In June this year, Havant Borough Council took part in a Corporate Peer Challenge run by the Local Government Association (LGA).
Senior leaders from across the local government sector visited the borough to meet with staff and Councillors with the aim of assessing the council's priorities, leadership, governance and finances.
During their three-day visit, the team met with more than 120 people, including officers, Councillors and external partners gathering information and views from over 25 meetings.
Focusing on five core components, all Corporate Peer Challenges look at:
- Local priorities and outcomes
- Organisational and place leadership
- Governance and culture
- Financial planning and management
- Capacity for improvement
As a result – the recently received report recognised the significant change Havant Borough Council has experienced in recent years. The constructive review also reported some encouraging results, noting the amount of work that is being delivered and stating there is a good understanding of the challenges facing the borough, including disparities in health and affluence.
The inspectors noted the approach to the Local Plan, particularly the discrepancy between the number of homes proposed in the draft plan and government housing targets, as well as the council's commitment to test the approach through external expert advice.
To help the council meet its ambitions outlined in the Corporate Strategy, the peer team highlighted the need for the council to tackle the projected budget shortfall over the coming years, focusing on improving its budget position.
Councillor Phil Munday, Leader of Havant Borough Council, said: “We were very pleased with the positive comments made by the peer team on the quality of service we are delivering. However, we wish to continue to improve and therefore also value the suggestions that have been put forward in the report.
“We will focus on the nine recommendations from the peer team within the context of the financial challenges that we, and other local authorities across the country face. We also understand that this will mean that some difficult financial decisions will have to be made.
“The findings of the Corporate Peer Challenge report are a testament to the dedication of our staff and partners. I want to thank them all for their efforts. I also want to offer my sincere thanks to the LGA and peer team who took the time to come and visit us.
The full report has now been published, as well as our action plan, which articulates how we will address the recommendations given to us.
Both documents can be found on our website www.havant.gov.uk/our-organisation/strategy-policy-and-performance