'Disappointing' pace of change at 'bankrupt' Nottingham City Council

The council still has changes to make, the IAB said in its final report

Nottingham City Council has been slow to make changes in its efforts to improve amid ongoing financial turmoil, a report has said.

The Improvement and Assurance Board (IAB) has published its final report into the council's recovery plan.

It said despite some progress, the council had not "fully accepted the gravity of the situation".

The city council said it had been informed on the further required improvements.

When the board was appointed to oversee changes to local authority's operation, following the collapse of the council-run Robin Hood Energy (RHE) three years ago, failures were found in numerous areas including the council's governance, finance and its "underlying culture".

The authority then declared itself effectively bankrupt in November following which commissioners were appointed to help run it and given direct decision-making powers.

• As it happened: Nottingham City Council announces 'bankruptcy'

In its final report published on Thursday, the IAB stressed that the council's financial position remained "very serious" despite some budgetary improvements.

The report said despite some change, "the areas where there is a failure to deliver change in its entirety, there is a concern the council has still not fully accepted the gravity of the situation".

It added: "The IAB has been disappointed throughout its term of office at the pace of change in Nottingham."

The IAB said the "underlying culture of the organisation was unacceptable" with issues around training and working practices "unresolved".

It added the council's workforce "had more than 500 people greater than comparable authorities", and said its working practices were "inefficient".

A Nottingham City Council spokesperson said: "The Improvement and Assurance Board's final report has informed the council's work with commissioners on the further improvements that are needed in order to build on the progress already made."