Introduction
A Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC) is conducted by the Local Government Association (LGA) and is intended to provide robust challenge and support to councils. A CPC will generally cover five core elements:
- Local priorities and outcomes
- Organisational and place leadership
- Governance and culture
- Financial planning and management, and
- Capacity for improvement
The team conducting a CPC is made up of officers and councillors from the LGA and from other councils and they will conduct the CPC by visiting the council, interviewing staff and councillors, speaking with partners and viewing committees etc.
North Devon's Corporate Peer Challenge 2025
We hosted a Local Government Association (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge from 21 October to 24 October in which a team of experienced senior local government councillors and officers reviewed the workings of the council. The peers for the CPC were:
- Arthur Charvonia, Chief Executive, Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils
- Chris White, former Leader of St Albans District Council
- Cllr Sue Baxter, Bromsgrove District Council
- Karen Edwards, Executive Director, Rushmoor Borough Council
- Steven Pink, Chief Finance Officer (Section 151 officer), Havant Borough Council
- Charlotte Morton, Impact Graduate, LGA
- Francesca Stott, Peer Challenge Manager, LGA
A report was published following the review. It found that we are a well-led, community-focused authority with a strong sense of place and a clear commitment to improving outcomes for residents.
The council is delivering against its five strategic priorities – Financial Security, Housing, Pride of Place and Prosperity, People Matter, and Climate and Environment – through ambitious regeneration, partnership working and housing initiatives.
The recommendations from the report are:
- Members and officers need to proactively consider and improve the leadership imbalance.
- The council should provide greater clarity of the functions of lead members and by the detail of service.
- The council should implement a savings and efficiencies programme to address the MTFS budget gap.
- The council must reassure itself that it has mechanisms in place that ensure the stability and effectiveness of the golden triangle of statutory officers.
- The council must take proactive steps to address stretched officer capacity before pressures escalate to unsustainable levels.
- The council should re-focus on the importance of ‘Team Devon’.
- The council should ensure that local partnerships and connections are embedded within the organisation.
- The council should consider that members and staff will likely feel a huge sense of loss from LGR.
North Devon Council CPC feedback report