The government has confirmed its intervention package at Birmingham City Council, which includes the appointment of six commissioners for five years – longer than in previous interventions.
The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove required the lengthier period as it “reflects the severity and size of the challenge at Birmingham, in comparison to other intervention areas”.
The commissioners will exercise specific functions of the authority, if necessary, while the intervention also includes directions to the authority. A local inquiry has not been commissioned by Gove, but discussions between government and the council are expected in “due course”.
As reported, Max Caller will be the lead commissioner. He will be joined Chris Tambini, former director of corporate resources at Leicestershire County Council, who will focus on the financial position and recovery of Birmingham City Council.
This work will include supporting the authority’s work to develop and implement a plan for managing the significant equal pay liabilities that led to the section 114 notices, and overseeing the steps needed to manage other budget pressures for 2023/24 and beyond.
Tambini will also focus on returning the authority to a position of long-term financial sustainability, including considering what action may be necessary to ensure the authority has “appropriate and effective processes, governance and capacity in relation to its overall financial management”.
John Coughlan, the former chief executive of Hampshire County Council, has also been nominated by the Secretary of State to serve as a commissioner, alongside Pam Parkes, current executive director for people and transformation at Essex County Council; Jackie Belton, chief executive of the London Borough of Bexley; and Myron Hrycyk, the Cabinet Office’s crown representative for Oracle, IBM and Microsoft.
Hrycyk will focus on supporting Birmingham City Council to rectify its Oracle issues, improve IT and provide commercial insight.
Commissioners are nominated for the period from 5 October 2023 to 4 October 2028 or such earlier or later time as the Secretary of State determines.
The commissioners will report to the Secretary of State on the progress of the intervention within the first six months, and thereafter at six-month intervals – or at any other time deemed necessary.
Lord John Hutton, peer and former Labour defence and business secretary, and John Biggs, former Tower Hamlets London Borough Council mayor, have been nominated as political advisors.
Required actions
Birmingham City Council will be required to undertake a variety of actions as part of the government intervention.
The authority must prepare and agree an improvement plan within six months, “which considers actions to secure continuous improvement and restore public trust across all the authority’s functions” with a particular focus on housing, waste, finance, HR, governance and corporate services.
The council must also review the provision and operation of corporate services in the first 12 months “to enable and support the effective delivery of front[1]line services and the smooth running of the authority, and to implement any required changes thereafter to the satisfaction of commissioners”.
The intervention also requires Birmingham to “secure as soon as practicable” that all its functions are “exercised in conformity with the best value duty thereby delivering improvements in services and outcomes for the people of Birmingham”.
Regular reporting to the commissioners will be required, and the authority must also take direction from them where appropriate.
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