Agenda item

Report attached.

The Council considered a report of Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP, Leader of the Council, informing elected members of the findings and recommendations from the recent Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC).  The full CPC report was provided as Appendix 1 to the covering report.

The report also informed elected members of the next steps and sought approval to the establishment of a cross-party working group to support and have oversight of the action plan.

Councillor Dad provided a brief verbal introduction to the report and was pleased to receive the report’s overall findings.  He also thanked all who had taken part in the process.

The Council had invited a team of senior local government councillors and officers to undertake a Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge, including a visit to Hyndburn between 29^th and 31^st October 2024.

A CPC was a comprehensive review of key finance, performance and governance information and formed a key part of the improvement and assurance framework for local government.  CPC assisted councils in meeting part of their Best Value duty, with the UK Government expecting all local authorities to have a CPC at least every five years.  Peer challenges were improvement focused, not inspections, and the process was not designed to provide an in-depth or technical assessment of plans and proposals.

The Peer Team

Peers, who were experienced elected members and officers, were at the heart of the peer challenge process and provided a ‘practitioner perspective’ and ‘critical friend’ challenge.  Peers took time away from their busy “day job” to contribute to improvement within the local government sector.  The peer team for Hyndburn Borough Council had comprised:

• Member Peer – Cllr Tricia Gilby, Leader, Chesterfield Borough Council;
• Member Peer – Cllr Simon Minas-Bound, Group Leader, Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council;
• Chief Executive Peer – Ian Miller, Chief Executive, Wyre Forest District Council;
• Officer Peer – Artemis Ansell, Director of Planning & Regeneration, Lichfield District Council and Lichfield West Midlands Traded Services;
• Officer Peer – Dominic Bradley, Director of Resources, Horsham District Council;
• LGA Peer – Alex Howell, Adviser - Devolution, Local Growth and Digital;
• Peer Challenge Manager – Anne Brinkhoff, LGA Associate; and
• Project Support Officer – Kristel Whittaker, LGA.

The peer team had prepared by reviewing a range of documents and information and had then spent three days on site at Hyndburn Borough Council, during which they had spoken to more than 110 people including a range of council staff, members and external stakeholders.  They had toured our Accrington Town Square regeneration projects, had visited the Raza Jamia Masjid mosque, and had attended a meeting of HBC’s Cabinet.

Findings and Recommendations

The team had presented their main findings and recommendations verbally to the Council on their final day here and had now provided a formal report.

The report included a number of recommendations, listed below, which were designed to help the Council improve and build on the many positive findings of the peer team.  Some of these positive findings were outlined in the report and included:

• Strong progress on key projects, such as Accrington Town Centre Regeneration, Huncoat Garden Village, and Leisure Transformation;
• Leveraging cultural and industrial heritage to drive economic growth and community engagement;
• Positive relationships with partners, including police, businesses, and the voluntary sector;
• Strong focus on improving health and well-being through partnerships and innovative projects;
• Successful initiatives to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change;
• Loyal, committed staff with high retention and a friendly, collegiate culture;
• Robust audit arrangements and a commitment to modernisation;
• Improved reserves, better financial systems, and effective management;
• Investments in training and development, internal promotions, and effective apprenticeship schemes;
• A more constructive and collaborative political environment; and
• Willingness to embrace external peer reviews and share learning.

The following were the peer team’s key recommendations to the Council:

1. Conduct the planned review of the corporate strategy and align the organisational structure accordingly;
2. Engage in top team development to develop effective relationships within Cabinet/CMT as a group to create agreed ways of working and clarity of roles and responsibilities;
3. With partners, lead the development of a clear and well understood vision for the whole borough (Place Strategy);
4. Consider what capacity and skills the council needs to develop and address this as part of the review of organisational structure, including options for collaboration with partners and the use of consultants;
5. Design a transformation & digital strategy and action plan;
6. Develop a strategy for income generation, including commercial income, fees & charges and council tax;
7. Review and implement new plans for internal and external communication, aligning it with the new corporate strategy;
8. Create and implement a well understood and effective process for forward planning of Council decision making which engages Cabinet members and Scrutiny;
9. Promote the Council’s approach to climate change and decarbonisation and play a key role in leading the Borough on this agenda; and
10. Continue and broaden engagement with local government and beyond in order to learn from others and offer experience and learning.

Next steps

The Council was required to develop an action plan to address the recommendations within 3 months.  A separate report on the proposed process for developing this would be brought to Cabinet for agreement.  This proposal would include establishing a working group of elected members (4 labour, 2 from other parties), supported by officers, to help shape and oversee the proposed action plan, and make recommendations to Cabinet.

A progress visit would be arranged for some or all of the peer team.  This was likely to take place in September or October 2025.

Councillors Khan, Fazal and Clegg spoke positively about the outcome and about the need to implement improvements, which would make a difference for residents.  Councillor Khan added that Motion 2 at Agenda Item 12, proposing a cross party working group, had been withdrawn by Councillor Josh Allen, as this matter was covered in the report now presented.

Councillor Dad indicated his intention to invite Councillor Fazal to serve on the Working Group.

Resolved                                 (1)   That Councillors note the report on the LGA Corporate Peer Challenge and the next steps in considering and implementing the recommendations, including the proposed establishment of a cross-party working group of elected members, supported by key officers.

(2)   That the full report is published on the Council’s website.

(3)   That the Leader of the Council writes to all those who gave up their time to engage with the peer team, expressing the Council’s appreciation and gratitude and informing them where they can access a copy of the final CPC report.