Pickles to name Rotherham commissioners this week

Eric Pickles said he is aiming to appoint the commissioners by Thursday, with powers to run every aspect of council services in Rotherham.

The drastic intervention was prompted by the Louise Casey report which showed a council “in denial” about the extent of child abuse in the town.

The Communities Secretary has told MPs he had considered copying an earlier intervention in Doncaster, where only children’s services were taken over, but decided the failings in Rotherham were so widespread they deserved a more radical approach.

Talking of the need to ensure commissioners are not in Rotherham any longer than they need to be, Mr Pickles said: “I gave a lot of thought about a normal intervention, similar to Doncaster, taking over part of the function, but leaving the core.

“But at Rotherham, we could see licensing was wrong, other areas were as well, and we were at the bit were we should do the whole thing and then start the process of rolling it back.”

Sheffield MP Clive Betts, who chairs the communities select committee Mr Pickles was appearing before, said the risk was that taking over Rotherham would be easier than handing back control.

Mr Pickles agreed, saying: “I expect to see the main process of handing back powers, for child care, start in 2016, but I want to see other functions, such as planning, coming back much quicker.”