02 December 2005
A Scottish council that was the subject of a damning report by a local authority watchdog has been told it needs to speed up its recovery programme.
In a report published this week, the Accounts Commission advised Inverclyde Council to recruit a new chief executive immediately and make sure that management arrangements meet the council's needs.
In a report in June, the commission highlighted fundamental weaknesses in leadership and direction. Chief executive Robert Cleary subsequently resigned, following negotiations over a financial settlement, and the council appointed an interim chief executive, Rory Mair.
Commenting on the latest report, Accounts Commission chair Alastair MacNish said: 'We recognise that the council has put considerable energy into this and that acceptance and understanding have grown steadily. However, the pace of recovery needs to increase.'
He added: 'We expect a further report from the controller of audit on what has been done by the council as at March 31, 2006.'
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