A government minister has thanked Middlesbrough Council for the steps it has taken in responding to governance concerns.
Local Government Minister Simon Hoare MP wrote to Mayor Chris Cooke on Tuesday as a revised Best Value Notice was issued to the Council.
A Best Value Notice was originally issued for 12 months in January 2023 in response to concerns around governance and culture issues. The notice has now been updated and is in place for six months, indicating that government will continue to monitor the situation as improvements are made.
In his letter, Mr Hoare wrote: “Your council has worked well with the department and has set out and implemented a range of improvement measures to begin to effectively address the identified concerns. We thank the council for this work.”
The Council has established an Independent Improvement Advisory Board, made up of experts in their fields, to offer challenge and oversight as it introduces changes.
The board’s first public report, published this month, noted that a “significant amount of improvement activity has taken place against a backdrop of significant organisational change”.
Both the board report and the revised notice from government identify that changes need to be further embedded.
Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke said: “I’ve been in the role for almost nine months now and we’ve been working hard on solving problems from the past.
“I had a very productive call with the minister earlier this week and it’s really encouraging to see that the updated notice reflects the progress the Council has made.
“We’re working incredibly hard with the Independent Improvement Advisory Board, the Local Government Association and DLUHC to respond properly to all the concerns.
“Governance and demonstrating value for money is absolutely fundamental to all public bodies. We know what still needs to be done and we won’t be taking our eye off the ball.”
You can read the Best Value Notice on the Government's website.