Lib Dems Disappointed with Council Leadership's Progress (Saffron Walden Constituency Liberal Democrats)

Saffron Walden Constituency Liberal Democrats <info@saffronwaldenlibdems.org.uk>

Lib Dems Disappointed with Council Leadership's Progress

May 7, 2008 8:54 PM

Uttlesford District Council's Liberal Democrat group has welcomed the publication of the Annual Audit and Inspection Letter by the Audit Commission. This was discussed on Tuesday 29th April at the Council's Performance Committee.

Cllr Peter Wilcock, Liberal Democrat Group Leader said, "I am disappointed with the Conservative leadership's lack of progress in getting to grips with the management issues. This has resulted in the Audit Commission making a series of recommendations for improvement that the council has a legal duty to respond to within 16 weeks. It was also disappointing that the Leader of the Council had not seen fit to inform the Council that Uttlesford is now also subject to a voluntary Improvement Board to monitor the Council's progress".

Peter Wilcock added, "The ruling Conservatives have been slow to start to improve the management capacity as recommended in the independent report produced in January by Mr. Bill Roots. The council has only two directors left. It is now clear that services are suffering. I have been receiving more and more complaints about the Council, despite the best endeavours of the council's hard-working staff. We must all work together to put the council back on an even keel."

Former Liberal Democrat council leader, Alan Dean, added, "Harlow Council was similarly at a low level four years ago, but is now much improved. Mistaken leadership decisions at Uttlesford in the past year or so must be put behind us. The whole council has to get to grips with the fragile situation it finds itself in to avoid service quality slipping and to deal with big issues like airports and eco-towns. We all have to accept that the 'voluntary' Improvement Board of external advisors is a necessary condition for their support with finance, leadership and managerial experience."