LGA Peer Review Applauds Tameside’s Capacity for Positive Change

DESPITE the challenges Tameside Council has faced over the last 14 years, including the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis, a Local Government Association (LGA) peer review has found that it has the motivation, talents and leadership to make the changes necessary to create a better and more prosperous borough.

A peer review is an assessment of an authority led by a team of peers – senior officers from other local authorities. Tameside’s took place at the start of the year and across 45 meetings the panel spoke to almost 150 people comprising officers, councillors, partners and representatives of external bodies.

The peer team looked at priorities, leadership, governance and culture, financial planning and management, and the capacity for improvement.

Among its key findings, the panel agreed that the council’s leadership is totally committed to taking Tameside forward and making the changes this requires.

Additionally, it outlined the exciting opportunities that exist across Tameside, not least through the Ashton Moss and Godley Green schemes, and in the various town centres.

The peers also found that a vast amount of work has been carried out over many services to put in place the capacity, skills and culture to make changes necessary to realise the council’s vision.

Further work will ensure the authority has the consistency and depth of what is needed for the scale of its ambition.

The council’s partners told the LGA panel they had seen a definite step-change in Tameside’s economic development work to capitalise on these opportunities. This was very much welcomed by the peer team and described as having great potential.

Tameside Council accepted the review’s findings at its meeting on Tuesday 21 May. They will be incorporated into the borough’s corporate plan “A place where everyone can achieve their hopes and ambitions” which sets out the authority’s long-term objectives.

Cllr Gerald Cooney, Tameside Council’s executive leader, said: “I welcome the LGA peer review team’s findings. It confirms our belief in our borough and its potential.

“I am delighted they have recognised that Tameside has a leadership team that believes in the borough, has made positive change, and wants to continue with that change.

“Our new corporate plan, which was adopted in March, is quite intentionally an upbeat document. It looks to the future with confidence and focuses on using Tameside’s abundant talents and resources to generate growth and a better standard of living.”

Tameside CPC Report