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All councils have to comply with Government legislation to show that they are providing good value in delivering their statutory services, their governance and their budgets.
The Local Government Association (LGA) helps to support councils meet their best value duty. To do this they offer regular performance reviews by an experienced local government team. This is usually done once every five years with a follow up Progress Review approximately ten months later. The outcome of all such reviews have to be publicly reported on the LGA website.
Stratford-on-Avon District Council was reviewed in March 2024. A follow up Progress Review was completed in January 2025.
The 2024 Review found that the District Council was well-run, recognised its challenges and was ambitious for the future of the District. There had been a smooth transition to the new administration after the elections in May 2023 and a new 2023-2027 Council Plan had been delivered successfully with a clear vision and focus on future ambitions. It was noted that the council was in a stable financial position and had used its budgets to support priority areas.
However, it was also noted that more work could be done in some areas. Ten actions were recommended in March 2024 and the Progress Review in 2025 concentrated on these recommendations. All were found to have been completed or progressed.
One of the original recommendations was to strengthen communications with residents and Parish Councils. Since then a new Communications Strategy has been approved which includes an online newsletter and new a printed magazine, as well as an App for information to residents with councillor contact details and bin collection dates directly delivered to their phones.
The peer team saw some really positive developments on a Citizens’ Panel. The membership has been refreshed. The target was for 800 members and is currently at 740, so represents positive progress. All the members will be engaged in the regular Residents’ Survey process.
The District Council has undertaken some important work developing the relationships and engagement it has with Town and Parish Councils. A Parish Forum was launched at the end of January and the District Council is also resourcing a new Parish Liaison Officer post. With Local Government Reorganisation ahead of us, this will become an important Forum for discussions with local councils about the future of local government in this District.
Following the publication of the English Devolution White Paper in December 2024 it has become clear that local government reorganisation (LGR) has now become a key focus for the District Council. The Peer Review Progress Report noted that, although at this stage, the future is uncertain, the political and officer leadership demonstrated by the District Council was clear and will continue be important.
As we undertake the massive challenges ahead of us in local government, we will need to be sure that we are and remain resilient. We will need to maintain and develop our capacity whilst continuing to work with and support a wide range of partners and stakeholders who help us to do our work.
It will be important to support all staff through this time of change, so that we can continue to deliver the services valued by residents to the standard that they expect. This district has significant economic and cultural strengths, but it also has challenges. These challenges must be addressed, whatever changes lie ahead.
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