Issue - meetings
FP1102 LGA - Corporate Peer Challenge
Meeting: 01/02/2022 - Cabinet (Item 83)
83 LGA - Corporate Peer Challenge (Forward Plan Reference FP1102) 
PDF 128 KB
Report of the Chief Executive on the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge.
Additional documents:
- 7a - Peer Review - Appendix 1 - 20211221 WHBC CPC2 Final Report, item 83
PDF 273 KB
- 7a - Peer Review - Appendix 2 - WHBC Action plan Peer Challenge 2022, item 83
PDF 521 KB
- Webcast for LGA - Corporate Peer Challenge (Forward Plan Reference FP1102)
Decision:
(1) Cabinet noted the Corporate Peer Challenge feedback report and recommendations at Appendix 1.
(2) Cabinet agreed the Corporate Peer Challenge action plan at Appendix 2.
Minutes:
Report of the Chief Executive on the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge.
(1) The Decision Taken
RESOLVED:
(unanimous)
(1) Cabinet noted the Corporate Peer Challenge feedback report and recommendations at Appendix 1.
(2) Cabinet agreed the Corporate Peer Challenge action plan at Appendix 2.
(2) Reasons for the Decision
Members recalled that the Council had the first LGA Corporate Peer Challenge back in January 2019. A follow up visit was due to take place in 2020, but this was delayed by the global pandemic. The Council has changed substantially since the last review, including a new Chief Executive and politically it has transitioned from no overall control Conservative control to a Conservative majority. It was more appropriate to undertake a second peer challenge.
The Peer Challenge took place back in October 2021 and initial feedback was given to all the Group Leaders, Cabinet and senior officers. The full Peer Challenge feedback report was shown in Appendix one. As members would have seen, overall the report was very positive and it recognised that Welwyn Hatfield is a good Council with committed officer and political leadership. It also praised the Council for continuing to deliver on its modernisation programme, corporate peer challenge action plan and capital projects throughout the pandemic. The peer team was also impressed with the progress made given the other competing priorities during that time.
The Peer team made six recommendations and an action plan was developed (shown in appendix 2) to take forward and implement these recommendations. The Leader stated that while he did not disagree with recommendation four that the Council needed a Local Plan, the housing targets set out by the Inspector of 15,200 were far too excessive. He believed it was only right that the Council adopt a Local Plan that protects the valuable green belt.
Cabinet thanked the Peer Review Team for the work that they had done.