Councillors will discuss the results of an independent review which described Plymouth City Council as having “pride and passion for the city of Plymouth, and its residents are at the core of the council, evident in members, staff and partners.”
The findings are contained in a Local Government Association (LGA) corporate peer challenge report published today, Wednesday 6 July 2022.
The report and action plan, which will be discussed at a Cabinet meeting tomorrow, is the result of intensive research by a corporate peer challenge team, consisting of experienced local government professionals and councillors from around the country.
The findings reflect feedback from their meetings with more than 250 people from across the council and our partners – including councillors and officers.
The report praises the council’s ambitious plans for the future, illustrated by a clear strategic approach and underpinned by a set of realistic delivery plans. The peer team stated that it encountered a council which displays strong leadership across Plymouth, with a deserved reputation for delivering successful regeneration and growth.
Councillor Richard Bingley, Leader of Plymouth City Council, said: “We welcomed the opportunity for this review to take place earlier this year because we wanted independent and experienced peers to examine and scrutinise what we are doing.
“We want to continue to grow, develop and learn from others. This review showed us what we are doing well, but also gave us some ideas about where we can improve in the future.”
Tracey Lee, Chief Executive of Plymouth City Council, added: “This report is a result of the hard work of our Members, staff and partners across the city, all work tirelessly every day to support communities and protect the most vulnerable. I am proud that our peers recognised these efforts.
“I would like to thank all those partners across the city who took the time to take part in this process. We are an organisation that is committed to continuous improvement and we will now look at the recommendations to ensure we have a plan in place to respond effectively.”
The LGA challenge team were tasked with:
- Measuring the progress made since the last peer challenge five years ago
- Validating the improvement journey we are on
- Promoting greater self-awareness of how we are performing and identify areas for improvement
- Learning from other authorities through the sharing of ideas / experience
They looked at our priorities and outcomes, organisational and place leadership, governance and culture, corporate capacity and financial resilience. We also requested that, as a local priority, they incorporated community empowerment as an additional area of focus.