Best Value notices issued to Runnymede and Eastleigh borough councils will not be renewed despite ongoing concern about their ‘significant’ debts.
When it issued the notices a year ago, the Government said it was concerned about Runnymede’s reliance on commercial income to support services and Eastleigh’s lack of capacity to manage the scale of its commercial and housing developments.
The authorities were told yesterday that ministers were reassured about their capacity to comply with their Best Value Duty.
But both councils were asked to continue engaging with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government about how they were reducing their debts.
Eastleigh Borough Council leader Keith House said: ‘We are pleased with the outcome, which highlights the hard work of officers and members alike, in providing reassurance that Eastleigh Borough Council is a well-run authority.’
The four co-leaders of Runnymede Borough Councils said: ‘Lifting the notice is testament to the transparent and open approach we have taken with civil servants in our response to the notice and evidence of our continuous improvement to reassure ministers about the way we operate to deliver local services and manage our commercial assets and overall debt.’
