Published 25 July 2024
An independent review has found that High Peak Borough Council is a high-performing, performance-focused organisation that delivers low cost, value for money services.
In February, the Council and its Strategic Alliance partner Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, invited a team of local government professionals to review its operations and performance as part of the Local Government Association's (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge process.
This latest review took place two years after a previous review. Councillors and officers from the LGA joined forces to review both Councils, highlight areas of good practice, and identify areas for improvement and ongoing support.
The report from this year's exercise has now been released. It reflects the previous conclusion that the Council has been well managed for many years and that the Alliance is 'impressive and continues to be effective'.
It identifies the Council's strengths in financial management and governance. It finds that the Borough Plan clearly demonstrates the Council's ambitions and understanding of the challenges facing its communities.
The report also praises the 'culture of delivering quality' and notes that when the Council 'does something, it does it well'. It also flags the potential for the Council and its partners to go on and achieve even more.
Leader of the Council, Councillor Anthony Mckeown, said: "The Council wants to be able to improve how we can serve our residents and we are delighted with the review team's excellent findings from their February visit.
"This latest review builds on the very positive findings of two years ago and, pleasingly, reports the strengths that they identified then remain strengths now.
"We're always interested in hearing suggestions for improvement and learning, particularly from experienced peers and the LGA, and we've set out the actions that are already underway to address the review team's suggestions so that we use what we've learnt to the benefit of everybody in the High Peak.
"I'd like to thank the review team, our councillors, staff and partners for giving their time to help us continue to deliver excellent services for all our communities."
Other key findings highlighted in the report include:
- Good working relationships with County, Town and Parish Councils and the Derbyshire Leaders Board - the Council is engaging well to bring about the best outcomes for its communities
- The positive impact of council controlled companies - Alliance Environmental Services and Alliance Norse - on service delivery and on generating additional capacity and efficiencies
- Strong, productive relationships between councillors and officers
- Good understanding of the challenges faced and the decisions that must be made around growth and housing and the balance with the natural world
