Sunday league stuff for a top-tier city

IN your article (“City landlord’s ‘selling up’ over licensing fee”, Post, June 13), we read about a fee set up by Nottingham City Council to manage bad landlords in the private sector – or, in my own personal opinion, a fee set up to bring in funds to the council coffers to plug holes caused by Robin Hood Energy, a foolish vanity project set up by naive, idealistic councillors with nothing to lose.

Well, certainly not their money anyway – only ours the council taxpayers.’

In 2016 there were 43,000 houses in the private rental sector – let’s say 43,000 times £630 for accredited landlords (the lowest fee – it would be a lot higher with nonaccredited). That’s £27.9 million that would fill a big hole in the budget, wouldn’t it?

Then the council transfers £15.8 million, and possibly another £40 million from its housing fund, to its general account fund. Money that should have been used for its own tenants.

Often we have read reports in the Post of council tenants complaining of damp conditions and other problems with council owned properties. Who’s the bad landlords there, then?

Then we read (“£215,000 for ‘critical’ council financial role”, Post, June 14) that the council will spend another £215,000 on more consultants.

Councillor Mellen says Government non-statutory reviews ask for more improvements, with a focus on financial and governance arrangements. He says the council are making good progress.

Of course they are – they are selling off our assets, closing down our facilities and cutting our services.

The very fact the council has to employ consultants with our money to do what they can’t, but are still getting paid for, just tells us they are way out of their depth with millions and millions of our money.

Councillor Mellen says it’s great for the city that Forest are back in the Premier League, and it is – Steve Cooper has shown what can be achieved with a plan, a limited budget and simple man management.

I feel that the last 20 years of Nottingham City Council management of our city with our money amounts to nothing more than a Sunday League pub side.

David Hodge Sherwood Vale