Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) is set to build on further excellent findings from a Local Government Association (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge that took place in January this year.
The exercise saw councillors and officers from other authorities join forces to review RBC and highlight areas of good practice, whilst identifying areas for improvement and ongoing support.
The Corporate Peer Challenge team (CPC) took part in 50 meetings, learning more from over 100 people, including a range of council staff, councillors, and external stakeholders, over four days.
The peer group praised the Council for its excellent services, strong leadership, important role at the community level, robust performance management at service levels, strong communications, and exceptional partnership work.
The group also highlighted RBC’s strong financial position, debt-free status, significant capital investment, robust processes for financial planning and investment in major projects, and influence at a local and regional level.
A follow-up visit and report from the CPC in November have now highlighted that the Council has completed or progressed all nine of the recommendations the group made after their initial visit.
The report noted that the Council’s Housing Design Codes currently include eco credentials and targets far higher than their current equivalents, meeting Rushcliffe’s ambitious climate change agenda for its communities, as highlighted by its successful Abbey Road housing development in West Bridgford.
It focused on Rushcliffe’s carbon management plan achievements, such as reducing the refuse fleet’s carbon emissions by 90% by replacing diesel with biofuel.
The CPC’s recommendation to continue engaging with diverse and interconnecting communities has progressed positively, with the Council set to engage more with its younger stakeholders, potential service users, and hard-to-reach groups.
Feedback from the peer team showed that they were impressed with the progress made, particularly in the context of significant local and regional changes since their visit, including the establishment of the East Midlands Combined County Authority, a new MP for Rushcliffe, and the announcement of a new Chief Executive.
RBC’s Cabinet reflected in its meeting on Tuesday (10 December) on its previously agreed action plan that put into practice the recommendations.
Leader of the Council, Councillor Neil Clarke, said: “We were delighted with the excellent findings of the peer group from their visit in January and very pleased that their follow-up visit and report in November highlighted the progress of the action plan we agreed.
“They reported that they were particularly impressed both by the Council’s careful consideration of and building on these recommendations to best enhance Rushcliffe’s agenda, rather than just actioning them at face value, thereby getting the fullest value out of them.
“This shows the importance we place on listening to where we can improve our external and internal processes and approaches that ultimately mean better services for residents and a better place to work for our teams.
“The CPC process has been a positive one, and the Council would like to thank the Corporate Peer Team and the LGA for their time and commitment.”
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