Barking and Dagenham Council has been lauded as an innovative and creative council that is punching above its weight following a comprehensive peer review by the Local Government Association (LGA).

The LGA Corporate Peer Challenge, conducted by a team of experienced local government peers, involved interviews with over 130 council staff, councillors, and external stakeholders. The review, which took place in October 2025, assessed the council's performance across five key areas: local priorities and outcomes, organisational and place leadership, governance and culture, financial planning and management, and capacity for improvement.

Portrait of Councillor Dominic Twomey, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council.
Councillor Dominic Twomey

The peer team's report highlighted the council's strong leadership on regeneration, noting its significant positive impact through estate renewal, external investment, and the delivery of new housing. This has reportedly helped the council avoid the soaring temporary accommodation costs experienced by other local authorities. The Leader of the Council, Dominic Twomey, stated that the council's investment in housing has meant they haven't fallen foul of the temporary accommodation costs that many other councils have faced. He added that this approach offers so many benefits, and to call it a mistake is wildly inaccurate, emphasising the positive impact on families moving into good quality, new, affordable accommodation.

Furthermore, the review commended the council's adeptness at leveraging grant funding and partnerships within the borough, with numerous examples of strong practice in community-facing work.

A Venn diagram illustrating the council's vision, emphasizing the interconnectedness of People, Place, and Partnerships.
Council Vision

Financially, the report indicated that Barking and Dagenham is in a stronger position than many other councils, with reserves above its policy threshold and a smaller medium-term financial strategy (MTFS) gap. The report can be found in full at App A - MTFP Summary.pdf. However, the report cautioned against complacency, noting the growing pressures in areas such as SEND and social care.

The LGA report made eight recommendations, including developing and promoting the borough's positive story more widely, clarifying the neighbourhood model, completing the review of the Investment and Acquisition Strategy, and developing a clear transformation plan aligned to the MTFS.

The council has responded with an action plan to address each recommendation, which will be monitored by the LGA. The peer team is scheduled to return in October 2026 to review progress. The LGA Corporate Peer Challenge Report is available to view here: LGA CPC Report.pdf.