Peer challenges of the council

Corporate peer challenge - June 2024

A Local Government Association (LGA) peer review team visited us between 25 and 27 June 2024 to carry out a corporate peer challenge. 

The team of senior councillors and officers from other authorities reviewed our key council documents and met with staff, councillors, and partners. We provided the peer review team with a peer challenge position statement setting out our successes, priorities, and challenges. 

Their findings and recommendations described how we can improve across these areas:

• Local priorities and outcomes 
• Organisational and place leadership 
• Governance and culture  
• Financial planning and management  
• Capacity for improvement 

You can read the team's findings and recommendations in the LGA's 2024 Corporate peer challenge feedback report.

Cabinet approved our peer challenge action plan in response to the findings and recommendations in October 2024. 

The team from the Local Government Association (LGA) returned to the council on 24 April 2025 to carry out a follow-up visit and review the progress made towards the recommendations of its previous visit in June 2024. You can read the team's findings and recommendations in the LGA's 2025 Corporate peer challenge follow-up report.

Equalities peer challenge - January 2021

In June 2020, the council unanimously passed a motion to record its commitment to eradicating racism in all forms so that our towns are inclusive and anti-racist. This followed the death of George Floyd in the USA and the issues raised by the global Black Lives Matter movement.

To support that work, the council asked the Local Government Association (LGA) to carry out an equality peer challenge based on the Equality Framework for Local Government.

We asked the peer team to look specifically at Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) issues rather than other protected characteristics. The equality framework has four areas of performance:

• Understanding and working with your communities
• Leadership and organisational commitment
• Responsive services and customer care
• A diverse and engaged workforce

The peer team carried out the challenge on 19 and 20 January 2021, speaking to our staff, our councillors, our partners and our local community groups. You can read the team's findings and recommendations in the LGA's 2021 Equality peer challenge report.

Past peer challenges

December 2017

We asked the Local Government Association (LGA) to carry our a peer challenge of the council. You can read the team's findings and recommendations in the LGA's 2017 Corporate peer challenge feedback report.

A peer challenge team from the Local Government Association (LGA) returned to the council on 24 and 25 September 2019 to carry out a follow-up visit and review the progress made towards the recommendations of its previous visit in December 2017. You can read the team's findings and recommendations in the LGA's 2019 Corporate peer challenge follow-up report.

February 2015

The Local Government Association (LGA) carried out the corporate peer challenge in February 2015. The LGA published the findings and recommendations in a 2015 Corporate peer challenge report.