WASTING taxpayers money is just one of the key criticisms of Bromsgrove District Council highlighted in a damning new report, published today (Wednesday).

The Audit Commission Corporate Governance report, the Advertiser/Messenger can exclusively reveal, has stated the council does not focus its spending on improving priority services.

The independent report also denounces the management and leadership of the council, stating there is too much central control over decisions and this is inhibiting the improvement of services.

Other key weaknesses highlighted by the report include:

l Poor relationships with key strategic partners at county and regional level.

l Serious problems in the financial management of the council, both on a day-to-day and long-term basis.

l Overall priorities and what is important to local people are both unclear.

Since the last Audit Commission in March 2002, the council has made few improvements, and those, which have been made, are said to be insufficiently effective.

Audit Commission regional director, Judy Rolston said: "I am concerned that the council has only made limited progress since our last inspection."

She added later: "We will continue to work very closely with the council and its external auditor, and will monitor progress on a regular basis."

However, council chief executive Bob Lewis said: "There are matters of detail in this report with which one might take issue, for example, in performance terms the inspectors have taken historic data rather than the stronger position achieved at the end of the financial year."

He later highlighted the achievements of the council over the last 12 months. These included operating free of debt, and within a balanced budget starting work on the arts centre as well as investing in the Dolphin Centre.

"Twelve months ago on receipt of the first report on Corporate Governance, the council committed itself to addressing the issues identified by the inspectors.

"That was a commitment on which the council has been engaged. That was a commitment, as strong as now as it was then. The issue is really about how fast those commitments could be sensibly delivered within the resources of the authority," he said.

Council leader Cllr Dennis Norton (Con-St John's) said: "Bromsgrove District has worked closely with Government inspectors and has recognised the changes necessary to bring about an improvement in the council's services.

"The last two inspections have highlighted the weaknesses of the council but the inspectors acknowledge the priorities the council has made since the last report in March 2002.

It also recognises the willingness of the political leadership to deal with the problems and improve service delivery."

l Turn to page 5 for news of the resignation of Bromsgrove District Council's head of finance, Andrew Fisher.

He later added that although the council had been under some intense scrutiny over recent months he would be working alongside his colleagues to make the necessary improvements.