A Derbyshire council once branded one of the worst in the country is still under-performing, a report says. The Audit Commission found that while some services at Erewash Borough Council had improved, there were still significant weaknesses.
These were focused in leadership, the relationship between councillors and officers as well as inadequate plans to address a budget shortfall, it said.
Acting deputy chief executive Ian Sankey said progress was being made.
Consultants' payments
He said: "Things aren't what they should be, but we're trying to move things forward, and the choice which the leadership took was to concentrate on service delivering.
"That doesn't mean we're complacent - I would not sit here and tell you things are absolutely perfect in Erewash, they're clearly not. But we have got plans in place and we'll continue to improve."
The council was heavily criticised in 2004 by the commission for its leadership and services.
In the past week the authority's chief executive John Rice announced he was stepping down after another report revealed the council spent about �3,500 a week employing outside consultants.
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