Date published: 2025-11-06 | Category: Delivering for local residents, Preparing for the Future
Bath & North East Somerset Council has been recognised for excellence across a range of services, following an independent review by the Local Government Association (LGA).
The LGA’s Corporate Peer Challenge, which involved senior councillors and officers from across the country, highlighted the council’s strong leadership, outward-looking approach, and commitment to improving people’s lives.
The LGA report commends the council’s work on climate action, investing and shaping the built environment, community wellbeing, and financial management, while identifying opportunities to do more to tackle local inequalities and strengthen strategic planning.
The council’s cabinet will consider the findings when it meets on November 13, alongside a draft action plan. A follow-up visit to assess progress is proposed for summer 2026.
Councillor Kevin Guy, Council leader, said: “The peer review, which is not an inspection, was our first since 2019. It's an effective way of getting independent recognition of what we’ve achieved, as well as constructive feedback on our future plans.
“I’m proud of the achievements it recognises. We also have a strong set of recommendations about how we can work more effectively for our residents and communities to take forward.”
The LGA review team spent four days in B&NES, meeting more than 120 councillors, officers and partners as well as examining performance data.
Bath & North East Somerset Council was shortlisted for Most Improved Council at the 2024 Local Government Chronicle Awards and continues to build strong foundations for the future.
Also going before the cabinet is a report on the council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy. It says the council is facing in year pressures of £2.5 million. It also highlights the challenge facing B&NES under the Government’s Fair Funding Review which could see a £13 million reduction in government funding over three years in addition to ongoing pressures linked to the cost of social care placements and home to school transport.
Councillor Guy added: “Our services work incredibly hard to help improve people’s lives but we are facing significant financial pressures. We are going to feel the impact Government’s Fair Funding Review, which is a major overhaul of funding for local government.Many people will agree with the government’s goal of redistributing funding to the places that need it most, but without more money in the system the proposals mean spending cuts for parts of the country like Bath and North East Somerset which will be a huge challenge for us. We are disappointed not to have received a reply yet from the Government about a tourist tax which would be a way to help fill the gap we will face. A truly fair funding review would provide extra funding so that no council loses out and we are calling on the government to urgently think again.”
The council will not know the full impact of the Fair Funding Review and expects to find out about its final allocations in December following the government’s autumn budget.
You can view both the cabinet reports online. You can watch the cabinet meeting which starts at 6.30pm on the council’s YouTube channel.