Planning peer challenge

A Planning peer challenge offers you a flexible look at your service and provides the basis for substantive improvement without adding to your budget pressures.

Now is the time

Planning is facing significant changes. A new national planning policy framework and the abolition of regional spatial strategies, the community infrastructure levy and neighbourhood planning.

This is all happening in the face of tightening budgets.

It is therefore a good time to make sure that your service is ready to face these challenges. We're funded to deliver a Planning peer challenge, free of charge, so that getting a good idea of where to go next is not going to add to your budgetary pressures.

With freedom comes responsibility

You may no longer be at the receiving end of Audit Commission inspections but you still need to make sure you are doing a good job. A peer challenge is not a cure-all, but is an important part of consolidating and assessing any work you've already done or laying the groundwork for making a start.

Challenge themes

The following five themes are the starting point but we will shape the process to fit your local circumstances.

• How well is your planning service supporting local priority outcomes?
• Is there a clear and locally-distinctive planning vision for the area together with a strategy that sets out how the council will address planning needs for sustainable communities, housing and the local economy?
• How will the council enable citizens and communities to shape their localities in a way that meets their needs and aspirations?
• Does the council provide a good service to users?
• How will the council work with other councils, agencies and communities to coordinate where necessary and work productively?

How it works

The challenge is tailored to meet the specific needs you have. The onsite phase of the challenge takes place over four days. The challenge will consist of the following stages:

• preparation of a position statement and timetable
• onsite work: principally interviews and discussion groups
• feedback on key findings and practical suggestions for accelerating improvement
• action planning session
• free follow up consultancy support.

The challenge team

We take a flexible approach so that we can bring together the right team for your council. The team will usually include:

• team leader – senior planning manager (head of service or director)
• member peer – senior councillor with planning experience
• officer peer – senior planning officer
• challenge manager – LGA manager.

Our peer challenge team members will always be experienced in planning services and local government.

What others say

Brad Fleet, Director of Development Services, Wiltshire Council, January 2012:

"The peer challenge was an extremely valuable and productive exercise. The challenge team were experienced in the service area they examined and their conclusions were both relevant and well focused. As a result, the feedback from the team was welcomed by both members and officers who agreed that the final recommendations were practical and would all improve service delivery, staff engagement and customer satisfaction.

"I also felt that the process was collaborative and far less stressful for the staff involved than previous inspection regimes and because the challenge team offered tangible solutions and practical help, rather than simply listing areas of concern, the whole process was seen as supportive and helpful rather than another 'inspection."

Wes Lumley, Joint Chief Executive Officer, Bolsover District and North East Derbyshire District Councils, September 2011:

"The two council's recently entered into a strategic alliance, providing the opportunity to look at sharing and enhancing services and identifying any efficiencies and service benefits, through sharing costs and expertise across both councils.

"As part of this process, we commissioned a planning peer challenge to help assess the two planning services and to consider the potential for greater collaboration, learning and sharing.

"The peer review team were highly professional in their approach. They were not only able to review performance, but also evaluate the potential for future partnership arrangements. All the councillors, partners and staff who were interviewed were impressed by the quality of the team and their working approach, and for this reason we have sought the active involvement of the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) in developing the next steps for both districts within the alliance."

Councillor Stuart West, Member Peer, Shropshire Council, November 2011:

"Peer reviews are a fantastic way of supporting colleagues from local government in another part of the country. The process is intense but very rewarding, and I always come away with a huge sense of pride when the team has been able to prompt colleagues to consider how to change or improve services. I take away as much learning as I give time and challenge and the networking opportunities are phenomenal."

Further information

For further information about the Planning peer challenge or peer challenges in general, contact:

Anne Brinkhoff
Programme Manager
Local Government Association
Telephone: 0776 6251752
Email: anne.brinkhoff@local.gov.uk