Government inspectors to swoop on troubled council

4 hours ago

Martin HeathBedfordshire political reporter

News image — Inspectors appointed by the government will spend three months with the council

Getty Images A row of four people, seen from the waist down, two of whom are in leggings while the others are wearing brown or blue trousers. One is carrying a black briefcase and two others are carrying iPads. They are standing on square white slabs. — Inspectors appointed by the government will spend three months with the council

Politicians from across the political divide have welcomed news that a team of government inspectors will be putting a cash-strapped council under scrutiny.

Three inspectors will spend three months at Bedford Borough Council to determine whether the authority is "making arrangements to secure continuous improvement".

The Conservative elected mayor, Tom Wootton, has called on the chief executive to resign following the announcement of the inspection.

But opposition parties have accused Wootton of bad financial management.

The council faces a multi-million pound shortfall and has asked the government for £55m of exceptional financial support.

Even though it is legally required to set a balanced budget, the full council rejected the mayor's financial plans earlier this month.

Now, the government has ordered a best value inspection to check whether the authority is spending its money wisely.

The three inspectors, who are said by the council to have "a track record in helping to drive improvements" at other authorities, will scrutinise economy, efficiency and effectiveness.

Laura Church with short fair hair, wearing glasses, smiling at the camera and wearing a dark blue buttoned top. She is standing on the bank of a river with a five-storey office block behind. — Bedford's mayor has called for the council's chief executive, Laura Church (pictured), to resign

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Wootton believed there had been "systemic mismanagement" at the authority.

He had been advised he was unable to ask for the resignation of the chief executive, Laura Church, until after the inspection, but he hoped she "will do the right thing for Bedford".

The BBC has invited Church to respond.

Martin Heath/BBC Ben Foley wearing a grey trilby, green sweater and green shirt, smiling at the camera while sitting in a wheelchair on a grey carpet in front of a white wall and wooden door. — Ben Foley, of the council's Green group, said the mayor was trying to pass the buck

'Turmoil'

But the leader of the Liberal Democrat group, Henry Vann, said: "Even now, as government inspectors are coming in, it's always someone else's fault.

"Ultimately, the buck stops with the mayor and he needs to be apologising to residents, not creating even more turmoil."

Ben Foley, the convenor of the Green councillors, said: "The Green group are just utterly shocked by the mayor's attempt to pass the buck for the failings of his administration.

He claimed the Conservative group "started wasting money right since they came in".

Sam Read/BBC Mohammad Yasin with short dark hair, wearing glasses and smiling at the camera. He has a blue jacket over a pink shirt and purple tie. He is standing on grass with reeds and a river behind. — Mohammad Yasin MP hopes the inspection will get the council back on track

Graeme Coombes, the leader of the Conservative group, said he welcomed the inspection.

He said it was happening because the government "raised serious concerns about things that the council officer team haven't dealt with".

Mohammad Yasin, the Labour MP for Bedford, said: "I hope this inspection helps the council get back on track and recover from the financial mess it has ended up in under Conservative administration."

The full council will meet again next week to debate a revised budget

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