The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has today (15 July 2026) issued a Best Value Notice to Shropshire Council.
The Notice is a formal notification that MHCLG has concerns about the council and its financial position. There are also concerns about leadership capacity, governance, and culture which were identified in reports from the LGA Corporate Peer Challenge and External Auditor in 2025.
The council already has plans in place to address these concerns, including an Improvement Plan and Financial Sustainability and Recovery Strategy. The Notice stresses the importance of the council continuing to deliver its plans and in doing so, provide assurance that progress is being made and concerns are being addressed.
The Notice confirms that MHCLG expects the council to continue leading their own improvement and engage with support provided by the Local Government Association (LGA), including regular reporting to the Improvement Board established in November 2025.
There is also a requirement to engage with MHCLG on a quarterly basis to discuss progress. The council welcomes the ongoing engagement with MHCLG and remains committed to addressing the concerns it has raised.
Councillor Heather Kidd, Shropshire Council’s Leader, said:
“Given the scale of the challenges we are responding to, the Notice is not entirely unexpected. However, it underlines the seriousness of our position and the importance of continuing to demonstrate clear improvement, pace and progress.
“We have made significant progress in a short space of time, which the Notice acknowledges, but we recognise there is still much more to do and under no illusion about the scale and pace at which we need improve.”
