Esther McVey has called for envoys to be sent into Cheshire East Council to clear up its failings.
Cheshire East Council was handed a “Best Value Notice” last year from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) due to concerns over its financial sustainability and medium-term financial strategy, as well leadership, governance, scrutiny and culture.
This week in a letter to the council, government said while some improvements had been made, it remains “very concerned” about the challenges still facing the authority. The council now has until November to make further changes or face further action,
Ms McVey had been in regular contact with the former Secretary of State about the issue, and after new Prime Minister Andy Burnham reshuffled the Cabinet, she last night wrote to the new minister in charge re-iterating her concerns.
Ms McVey said: “Sadly, I am not surprised there are still significant concerns about the Labour-led Cheshire East. I receive large volumes of correspondence from constituents who are fed up with the council, whether that be road repairs, planning issues or missed refuse collections. The list is endless, and these issues are mirrored with conversations I have when out and about in the constituency and at my Q&A sessions.
“Generally, residents are patient and pragmatic, but they are now at a point where they want central government support to address the failing council.
“I have asked the new government minister for a meeting to discuss sending envoys in to the council to improve its performance.”
Ms McVey said it was not helped by the fact the organisation had been a “rudderless ship” for six months and while she had nothing but praise for the person who stepped up and took on the role, at the same time as doing her own job, it was not good enough.
She added: “The council is not functioning on a senior level, and I have made this clear to government many times over the past year, and again in my latest letter. My constituents deserve better.”
In the letter to the council, the MHCLG did say there had been “early signs of improvement” in some areas, but “ministers remain very concerned about the scale of challenge still facing the authority.”
