Exclusive: Ministers ready to intervene at Doncaster council

The Yorkshire Post has learned that a key meeting of the Audit

Commission scheduled for today will consider two options for the future of Doncaster Council – one of which would see the Government taking over some or all of its functions. The second option involves the creation of an independent board to oversee the management of the authority with the proviso that if this doesn't bring about the necessary improvement the Government would step in and directly run services.

The board would be led by an independent chairman, appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, John Denham, and would comprise local government experts drawn from outside Doncaster. A specially convened referral committee will meet to decide what action to recommend to Mr Denham following the emergency inspection of Doncaster Council. It is likely to offer both options to Mr Denham, who will make the final decision.

Last night, a spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government pledged urgent action would be taken if necessary which suggested moves could be made before the General Election on May 6.

"John Denham has promised the people of Doncaster that the Government will use the powers we have to tackle any issues identified by the Audit Commission which require government action. If urgent action is required, urgent action will be taken," the spokesman said.

The second option would also involve the actions of controversial elected mayor Peter Davies being overseen by a local government expert selected by the Secretary of State. Mr Davies would be able to choose his "mentor" but only one picked from a Government-approved list. In addition, the improvement board would be tasked with overseeing the recruitment of a new chief executive following the recent departure of Tim Leader. He left with a 60,000 pay off after less than three months in office after a breakdown in relations with the English Democrat mayor. Jo Miller, deputy chief executive of the Local Government Association, has been drafted in to take on the role on a short-term basis.

The referral committee will invite the Secretary of State to use statutory powers to intervene in the running of the local authority with the aim of fulfilling a series of new objectives.

Mr Denham does not have to accept any recommendations and could opt to leave Doncaster to sort out its own chaotic management. But given the options the Audit Commission are tabling it is now near-certain that, after a catalogue of mismanagement which dates back to the Donnygate corruption scandal of the late 1990s, Doncaster will be the subject of significant intervention. It is thought the second option is the most likely with effective supervision from the government preferable.

The Audit Commission ordered a snap inspection because of a "threat to public confidence" in the council following serious concerns about its performance in the last two years which were underlined by the violent attack by two young brothers on two other children in Edlington. The brothers' family had been known to social services for 14 years and a

serious case review, published after the boys were sentenced in January, found that the attacks had been preventable.

The key objectives of government intervention are likely to include bringing about a rapid improvement in key services, including children's services which have been the subject of widespread condemnation following the deaths of seven vulnerable children in Doncaster in addition to the Edlington attack.

They also include the appointment of a new chief executive who commands the respect of both the mayor and the full council. Mr Leader left Doncaster under a compromise agreement after Mr Davies objected to his appointment, which was nevertheless backed by a majority of councillors.

Senior officers will also be expected to support the mayor and his cabinet and the power of the overview and scrutiny committee is also expected to be reviewed. The committee, seen by some as a separate source of power challenging the executive role of the elected mayor, recently produced alternative budget proposals to those put forward by the mayor. The full council ultimately accepted the committee's proposal and rejected the mayor's planned cut in council tax.

The Audit Commission said it could not comment and insisted its recommendations were not yet finalised.

Mr Davies and Doncaster Council both said they could not comment ahead of publication of the recommendations.