South Staffordshire Council has been described as a 'very impressive council' and was praised for a wide range of achievements in a Local Government Association (LGA) review.
The LGA Peer Review took place in October last year, after council chiefs invited representatives from the association to undertake the assessment.
The Peer Review report has now been published – praising South Staffordshire District Council (SSDC) for a range of projects and approaches, including Codsall Community Hub, the council's support of residents, its ability to respond to changing circumstances, and more.
Within the document, the Peer Review team states:
“This is a very impressive council which is clearly focused on delivering for the communities of South Staffordshire.
“SSDC is a well-run council and has received external recognition most recently from iESE, including 'UK Council of the Year 2022'. The council is rightly proud of this achievement and remains focused on ensuring ongoing improvement.
“The peer team congratulate the council in delivering some significant pieces of work over the past few years particularly during the pandemic and agree that the 'next level' for the council is now building on these steps made rather than a big leap.
“The Community Hub is an impressive example of how SSDC has brought partners together to realise the benefits of integration for the benefit of local communities. This is an excellent win-win example of how the council accommodation asset was transformed."
Other areas for which the council was praised include its strong financial management, its work in supporting local businesses, its use of data and intelligence to help communities, and its work to mitigate climate change in the district.
Reflecting on the Peer Team visit and the glowing report, South Staffordshire Council leader, Cllr Roger Lees said he was 'delighted' with the findings.
“We welcomed the Peer Review team to the Community Hub for three days, during which time they spoke to more than 100 people – ranging from staff, to partners, directors, and more," said Cllr Lees.
“We are very proud to have had such fantastic feedback and look forward to building on our existing successes."
Chief executive Dave Heywood added: “As a council we welcome the opportunity for continuous improvement - and the recent Peer Review and subsequent report, although excellent, has also presented us with a number of recommendations where we can further enhance our service offer to our residents and wider community."
The full Peer Review report can be found here:
Contact details
For further details contact
South Staffordshire District Council
Council Offices,
Wolverhampton Road,
Codsall,
South Staffordshire,
WV8 1PX
Tel: 01902 696000