Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome: Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: Yes

Date of Decision: November 13, 2025

Purpose: To consider the response to the Corporate Peer Challenge that took place 8-11 July 2025.

Content: (1)  To approve the draft action plan.   (2)  To agree to a follow up visit in Summer 2026 to help the council assess the impact of the peer challenge and demonstrate the progress made in response to the review’s recommendations.

Reasons for the decision: Peer Challenges are improvement-focused and tailored to meet individual councils’ needs, designed to complement and add value to a council’s own performance and improvement.   The peer review report recognised delivery of many good things where the council is making a difference, including climate action, place-shaping, community wellbeing, staff culture, and financial management.   There were also a range of suggestions and observations within the main section of the report. This includes an immediate response of undertaking a communications peer review 7-9 October 2025 and to further embed the council’s core policy of ‘giving people a bigger say’ by reaching more widely and deeply into communities.   The peer review team identified eight key recommendations, and the action plan sets out the method of addressing these.

Alternative options considered: None.