Croydon woes as four officers are suspended

摘要

Crisis-hit Croydon LBC has suspended a big chunk of its senior leadership in a bombshell move. A meeting at the London borough this week changed the council's constitution to pave the way for interim chief executive Katherine Kerswell to suspend four senior officials. The list of those suspended includes director of finance Lisa Taylor, executive director of localities Hazel Simmonds, executive director of place Shifa Mustafa, and executive director of health, wellbeing and adults Guy van Dichele. It is believed that Ms Kerswell moved to suspend members of her top team after she was presented with the findings of a Local Government Association inquiry into potential wrongdoing at the authority, conducted by local government consultant Richard Penn. The report has not been made public nor been seen by the suspended officers It comes as local government finance expert Rob Whiteman warned that more councils are likely to have to follow Croydon by issuing Section 114 notices in the next year or two.