Issue - meetings

The Leader presented the report of the Chief Executive.

Thanks were extended to each member of the review team from the Local Government Association (LGA).

The Council was not complacent in opening itself up to review and this one had produced an exceptionally positive report. The report, alongside the awards recently awarded to the Authority, demonstrated how well the organisation was performing. Telford & Wrekin Council was striving to deliver for residents and was proud of the Borough’s COVID response. One of the highlights of the report was the esteem with which partners held the Authority.

While Telford & Wrekin would continue to seek out best practice and strive to improve, there was a sense that there was an opportunity for the Council to share its experience with other councils.

It was requested that scrutiny monitor the report recommendations implementation.

Members thanked staff for their hard work and praised the positive relationships that the Authority had built with its partners.

The Leader of the Conservative Group stated a desire for clear objectives and expressed concern at 26% of residents living within nationally recognised areas of deprivation.

In response to the concerns of the Leader of the Conservative Group, the Leader called upon the Government to do more to fight poverty and to reconsider the proposed end of the COVID uplift to Universal Credit. The Council provided ‘Outstanding’ primary education and supported crisis networks, which helped to alleviate poverty, but it could not eliminate poverty alone.

RESOLVED that –

Cabinet endorse: The LGA Corporate Peer Review report that highlights that:

-           the Council is a high performing organisation

-           has strong and effective leadership together with a committed workforce

-           is valued by partners as an organisation that gets things done

ii.         The proposed approach to addressing the Peer Review report recommendations and the timescale for reporting progress to Cabinet.