WINCHESTER City Council has received positive feedback following a peer review.

The Local Government Association (LGA) visited the council to help improve the work the authority does.

The review team spent three days in February this year, meeting staff, councillors, residents, businesses, parishes and many other local organisations and public sector bodies to understand the current position of the council.

The peer challenge included on-site interviews and focus groups and Winchester received positive feedback to help improve services for local residents.

The team recognised the challenges the council faces and made recommendations to help the organisation provide better services for residents, businesses and visitors to the district.

The council has drafted an action plan to address the recommendations which include clearly articulating the authorities vision and developing an evidence-based approach to understanding the views of the whole community, reviewing political and partnership structures and developing a shared understanding of the financial challenges ahead.

Laura Taylor, Winchester City Council’s Chief Executive, said:" The peer review establishes a clear baseline for us to lead improvement across the council.

"We welcome the report and will work hard to deliver improvements that benefit the whole district. It was pleasing to hear support from stakeholders in wanting us to succeed and that staff feel valued and engaged.

"This is an excellent position from which we can move forward, and we expect that our stakeholders will see changes to our approach in coming weeks and months."