Minister praises West Sussex County Council for making ‘significant progress’

Robert Jenrick MP recognised improvements made to the council’s leadership, governance and culture, particularly during the pandemic. The Secretary of State also commented positively on the council’s ambitions for the future.

Council leader Paul Marshall said: “The endorsement from the Secretary of State is welcome. His letter shows growing confidence from the Government in our ability to continue to improve, and comes following recent positive findings on our services from both OFSTED and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services.

“Across the council we’re making good progress to a better future, looking forwards not backwards. We’re have prepared our priorities for the next four years, set out in our reset plan which goes to full council on Friday. The plan shows how we’ll be delivering for residents. We’re ready to support the local economy and our communities when we emerge from the pandemic. We’re also going doing all we can right now, alongside our partners such as the NHS, to keep everyone safe from Covid-19.

“I look forward to meeting the Secretary of State to discuss our next steps. We still have a way to go to be the organisation we want to be and we are all determined to make sure we are the council our residents deserve.”