NALC's latest peer challenge takes place at Cirencester Town Council
The peer challenge approach involves a team of experienced local government officers and councillors spending time with another council as peers to provide challenges and share learning.
Cirencester Town Council is England's third local (parish and town) council to participate in NALC's peer challenge programme, following successful pilots at Chippenham Town Council in Wiltshire and Falmouth Town Council in Cornwall.
During the two-day visit, the review team were invited to focus on what works well, where the council could do better, how effectively it responds to local needs and thoughts on its future strategy development. The review team featured Jonathan Owen (NALC), Kathryn Trant (LGA), Cllr Sue Baxter (Wythall Parish Council) and Joseph Whelan (Hertford Town Council).
The process involved the review team considering a comprehensive position statement and supporting information, meeting with over 40 councillors, staff, community groups and partner organisations, and visiting several key sites in the town.
The feedback included being impressed by the council's ambition, evident through achieving the Quality Gold Award accreditation in the Local Council Award Scheme, its work on health and well-being, and tackling loneliness and climate change. Other highlights included revitalising the market square to strengthen Cirencester's position as a market town and securing volunteer support for the local information centre, which received 16,000 visitors by the end of September.
At the end of the second day, the review team delivered its initial conclusions, which will be finalised before being formally submitted to the council for consideration and agreeing on an action plan to address its proposals.
Cllr Keith Stevens, chair of NALC, said: "NALC is delighted to continue working with the LGA to deliver the peer challenge programme. This important initiative helps us deliver our strategic aim of supporting local councils and councillors and take a sector-led approach to improvement in the first tier of local government. Congratulations to Cirencester Town Council for participating and telling us about the brilliant things they do for their community and embracing how they can improve. We look forward to more councils taking part in the future."
Cllr Sabrina Dixon, mayor of Cirencester Town Council, said: "We want to build on our Quality Gold accreditation and the peer challenge programme served as a useful assessment of how effective we are as an organisation, as we prepare a long-term strategy and deliver organisational improvement and development. It was an extremely positive experience with practical outputs which will help us be better equipped in meeting the future needs of our community."
Paul Clarke, an LGA principal adviser for the South West, said: "We are delighted to continue our partnership with NALC to deliver our tried and trusted programme of a sector-led peer challenge to help drive improvement and efficiency for local councils".