A dozen government-approved experts are to help steer Hull council out of its housing and governance difficulties.
Local government minister Nick Raynsford appears to have pulled back from imposing a hit squad on the council over serious failures revealed last year (HT 23 May, page 1).

But the threat of intervention is still present, with a progress report expected within a month from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

The 12 experts will form a partnership liaison board. The board has been appointed initially for one year and will be chaired on a voluntary basis by Lord Richard Best, director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Lord Best, himself a former National Housing Federation chief executive, will be joined by: Chartered Institute of Housing chief executive David Butler, York University social policy research unit chief professor Peter Kemp, and Wigan council chief executive Steve Jones – all ODPM nominees; leaders of the council's four political groups; Jim Dick, senior executive of pharmaceutical company Smith & Nephew; Bishop of Hull Richard Frith; Humberside chief constable David Westwood and Hull Daily Mail editor John Meehan. The board will monitor the council's progress in regular reports from chief executive Jim Brooks and hold expert briefings with outside experts on housing and regeneration.

"Our board consists of big hitters who are all committed to supporting the council," said Lord Best. "We don't want to prescribe, it will be a matter of sharing ideas." He said Hull already performed well in "a handful" of areas.

Jim Brooks, chief executive of Hull council, said: "The knowledge and expertise available through the external board will provide us with an extremely helpful level of support and challenge."

The ODPM said the board was "part of ensuring the people of Hull get the services they deserve".

Source

Housing Today