern said.

Cllr Neghat Khan, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “The Government’s decision last month that Commissioners were no longer needed at the council showed that we have turned a corner. With a balanced budget, the lowest increase in Council Tax for 18 years and our debt reduced by 64%, we now have the best financial performance of any of the UK’s Core Cities. 

“In our discussions with Ministers, we made clear our willingness to seek ongoing external expertise but that this should be light touch with a limited cost to the council and local taxpayers. I’m pleased that the Government has listened and that the support being offered is proportionate.”

Nottingham’s Chief Executive, Sajeeda Rose, said: “We have come a long way in our improvement journey and significant progress has been made thanks to the hard work and commitment of council staff and councillors.  

“We know we have more work to do but we have a clear plan in place for continuous improvement, and we welcome being able to call on external local government expertise to provide guidance.”