Geoffrey Theobald: Fundamental change needed in way council operates

In our manifesto for the local elections, the Conservative Group set out proposals for reforming and modernising how the council operates.

The council's most recent independent Audit Results Report spells out in black and white how necessary these reforms are. The auditors conclude: 'As a result of its high costs relative to others, the difficulties experienced in fully delivering Value for Money savings targets in 2014/15 and the size of the budget gap faced over the next five years, there is a recognition that the council needs to change more radically.'