A long-standing rift between council leader Tony Buckley and chief executive Simon White is responsible for Waltham Forest Council's dire performance.

A report leaked to the Guardian reveals that their mutual distrust is reflected all the way down the organisation, with councillors and officers lacking confidence in each other.

A special Performance Support Team (PST) from the Improvement and Development Agency fed back its findings in December, making it clear that:

If the working relationship between the two men was not healed rapidly and effectively, Waltham Forest would remain a "failing" council

John Prescott's Office of the Deputy Prime Minister would intervene if Cllr Buckley and Mr White could not co-operate properly, thereby stalling the authority's recovery.

The report, which came hard on the heels of the damaging Comprehensive Performance Assessment inspection, was originally to be delivered by the PST after a 12-week investigation.

But an interim one was produced after six weeks because of the gravity of the situation.

The team said in unambiguous terms: "It is quite clear that a very serious situation has developed, centred primarily on the relationship between the chief executive and leader of the council and extended to a wider range of senior office/member relationships, which contribute significantly to the problems of the council.

"The council has been classed as 'poor' by the Audit Commission and the current nature of the leadership provided within the council will continue to inhibit the rapid improvement required to tackle the problems described in the Audit Commission report.

"The successful delivery of the improvements planned is dependant upon effective and constructive leadership. Without evidence of this, consequences for the council within the comprehensive performance assessment regime are likely to be extremely serious."

The PST went on to say that a good working relationship between the two men would enable important knowledge to be passed to the officers and to cabinet members, but this council was being starved of that interaction.

"This in turn leads to misunderstanding that results in mistrust and suspicion on both sides. Achieving a much improved working relationship is a crucial requirement for the leader and the chief executive.

"If this cannot be done, causing improvement efforts to stall, the council runs a real risk of action by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister."

Two further important strands emerge in the report.

Cllr Buckley has taken on too much direct responsibility and must now let go of some of the reins, empowering and enabling other members of the cabinet to deal with their own portfolios effectively.

Poor business and support relationships are hindering cabinet members from doing their jobs properly.

The report says: "The consequence of all this is members feeling they do not control their portfolios and officers try to second guess what cabinet members want, both culminating again in confusion and mistrust."

In a cabinet meeting at the town hall, Forest Road, Walthamstow, on Tuesday night, members discussed changing the constitution to allow portfolio holders to make certain decisions on their own. It is hoped the move will streamline the Cabinet process and ensure effective decision-making.

Councillors not on the cabinet share their leaders' "mistrust and suspicion of the officer corps", while "manager and officers further down the organisation replay behaviours that damage constructive working with members".

The inspection team laid the blame for this lack of team playing throughout the local authority on the poor relationships at the top of the tree.

May 6, 2003 15:30