Praise for Peterborough City Council improvement in moving towards financial sustainability

Peterborough City Council has made “significant progress” towards becoming financially sustainable over the past 12 months according to a new report.

The report noted the council’s progress in achieving the aims of its improvement plan; which was drawn up after the council asked the government for Exceptional Financial Support in 2020.

The report has been produced by Peterborough’s Independent Improvement and Assurance Panel; which was set up to provide external advice in driving forward the development and delivery of the Improvement Plan.

It noted that a high level of control on revenue expenditure has been maintained and that the council is now working towards delivering a balanced budget for 2023/24 and commended it for its online Budget Simulator, which achieved a higher level of response than normal.

The report also highlighted that the council has:

- Developed a transformation programme which will change the way the council operates and delivers services.

- Published a new corporate strategy and City Priorities document, setting out how it will deliver long-term program improvements and meet the changing needs of residents and deliver on priorities.

- Reviewed all its contracts to make sure they’re providing the services residents need for the best possible price.

- Looked at all its assets and considered whether they are being used efficiently and effectively, only keeping those it can afford, whilst at the same time developing a commercial strategy.

Panel members also described a major shift in the collaboration and engagement between the Council Leader, Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, and all the opposition Group Leaders.

The Council Leader received praise “for his engagement and leadership” as well as opposition Group Leaders for working together with real collaborative focus and energy.

The report added that major risks remain and the scale of the challenge, particularly the transformation work, must not be underestimated.

Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, Leader of the Council, said: “We have seen progress in so many areas – and since I became leader back in 2021, I have ensured we now have greater control of our finances, and that members are working more collaboratively, and we are developing plans to transform the way we operate and deliver services in the medium to long term.

“As the report concludes, significant progress has been made by the council and we are most certainly on the right path. However, we must not take our foot off the pedal as there remains much hard work ahead, to mitigate the risks and deliver on our plans to transform the council.”

Chief Executive, Matt Gladstone, said: "With the support of our Improvement Panel we have achieved a huge amount in the past year and the council is unrecognisable from a year ago. Our fantastic staff have really stepped up to the challenge and deserve massive thanks, for adapting to the changes and new ways of working across the organisation and with partners.

“The transformation of services is a huge piece of work, but it is how we can become a financially sustainable council and deliver our long-term vision for the city and the priorities set out in our new corporate strategy to improve life in Peterborough and build a solid foundation for the city’s future success.”

The report can be viewed on Peterborough City Council’s website.