To agree the actions that are to be taken following the planning peer challenge that the Council took part in in March 2012.

1.  That the contents of the report of the Peer Challenge Team (as attached at Appendix A to the report of the Head of Change and Scrutiny) be noted and the recommendations within be agreed.

2.  That the lead officers set out in Appendix B to the report of the Head of Change and Scrutiny and the actions to implement the recommendations to form part of those Lead Officers’ service plans as appropriate be agreed.

Following the abolition of the Audit Commission’s Comprehensive Performance Assessment the Council agreed that alternative methods of ensuring continuous improvement would be sought. One of these methods is peer assessment, where trained peers undertake the role of “critical friend “and make recommendations for ways in which services could be enhanced or improved.

In March 2012 the Council invited a team of LGA trained peers to undertake a review, the purpose of which was to determine how planning can contribute to the Council’s overarching priority of increasing economic prosperity. The team, comprising two officers, one Councillor and one LGA employee spent three days on site interviewing a wide range of people including officers, elected Members and developers. Using the information gathered the review team wrote a report (attached at Appendix A to the report of the Head of Change and Scrutiny) making a number of recommendations for improvement.

Following the production of the report an internal officer group was set up to look at the recommendations to see what work is already being undertaken and agree who would be best placed to carry each one forward. (attached at Appendix B to the report of the Head of Change and Scrutiny). Cabinet was asked to agree that these recommendations should now be progressed, as proposed in Appendix B to the report of the Head of Change and Scrutiny.

One of the recommendations relates to the refresh of the Economic Development Strategy. This refresh will take into account discussions that were held with the Peer Challenge Team, remembering that the Council’s overarching priority is economic prosperity. Individual actions from the Economic Development Strategy once agreed will be added to service plans.

Two members of the Peer Challenge Team, along with Adam Dodghson from the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) returned to the Council in June 2012 to carry out an action planning day, discussing the recommendations from the challenge and informing the Council of a range of support services that PAS can offer the Council in moving forward.

The Council could choose not to implement the recommendations in the report. However, this would lead to a number of improvements not being made.