By Cllr Clive Jones
During the last year or so Wokingham Borough Council have been reviewed by the Local Government Association.
This is something that happens every so often.
Former Chief officers from other councils, Council leaders and officials from the LGA spend time in an authority learning how they work and how decisions are made and how councillors interact with officers.
They then write a report which highlights good practise and suggests possible improvements to the way the council operates.
The initial meetings which took place over a few days happened in November 2021, under the previous administration.
The original challenge team made five key recommendations including: a commitment to co-producing a long-term vision for the borough with partners, ensuring there is capacity in core corporate areas and recognising the council’s leadership role, including sometimes taking criticism and making tough decisions.
An action plan was put in place.
The May 2022 elections resulted in a new administration running the Council. After 20 years, the Conservatives had lost control of the Council and the new administration was now run by the Liberal Democrats.
The review team returned to Wokingham in October last year for an update on progress following their visit in 2021 and to see how the officers and the new administration were working together. The report from the follow u[ meeting notes that the independent reviews found improvements in a number of areas.
The peer review’s feedback states: “The Peer Team observed that there has been a palpable and positive change at Wokingham, in tone, style and purpose and felt that they were encountering a council that was very different to a year ago which is a credit to the work of both officers and members.
“The council has clearly embraced the issues they were facing at the time of the original peer challenge and turned them into opportunities using the financial position and a change in political control as an impetus for change.”
I, my Executive, as well as senior officers at WBC, feel that it is important to learn from others and I am pleased the peer review team has seen improvements in the council.
They noted in particular that the new Lib Dem administration don’t shy away from difficult decisions and, given the difficult national economic position, that is very important.
We are doing all we can to ensure we have a balance budget for 2023/24 which doesn’t take money from the general reserve. last year the Conservatives took £2.2m from the general reserves to balance the books.
Currently general reserves are forecast to be under £8m, which we are working hard to bringing back to £9m by the end of the year.
I would urge anybody interested in how we are working to make things better for residents to read this Peer review report.
It is encouraging that these independent assessors have found we are going in right direction and have improved against their recommendations, but we are not complacent and will continue to work with our partners for the good of all our residents.
The LGA Corporate Peer Review Challenge – Progress Review is published with the Executive committee agenda on the council’s website and will be discussed at the meeting of the Executive next week.
Cllr Clive Jones is the leader of Wokingham Borough Council and ward member for Hawkedon
