Council praised in independent review
An independent review of Telford & Wrekin Council has praised the organisation as a high performing authority with strong and visible leadership.
The Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge reported that the accolade of Council of the Year 2025 reflected the quality of service delivery across the borough.
The report was prepared following a review in October and will go before a meeting of the cabinet this month. Councillors will be asked to endorse a wide range of highlights in the report and agree an approach to further improvement based on eight recommendations.
Councillor Lee Carter, Leader of the Council, said: “We know the LGA peer team were impressed with what they saw here in Telford. We have a Children’s Services rated Outstanding by Ofsted, adult social care rated Good by the CQC as well as frontline services that thousands of residents access on a daily basis which continue to outperform many other local authority areas.
“We invited the peer team in as we are always wanting to learn more and gain any further insights to further improve what we do on behalf of Telford and Wrekin residents.
“As a multi-award winning Council with a proven track record of delivering for our residents, we will put actions in place to pick up the suggestions that have been made whilst ensuring we continue to deliver a Council that is efficient but totally focussed every day on delivering for our residents.
“Protect, care and invest to create a better Borough is more than a slogan – it is actually what we are committed to continuing to do on a daily basis because that’s what our residents demand.”
David Sidaway, Chief Executive of Telford & Wrekin Council, said: “We were very proud to present the work we have been carrying out for a sustained period of time which has led to outstanding ratings of our services and the honour of being named LGC Council of the Year.
“We were happy to share this best practice and pleased to know that the peer team will be taking back many of the ideas we have implemented into their own organisations too which is all part of the shared learning process.”
The review did not provide a grade but noted that the council is a well-led, ambitious, and resilient organisation. Economically, the report described the area as a regional powerhouse with a visible pipeline of investable schemes.
Financial discipline and budget management were also highlighted as strengths. Council bosses had already started work on many of the identified areas, including digital transformation and inclusive growth.
Councillor Carter added: “As part of that two-way learning, as well as sharing best practice, we also take on board the reflections of the peer team and we’re pleased to have had external eyes across our work to offer their thoughts and considerations.
“We’re mindful the team were only on site for four days which does give limited time for the Council to fully outline details of the work we’re doing in order for the peer team to have a comprehensive understanding of all activity.
“For this reason, there are a number of recommendations which overlap with ongoing work we’re already undertaking but we still value the peer review outcomes as providing further assurance that our work is backed up by colleagues from across the country.”
