It will take another decade for Birmingham City Council to improve into an 'excellent' authority, the leader has stated.
Cllr Ian Ward (Lab, Shard End) made the frank admission as the cabinet yesterday (Tuesday) discussed the dissolution of the Birmingham Independent Improvement Panel at the end of this month.
The panel, which was set up four years ago in the wake of the damning Kerslake review in 2014 criticising how the authority was run, will write a final letter to the secretary of state outlining improvements that have been made as well as those that still need to to take place.
Ahead of that the council has published its own final 'stock-take' report highlighting progress, governance changes and 'critical issues' still facing the authority.
Cllr Rob Alden ( Erdington ), leader of the Conservative opposition group, zoned in on the report and particularly examples of 'tough' decisions which have been taken.
He went on to criticise the ruling Labour group's handling of the Clean Air Zone , cuts to travel assist, day services, enablement service and the waste department saying it was 'not exactly a glowing list' of achievements.
Cllr Alden added: "On the officer side there clearly has been some positive changes in the way things have been operating in the council.
"What is clear I suspect to everyone in the city that the big problem in Birmingham is simply the political leadership of the administration."
Cllr Ward responded accusing the Conservative group leader of taking a 'very pessimistic view' around certain decisions.
He added: "The city council is on a journey of improvement.
"No-one is saying the city council has arrived at the end of that journey yet but we need to make incremental improvements over a period of time.
"The truth is it will probably take a further ten years for the council to emerge as an excellent performing local authority."
Deputy council leader Brigid Jones (Bournbrook and Selly Park) also pointed to improvements in children's services saying they were 'unrecognisable' from 2014.
There was further debate around issues including the Commonwealth Games and the Clean Air Zone.
On the latter Cllr Debbie Clancy (Longbridge and West Heath), deputy Conservative group leader, argued that public consultations were 'not listened to'.
It prompted Cllr Waseem Zaffar (Lab, Lozells), transport and environment chief, to defend the policy. He said: "History will remember this Conservative group has been on the wrong side of this very, very important public health argument."
While Cllr Roger Harmer (Acocks Green), Liberal Democratic group deputy leader, argued that the loss of district committees had hurt 'localism' in the council.
He said: "There is a major problem here related to our size.
"Unless we come up with a more coherent and comprehensive strategy for localism in this council, we are basically suffering from a poorer state of democracy and local engagement and it will continue to lead to problems for service delivery."
