Measures for failing councils announced

The government will appoint partnership boards to help failing
local authorities implement their recovery plans, according to a
consultation paper on tackling poor performance in local government
published last week.

The paper reveals a range of measures the government would like
available to it when the outcomes of the first round of the
comprehensive performance assessments (CPA) are announced at the
end of the year.

Failing councils would be expected to develop a recovery plan
outlining improvements. The implementation of the recovery plan
would usually be supported by a partnership or improvement board
made up of experts in the areas of weakness identified by the CPA.
These experts would be appointed jointly by the government and the
council.

External contractors from the public, private or voluntary sectors
would be introduced to develop the recovery plan. Where this is
considered insufficient, interim management teams would be drafted
in.

The paper says that the government is prepared to consider using
its statutory powers of intervention wherever it believes a council
is unwilling or unable to address its poor performance.
Consultation ends 30 September.

– Tackling Poor Performance in Local Government from www.local-regions.odpm.gov.uk/conindex.htm