Monitors stand down at council

Council bosses are 'delighted' at the decision

Watchdogs employed to oversee improvements at Coventry City Council are to be removed after the Local Government Minister decided it was making good progress.

The council was ranked as one of the worst 13 councils in the country in December 2002.

A monitoring board was put in place after an Audit Commission report assessed its performance as "poor" - the lowest possible rating.

On Tuesday, MP Phil Hope announced his decision to withdraw the board because of "the good progress Coventry has achieved" and following a visit he made to the city in December last year.

The city council feels like a very different place Stella Manzie, chief executive

The council said it is to undergo a reassessment of its ranking in February after narrowly missing out on moving up to a "weak" rating recently.

It hopes the next assessment could see its rating move up to "fair".

The monitoring board will be replaced by a liaison group which will meet quarterly.

It will be made up of representatives from the city council, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), the Audit Commission and inspectorates.

Coventry City Council chief executive Stella Manzie said: "The city council feels like a very different place, and we're confident inspectors will recognise this during their visit.

"We're also pleased that the ODPM and other bodies have agreed to set up the new liaison group. This will ensure that all its members will continue to benefit from the closer working we have developed over the last 12 months."