Agenda item

(a)  That the draft Action Plan at Appendix B be considered and noted.

(b)  That the timetable for an LGA led Governance Review Appendix C be noted.

The Service Lead Strategy & Performance introduced a report on the draft Action Plan in response to the LGA Corporate Peer Challenge that took place between 5^th to 8^th February 2019.

The Council had invited peers from local government to visit Slough and speak to a wide range of staff, councillors and stakeholders to identify areas for potential improvement.  The LGA team had focused on areas such as whether the Council had a clear vision and priorities for the town; whether there was a strong financial plan in place; did it have the capacity to deliver on its priorities; and were the organisational leadership and governance processes sufficiently strong.  The LGA report made 29 recommendations and the draft Action Plan set out the Council’s proposed response.

The Leader commented that some of the feedback had already been incorporated in reshaping the Cabinet portfolios to link transport and the environment and prioritise inclusive growth so that Slough’s communities could benefit from the opportunities being created in the town.  Steps had also been taken to improve governance, including the recent establishment of the Cabinet sub-committee focused on the authority’s commercial activities.  The Chief Executive commented that the recommendations would also be incorporated into the delivery of the transformation programme.  The Cabinet discussed a number of aspects of the report including the themes of leadership, governance and communication.

The Cabinet noted the report and endorsed the draft Action Plan.

Resolved –

(a)  That the draft Action Plan at Appendix B be considered and noted.

(b)  That the timetable for an LGA led Governance Review Appendix C be noted.