Following a Report in the Public Interest concerning the Council’s financial position, the Local Government Association has been commissioned to undertake an independent investigation into whether further disciplinary action should be taken against senior management at the Council in relation to the unprecedented spending at Croydon Council.
The Council has accepted the seriousness of the report’s findings and apologised. In response, the Council has pledged itself to swift action in order to help put the Council’s finances in a more secure position in the future.
The investigation is expected to focus on the running of the Council during the period when they racked up debts of £1.5bn and subsequently filed a Section 114 Notice.
Speaking of the findings of the report generally, leader of the council, Councillor Hamida Ali, said:
“This is a hugely important step for Croydon. The action plan goes right to the heart of how we are changing the way we do things and shows our absolute commitment to getting Croydon back on track. It represents a major cultural shift and underlines that strong financial management and transparency will be at the core of all we do.
“Our improvement journey is just beginning, and it will require the most difficult decisions to be taken, but we are ready to rise to that challenge, which will put the council on a sustainable financial footing for the future to deliver the excellent services residents need and expect. Tonight we have taken responsibility as a whole council for making this happen.”
