District Council praised as ‘ambitious, effective and welcoming’ in independent

Six senior local government Councillors and Officers from other authorities across the UK formed a Corporate Peer Review team and, in October, undertook a comprehensive review of the District Council. The peer group praised the District Council for its ambition, great services, excellent leadership, strong performance at all levels of the organisation and exceptional partnership working.  It showed that the Council was in a sound financial position, a huge positive with local government reform on the horizon, and that it is running its services really well.

Councillor Paul Peacock, Leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council explains more, “We are an ambitious Council, committed to serving our residents well and it is important to take stock, review what we are doing to ensure we are doing the very best for our communities.  We therefore invited the Local Government Association to complete a peer review at the District Council. 

“We are pleased that the report highlights some huge positives for us.  It begins by recognising that the District Council is “making a real and tangible difference on citizens’ lives, particularly through core functions [showing that] the council delivers the essentials very well, and that the organisation is close to its communities.”  As the report continues, it shows that “there is a great positive, supportive and welcoming culture, with staff going the extra mile to support the communities they serve.”

“It is extremely satisfying, and humbling, to receive such overwhelming feedback and I hope that residents will be reassured that we really are a Council who strives to deliver the very best for the residents we serve.  We really do have a passionate and dedicated workforce, this being one of the clearest messages throughout our report.”

In total the group met with 80 people, including partners and stakeholders to develop an overall picture.  The report states that “partners described the Council as the facilitator and enabler, a collaborative partner, genuinely working in partnership... [Further] the council is ambitious, with a high number of councillor priorities and many exciting projects that are delivering tangible outcomes for residents and businesses… The council [too] is delivering well on its key performance information and satisfaction levels are consistently above national benchmarks.”

Councillor Peacock continues, “The report clearly demonstrated our hard work, passion and ambition across a huge range of service areas which is an incredible achievement for us. While it is important to focus on the positives of the report and be proud of all that has been accomplished, it is also a tool to support improvement, and this is most important to us.  We don’t ever want to stand still as a Council, so using the recommendations, we can continue to move forward with continued momentum, as always, to benefit our residents.”

The peer team proposed just six recommendations that are either underway or planned for 2025.  It was recognised that the District Council has a very ambitious five-year Community Plan, and it suggested that a review of this would be helpful to prioritise key projects, alongside examining areas of work that are beyond a District Council’s remit.  The report praised a positive culture where the District Council’s workforce is deeply committed to delivering the best for local communities and a review of the Community Plan will help it from becoming too stretched. It recognised the difficulties a ‘No Overall Control’ administration can bring and provided helpful advice to ensure it doesn’t distract from its fantastic work. The report acknowledges that there is some work to do to ensure that all Councillors work collaboratively and respectfully.

Councillor Peacock concludes, “We are working through the recommendations at pace, some were underway before the review even took place. I recognise the points made in relation to a very small minority of Councillors and I am disappointed that these individuals tarnish the fantastic work of the remainder. However, we will continue to work with the individuals, hoping for a brighter future for our residents on this front. I look forward to welcoming the peer team back, who I am confident will be impressed on what has been achieved alongside the momentum we maintain for our ambitious continual development.”

The District Council will have a follow up visit from the Corporate Peer team in 12 months’ time to review progress made on the recommendations. 

You can find the full report on the Community Plan page.