Thanet District Council governance 'not acceptable', leader says

Thanet council leader Ash Ashbee wrote to ask for government assistance with governance of the council

A council leader has asked the government to intervene because the governance of the authority is "not acceptable in its present form".

Thanet District Council leader Ash Ashbee has written to Local Government Secretary Michael Gove asking him to "rectify the situation".

The authority's management team were not informed of the letter beforehand.

A spokesperson for the council said they were aware of the letter but senior management have not seen a copy.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) said: "We are aware of the concerns raised about Thanet Council's governance and will remain in close contact with the council."

In a statement, Ms Ashbee said: "Since I took over the leadership of Thanet District Council... it has become apparent to me that the governance of this local authority is not acceptable in its present form."

Ms Ashbee has not returned the BBC's calls for comment.

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