06 August 2004
Kingston-upon-Hull City Council must show 'genuine progress' against its corporate recovery plan when Audit Commission inspectors return there in October, the watchdog has warned.
The stark message followed the publication this week of yet another critical report.
Hull's housing repairs and maintenance services are described as 'poor', with 'uncertain prospects for improvement', in a commission report published on July 30.
Inspectors gave the service a zero-star rating because it 'lacks customer focus', has 'a weak approach to diversity and equality issues' and 'cannot demonstrate effective performance management or value for money in the delivery of its services'.
Performance up to the April inspection, the watchdog told Public Finance, was 'very poor', considering the assistance the council has had since the commission published two damning corporate governance reports in 2002 and 2003.
Those highlighted problems at the housing department and a culture of poor corporate leadership and financial management, leading local government minister Nick Raynsford to threaten intervention.
After the 2003 report, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister sent experts to help Hull implement a corporate recovery plan. PF understands that Tony Allen, the ODPM envoy monitoring the authority, recently wrote to councillors urging them to improve further.
Nick Atkin, author of the latest report, noted some housing improvements, but warned they had yet to filter down to service delivery. Commission sources said they now expected 'slow progress' against the wider corporate plan.
But the council is convinced it has made 'substantial progress' in some areas. Bill Pearch, Hull's head of housing, said: 'While we do not dispute the commission's latest report, it reflects a snapshot in April when the recovery plan was in its infancy.
'We've had a heavy dose of realism this week, but we are confident our strategy has led to improvements since April.'
A spokeswoman for the ODPM said: 'Nobody expected the council to meet all the commission's, or our own, recommendations overnight. We are confident that Hull is moving in the right direction.'
PFaug2004
