Temporary finance director joins Shropshire Council amid cash woes
A temporary finance director has joined Shropshire Council to help them become financially sustainable.
At a Transformation and Improvement Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Monday (January 19), Duncan Whitfield was introduced by Councillor Roger Evans, the portfolio holder for finance.
Cllr Evans said Mr Whitfield was the interim director of finance for improvement.
“He has just come to the council to assist us in delivering the financial plans this next year and the rest of this year,” said Cllr Evans.
Mr Whitfield was formerly the strategic director of finance and governance and Section 151 Officer at the London Borough of Southwark.
Since retiring in May 2023, he has been involved in interim and advisory roles.
A Shropshire Council spokesperson said Mr Whitfeild has joined the orga nisation for up to six months “to help us with our plans and activity to become financially sustainable” and brings a wealth of experience.
The local authority is facing severe financial difficulties and is currently trying to stave off the threat of issuing a Section 114 notice, which would effectively mean it would be bankrupt. If that happened, it would mean that the Government would likely appoint commissioners to take control of the council’s finances and operations.
Shropshire Council has already applied for an exceptional financial support loan of just over £200 million which would see it through both this financial year, and the next. It has also asked the Government to re-evaluate how much it would receive through its multi-year settlement.
At the same meeting, council leader Heather Kidd said commissioners would cost around £3 million to £4 million a year, on top of any borrowing it took.
“We would much prefer to be borrowing to do things, rather than borrowing to make this a safe and efficient council, but that unfortunately is where we are at the present time,” she said.
