Public to be updated on city council’s progress this month

THE Birmingham Independent Improvement Panel, appointed by the Government to monitor Birmingham City Council’s improvement programme, has announced plans for its third public meeting.

The meeting will be held at 12 noon on Monday 14 December in the Council Chamber in the Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham.

One year on from the Kerslake Review – which followed on from city council failing in areas such as education and children’s services – the focus of the public meeting will be the local authority’s report – addressed to the residents of the city – about the progress it has made in implementing Lord Kerslake’s recommendations.

Panel members will put questions to the city council’s new leader John Clancy, chief executive and opposition leaders about its progress.

Birmingham residents are invited to submit in advance of the meeting the questions they would like the panel to ask.

The council’s progress report will be published on its website on December 7.

Panel chair John Crabtree said: “December is an important milestone for the council. A year on from the Kerslake review the council will be reporting directly to the city’s residents about the improvements it has made and those it still needs to achieve.

“We want to give as many residents as possible the chance to raise questions about the improvements that are most important to them.”

Members of the public can attend the meeting in person or watch a webcast of the meeting on the council’s website.

Following the meeting the panel will review the council’s progress and in January it will submit a further report to Greg Clark, the secretary of state for communities and local government.