THE Independent Group leader on Warrington Borough Council, Cllr Stuart Mann, has welcomed the progress being made through the Council’s Improvement and Recovery Programme, while setting out key questions that he intends to raise at a special briefing on 13 November 2025.
The Improvement and Recovery Plan follows the Best Value Inspection published earlier this year and the subsequent Government intervention announced in July. Under the direction of appointed Government Envoys, Warrington Borough Council is now required to deliver and report on a wide-ranging programme of reform designed to strengthen governance, improve financial sustainability, and embed greater transparency across all areas of its work.
Cllr Mann, who will be raising key questions at the all-member Improvement and Recovery Briefing, said:“Residents quite rightly want to see progress, openness and a clear path forward for Warrington Borough Council. I welcome the creation of the new Improvement and Recovery Board, the early steps being taken to stabilise finances, and the recruitment of permanent senior leadership. However, as Leader of the Independent Group, it’s also my responsibility to ensure the Council remains fully transparent and accountable throughout this recovery process. This is about making sure lessons are learned and residents can see real change taking shape.”
Cllr Mann has confirmed that he will be raising the following questions at the 13 November Member Briefing to ensure continued openness and accountability:
• Transparency: When will residents be able to view progress updates and dashboards showing how the recovery work is advancing?
• Debt reduction: What is the clear, year-by-year plan to reduce the Council’s borrowing from its current level of around £1.4 billion?
• Governance review: When will an independent Chair of Audit & Corporate Governance be appointed, and what changes are expected to strengthen member oversight?
• Commercial strategy: What safeguards are being introduced to ensure any future investments are lower-risk and value-driven?
• Budget process: How will scrutiny and residents be involved before the 2026/27 budget is finalised?
• Adult Social Care improvement: What specific actions are underway to move the service from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Good’?
• Devolution: How will Warrington’s involvement in the new Cheshire & Warrington Mayoral Combined Authority support – and not distract from – the core recovery work?
Cllr Mann added: “There is a shared determination across all groups to see Warrington recover strongly. My focus, and that of the Independent Group, is to ensure this improvement journey delivers lasting results, not just short-term fixes. We want a Council that residents can once again trust, that spends wisely, and that is open in every decision it makes.”
Yesterday, the leader of the council Cllr. Hans Mundry issued an update on the Recovery Plan stating: “This plan will ultimately drive forward our approach to improvement as a whole council. We recognise that we have a lot of work to do, and our plan is the first important step in our journey to becoming a Council that is well-run, is trusted, and is committed to changing for the better.
“Our draft plan coming to Cabinet is an important sign that we want to be more open about the decisions we make and the work we do. We want our residents and partners to see our proposals around how we want to improve, and we will continue to shape this plan until it is ultimately agreed by January 2026.”
Following Cabinet scrutiny of the draft plan, it will go through further engagement with all councillors before ultimately being adopted and submitted to the Council’s envoy team. This includes Full Council considering an updated draft of the plan at its meeting on 1 December, before the report is submitted by 9 January 2026.
Cabinet to consider Council improvement plan over debt concerns
