Our LGA Corporate Peer Challenge Report

In November 2024, we took part in a Corporate Peer Challenge. We have now published the report from the Local Government Association (LGA). You can read the full peer challenge report online.

The LGA's Corporate Peer Challenge involves elected member and council officer peers from other local authorities coming to the council to provide challenge and support across five themes:​​

• Local priorities and outcomes ​​
• Organisational and place leadership ​​
• Governance and culture ​​
• Financial planning and management ​​
• Capacity for improvement

All LGA councils are expected to have a Corporate Peer Challenge once every five years. This process is a key part of the LGA's improvement and assurance framework. Local Government peers provide feedback to the council based on evidence and information provided to them, and focus groups and interviews with a range of staff, councillors, partners and other key stakeholders.

The council is then required to publish an action plan for addressing the recommendations. The council's action plan will be submitted to Cabinet for approval on 8 April 2025 and then to Council. The LGA will then return to the council to discuss and review progress made against the action plan. A progress report will then be published, no later than 12 months after the visit.

Councillor Carole Pattison, Leader of Kirklees Council, said:

"It's really important for organisations like ours to be open to external review from time to time. And as the country's most respected experts on councils, the Local Government Association are ideally placed to give us independent advice on how we can improve our services.

"That's why I'm pleased to see the review team acknowledge the progress we've made including turning around the council's finances. It's also right that the hard work and professionalism of our staff has also been praised. After all, our staff are our greatest asset and we need them to deliver our services to residents.

"Overall, the review supports my view that we are turning a corner in Kirklees. But there is never room for complacency. We will take the recommendations the review team have made and produce an action plan that delivers the improvements we want to see. The plan will set out how we will get the basics right across our services while still being ambitious about transforming the Kirklees economy at the same time as maintaining our strong financial position."