Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge praises New Forest District Council for strong leadership and financial stability

STRONG leadership, financial stability, and commitment to partnership working have been identified as New Forest District Council’s strengths following a recent peer review.

The Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge, conducted last December, saw an expert team spend three days examining how the council operates, engaging with over 130 people across more than 40 meetings with staff, councillors, and external partners.

The findings highlight NFDC’s strengths, including its “clear understanding” of local priorities, sound financial management, and highly visible leadership. It also noted the council is well-respected regionally and plays an active role in shaping partnerships that benefit residents.

The report said: “The council should be rightly proud of what it has achieved to date, with many improvements taking place behind the scenes.

“Overall, the organisation has strong foundations to deliver on its corporate plan ambitions. Delivery will ultimately rest on the capacity and capability of staff, who are New Forest District Council’s strongest asset. The workforce is passionate, enthusiastic and proud to work there.

“Crucially, staff are committed to delivering the transformation programme. However, the peer team heard that working practices, policies and the new values were being inconsistently applied across the organisation and that this could undermine staff morale. To sustain this, recognising the issue of capacity and maintaining staff motivation will be important.”

Commenting on the review, NFDC leader Cllr Jill Cleary said: “This is a fantastic endorsement of the work we do every day to serve our communities. It reflects our ambition to be a forward-thinking council while staying financially responsible.

“I’m particularly proud of the recognition given to our workforce – they are the backbone of NFDC and the reason we continue to succeed.”

The review said improvements could be made through the strengthening of the council’s overview and scrutiny function, clarification on priorities and timelines for delivering its “ambitious” corporate plan, and more proactive communication with staff, members and local people.

The report explained: “Only 66% of respondents to the residents’ survey said that they feel the council keeps residents well-informed about the services it provides. A compelling narrative will help staff, members, partners, and residents look towards the future and help them see how they can support the delivery of the corporate plan.”

The council says it is now developing an action plan to address the recommendations.

NFDC’s chief executive Kate Ryan said with local government reorganisation on the horizon, the review had come at an “important time”.

She added: “We are determined to remain a strong and effective council, working with our partners to deliver the best outcomes for our residents, now and in the future.

“We are pleased with this positive recognition and fully embrace the recommendations for improvement. Our action plan will ensure we continue learning, evolving, and delivering excellent services.”

Lib Dem opposition leader, Cllr Malcolm Wade, said while the review highlighted “many positive aspects” of the council, more could be done.

He added: “None more so than its scrutiny activity, raising the need to learn from best practice to provide more effective scrutiny of the council activities. It encouraged the authority to strengthen its overview and scrutiny function, with opposition councillors leading scrutiny and using Local Government Association (LGA) resources to learn and apply best practice to New Forest District Council. I look forward to the council following this guidance."

Cllr Jack Davies added: “The Lib Dems are big believers in checks, balances, and the need for proper scrutiny in politics. We will fight tooth and nail to make sure the recommendations in this report are adopted.”