Jonathan Wilson, Thurrock Council’s acting director of finance and section 151 officer, has issued a section 114 notice confirming that the authority’s financial situation is of an “extremely serious nature and significant steps are now necessary to restrict expenditure”.
Wilson’s report to elected members details the size of the financial black hole at Thurrock, with the deficit for the 2023/24 budget provisionally estimated to be £452m against a budget of £153m.
It suggests that the council will need to seek exceptional financial support from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Thurrock can now only enter into new agreements for expenditure with Wilson’s explicit agreement.
The council’s problems follow from disastrous investments including those in a number of solar farms.
In September 2022 the levelling up secretary announced that there would be a statutory intervention at the authority and that Essex County Council would be appointed as the commissioner. Subsequently, both the then council leader Rob Gledhill and chief executive Lyn Carpenter have resigned.
A special meeting of the council will take place on Monday 9 January to discuss the 114 notice.
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