Agenda item

Report attached.

Members considered a report of Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP, Leader of the Council, regarding a process for developing an action plan addressing the recommendations of the recent Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC).

Councillor Dad reminded Members that the background set out in the report had also been provided to the Council at its meeting on 16^th January 2025.  The peer review findings would guide the Council towards making improvements.  The current report set out proposals for the development an action plan and would include the involvement of a cross-party working group.  Councillor Khan thanked the Leader for supporting cross-party working.

Approval of the report was not deemed a key decision.

Reasons for Decision

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 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
• 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 Accrington Town Square regeneration projects, visited the Raza Jamia Masjid mosque, and 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 those 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.
• 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.
10. Continue and broaden engagement with local government and beyond in order to learn from others and offer the authority’s experience and learning.

Next steps

The Council was required to develop an action plan to address the recommendations within 3 months.  It was proposed that a cross-party working group be established to support and oversee this work and proposed Terms of Reference were set out in the report at Appendix 2.

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

Proposed action planning process

The following steps were proposed:

·         January / February - Management Team and Service Managers consider recommendations and develop draft action plan.

·         January / February – cross-party working group established.

·         February - Discussions with relevant portfolio holders about proposed actions (e.g. recommendation 6 relates to finance portfolio).

·         Early March - Draft action plan brought to working group for discussion.

·         26 March 2025 - Final draft to Cabinet for formal agreement.

·         April onwards – Implementation / reporting.

·         September / October 2025 – review visit by LGA peer team.

·         Post visit – review action plan based on any further feedback and continue with implementation, building into service plans or strategies where appropriate.

The proposed principles to be applied in developing the action plan were set out in the report and relate to the following aims:

·         Clarity and timescales;

·         Alignment with recommendations;

·         Actionable steps;

·         Responsibility and oversight;

·         Resources and collaboration;

·         Support effective relationships;

·         Performance and monitoring;

·         Risk management; and

·         Review and communication.

Alternative Options considered and Reasons for Rejection

In agreeing to the CPC process, the Council had committed to developing an action plan based on the recommendations.

Resolved                                 (1)   That Cabinet agrees the proposed process (as set out in Paragraph 3.10 of the report) to develop an action plan based on the Corporate Peer Challenge recommendations.

(2)   That a cross-party working group (with the Terms of Reference as outlined in Appendix 2 to the report) be established to oversee the development and implementation of the action plan.