Kingston Council Praised by LGA for Strong Performance

5 October 2025

Kingston Council has received high praise from the Local Government Association (LGA) for its strong performance in delivering services to residents. The LGA Corporate Peer Challenge Report 2025 recognised Kingston as a high-performing local authority, delivering strong outcomes for residents, including well-managed finances, a collaborative approach to partnership working, and a forward-looking Economic Development Strategy. Specifically, the LGA noted that the council's priorities are well-aligned with its financial strategy and transformation plan, providing a solid foundation for future delivery.

The Corporate and Resources Committee reviewed the findings of the LGA Corporate Peer Challenge 2025, which assessed the council's performance across five key themes: local priorities and outcomes, organisational and place leadership, governance and culture, financial planning and management, and capacity for improvement.

The LGA team visited Kingston Council in June 2025, engaging with 149 stakeholders, including councillors, staff, partners, and residents. The resulting report recognised Kingston as a high-performing local authority, delivering strong outcomes for residents. Staff also reported high satisfaction and pride in working for Kingston.

The report highlighted the alignment of the council's priorities with its financial strategy and transformation plan, effective leadership across the council, and improved partnership working with statutory, commercial, and voluntary sector partners. The forward-looking and evidence-based nature of Kingston's Economic Development Strategy, with its focus on inclusive growth, was also noted. Kingston Council's finances are generally well managed, and the Annual Governance Statement and Local Code of Corporate Governance reflect a culture of transparency and accountability. Portfolio holders and the Strategic Leadership Team are viewed as approachable and constructive, fostering a positive working culture.

To further enhance its performance, the LGA report recommended that the council focus on prioritisation, collaboration, shared services, process and practice, engagement, partnership, climate change, and housing. The LGA report recommended that the council focus on strengthening the enabling shared services and suggested a review, refresh, and building in feedback on performance from customers (staff). The Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan includes strategic actions to address the LGA's recommendations regarding climate change and housing:

Climate Change: Refocus the Climate Steering Group, with representation from all teams, to ensure clear and effective oversight of the delivery against the Council's 2030 and 2038 targets. Work through the Kingston Partnership Structure, deliver against agreed priorities within our ambitions for the wider borough (2038) targets, focusing on retrofit of homes; low carbon transport; local renewable energy generation supported by development of green skills and employment locally.
Housing: Develop a new Council wide Housing Strategy to support the transition from the existing interim strategy ending 2025/26 and ensure appropriate strategic focus in this high demand area. Deliver our Community Housing transformation programme to halve the number of households in temporary accommodation within 3 years. Implement the recommendations from our completed Housing Regulator Self-Assessment to ensure regulatory compliance, with quarterly reporting to the Strategic Leadership Team.

The committee endorsed the Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan, which sets out strategic actions to respond to each recommendation. A return visit from the CPC team is scheduled for April 2026 to assess progress.

Councils Involved

Kingston upon Thames

Meetings Involved

the Corporate and Resources Committee of Kingston upon Thames Council on 30 September 2025

People Involved

Councillor Andreas Kirsch Leader of the Council & Portfolio Holder for Heritage and Culture and Co-Chair - Corporate and Resources Committee • Liberal Democrat • Chessington South and Malden Rushett Ward

Councillor Anita Schaper Portfolio Holder for Communities, Commissioning and Customer Contact and Co-Chair - Corporate and Resources Committee • Liberal Democrat • Berrylands Ward

Councillor Richard Thorpe Portfolio Holder for Finance, Assets and Governance and Co-Chair - Corporate and Resources Committee • Liberal Democrat • Motspur Park and Old Malden East Ward

Councillor Rowena Bass Leader of the Minority Opposition Group • Conservative • Coombe Hill Ward

Councillor Lorraine Dunstone Chair - South of the Borough Neighbourhood Committee • Liberal Democrat • Hook and Chessington North Ward

Councillor Patrick Hall Chair of Pension Fund Panel • Liberal Democrat • Tudor Ward

Councillor Amir Ali Khan Liberal Democrat • Surbiton Hill Ward

Councillor Kamala Kugan Opposition Spokesperson for Corporate and Resources • Kingston Independent Residents Group • Coombe Vale Ward

Councillor Ian Manders Portfolio Holder for Climate Action, Biodiversity and Planning Policy & Co-Chair - Place Committee • Liberal Democrat • Alexandra Ward

Councillor Mike Massimi Liberal Democrat • Old Malden Ward

Councillor Thay Thayalan Liberal Democrat • Tolworth Ward

Councillor Olly Wehring Chair - Kingston and North Kingston Neighbourhood Committee • Liberal Democrat • Norbiton Ward

Councillor Andrew Wooldridge Liberal Democrat • Tolworth Ward

Topics

Kingston Council LGA LGA Corporate Peer Challenge 2025 Kingston's Economic Development Strategy Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan Climate change Housing