THE PEER challenge review team has praised the way Redditch Borough Council has acted in response to a recent evaluation.
The review was held at the council’s request last year, and saw senior people from across the country and political spectrum gather in Redditch, to scrutinise the authority’s workings and make recommendations for improvement.
The eight-strong team of ‘critical friends’ spoke to 130 council staff, members, and partners over 55 meetings to produce detailed recommendations on what the council does well, and what it could do better, to achieve its goals.
The resulting report found a financially stable council working well on its ambitious plans for Redditch in a challenging climate, and made recommendations on how and where it could improve.
The main recommendations were on the council’s community engagement in decision making, its organisational strategies, and its financial processes, and took into account its shared services with Bromsgrove District Council which was also part of the review.
The follow-up report on what the council has since done on those recommendations was received at Monday’s council meeting and has been published.
Coun Matt Dormer, Leader of Redditch Borough Council, said: “As the original report detailed, the recommendations have been fairly challenging to deliver.
“We had some serious feedback which members and officers have listened to and acted on and there is still plenty to be do.
“But we are delighted to have had a wide-ranging, politically-mixed, independent team of experts in our sector have a good hard look under the bonnet and find a council that’s able to deliver on our ambitious vision.
“We’re working in new, groundbreaking partnerships to ensure our local public services that people value so much don’t age into obsolescence, but continue to have a bright future.
“We’ve built new council homes, providing more-affordable rent for families that need it.
“And we’re doing all this in ways that protect our taxpayers. It takes a strong organisation to deliver this and this high quality feedback is helping.”
Visit redditchbc.gov.uk/cpc for more information.
