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The Government has confirmed its intention to extend its intervention into Thurrock Council for a further three years after issuing the local authority with directions.

In a written ministerial statement issued on Thursday (17 July), Local Government Minister Jim McMahon said he is still satisfied that the council is failing to comply with its best value duty, after considering representations on the matter.

Thurrock has been under intervention measures since September 2022 over concerns about the council's ability to meet its best value duty. 

Three months later, the local authority issued a section 114 notice after the commissioner team uncovered a £470m funding gap, which was partly the result of financial losses from investments in solar energy businesses.

The Government later escalated its intervention, appointing an expanded commissioner team in February 2023.

McMahon announced plans to continue the intervention in June, following the publication of a fifth commissioners' report, which described the council's position as "fragile".

After receiving representations on his proposed intervention, McMahon has now issued directions to the council under section 15(5) and 15(6) of the 1999 Act.

Under the directions, which will remain in place until April 2028, Gavin Jones CBE, Denise Murray and Dr Dave Smith will continue as commissioners.

The directions call on Thurrock to continue to implement and report on plans for the council's improvement and recovery, as well as develop and maintain a new corporate plan, which should include a strategy to ensure compliance with the council's best value duty.

They also require Thurrock to ensure that it has personnel with sufficient capability and capacity, and that the council works with the commissioners on its work with neighbouring councils on local government reorganisation and devolution.

Commissioners will meanwhile have the ability to exercise functions:

  • associated with the governance, scrutiny and transparency of strategic decision making by the authority.
  • associated with financial sustainability and delivering financial governance and scrutiny of strategic financial decision-making by the authority.
  • associated with the authority's operating model and redesign of services to achieve value for money and financial sustainability; and those that ensure the council has the right skills, capacity, capabilities and structures to make improvements.

Commenting on the extended intervention, McMahon said: "I am confident that this package will address the issues identified and is necessary for the council to secure compliance with its Best Value Duty.

"The success of Thurrock is important both for its own benefit and that of the region, with its critical role in local government reorganisation and devolution across Essex, which offers significant opportunities to drive growth, improve transport connectivity and build new homes, as well as raising living standards for its population."

Thurrock's arrangements will be reviewed by McMahon in the Summer of 2026.

Responding to the ministerial statement, Cllr Lynn Worrall, leader of Thurrock Council, said: "We are committed to delivering positive changes for the residents of Thurrock and are pleased that we will be able to continue working with the commissioners to achieve further progress.

"It is clear that Thurrock Council is getting better. Our children's services have been rated as 'outstanding' by Ofsted, the National Planning Service has highlighted real improvements in our planning service and our new Corporate Plan sets out a clear direction for the future."

Adam Carey

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