Alison McGovern, Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness, has published the Commissioners’ third report on Nottingham City Council alongside her formal response. Dated 21 November 2025, the letter notes steady progress against the Improvement Plan and confirms the August report is being released publicly the same day.
Ministers have reconfigured the Commissioner team. Sharon Kemp has been appointed Lead Commissioner, with Tony McArdle and Margaret Lee continuing as Commissioners to maintain capacity and oversight. Appointment letters issued on 21 November confirm these roles apply for the remainder of the current Directions, which run to 22 February 2026.
The response sets the operational focus for the remaining period: improve the consistency of member–officer interactions and senior leadership behaviours; deliver budgeted savings on time; embed risk management and Internal Audit so they inform decision‑making; and accelerate service transformation to raise the quality and speed of delivery.
Commissioners are currently expected to leave when the Directions end on 22 February 2026, subject to progress. McGovern adds that any decision to conclude the intervention will follow the final evidence in December and rests on the council demonstrating compliance with the Best Value Duty.
To reflect the staffing change, the department has republished its Explanatory Memorandum to the Directions made under section 15(5) and (6) of the Local Government Act 1999. It confirms the two‑year intervention window, allows for variation or extension, and sets out the functions Commissioners may exercise, including oversight of strategic decision‑making and financial governance and the ability to propose budget amendments where necessary.
The Commissioners’ third report records early signs of a stronger improvement culture and better use of risk management and Internal Audit, but highlights uneven behaviours at the top of the organisation and slippage on some savings and transformation delivery, particularly in adults’ and children’s services. The report also notes Commissioners have not needed to use their formal powers.
The immediate timetable is tight. The minister has requested a final report by 5 December 2025 to inform next steps, alongside ongoing work on Local Government Reorganisation and preparation of a balanced 2026/27 budget by the statutory deadline.
Leadership changes do not alter the governance and cost framework. Appointment letters confirm Kemp’s daily fee as Lead Commissioner is £1,200 and other Commissioners’ £1,100, payable by the authority and capped at up to 150 days per year; the Explanatory Memorandum likewise records that fees and reasonable expenses are to be met by the Council.
For officers and members, the direction of travel set out in the official papers is clear: embed risk and audit disciplines in business cases and decisions; evidence that budgeted savings are delivered rather than masked by vacancy‑driven underspends; and maintain professional member–officer conduct. Commissioners say they will assess whether these changes are taking root and delivering value for money.
Context: Nottingham has been under intervention since 2021. Statutory Directions were first issued in September 2022 to compel compliance with advice from the Improvement and Assurance Board; Commissioners replaced the Board on 22 February 2024, with an additional appointment on 11 April 2024. The first, second and third Commissioner reports were published in December 2024, May 2025 and 21 November 2025 respectively.