Under-fire Ashfield Council holds 'constructive' talks with Government officials
Ashfield Council chiefs have welcomed ‘constructive discussions’ with officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as part of a recent Government assessment.
The council has been proactively engaging with MHCLG following the conviction of its former leader Jason Zadrozny on fraud and tax evasion back in September.
However, he was then controversially subsequently appointed to the council’s planning committee.
This was met by outrage from many local residents, particularly in Hucknall and led to both Ashfield MP Lee Anderson (Ref) and Hucknall MP Michelle Welsh (Lab) standing up in the House of Commons and calling on the Government to act.
Ms Welsh also wrote to the MHCLG calling for it to investigate the council and Jim McMahon MP (Lab), Under-Secretary of State for Local Government confirmed he ordered a rapid Best Value Assessment of the council.
Council and Government officials duly met on November 3 to discuss the council’s position across a range of governance and best value themes.
Theresa Hodgkinson, council chief executive, said: “The meeting with MHCLG officials was extremely constructive.
"We had positive discussions around governance arrangements in place and how the council is committed to delivering best value for residents, following a number of matters raised publicly regarding the authority's governance and decision-making arrangements.
"We proactively reached out to MHCLG several weeks ago, and I welcome the constructive and positive discussions we’ve had, in which the council has engaged openly and transparently.
“We do understand why recent events may have damaged confidence in the council and caused concern across our communities. Residents are right to expect the highest standards from those elected to represent them, and from their council, and while recent events cannot be changed, we are focused on rebuilding confidence in our council and maintaining services.
“We take any concerns raised about the council incredibly seriously.
"Where evidence is presented we have always and will always act appropriately and work with partner agencies where necessary.
"Our residents should be reassured that this has not affected the delivery of services.
"Our focus remains firmly on providing high-quality services, investing in our communities and achieving the best outcomes for local people.”
The council says it remains committed to transparency, good governance and continuous improvement, and will continue to work constructively with MHCLG.