LGA Corporate Peer Challenge: Rochford District Council

Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC) is a highly valued improvement and assurance tool that is delivered by the sector for the sector. It involves a team of senior local government councillors and officers undertaking a comprehensive review of key finance, performance and governance information and then spending four days at Rochford District Council to provide robust, strategic, and credible challenge and support.

CPC forms a key part of the improvement and assurance framework for local government. It is underpinned by the principles of Sector-led Improvement (SLI) put in place by councils and the Local Government Association (LGA) to support continuous improvement and assurance across the sector. These state that local authorities are: Responsible for their own performance, Accountable locally not nationally and have a collective responsibility for the performance of the sector.

CPC assists councils in meeting part of their Best Value duty, with the UK Government expecting all local authorities to have a CPC at least every five years.

Peers remain at the heart of the peer challenge process and provide a ‘practitioner perspective’ and ‘critical friend’ challenge.

This report outlines the key findings of the peer team and the recommendations that the council are required to action.

Rochford District, situated to the east of Essex between the River Thames and River Crouch, offers a unique blend of unspoiled countryside, rich heritage, and strategic connectivity. With a population of approximately 85,600 and accessibility via a 50-minute direct train from London Liverpool Street, the district combines rural charm with proximity to urban opportunity. The newly adopted corporate plan, “Our Rochford, Our Plan 2024–2028”, sets the strategic direction across three key themes: Communities and Homes, Places and Spaces, and Economy and Prosperity. These priorities are underpinned by a strong financial position and commitment to good governance. However, to maximise impact and sustain delivery momentum, the council must now focus on aligning these strategic ambitions with available capacity and resources.

Peers noted that while recent achievements such as play space enhancements, skatepark developments, and fleet electrification trials reflect positive momentum, there is a risk of overreach. The administration must temper ambition with realism by developing detailed, costed annual delivery plans that clearly link projects to the overarching themes in the corporate plan. These plans should be developed in tandem with the budget cycle each autumn to ensure integrated planning, delivery, and performance monitoring. The recent introduction of thematic boards aligned to strategic priorities is an important governance reform and must now be fully embedded to ensure policy committees have clear ownership of key performance indicators and delivery outcomes.

The council has demonstrated commendable strengths in service delivery, particularly in council tax and business rate collection and timely processing of benefits. However, longstanding challenges remain in housing delivery, including a significant waiting list, limited affordable housing stock, and slow planning application turnaround times. The adoption of a new Local Plan and a refreshed housing allocations policy aim to tackle these issues. Performance monitoring has also been strengthened through the reintroduction of Scrutiny and Performance Committee reporting and the formation of a cross-party working group. However, the current system is cumbersome, and more agile approaches such as expanding the use of real-time dashboards like Power BI across all services are needed to enhance decision-making and reduce the risk of underspending.

Public engagement and communication, while active, lack strategic direction. Current efforts are dispersed across platforms and miss opportunities for more consistent and inclusive dialogue. Peers recommend developing a clear communication and engagement strategy that ensures meaningful interaction with all community groups. This includes refreshing the expired Inclusion and Equality Policy and establishing a clear Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) action plan aligned with national standards. These steps are essential for meeting legal duties, enhancing trust, and ensuring all voices are considered in shaping Rochford’s future.

A strength of the council lies in its partnership working. The collaborative One Team relationship with Brentwood Borough Council (BBC) has proven resilient through political changes and was recently praised by the East of England Local Government Association (EELGA) as a strong model of inter-authority collaboration. This partnership has elevated civic engagement, improved community safety outcomes, and delivered shared services that benefit both councils. Further partnerships, such as the South-East Essex Alliance and South Essex Councils, have positioned Rochford to play a central role in regional priorities like health inequalities, infrastructure, and devolution. However, past issues with some voluntary sector organisations, particularly concerning asset management, highlight the need for improved relationship management and more transparent engagement processes.

Rochford District Council’s (RDC’s) future development hinges on a coherent vision for “Place.” With support from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), the council has begun work on cultural, visitor economy, and economic growth strategies. Yet a lack of internal capacity risks stalling progress. The delivery of the new Local Plan, due for submission by 2026, is critical to securing appropriate housing development and infrastructure investment. Uncertainty created by additional, unrequired consultations and capacity constraints on planning teams puts delivery at risk. Peers advise the council to accelerate work on the Local Plan, take a firm strategic lead on Place leadership, and ensure that development aligns with infrastructure and community need.

The transition from a cabinet to a committee governance model has surfaced several growing pains. Peers observed confusion around roles, slow decision-making, and limited ownership of committee responsibilities. To resolve this, the council should urgently refine its constitution, clarify responsibilities, and strengthen member-officer collaboration. Early actions by the new Monitoring Officer (MO), including improved report writing, Mod.gov usage, and enhanced member development, are promising. Updating member allowances, clarifying rules for late budget amendments, and establishing stronger chair ownership of reports will contribute to more effective governance. It is also essential that the organisation move past a culture of blame and focus on unified political and managerial leadership to deliver shared goals.

Internally, governance and audit processes are being strengthened. The thematic boards and Strategy, Finance and Policy Committee now are beginning to provide a clearer ‘golden thread’ from political decision-making through to operational delivery. To build on this progress, peers recommend assigning committees direct ownership of key performance indicators. An annual review of the Audit and Governance Committee’s effectiveness should also be undertaken, as advised by external auditors, and internal audit recommendations should be actioned without delay. Together, these steps will embed a culture of continuous improvement and accountable governance.

Financially, RDC is in a notably strong position. As of 31 March 2024, the council holds £17.6 million in reserves, which equates to 154 per cent of the net revenue expenditure in 2023/24, with no external debt and strong investment income from its cash balances. The finance team is respected, reporting is clear, and the budget gaps identified within the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) appear manageable to address. However, a significant underspend in the 2023/24 revenue budget monitoring position, revealed weaknesses in real-time forecasting and monitoring. Budget holders currently lack full access to up-to-date financial data, in part due to the finance system incompatibility with BBC, making it difficult for staff operating within One Team. Peers recommend undertaking an analysis of system integration opportunities, strengthening budget monitoring procedures and conducting a self-assessment against the CIPFA Financial Management Code to strengthen financial resilience and operational forecasting.

The capital programme has been hampered by historic delays, particularly around high-profile projects such as the office relocation and Mill Hall redevelopment. This is attributed to an under-resourced assets team and a history of underinvestment in the council’s property portfolio. If the council were minded to invest in extra resource the delivery of some of these asset projects would be accelerated. Peers urge the council to increase capacity in the assets team and take a more forward-looking, strategic approach to property management. Decisions around capital investment should be guided by business cases, not historic aversion to borrowing. Realising capital receipts through asset disposal should be viewed as an opportunity to reinvest in legacy projects aligned with the corporate plan. Such actions will unlock value for residents and enable the delivery of long-term priorities.

Finally, political leadership is at a pivotal moment. Since the formation of a new joint administration in May 2024, RDC has made impressive strides, including adopting a new corporate plan, relocating to Launchpad, and securing a new leisure contract. However, with no district elections scheduled in 2025, there is a valuable window to consolidate delivery, focus on shared priorities, and to leave a lasting legacy. Peers encourage political leaders to remain focused, avoid distraction from social media discourse, and present a unified, strategic voice particularly in relation to the evolving devolution and local government reform (LGR) agenda in Essex.

There are a number of observations and suggestions within the main section of the report. The following are the peer team’s key recommendations to the council:

Recommendation 1

Articulate how the joint political administration work together - build consensus on the things you agree on and don't spend time debating other issues.

Recommendation 2

Urgently review and refine the committee system and constitution to clearly define political leadership roles and ensure effective and timely decision making to implement the council’s priorities.

Recommendation 3

Strengthen governance processes to monitor delivery of the corporate plan, annual delivery plans and corporate performance.

Recommendation 4

Develop smart annual delivery plans for each year of the corporate plan which clearly demonstrate what the council will achieve, by when and the outcomes for communities.

Recommendation 5

Invest in organisational capacity to:

• Enable delivery of the council priorities.
• Create space and time for strategic thinking and innovation.
• Promote quality over speed of decision making.
• Develop and grow your own talent.

Recommendation 6

The whole council needs to take a stronger strategic leadership of Place by continuing to develop, at pace, a Local Plan to ensure development is identified in the right locations with associated infrastructure, which will in turn reduce the risk of speculative development.

Recommendation 7

Build on the work to date to develop a coordinated approach to business, community and partner engagement.

Recommendation 8

Make informed decisions based on business cases on the future of the council’s assets and use any capital receipts to fund legacy projects to benefit Rochford DC residents.

Recommendation 9

Continue to actively contribute to the greater Essex Devo/LGR conversations to ensure you get the best for Rochford district – be comfortable being uncomfortable in this space and don’t lose sight of the ultimate goal of devolution in Essex.

The peer team

Peer challenges are delivered by experienced elected member and officer peers. The make-up of the peer team reflected the focus of the peer challenge and peers were selected by the LGA on the basis of their relevant expertise. The peers were:

• Andy Bates - Chief Executive, South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council
• Cllr Rowena Hay - Leader, Cheltenham Borough Council (Lib Dem)
• Cllr Hannah Dalton - Leader, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council (Ind)
• Angela Woodhouse - Director of Strategy, Insight and Governance - Maidstone Borough Council
• Lisa Buckle - Director of Strategic Finance (S151 Officer) - South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council
• Lee Byrne - Assistant Director for Regeneration and UKSPF delivery - Melton Borough Council
• Kirsty Human - LGA Peer Challenge Manager

Scope and focus

The peer team considered the following five themes which form the core components of all Corporate Peer Challenges. These areas are critical to councils’ performance and improvement.

1. Local priorities and outcomes - are the council’s priorities clear and informed by the local context? Is the council delivering effectively on its priorities? Is there an organisational-wide approach to continuous improvement, with frequent monitoring, reporting on and updating of performance and improvement plans?
2. Organisational and place leadership - does the council provide effective local leadership? Are there good relationships with partner organisations and local communities?
3. Governance and culture - Are there clear and robust governance arrangements? Is there a culture of challenge and scrutiny?
4. Financial planning and management - Does the council have a grip on its
5. Capacity for improvement - Is the organisation able to bring about the improvements it needs, including delivering on locally identified priorities? Does the council have the capacity to improve?

As part of the five core elements outlined above, every Corporate Peer Challenge includes a strong focus on financial sustainability, performance, governance, and assurance.

The peer challenge process

Peer challenges are improvement focused; it is important to stress that this was not an inspection. The process is not designed to provide an in-depth or technical assessment of plans and proposals. The peer team used their experience and knowledge of local government to reflect on the information presented to them by people they met, things they saw and material that they read.

The peer team prepared by reviewing a range of documents and information to ensure they were familiar with the council and the challenges it is facing. This included a position statement prepared by the council in advance of the peer team’s time on site. This provided a clear steer to the peer team on the local context at Rochford District Council (RDC) and what the peer team should focus on. It also included a comprehensive LGA Finance briefing (prepared using public reports from the council’s website) and a LGA performance report outlining benchmarking data for the council across a range of metrics. The latter was produced using the LGA’s local area benchmarking tool called LG Inform.

The peer team then spent four days onsite at RDC, during which they:

• Gathered evidence, information, and views from more than 50 meetings, in addition to further research and reading.
• Spoke to more than 160 people including a range of council staff together with members and external stakeholders.

This report provides a summary of the peer team’s findings. In presenting feedback, they have done so as fellow local government officers and members.

The council has a new corporate plan, Our Rochford Our Plan 2024–2028, which peers agreed is a useful high-level aspirational document outlining the council’s priorities. Underpinned by sound financial management, the plan focuses on three key themes:

• Communities and Homes
• Places and Spaces
• Economy and Prosperity

The previous business plan annual review details what the council has delivered for communities, and whilst the 2024-25 plan is still in production, peers heard and saw tangible evidence of delivery in communities over the past year. 

• The council secured £1m UKSPF funding which has been used to improve accessibility in town centres and high streets, support existing cultural, historic and heritage institutions and strengthen local entrepreneurial ecosystems and support businesses at all stages of their development.
• Skateparks have been installed at Hullbridge and Rayleigh Leisure Centre at a combined value of £330,000, with a further £210,000 skatepark planned for installation at Clements Hall in the summer of 2025.
• Work to undertake £50,000 of play space improvement are soon to be underway.
• As part of the £1.3 million five-year programme for play spaces, another £300,000 will be spent on play space improvements next year with Clements, Sweyne, Fairview and Hockley Woods play spaces all to receive an uplift.
• A five-year fully funded replacement programme of the council’s vehicle fleet has been agreed, mapping out the route to an electrified fleet. The first 4 electric vans are on order and should arrive late spring.
• A year’s trial of running the Rochford Norse fleet on HVO (bio diesel) is planned to be introduced in the new administrative year, providing over a 90 per cent reduction in the carbon-footprint in comparison to similar mineral diesel consumption.
• The council secured £424,000 of funding from the Swimming Pool Support Fund report to install photovoltaic (PV) panels and pool covers at Clements Hall Leisure Centre.
• Utilising a £733k Home Upgrade Grant (HUG2) energy efficiency improvements have been made for residents living in park homes at Tower Park in Hullbridge (54 properties/£652k) and the remainder on low-income private households (£80.5k – 8 homes).

To support the ongoing delivery of the corporate plan priorities there needs to be stronger alignment of the financial and delivery arrangements. It wasn’t clear to peers that the priorities had been fully costed and resourced and there is a danger this could lead to under delivery. The council simply does not have enough staff to deliver everything all at once and expectations need to be moderated, “the council pays for 50 per cent of staff within One Team but expects 150 per cent of their time.” 

Peers recommend the council continue at pace to develop smart annual delivery plans for each year of the corporate plan based around the key themes which clearly demonstrate what the council will achieve, by when and the outcomes for communities. Aligning to service plans, this will provide direction for officers to ensure they are focussed on delivering the right projects and not distracted by requests to deliver on impulse. There needs to be more rigour around an approach of “if it’s not in the plan, it’s not going to be done unless something else is removed.” 

In future years preparing the budget, annual delivery plan and service plans together in the autumn would provide more time for engagement across the council and ensure there is a golden thread from the corporate plan priorities through to resources and delivery. 

Using the online platform “Engage with Us” the council consulted with its communities on the 2025/26 budget and priorities, with 237 responses. Other examples of engaging with residents and communities were demonstrated through investment in the Community Connect Trailer which is used to improve consultation and engagement with the community on public health issues, events to support producing the Local Plan and gather views on the redevelopment of Clements Hall Skate Park. 

Despite asking residents how they want to be consulted, via the communications survey in 2023, peers were unclear of the council’s strategic approach to engagement and communications with residents, businesses and communities. There didn’t appear to be any resulting strategy or action plan to address the survey responses or a clear and defined approach to how the council engages. 

There is clearly a lot of formal and informal engagement with communities through online surveys, ward member discussions, parish forums and business meetings. Clearly defining and setting out how the council engages with different stakeholders on a range of issues would help to ensure all voices are being heard, better understand the needs and aspirations of all sectors of the community and give credibility to the priorities in the corporate plan. Refinement of the corporate plan over the plan period can then be based on the true needs of the communities being served. 

Equality and diversity considerations are included in committee report and peers heard of specific actions to support staff, including networks on menopause and neurodiversity and the introduction of mental health champions and employment passports. Staff have also recently received training on anti-racism. However the councils Inclusion and Equality Policy expired in 2021 and despite completing an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Maturity Assessment based on the LGA EDI framework, there was no mention of an action plan or plans to address the out of date policy to include new legal obligations such as protection from sexual harassment. The good work that is being completed, is in isolation of any strategic direction and needs a more coordinated approach if the council is to meet its duties in this area. 

Performance

When reviewing the LGAs LGInform data report, RDC performs well in most core services when compared to Cipfa near neighbours. Council Tax and Business Rate collection levels are within the top quartile (Council Tax 98.7 per cent and Business Rates 99.24 per cent) and benefits claims are being processed within 10.1 days for new claims and 4.8 days for change of circumstances. Household recycling rates are in the region of 62 per cent.

Outliers include high numbers on the housing waiting list, insufficient delivery of affordable homes and below average completion times for non-major planning applications. Peers recognise that the council is currently developing its new Local Plan and has recently consulted on a new housing allocations policy which seek to address performance in these areas. 

In July 2024 the Scrutiny and Performance Committee agreed to the reintroduction of a regular performance indicators, formal complaints and freedom of information (FOI) monitoring report to the scrutiny and performance committee via a cross-party working group and, in turn, approved the creation of a performance, complaints and FOI working group which reports to the Strategy, Finance and Policy Committee. The working group reports are very detailed and enable members to interrogate the data and ask questions of officers. The process is however quite cumbersome and lengthens the time between producing data, scrutinising it and presenting it to a committee that can make decisions on improvements. 

In recognising the need to ensure data and performance helps drive improvement, the council is currently refining its corporate performance framework. In the new municipal year (from May 2025), thematic boards and policy committees will be realigned to reflect the corporate plan priorities. Each policy committee will review a suite of performance measures related to the work being delivered to ensure political oversight and accountability. The Strategy, Finance and Policy Committee chaired by the leader will provide overall strategic oversight of corporate plan and annual delivery plan priorities. Peers support these improvements and recommend they are delivered without delay to strengthen governance processes which monitor delivery of the corporate plan, annual delivery plans and overall corporate performance.

Peers heard how the housing service is leading the way by using Power BI to create a dashboard of performance data which is helping managers to identify issues with performance, identify trends and report by exception. Peers saw this as an example of good practice which could be used to roll out to other services. 

Building on the use of Power BI, the corporate leadership team (CLT) would benefit from real time financial management and performance data to actively manage performance and drive service improvement. Presently, there is a shortage of data which presents historic information. For the management of budgets, peers could see a direct correlation between the lack of data and the council’s significant annual underspends. Managers need to accurately forecast using the latest information and current arrangements are being strengthened in this area. RDC and BBC have different finance systems, and this makes it difficult for One Team staff who are operating across both councils. However, it is acknowledged that with LGR there may not be a current business case for the finance systems to be aligned.

The council is having due regard to IT security matters and cyber security arrangements.

There is a strong partnership between RDC and BBC which is delivering mutual benefits and has been successfully maintained through changes in political administration at both councils. This is reflected in the independent review of the partnership conducted by the East of England Local Government Association (EELGA) in late 2024. “Having undertaken a review of One Team, there is no doubt that there have been some clear benefits of such an approach and a good example as to how partnerships can be made to work and work well where there is clear member and officer will.” The review concluded that the partnership should continue and be developed further. 

The chairman’s role and that of the civic office is an example of an area that has benefitted from the partnership with BBC. Increased importance has been given to the role, enabling engagement with local communities, connections with businesses, charities and neighbouring areas which is raising the profile of the council.

Partners commended the council on re-establishing the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) across Rochford and Castle Point. There is a focused action plan in place setting out key priorities around, prevent, response and promote. Safer Streets Funding is being used to deliver several projects including, taxi ambassadors, a women’s safety charter and engagement activities with young people in schools and the community. The installation of a Closed-Circuit Television System (CCTV) in Rayleigh High Street is another successful outcome.

Other notable partnerships exist with neighbouring councils. The South-East Essex Alliance brings Rochford, Castle Point and Southend-on-Sea councils together to reduce health inequalities across the communities with a three-year Health and Wellbeing Strategy supporting the work in Rochford and Castle Point. As a member of South Essex Councils formerly the Association of South Essex Councils (ASELA) the council has contributed to a collective voice for south Essex on economy and skills, digital connectivity, transport and infrastructure, housing and environment. This work has prepared and positioned the council and the wider county for the government’s agenda on devolution. 

Some Voluntary Community Sector (VCS) partners expressed disappointment over their engagement on council assets, particularly Mill Hall where they feel let down. However, there is still a willingness and enthusiasm to work with the council with opportunities to reset relationships and build on and expand the positive collaboration with the Community Support Network and work with the council’s communities’ team. 

The Rochford Hundred, a name dating back to Norman times is used to collectively describe the partnership between RDC and its 13 parishes and one town council. Political engagement is positive with the leader regularly attending meetings. They were also grateful for officers attending to keep them informed and provide updates on issues impacting them, such as the planning portal.

Peers heard many references to informal political engagement with businesses, health partners and traders. High Street summits have started to take place, and the council has run annual Business Awards since 2023.  However, there is further work to do in this area to fill the “partnership vacuum” referenced to peers. Consider how to broaden engagement with businesses across the district. Working with the three chambers of trade is a good start and peers recommend the council builds on the work to date to develop a coordinated approach to business, community and partner engagement which is adequately resourced and strategically led.

RDC is developing a spatial vision for Place. UKSPF funding was used to commission consultants to produce a Culture and Visitor Economy Strategy and work has started on producing a new Economic Growth Strategy. It is important that these and other council strategies come together to present a single integrated and coherent vision for Place – how you see the district in the future and what needs to be completed to achieve this. Again, capacity is a challenge as actions in the corporate plan across all three priority areas require significant input from a small number of staff in the economic development and assets teams. Addressing capacity and providing strategic direction is required for RDC to deliver on the ambitions in these documents and the corporate plan. 

The current Local Plan expires this year with the new Local Plan 2025-2043 expected to be submitted for examination by the end of 2026. At this time, the council is at risk from speculative applications which are unlikely to be successfully defended. Furthermore, the new administration has a clear commitment to deliver affordable housing for its communities. To do this, and ensure housing is built in locations that meet policy, a clear and timely approach is needed for the Local Plan. 

Peers questioned why consultation on regulation 18 is taking place for a third time in (Summer 2025) when statutorily it is only required once, before regulation 19 consultation takes place in winter 2025/6. Completing two consultations in this timeframe is ambitious and puts a lot of pressure on officers and the lead member. 

To achieve the ambitions for housing delivery and mitigate risks, peers recommend the whole council needs to continue taking a stronger strategic lead on leadership of Place and accelerate delivery of the Local Plan to ensure development is in the right place with associated infrastructure.

Following release of the English Devolution White Paper there has been strong leadership and internal communication of the implications arising from devolution and LGR. Staff feel well informed and CMT are demonstrating a mature attitude. Regular staff briefings are taking place, and an internal website is being frequently populated with information and frequently asked questions.

Council approved (16 votes to 15) the Interim plan for Local Government Reform in Essex to be submitted to government at its meeting on 18 March along with preference for a five unitary model. Recommendation four was amended to omit reference to “including a unitary authority covering the current authorities of Southend-on-Sea, Castle Point and Rochford, as its preferred structure for local government in Greater Essex.” Peers understand the reason for this, but it has led to questions being asked by partners.

It is critical to maintain momentum with this agenda and persevere with the political and managerial engagement across the 15 partners. The political leadership needs to:

• Provide clarity on RDC’s position regarding LGR options to influence the business case development.
• Speak confidently about RDC in the greater Essex space.
• Provide a stronger collective voice – partners want you in this space.

Peers recommend the council continues to actively contribute to the greater Essex Devo/LGR conversations to ensure you get the best for the residents of Rochford district. It is acceptable to be comfortable being uncomfortable in this space just don’t lose sight of the ultimate goal of devolution in Essex.

In May 2024 a new joint administration comprising 11 Liberal Democrats and 10 Non-Aligned Independents took control of the council. There have been some significant “wins” over the last 11 months which the administration should be proud of, notably:

• Producing a new corporate plan, setting out the council’s aspirations and priorities.
• Moving to new offices at Launchpad.
• Opening the Civic Suite in Rayleigh.
• Completing the joint procurement of a new leisure contract.
• Continuing the partnership with BBC and drawing benefits from One Team. 

In the drive to fulfil numerous campaign commitments, the administration risks spreading itself too thin, potentially leading to partial delivery across multiple areas without fully realising any. To avoid diluted impact, support is needed to align the entire administration more tightly around the shared priorities outlined in the corporate plan. This will help sharpen collective focus, clarify long-term goals, and ensure that the legacy left for Rochford district is both meaningful and measurable.

Peers recognised the negative impact and influence social media, and leaked information is having on delivery of the agreed council priorities and decision making. It would be helpful to ignore this and focus on the messages and influence you want to deliver. Peers recommend you articulate how the joint political administration work together. Build consensus on the things you agree on and don't spend time debating other issues. As 2025 is a fallow election year, there is another 12 months at least to make an impression and deliver for the communities of Rochford and “everyone needs to be on the same team – delivering for residents.” 

The council has changed its political decision-making system, having moved from a cabinet to committee system in May 2024. It is clear the past year has been tumultuous, and members and officers have struggled with its implementation. Peers observed differing views on roles and responsibilities. There appears to be limited collective ownership of the council’s work programme and corporate priorities among committee chairs, with scope to strengthen political accountability. Around 60 – 70 per cent of reports to council have already been considered by a policy committee, council is meeting monthly, One Team officers are attending meetings for RDC Tuesday to Thursday and BBC Monday to Wednesday and officers attend and present reports to committee without much certainty they will be approved, even by the chair, despite being written with member involvement. 

Peers recommend the council urgently review and refine the committee system and constitution to clearly define political leadership roles and ensure effective and timely decision making to implement the council’s priorities. The number of Full Council meetings (currently once a month) needs to be reduced to allow both Members and Officers the time to deliver on the priorities within the Plan.

Fortunately, there is a clear commitment from the new MO to strengthen governance arrangements within the council and work has already started. Plans are in place to improve several areas, including, report writing, improved use and training on Mod.gov, introduction of chairs meetings and appointment to a training officer to prioritise and resource member development.

Roles and responsibilities of the political leadership including leader, deputy leader, committee chairs and vice chairs are being drafted to take through the constitution working group. This will help provide clarity for the political leadership and committee chair roles. Once agreed, member allowances need to properly reflect the responsibilities of these roles and be in line with benchmarked data. 

Further revisions to the constitution should also be considered to improve decision making. For example, several working days’ notice should be given for any proposed amendments to the council’s annual revenue budget, so that statutory officers can properly assess the finance and legal implications on the budget and the council’s financial position.

People enjoy working for RDC. Peers observed a positive culture amongst staff and teams clearly support each other. However, there is an urgent need to build back trust between members and officers. Some officer-member interactions are negatively impacting on organisational culture. Committee reports are written and presented by officers which has enabled a “culture of blaming officers when things go wrong.” To provide political cover and prevent officers getting caught in political crossfire, chairs should take ownership and present reports only deferring to officers if more detail is required. 

To further support improving officer-member and member-member relationships, there needs to be a dedicated meeting space to create opportunities for members and officers to work together. At present, Launchpad is not equipped to do this, but with some alterations it could provide a collaboration space to support members and officers getting to know each other better and reinforce the organisations four cultural values; belong, innovate, nurture and trust.

Since January 2025 a new thematic board structure has been in place to support each of the three priorities of the corporate plan. The economy board, environment board and communities board are made up of key officers responsible for delivering on those priorities. In addition, the well-managed authority board ensures the council adheres to good governance practices, with reporting from the corporate transformation board, which seeks to develop the organisation and position it to respond to challenges and opportunities that may arise in the future. This new structure is embryonic with boards having met only once or twice but peers could already see how it will lead to an improved focus on outcomes. 

The next stage is to align the council’s policy committees with the corporate priorities and through the new board structure create a golden thread from political decision making on the corporate plan down through the board workplans to service plans and delivery on the ground. Each policy committee will be responsible for assessing a set of performance indicators linked to their areas of work to maintain political oversight and ensure accountability. The Strategy, Finance and Policy Committee, led by the council leader, will offer overarching strategic direction for the corporate plan and annual delivery plan priorities. This will then enable the council to implement plans to refocus scrutiny on holding external partners to account.

RDC and BBC jointly tendered for internal audit services and the new supplier BDO started on 1^st April 2025 creating a more resilient and efficient service. The 2025/2026 internal audit plan will now be developed with the new provider. The Internal Audit Annual Report and Annual Statement of Assurance for 2023/24 was considered at Audit and Governance Committee in July 2024. The conclusion was that ‘adequate assurance’ could be taken that the council’s risk management, internal control and governance processes generally accorded with proper practice and were fundamentally sound.

The report refers to 12 of the 17 planned audits being delivered for 2023/24 and to 39 out of 53 (74 per cent) ‘live’ audit recommendations being overdue. Peers were pleased to hear that progress is being made on fulfilling the internal audit recommendations and that follow up audits are planned to ensure recommendations have been implemented alongside the internal audit tracker.  

An independent audit has been completed and the council learned lessons from the external audit recommendation regarding a weakness in relation to the governance arrangements for the Asset Delivery Partnership. An annual review of the effectiveness of the Audit and Governance Committee should be undertaken, as highlighted by external audit, as this is considered best practice.

The council is in a generally strong financial position with revenue reserves above average for district councils with an upward trend. As of 31 March 2024, they stood at £17.6m which was equivalent to 154 per cent of net revenue expenditure in 2023/24.

Capital financing requirements (CFR) are under £1m, and the council has no external debt or plans to borrow to fund its capital programme resulting in no exposure to the impact of interest rates on debt. There is limited involvement in commercial activity and exposure to risks associated with such activity. With significant cash balances (between £20m and £23m in 2023/24) RDC has benefited from the higher interest environment on its treasury management income from cash balances (£1.3m).   

Savings in the 2025/26 budget appear to be achievable with limited risk attached to them. The Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) includes budget deficits in 2026/27 to 2028/29, funded from an equalisation reserve and a further £0.5m from Earmarked Reserves in 2027/28, but the budget is back in balance by 2029/30. The use of external advisers such as Local Government Futures for financial modelling has supported production of the MTFS.

RDC has applied measures to support the most vulnerable in the district and implemented a £50k winter fuel support scheme to help those impacted by fuel poverty. In partnership with Essex County Council, RDC are using discretionary powers to reduce the amount of council tax a cared for young person is liable to pay. Also working across Essex, the council has opened a community supermarket in Rochford where residents can buy food and essentials at cheaper prices than bigger supermarkets.  

The appointment of a new permanent s151 officer (chief finance officer) along with a knowledgeable and experienced finance team is serving the council well. Financial reports are of a good quality and easy-to-understand format with external auditors generally positive about the quality of the accounts in their completion report. The accounts for 2023/24 have been signed off by the external auditors and the working papers and quality of the 2023/2024 accounts was of a good standard.

Peers were pleased to see that the recommendation around apportionment of shared service staffing splits from the BBC Corporate Peer Challenge, which impact on the partnership, have been approved and aligned. The RDC and BBC partnership is clearly a success on many levels, and clarity on how financial savings are being delivered in the MTFS would demonstrate this further. 

Recent procurements, including the new leisure contract and internal audit have produced financial benefits with the leisure provision delivering for residents and generating an income for the council.

In 2023/24 there was a significant difference between the revenue outturn position/revenue reserves forecast at quarter three (£240K underspent) and outturn (£2.5m underspend). Whilst the movements were in a favourable direction, it raises issues about the robustness of in-year budget monitoring and forecasting. 

Peers understand work is underway to improve the accuracy of the budget monitoring reports to strengthen arrangements and this should also aim to improve the real time information available to budget holders who need it to monitor and manage budgets more accurately. The different financial systems at RDC and BBC are adding to this problem for managers making it difficult to access, spend and review budgets which is in turn impeding officer ambition. Consideration should be given to a future appraisal of risks versus rewards of an aligned finance system.

To comply with industry best practice the council should plan to complete a self-assessment of financial management arrangements against the requirements of the CIPFA Financial Management Code, then embed use of the code along with treasury management practice notes.

There was significant slippage in the capital programme in 2023/24 and it appears likely that there will be again in 2024/25. The original capital programme had been set at £4.1m for 2024/25 but has been revised to £7.2m because of slippage from 2023/24 and other changes. The forecast at quarter three was that £4.9m would be spent in 2024/25. The main areas of slippage forecast were, as in 2023/24, the HQ office relocation, where none of the £1.4m in the capital programme was forecast to be spent in 2024/25, and Mill Hall, where £0.2m of the £0.9m in the capital programme was forecast to be spent.

Peers believe the assets team is under-resourced for the volume of work that needs to be done, notwithstanding the additional aspirations of the new administration around assets. This disparity is fuelling slippage on the capital programme and needs addressing if the council is to deliver on the corporate plan priorities. The development of the refreshed Asset Management Strategy and framework due to be published later this year will guide and underpin decisions on how to make best use of council assets for the benefit of the district, but it needs adequate resourcing. Peers believe the anticipated year-end revenue underspend of £1.4m for 2024/25 creates an opportunity for investment in political priorities.

Years of underinvestment in council land and property and a lack of strategic thinking on assets has resulted in deteriorating assets which are now becoming council liabilities under-delivering for residents, akin to “a bit of money in the bank but a house that hasn’t been repaired for years.” Peers heard about plans for Mill Hall, Freight House and South Street in nearly every meeting and everyone had views on their future but agreed the “assets are a millstone around the council’s neck.” Each asset requires significant investment if they are to prove sustainable resources for the community (minimum £1.2m to bring Freight house up to standard and £240k annual subsidy to keep Mill Hall open). Alternatively disposing of them would generate capital receipts for the council which would need careful consideration regarding reinvestment

Coupled with the council’s historic principle that “borrowing is bad”, the political administration has a challenge to deliver their aspirations for Place. A change of narrative is needed, to see thoughtful and proportionate borrowing as an opportunity provided there is a strong business case to do so. Peers recommend the whole council stops reminiscing on the past, draws a line and moves on to make an informed decision on the future of the council’s assets and use any capital receipts to fund legacy projects to benefit Rochford district residents.

At the end of 2024, back-office staff moved from the council offices on South Street in Rochford, to the new location at the Launchpad. A customer services desk was retained at the library in Rochford for all public enquiries. This relocation signifies a positive investment in staff, who were working under difficult conditions in the old building which was no longer meeting health and safety legislation. The staff peers spoke with, were very happy with the move to a modern purpose-built collaboration space where they can hot desk, meet with their teams and proudly host partner and stakeholder meetings. 

Staff enjoy working for the council and are positive about the partnership with BBC and the One Team. It is clear that both staff and members can see that the collaboration has bought additional skills, knowledge, resilience and capacity to both councils and strengthened the calibre of new appointments. 

RDC has around 157 staff with a further 50 part of One Team. Despite the uncertainty around local government reorganisation (LGR) both councils are continuing to integrate staff and services into One Team on a case-by-case basis where it is in the business interest to do so. Peers supported this approach and the wider appetite for shared services across a broader geography. 

Workforce demographics are positive with low turnover rates – nine percent in 2023/2024 (lower than the LGA workforce survey median vacancy rate of 14 percent) and low levels of short-term sickness – 3.06 days (lower than the LGA workforce survey average of 8.7 days per full time equivalent.).  The council has an employee assistance programme and occupational therapist available to all staff to support them with any health and wellbeing issue. Approximately 17 qualified mental health first aiders are also able to signpost staff to support across One Team. 

The council’s appraisal process is called the “One You Conversation” which promotes and encourages meaningful conversations between officers and managers focusing on performance, development and career aspirations. Peers heard positive reviews of the corporate manager development programme and the aspiring managers development programme which has been running since 2021. Other opportunities with external providers are encouraged, including, the District Councils’ Network national staff development programme, Solace springboard and Solace AMPlify. Staff working at operational levels in the organisation were less clear on the opportunities available to them and the budget available. 

Annual staff surveys are conducted and action plans developed to address concerns. The most recent survey in December 2024 was mostly positive with the biggest barriers identified as staff resources, IT/access to programs and managing workload. These issues were also raised with the peer team in numerous staff meetings, summarised neatly by “we are at the edge of what we can deliver, working at pace all the time. There is no flex, additional capacity or time to think.” 

There has been some investment in core services, with additional resources approved in strategic communications, legal, IT, finance and HR supporting the council’s ambition to be a forward thinking and well managed authority. However, throughout the week, peers heard from staff, members and partners that capacity is stretched. There are several vacancies below heads of service, interim staff are plugging immediate pressures (licensing and finance), and job roles/portfolios are considered too large (economic development and assets.) 

A historic culture of not spending money has put pressure on capacity, peers heard “it takes a resource to spend a resource.” Many staff still think they can’t spend and this narrative needs to change. To ensure the ambitions of the council are matched by the resources and skills needed to deliver, staff need to feel empowered to ask for what they need, have learning and development opportunities, work at the level they are paid for and not regularly work evenings and weekends to get the job done. 

Peers recommend the council urgently invests in organisational capacity to:

• Enable delivery of the council priorities – a third of the corporate plan is dedicated to economy and prosperity, but the council has very few resources in this area (1.6 FTE economic development staff, plus 0.6 FTE specifically working on tourism & visitor economy which is funded for 12 months.)
• Create space and time for strategic thinking and innovation – CMT are “corporate doers not corporate managers” being pulled in every direction, working operationally and strategically without time to pause and consider opportunities for working differently.
• Promote quality over speed of decision making – the quantity of meetings and reports is overwhelming. This is being reviewed along with guidance on report writing but take time to outline all the options, considerations and impact of reports to support political understanding and protect the council’s reputation.
• Develop and grow your own talent – build on the investment in learning and development programmes, graduates and apprentices as well as continue to offer training and development opportunities, supporting the importance of continuous learning for all employees, to ensure they thrive and are able to be the best they can for Rochford. 

The people and culture strategy 2024–2026 is accompanied by a clear action plan which addresses all areas of workforce planning. With so much work underway it would be sensible to review the order of priority given to the actions, to ensure they are still in line with the organisation’s direction of travel and LGR.  

RDC is an award-winning council with much to be proud of, as demonstrated in the comprehensive position statement prepared for peers. Political differences need to be put to one side when it comes to promoting and celebrating the achievements of the council. Strengthening and aligning communications across the council will help to assure that when communities are benefiting, and the organisation is delivering – everyone needs to celebrate and share the success.

It is recognised that senior political and managerial leadership will want to consider, discuss and reflect on these findings. The LGA will continue to provide on-going support to the council. Following publication of the CPC report you need to produce and publish an Action Plan within five months of the time on site. As part of the CPC, the council are also required to have a progress review and publish the findings from this within twelve months of the CPC. The LGA will also publish the progress review report on their website.

The progress review will provide space for a council’s senior leadership to report to peers on the progress made against each of the CPC’s recommendations, discuss early impact or learning and receive feedback on the implementation of the CPC action plan. The progress review will usually be delivered on-site over one day.

The date for the progress review at Rochford District Council will be around February 2026.

In the meantime, Rachel Litherland, Principal Adviser for East of England, is the main contact between your authority and the Local Government Association. As outlined above, Rachel is available to discuss any further support the council requires [email protected].