BROMSGROVE District Council will meet with councillors from across the country to review its plans for the future.

The meeting is part of the Corporate Peer Challenge, a national sector-led improvement programme undertaken by the Local Government Association (LGA), which has delivered more than 700 council reviews since 2011.

The process will see LGA representatives engaging with officers, council members, partners and the media, and reporting their findings immediately.

Council Leader Geoff Denaro said: "As every council is entitled to a fully-funded Corporate Peer Challenge every five years, we decided we should take advantage of this service so, as we look to continue with our commercialism and transformation agenda, we can do so with confidence that we are taking the right approach.

“Because of the magnitude of the shared services across both [Redditch and Bromsgrove] councils it seemed sensible to visit both councils at the same time but the democratic sovereignty of each will be respected.”

During phase one, peers from Dorset, Exeter, Plymouth, Gloucester, Selby and Cherwell councils will visit Bromsgrove between January 21 and 24.

The review will cover five topics: understanding Bromsgrove and priority setting, place leadership, financial planning and viability, organisational leadership and governance, and capacity to deliver.

Peers will then deliver a report of recommendations based on their visit, which will be presented to council bosses in early February, and considered as part of the council's future planning.

Council chief executive Kevin Dicks added: "Corporate Peer Challenges are a proven tool for improvement and a cost effective way for councils to get an independent view on how they're doing and to help one another improve.

“We felt it timely that we take a look at our own position and consider external challenge and the suggested actions which will ensue.”