West Devon Borough council earns high praise in local government peer review

A rural Devon council is “high performing” and “well managed” according to a peer challenge by the Local Government Association.

Councillors, staff and managers from West Devon Borough Council (WDBC) were grilled over four days in March by a team of local government specialists.

The authority’s chief executive Andy Bates said the council had passed the test “with flying colours” following an “extremely positive report”.

The report said the authority was delivering consistently well for residents and communities and “punching above its weight”.

All councils are expected to undertake a corporate peer challenge every five years by the Local Government Association (LGA) which looks into the running of the council, its finances and productivity.

The peers highlighted the effectiveness and resilience of the joint partnership between West Devon Borough Council and South Hams District Council, which shares a workforce and said that core services were delivered well and that governance was “robust”.

The joint working, which began in 2007 and saves £6.2 million a year, was “at the very heart of a highly productive organisation”.

West Devon had a council plan, a matching finance plan and most recently a delivery plan, to help ensure the council keeps on track – “all of these key building blocks create a positive culture of continuous improvement,”  said the peer team.

It added that it was important that all members were “well engaged and collectively resolute” on ensuring delivery of the council plan through a changing political landscape.

The council was seeking best practice and this was helped by leader Cllr Mandy Ewings (Ind, Tavistock South West) chairing the Devon Housing Taskforce and the senior officer team winning senior leadership team of the year for 2023 at the Municipal Journal national awards.

Nearly every partner group said how well regarded the political and managerial leadership at WDBC are. The leader is focused on communities and working well with parish and town councils.

The peer team said the appointment of new chief executive Andy Bates four years ago to lead both councils had marked a “sea change” for the authorities. 

He introduced a pragmatic, evidence based and more engaged service change process as opposed to a “big bang” pan organisational one.

This was helping to drive forward service design and delivery.

Among the recommendations, the reports said the council should improve stakeholder engagement and tell its story louder, revise the role of advisory panels and working groups and have a relentless focus on the delivery of the council plan.

Council leader Mandy Ewings thanked the people who took part and those behind the scenes who had worked tirelessly helping with the organisation.

She said: “We have every right to be truly proud of this.”

Chief executive Andy Bates said: “This is a massive point of recognition for WDBC to be judged by one’s peers in the sector, councillors and officers like ourselves. It’s a true test of quality of an organisation and I think we have passed that test with flying colours.

“We are here to serve the people of West Devon and this report reflects that well.”

But he added that the organisation wasn’t perfect and it would be taking the recommendations from the LGA seriously.

They will be used to develop an action plan which will be considered by West Devon Borough Council’s hub committee in July.

West Devon Borough Council is run by the West Devon Alliance made up of 11 Independent councillors plus three Liberal Democrats, four Greens and one Labour member. In opposition are the Conservatives who make up the remaining 11 members.