LGA Corporate Peer Challenge – St Ives Town Council

A team of local government peers, led by the Local Government Association (LGA) in association with the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), delivered a Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC) at St Ives Town Council from 4-6 March 2026. 

CPC is a well-established and respected improvement and assurance tool that provides robust, strategic, credible challenge and support to councils. Further details about the CPC process can be found in Appendix A.

Our peer team consisted of highly experienced and knowledgeable senior councillor and officer peers from local government  (see section four). The peer team considered the five core areas covered by all CPCs: local priorities and outcomes, organisational and place leadership, governance and culture, financial planning and management, and capacity for improvement.  In addition, the team was asked to focus on the effectiveness of the committee system arrangements, particularly their structure and resourcing to support decision-making, and on their capacity to meet current and future needs. 

This report provides St Ives Town Council with feedback on the peer team’s findings. It provides the council with a set of high-level recommendations, along with further recommendations for each of the CPC’s core areas. There is an expectation that the council will publish this report and a clear action plan to address all the highlighted recommendations. 

Key features of the recent story of St Ives Town Council (SITC) are development, growth, and change. This has not occurred by accident. Rather, it is the result of the council’s strong sense of purpose and its ambition to best serve residents, businesses, and visitors to St Ives. Over the last five years, the council’s budget has more than doubled, along with the attendant expansion of responsibilities and service delivery. This began with the council's work on Cornwall Council’s early approach to localism and the transfer of toilet facilities in 2016.  

In 2021, four towns in Cornwall were invited to bid for a Town Deal , which was submitted by the principal authority, Cornwall Council. St Ives was awarded £19.9 million from the Government’s Towns Fund Scheme. Building on this, the council has established a major capital programme to deliver a number of improvements to the town’s assets and its transport arrangements.   

The transfer of assets from Cornwall Council, referred to above, has continued.  In 2023, devolution was extended to include the transfer of 46 assets, including public spaces, community buildings, the Museum, cemeteries, bowling greens, and the Sloop car park. Cornwall Council described this as “the largest devolution project that the Council has undertaken”, using an approach that was to be “a blueprint for future place-based devolution activity…across Cornwall.”

The prompt for this high-profile programme of activity was SITC’s recognition that opportunities were available, along with its ambition to safeguard local assets for community benefit. 

Since the Town Deal, the council has shown great ambition and displayed a highly innovative approach: to securing assets for community benefit (both the Town Deal and the devolution of assets from Cornwall Council); strategic planning to set out a placemaking vision for St Ives; and in establishing a capital programme to manage the receipt of high-level grant funding for large-scale building projects.

A notable feature in this has been SITC’s commitment to partnership working. This involves both presenting itself as a strong, credible partner and its willingness to work with any partner for mutual benefit. Partnership working has been, and remains, very strong. The council recognises that delivery of its ambition relies on effective partnership working to generate additional capacity and resources. Principal partners describe SITC as a highly trusted partner with whom they work well.

SITC is aware of distinct sectoral interests in St Ives, namely high-volume tourism, businesses and employment that depend on tourism, and residents who live with and experience this. While it is inevitable that these sectoral interests will conflict, it is to the town council’s credit that it has managed to forge such a strong range of partnerships with and across such diverse interest groups.

The council understands the value of working with the voluntary sector and has recently established a Voluntary and Community Sector forum and is using volunteers in council activities. This resource could be further developed to build community capacity and be linked to future grant funding. (On the latter point, some partners highlighted that large capital grant funding is now very difficult to obtain and that co-operation with the voluntary sector is likely to be of fundamental importance to fundraising in the future).

There is a commitment to consultation, which the council recognises as crucial in underpinning its work with local communities and ensuring service delivery aligns with local needs. Consultation arrangements have also been a key aspect of work on local projects, for example, the facilities and features to be incorporated at the Skatepark and Orchard Core Building, and the Cornerstone library, to discuss its redevelopment and the digital skills offer. These arrangements are important for making local communities aware of proposals and involving them in shaping them.  
There are capacity and resource pressures in the staffing structure. As a town council with a small workforce of 30 (24 FTE), the working style has, not surprisingly for a small council, been characterised by many members of staff multi-tasking with several different responsibilities. The sharp rise in activity in recent years has stretched resources and capacity and is not sustainable in the long term. At the same time, the council has recognised that certain areas need not only additional resources but also additional skills and experience.  

The recent appointment of a Deputy Town Clerk presents an ideal opportunity to consider work responsibilities and how these are distributed. This could lead to a restructuring that may alleviate some of the worst effects of the resource and capacity pinch points outlined above. This would also allow for internal discussion on formalising the arrangements of the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT), which needs to be established with clarity on its brief, membership, and meeting frequency.

The transfer of assets provides SITC with the means to generate important income streams. The Sloop car park, the programme to modernise public conveniences, and the approaching completion of works at the Guildhall will provide a platform for income generation. This will benefit residents, visitors to the town, and local businesses both through the services they provide and as an important contribution to future budget-making. To support this work, the council should develop an Income/Commercial Strategy to promote and maximise these important income streams.

The council has inherited an enviable art collection. This is an important record of some of the leading artists who moved to and worked in St Ives in the late 19th and 20th centuries. This is part of a historical catalogue that the town council makes available to art students and visitors. In addition, the council promotes this work through ArtUk, sells related merchandise in its shop, and has acquired flexibition boards for mobile exhibition spaces. However, there are opportunities to build on this by making it more widely available and more central to the town’s history and heritage. 

This history is a key feature that uniquely defines St Ives, which is well known nationally for its visitor appeal.  With the end of Visit Cornwall, different parts of Cornwall are working to define their unique selling propositions (USPs) to distinguish themselves from other areas and attract visitors. Although St Ives arguably does not need to market itself for increased visitor numbers, the peer team believes the USP of St Ives should include its unique cultural, artistic, and traditional heritage, as well as the more recent development of high-end restaurants/cuisine, so that there is an improved match of visitors’ expectations with local provision. This would be beneficial for the local economy.

Whatever the final understanding of this USP, it will be important for the council to consider the need for marketing the area, either through an alternative form of Visit Cornwall or other means, to ensure that the tourism sector is not jeopardised.  Marketing will also be important for council services. For example, the Guildhall will be an important venue in the town for concerts, events, and weddings (along with other council venues) that will require professional marketing skills to maximise key income streams.

Existing performance management arrangements have been sufficient to date, but will not meet future requirements. As a much larger organisation with an increased budget and responsibilities, it will be important to allocate priorities from the Strategic Plan to managers through the appraisal process, and to develop a suite of key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor service performance. This should work alongside the council’s intention to provide key staff with project and programme management training.

The council’s committee structure is traditional and lacks the decision-making efficiency that a larger, modern council requires. The papers for some meetings are very long. Some meetings are also lengthy. This does not support efficient and effective decision-making. This structure should be reviewed to ensure councillor representation and involvement can be assured, while the committee structure might be made leaner, with shorter agenda packs to enable more effective decision-making.

The following are the peer team’s key recommendations, prioritised by urgency and importance.  

Recommendation 3.1 - Capacity and resources

The council should review its current officer structure in light of capacity and resource pressures. Such a review should determine how these pressures will be addressed most effectively.

Recommendation 3.2 – Income generation
As the asset transfer and building work near completion, income generation will become an important element of the council’s budget. This should be supported by developing an Income/Commercial Strategy that sets out an approach to promote the effectiveness of income generation and informs an organisational understanding of its importance. 

Recommendation 3.3 – Marketing

With Visit Cornwall coming to an end, the council should consider working with partners to define St Ives' tourism USP. This could include its unique cultural, artistic, and traditional heritage, as well as the more recent development of high-end restaurants/cuisine.
This is also an area the council should consider for its facilities; for example, the Guildhall will be an important venue in the town for concerts, events, and weddings (along with other council venues), and will require professional marketing skills to maximise key income streams.

Recommendation 3.4 – Performance management

With the recent growth of council budget expenditure and responsibilities, it will be important to strengthen the performance management framework and ensure it is fully aligned with the strategic plan. This should include setting clear targets for senior managers and developing a suite of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). This will support clearer prioritisation, more consistent monitoring of progress, and improved accountability for delivery.

Recommendation 3.5 – Develop closer working with the voluntary sector

The council should continue its close working relationship with voluntary and community bodies through mechanisms such as the newly established Voluntary and Community Sector Forum to help co-ordinate work to deliver on local priorities and explore opportunities for joint funding bids to access grant funding for future projects.

Recommendation 3.6 – Decision-making

Review and modernise the committee structure to improve effective decision-making in support of the council’s strategic priorities. This is important given the council’s significant growth and extensive asset transfer programme, where clear governance, reporting lines, and robust oversight are essential. Updating the structure will help ensure governance arrangements remain fit for purpose in this context.

In addition to the key recommendations, section five of this report captures our detailed feedback and additional recommendations within each of the CPC’s core areas of focus

Peer challenges are conducted by experienced LGA peers, including elected councillors and senior officers. The composition of the peer team was shaped by the challenge's specific focus, with the LGA selecting peers with relevant expertise. The peers for this CPC were:

• Martin Ayres, Town Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer (RFO) at Swanage Town Council 
• Cllr Paul Hilliard, Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council and Christchurch Town Council
• Adil Iftakhar, Deputy Town Clerk - Aylesbury Town Council  and Councillor at Slough Borough Council
• Mel Woof, Chief Executive of the Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Association of Local Councils and National Association of Councils (NALC) peer
• Andrew Winfield, Peer Challenge Manager, LGA.

This section of the report provides detailed feedback and additional recommendations on the five core areas of focus.
In addition, the council asked the peer team to consider the effectiveness of the committee system arrangements, particularly their structure and resourcing to support decision-making, and their capacity to meet current and future needs. This is picked up under the focus area of ‘Governance and Culture’.

When developing the action plan (in response to the CPC’s findings), the council should consider both the key recommendations presented in section three and the additional recommendations set out below. 

5.1    Local priorities and outcomes

The town of St Ives has a number of inherent tensions that can complicate the work of a town council. The town has a population of nearly 11,000 and experiences significant tourism pressure from more than 500,000 day visitors during the summer season. The town’s economy depends on tourism for employment and its businesses. The town has an estimated 20-25 per cent of housing that is either second homes or is used as holiday accommodation. The desirability of the town as a place to live has driven a steep rise in house prices and rental costs. 

The story of the council in the last five years is one of development, growth and change. Growth driven by the council’s ambition and strong sense of purpose to best serve residents, businesses, and visitors to St Ives. In 2021, St Ives secured a successful Towns Fund bid to the government for £19.9 million, with Cornwall Council as the principal council and SITC as a partner. The bid was to support community development, economic growth, and sustainable initiatives. 

In 2023, the town council bid successfully for a significant asset transfer (46 sites) from Cornwall Council.  

This growth is reflected in its increased budget. In 2022-23, it was £1.24 million, and in 2026-27, it is £2.58 million.  

The council’s vision addresses some of the entrenched issues facing small coastal communities that are also popular visitor destinations.

“The Council’s vision is for St Ives to be a thriving, inclusive, sustainable coastal community, where residents can live well year-round, the environment is protected, culture and heritage are celebrated, and the local economy works for the benefit of the whole community.”

Council delivery is underpinned by a clear strategic vision set out in the council’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025. The development of this was informed by the consultation arrangements undertaken for the Neighbourhood Plan, the Town Investment Plan, and subsequent community consultation.

There is a strong record of delivery, with this being reported in an Annual Review.

There is a commitment to council improvement, to high employer standards, and to the way that councillors and staff interact.  Examples of this include the Gold Quality Council status obtained in 2024 , accreditation as a Living Wage Employer in March 2022, a member officer protocol, and accreditation as A Civility and Respect Pledge Council. It has also adopted core values to guide behaviour, decision-making, and working with partners.

The ethos of working together at SITC is strong. The peer team was informed of and observed good working relationships between councillors and officers, and a staff group with a strong sense of pride, energy, and enthusiasm for their work. This ‘team’ model is extremely effective and provides an organisational culture that should be nurtured. 

Partnership working is very strong. The council recognises that delivery of its ambition depends on effective partnership working to generate additional capacity and resources. Principal partners describe the council as “(As) a mature and highly structured partner” and a “trusted partner,” which translates into partner willingness to work alongside the town council.

The council operates a community grants programme and provides funding for approved projects, which meet its Strategic Plan priorities. This also promotes partnership working.

Looking ahead, and building on these strong partnership foundations, the council should consider developing a Partnership Strategy to provide clearer direction and coherence across its partnership activity. The benefit of this would be to clearly state the council’s commitment to partnership working, and to explain the benefits for both the council and partners in increasing mutual capacity and resources.

Full advantage has been taken of the opportunity presented by devolution from Cornwall Council.  Cornwall Council was approached by St Ives Town Council (SITC) for the largest devolution project it had undertaken, delivered over four annual phases.

SITC’s approach to devolution has prioritised green infrastructure and the acquisition and protection of cultural and heritage assets for community benefit. These are assets that Cornwall Council could have sold for a capital receipt to offset its own financial pressures. Instead, the town council made a persuasive request for an asset transfer, which it would subsequently use for community purposes and benefit.

Throughout this period of growth, the town council has shown great ambition. It has a commendable record of securing devolved asset transfers, successful grant bids, creative use of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), and access to government funding. This ambition also demonstrates the council’s risk appetite for growth that supports the needs of the St Ives community.

Evidence of changes resulting from devolution delivery has raised the Town Council's profile across St Ives and beyond. One consequence of this was that the team was told there was increased interest among local people in becoming councillors, which signifies growing civic engagement.   
Consultation arrangements are good; for example, the consultation on the draft Strategic Plan included community consultation on the draft document. The Neighbourhood Plan was led by the council, working with community-led sub-groups, and passed at a referendum. The Annual

Review shares with the community the council’s delivery against stated objectives.

Consultation arrangements have also been a key aspect of work on local projects, for example, the Skateboard Park and the adjacent Richmond Park, making local communities aware of proposals and involving them in shaping these.  Consultation and engagement are crucial underpinnings for working with local communities to ensure service delivery aligns with local needs. The recent council decision to re-adopt an Engagement and Empowerment Strategy (originally adopted in June 2024) was confirmed at Full Council (5 March 2026) and will support a consistent, rigorous approach to future consultation arrangements.  

The council is keenly aware of housing needs and has worked to address this. The H2 condition in the Neighbourhood Plan 2015-30 stipulated that, “…new open market housing…will only be supported where there is a restriction to ensure its occupancy as a Principal Residence”, to reduce the impact of second or holiday homes on the housing market. 

Currently, the town council is working to facilitate the delivery of 250 affordable homes through its newly launched Pioneering Parish programme. It has recently agreed funding from Cornwall Council, utilising section 106 monies, for a three-year programme to identify sites for development.
It may be useful for the council to consider developing a ten-year vision that provides longer-term clarity for partners and how they might engage with this. The council is preparing for the next iteration of the Strategic Plan, which presents an opportunity to create a longer-term vision. A principal benefit would be to set out a place-shaping vision and ambition that would outlast political changes within the council and personnel changes amongst external partners. Such a vision could be underpinned by a five-year Strategic Plan.

Communications will need to be geared up for increased focus and clarity on channel effectiveness. At the moment, several members of staff are involved in communications. There is no readily identifiable focus or lead for this work. This method of multi-tasking is common in smaller councils, but SITC is now at a point where a clear communications style needs to be developed with the appropriate skills and designation. The importance of this is emphasised by the recent closure of the local paper and the subsequent communications vacuum across St Ives, which provides an opportunity for SITC.   

The associated work to strengthen community engagement will also be important to ensure this informs placemaking. Community engagement will be important to gain soundings from the different constituency interests of business, tourism, residents, etc., in the community to inform the development of the new Strategic Plan.

A key aspect of this is youth engagement. The council has established a youth engagement and project officer team (Yonkers). This has been delivering an active youth programme, which will be supported by the acquisition and fitting out of a bus for this service.

The existing performance management arrangements have generally been sufficient, but the peer team doubts they will be robust enough to meet future requirements. The council should review its performance management needs in the context of becoming a significantly larger and more complex organisation than it was five years ago. Any revised framework should be aligned to the Strategic Plan, prioritise functionality and value, and avoid becoming overly burdensome.  

Features that would be worth developing include:  key performance indicators (KPIs) linked to priorities set out in the Strategic Plan; KPIs for key activity areas, for example, income generation, asset management, and finance; linking performance management to the council’s training provision in project and programme management; for the reporting of performance data to council committees, budget holders and meetings of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). 

• Sub-recommendation one: Develop a ten-year vision that provides longer-term clarity for partners. A principal benefit would be to set out a place-shaping vision and ambition that would outlast political changes within the council and personnel changes amongst external partners. Link this to the planned work on the next iteration of the Strategic Plan.  
• Sub-recommendation two: Consider developing a Partnership Strategy.  

This should clearly outline the council’s commitment to partnership working and explain the benefits for the council and partners in increasing mutual capacity and resources.

5.2    Organisational and place leadership

SITC now operates as a ‘Super Council’. The term Super Council is used by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) to describe the largest, highest-capacity parish and town councils with major budgets, large service-delivery portfolios, professionalised operations, and significant strategic influence within their areas.   This reflects the recent growth, its current size, and the scale of responsibilities held by St Ives Town Council.  

St Ives Town Council is ambitious. The team regularly heard the sentiment that “the place of St Ives has always had ambition,” and partners echoed this in their feedback. This ambition shows itself in several ways. The overriding thrust is the town council's endeavour to deliver for the benefit of its community. For example, both the Town Deal and the devolution programme show the council being on the front foot to recognise the opportunity, present a strong case for a successful application, and follow up with programme delivery.

Throughout the peer challenge, clear and strong political and managerial leadership was evident to the peer team. This was not only witnessed in the many on-site meetings but also echoed by external partners. This is a powerful characteristic, as strong political and managerial leadership is a prerequisite for councils' success.   

Similarly, staff demonstrated passion, energy, and commitment in their work. This was evident throughout the peer challenge, with staff expressing strong enthusiasm and clear pride in what they have delivered for the council, the local area, and local people.

The council understands the importance of training and development supported by a system of staff appraisals. A Corporate Training and Development policy was approved in June 2024, followed by a delivery programme, including new councillor induction training following the 2025 elections. Despite this commitment, the training and development programme is acknowledged as being at a relatively early stage.  This will be an important area for consolidation to ensure that staff skills and technical levels are maintained and to strengthen the council’s ability to attract and retain staff in the future. 

Community advocacy is an important representative role that SITC has been active in. For example, lobbying the NHS to release the Edward Hain hospital site for a community health and well-being site; supporting and securing grant funding of £10,000 to purchase part of Lelant beach by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to prevent private disposal; lobbying to object to a planning application from a well-known hotel chain; championing of the chemical free seas campaign to stop untested carbon capture technology in a challenge to the Environment Agency and so on. The council’s active role in this area is an indication of its authority and confidence to lobby and be heard. It also points to the council’s understanding of local concerns and its role to advocate on their behalf.

The last five years have seen significant growth in council activity and budget expenditure to support this. The next phase would benefit from consolidation, capacity building, and longer-term resilience. This understanding of the council’s next phase should be incorporated into the next iteration of the council’s Strategic Plan. 

The recent council growth, aimed at improving and maintaining assets, delivering on increased responsibilities, and generating higher levels of income, makes it clear that organisational capacity has been stretched. This is recognised by the council and identified as high risk in its Risk Strategy. This stretching of organisational capacity is not sustainable in the long term and will need to be addressed.  

Whereas previously, for a much smaller organisation, it was acceptable to encourage multi-tasking, there are areas where additional dedicated resources are required.  These areas include communications, fundraising, and finance.  A new Deputy Town Clerk has recently been appointed, and this, along with other staffing movements, suggests that a modest restructuring will be required in the near future once this person takes up post. This would provide an opportunity to review these resource/capacity pinch points and plan to address them.

As tourism is a major driver of the St Ives and Cornwall economies, the council should remain mindful of potential pressures that may affect it. In particular, the closure of Cornwall’s leading tourism board, Visit Cornwall, in October 2025 due to financial difficulties, could adversely affect the county. Tourism is a key component of Cornwall’s wider economy, generating approximately £2.1 billion annually, accounting for around 37 per cent of local employment. Without a dedicated regional promotional body, Cornwall’s attractiveness to tourists could be impacted, leading to further economic challenges. With the end of Visit Cornwall, the council will need to work with Cornwall Council, the Cornwall Association of Local Councils (CALC), and the St Ives Business Improvement District (BID) to determine what might replace this and how it might be financed.

The town council has good working arrangements with the St Ives BID (Business Improvement District). The joint working and funding arrangements include the Penwith CCTV programme (with Hayle and Penzance), with monitoring at St Ives.  (The three councils established this after the county-wide CCTV partnership managed by Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service served notice to all towns of its planned withdrawal). In addition, there is the recent Street Marshals programme, used to promote community safety and public order in the town; joint planning on festivals and events out of season and on tourism; and the Disc Area Radio system, used to promote the security of town traders.

SITC has engaged well with nearby towns, as demonstrated by the CCTV partnership with Hayle and Penzance town councils. It could be useful to explore how this relationship could be further developed for mutual benefit. For example, there may be overlapping interests in housing, tourism, and economic growth, where joint working would be appropriate. Ultimately, the residents of rural parishes use the services of their adjoining towns, and there may be potential to develop further opportunities for shared programmes and funding contributions. SITC could also use this to build ties with the town’s rural hinterland by working through the West Penwith Community Area Partnership (the council’s Mayor is the deputy chair of the CAP) and/or the Voluntary and Community Sector Forum.

SITC understands the value of working with the voluntary sector and has recently established a Voluntary and Community Sector forum and is using volunteers in council activities. This resource could be further developed to build community capacity and be linked to future grant funding. Councillors, with their local contacts and through community engagement, would have an important role in this.
Similarly, the council has recently brought together a St Ives Cultural Partners Group, which meets quarterly. Given the history of art and culture in St Ives, the presence of international organisations such as Tate St Ives and the Leach Pottery, this body is potentially important in promoting one of the area’s unique selling points.

The Town Deal transport programme is working to deliver improvements to town transport and safety. The peer team was told that this had led to local debate and some controversy. It would be worthwhile to communicate this work and its achievements more widely. Although SITC has played an active role in this project, it is being led by the Town Deal and Cornwall Council partners. It would be worth maintaining a continuing dialogue with these to focus on additional beneficial measures, such as smaller buses and provisions for vulnerable residents and visitors.

• Sub-recommendation one: Consider ways and means to enhance working with the voluntary, arts, and culture sectors to deliver a shared vision for St Ives.
• Sub-recommendation two: Promote the work of the Town Deal transport programme and encourage local discussion on how it may be extended in the future.

5.3    Governance and culture

The peer team was told of and observed good working relationships between councillors and officers. This has contributed to a working style that has been fundamental to delivering recent achievements and is at the heart of the council’s approach. This characteristic is an important element in recent success and needs to be nurtured.

The council's style promotes working in collaboration. For instance:

• there are strong councillor and officer working arrangements
• there is strong and effective political leadership
• the council has gained Gold Quality Council status and accreditation as a Civility and Respect Pledge Council
• there are minimal formal Code of Conduct complaints. Mechanisms exist to address councillor conduct, for example, low-level complaints are referred to the Chairs' group.
• all councillors can shape debate by agreeing on agenda items with the committee chairs
• there are regular meetings of chairs, the Mayor, and officers to discuss existing work plans and future planning.

However, good working arrangements also require managing political and officer succession to support work continuity, and this should form part of workforce planning in the future. With the recently elected Mayor, there is the opportunity to put in place succession and support arrangements that would benefit the council. 

There is good awareness of the need to buy in professional advice and support, as needed. A commissioning model is used to provide certain support services. For example, payroll, HR support and advice, Property, Legal services, and IT are provided by external contracts. Similarly, the council readily identifies where necessary expertise may be needed from outside the council. For example, the recent delay in the Guildhall works required specialist architectural and engineering expertise.

However, externalised contract arrangements require contract-monitoring mechanisms, especially those with higher financial value and/or greater risk.  Contract arrangements would benefit from improved contract monitoring, so that the council could be assured that commissioned activity is delivered as intended. This requires developing internal resources and expertise to manage and supervise contracts.

SITC has in place appropriate internal audit arrangements and a substantial Risk Strategy, including a register of both financial and non-financial risks listed under key headings. Recent external audit reports have not highlighted any concern that relevant legislation and regulatory requirements are not being met. As further income streams are developed, SITC could consider whether additional internal audit work would be beneficial, including additional interim reports throughout the year.

The council’s committee structure was described by one interviewee as “old-fashioned in concept,” and another asked, “Are we structured in the right way?” The peer team attended two meetings and read several meeting report packs. The papers for some meetings are very long (one contained over 300 pages). Some meetings are also too long. This does not support efficient and effective decision-making. 

The council has experienced significant growth in its budget and responsibilities, and needs a decision-making process that meets both the requirements of councillor involvement on principal issues, supported by fleet of foot decision-making. This should also take into account the current Scheme of Delegated Authority to review and extend those areas that might be beneficially delegated to officers, rather than requiring a committee decision.  

When the council’s organisational structure is reviewed, which the peer team understood could occur around the same time as the Strategic Plan review, a clearer idea of the council's future priorities and decision-making requirements may emerge.  Supporting the new arrangements could also involve using other decision-making and advisory options, some of which are already in use. These could include, for example, sub-committees, advisory committees, working groups, task and finish groups, and so on.

With the work planned to update the Strategic Plan, there is an opportunity to align this with the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and the council’s committee/decision-making restructure. The benefits of this would be that priorities, resources, and decision-making arrangements would work more closely in tandem.

Transparency arrangements would benefit from greater use of the council website to make a broader range of key information available, for example, past agenda papers, annual budget report, and contracts register, and ensure the requirements of the  Transparency Code are up to date.

• Sub-recommendation one: Consider support for succession arrangements to ensure political and workforce continuity. This would also be useful for the new mayor, elected while the peer team was on-site.
• Sub-recommendation two : Align the new Strategic Plan with the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and the council’s committee/decision-making restructure. This would ensure that priorities, resources, and decision-making arrangements work in tandem to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• Sub-recommendation three: Strengthen contract management and client-side oversight to ensure value for money and delivery assurance. The council should build internal capacity for monitoring externally commissioned services. This should include training in contract specification, performance monitoring, and budget oversight, particularly given the scale of the contracted activity linked to asset redevelopment and capacity projects.
• Sub-recommendation four: Improve the availability of key documents on the council website and ensure that the Transparency Code data is up to date.

5.4    Financial planning and management

There is a robust process for reviewing the approved budget against actual expenditure that promotes challenge and discussion. The peer team saw good council engagement at the Finance and General Purposes (F&GP) Committee, where a review of the work programme (Quarter four) was considered.

All officers and councillors are involved in the budget-setting process. All service committees reviewed their budgets and made recommendations to the F&GP Committee. Full Council received a report from the Head of Finance/Responsible Finance Officer (RFO) detailing the conclusions of the budget-setting process. 

The Five-Year MTFS operates alongside the Strategic Plan’s vision and priorities and is based on regular performance reporting to principal committees. The council’s mid-year budget review and mid-year internal audit review are presented to Full Council for consideration.
Earmarked Reserves for capital replacement and other requirements are clearly ringfenced, which is good practice.

The recent growth in revenue and capital budgets has introduced additional financial pressures, for example, to ensure that the staff structure and capacity are sufficient to deliver council objectives and to maintain an enlarged property portfolio. At the same time, income streams are not yet at full capacity, with many assets still being upgraded.  

It is essential that the MTFS is made robust to withstand unexpected financial shocks. This should be achieved by making financial provision in building up reserve levels adequate to cover projected needs, for example, the lifecycle of assets, their maintenance requirements, and eventual replacement. 

The need for adequate reserves was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the council required assistance from Cornwall Council to support reserves.  More recently, the council has had to call on reserves to complete emergency repairs on play equipment. In addition, an increasing share of the council’s budget depends on income generation, making the council more vulnerable to shocks and unplanned events.

To ensure adequate reserve levels, it will be crucial for the council to follow the guidance of its RFO and auditors. The MTFS states the council’s aim to hold a minimum level of general reserves at between 28 and 33 per cent of net revenue expenditure. This is an important consideration in financial management at all times, but especially at this moment, when the council's recent growth raises the possibility of further uncertainties and the need for reserves to serve as a contingency. It is suggested that maintenance of reserve levels be incorporated into the council’s Risk Strategy.

Because of recent council growth, there has been pressure to increase the precept, and there is often understandable political reluctance to do so, given its impact on residents. However, after the recent period of growth, there needs to be care to ensure that financial resources are sufficient as the council moves into a phase of stabilisation.  

Precept levels need to be prudent and set to ensure financial sustainability and resilience. This process will always need to take into account external risk factors: pay inflation, National Insurance contributions, the second-homes premium, and local inflationary factors (construction). It will also be important to have an appreciation of internal drivers: reliance on income generation, staff capacity, and finite staff resources; delivery of ambition; and so on.  

In particular, as highlighted by the RFO, the reliance on a higher precept, resulting from an increased tax base due to the recently introduced second homes premium, poses particular risks. Firstly, this policy is designed to reduce the number of second homes; therefore, if it is successful, the tax base will reduce over the coming years. Secondly, the policy may be reversed by central government at some point in the future. Reserve levels, therefore, need to be sufficient to ensure that council finances can withstand a significant reduction in the tax base.

The council should consider providing training to councillors and staff, unambiguously setting out the importance of working through the budget-making process to balance organisational needs with the precept, income, grant funding, and other streams, so that the requirement to achieve a balanced budget is fully understood.

In light of the significant growth programme, a capital programme (£1.26 million for 2026-27) has been implemented. This is an unusual step for a town council, but warranted in this instance with a programme of major works and funding for this.  This has enabled a separation of capital and revenue budgets and promotes more effective financial management of both. Having established this model, proposals for subsequent capital expenditure and large projects are only approved with a business case and when grants or funding are allocated. This again represents good practice. 

To effectively manage the capital programme and devolved assets, it will be important that staff engage with finance officers early on project proposals and on the subsequent project planning and delivery. The council has an officer capital project group (PACT) for this purpose, but the peer team believes it would be beneficial to strengthen this further. This would enable the tracking of project delivery so that, if time and/or cost slippages occur, they are shared with relevant finance officers, and the joint liaison can address any issues. This will ensure more effective management of risks to project delivery.  

The council understands that income streams play a key role in funding its revenue budget. The newly acquired assets entail additional costs for their operation and future maintenance. These same assets are being developed to provide important income streams. It is recommended that the council develop a comprehensive Commercial/Income Policy to formalise an approach to income generation, including income targets. Performance monitoring of asset costs and the growth in income generation across the asset portfolio will be crucial.

At the same time, promoting a commercial mindset across the council will be paramount for ensuring this approach becomes embedded in the way that the council works.

• Sub-recommendation one: Ensure that adequate reserve levels are made in the budget to provide the intended contingency buffer.
• Sub-recommendation two: Incorporate the maintenance of minimum reserve levels in the council’s Risk Strategy.
• Sub-recommendation three: Consider the provision of training for councillors and staff that unambiguously sets out the importance of working through the budget-making process, in particular the key elements of precept funding and minimum reserve levels. 

5.5    Capacity for improvement

St Ives Town Council is in a strong position to continue improving, with many areas already referenced in this report. The following are key aspects in that scenario:

• there is an abundance of councillor and officer energy and goodwill
• staff embrace challenge, are fulfilled in their work, and their roles are developing positively. This is supported by low rates of staff turnover (less than 5 per cent).
• there is a commitment to training and development with the recently enacted training and development programme and the introduction of staff appraisals
• the Guildhall, car parks, and toilets are strong commercial assets supporting income ambition
• there is recognition of the potential for a wider range of commercial assets to support income generation
• there are strong and proactive partnership working arrangements. This includes the working relationships with Cornwall Council. The commitment of Cornwall Council was evident to the peer team, with the council wanting “to innovate so that local communities, with devolved powers and funding, are empowered and supported to influence local priorities and issues affecting their area.” 
• the council recognises the importance of volunteering. There is scope to develop this further, in particular through the recently established Voluntary and Community Sector Forum.

In addition, the council has a strong track record of securing grant funding. To sustain this, it will need to consider what skills and resources will be required to continue this key stream in the future.

There is growing recognition, since the end of Visit Cornwall, that leading holiday destinations are defining themselves by distinctive characteristics.

This is happening in St Ives, where opportunities are being identified to market its USP, including its cultural and artistic offerings, high-end restaurants and cuisine, and traditional heritage.

Although there is an asset register, it would be beneficial for the council also to produce an asset management strategy. This could include: asset values and insurance costs, current usage, alternative usage options, maintenance work needed, routine maintenance cycles, and so on.

The council would gain from having an Income/Commercial  Strategy. This could include: use of assets, financial targets, working with partners, including business, local, and third-sector partners, and KPIs for different services contributing to income streams. 
This report states that the council's capacity and resources are currently being stretched, which is not sustainable. (This is recognised in the council’s Risk Strategy as being a high risk.) This will need to be addressed, with consideration given to bringing in specialist skills, for example, in income generation, marketing, communications, and finance. Some of this could be commissioned by the council, some by developing the resource in-house, and, where appropriate, by growing skills and capacity via apprenticeships.
Commissioning specialist services when required is a sensible model that the council uses. In the future, it is recommended that this incorporate client-side monitoring to ensure contract compliance and that expenditure remains within budgetary parameters. This would be an area that could be usefully incorporated into the training and development programme.
After a period of rapid growth, the council should reflect on what has been achieved and consider the next phase, which could be described as stabilisation.  With the proposal to produce a new Strategic Plan, there is the opportunity to align this with the MTFS and the training and development programme to provide a foundation for delivery. The phase of stabilisation, to build on recent growth, could include: strategic planning, policy making, reviewing practice, training and development, balancing income generation with service priorities, building levels of reserves, and so on.

• Sub-recommendation one: Develop an asset management strategy. This should include: asset values and insurance costs, current usage, alternative usage options, maintenance works needed, routine maintenance cycles, and so on.  
• Sub-recommendation two: With the imminent review of the council’s Strategic Plan, consider the next phase of council stabilisation. With the proposal to produce a new Strategic Plan, there is the opportunity to align this with the MTFS, the review of the staffing structure (page 16, Organisational and Place Leadership), and the training and development programme to provide a foundation for delivery. 
• Sub-recommendation three: Establish a coordinated training and development programme that strengthens technical skills, project/programme management capability, and leadership development. This should align with the new strategic plan, MTFS, and succession planning arrangements.
• Sub-recommendation four: After the period of growth over the last five years, the council should consider, when developing its Strategic Plan, what the next phase will look like. It is recommended that this be based on stabilising the current position. The phase of reinforcing could include: strategic planning, policy making, reviewing practice, training and development, community engagement, economic growth, balancing income generation with service priorities, building levels of reserves, and so on.

The senior political and managerial leadership of the council should review and reflect on the findings and recommendations from this CPC.

To promote transparency, the CPC process requires that the peer team's final report be published in full within three months of the review's completion. In this instance, the report must be published no later than 5 June 2026.

There is a requirement for St Ives Town Council to develop and publish an action plan within five months of the peer team being onsite, no later than 7 August 2026.  This action plan should provide clarity on the activity, milestones, and timelines that the council will work on in responding to the team’s findings. 

 

In the meantime, Paul Clarke, Principal Adviser for the South West region, is the main contact between your council and the Local Government Association.

As outlined above, Andrew Winfield is available to discuss any further support you require and can be contacted at [email protected]

Paul Clarke, LGA Principal Adviser for the South West region, email – [email protected] 

CPC is a valued improvement and assurance tool that is delivered by the sector for the sector. It involves a team of senior local government councillors and officer peers undertaking a comprehensive review of key information and spending three days at the council to provide robust, strategic, and credible challenge and support. CPC forms a key part of the improvement and assurance framework for local government. It is underpinned by the principles of Sector-led Improvement (SLI) put in place by councils and the LGA to support continuous improvement and assurance across the sector. These principles state that councils are responsible for their own performance; accountable locally, not nationally; share a collective responsibility for the performance of the sector; and rely on the LGA to provide the tools to support them. CPC is also key to councils in meeting their Best Value duty. UK Government expect all councils to have a CPC at least every five years.

Scope and focus

The peer team considered the following five areas which form the core components of all CPCs. These are critical to councils’ performance and improvement.

• 1. Local priorities and outcomes - are the council’s priorities clear and informed by the local context? Is the council delivering effectively on its priorities? Is there an organisational-wide approach to continuous improvement, with frequent monitoring, reporting on and updating of performance and improvement plans?
• 2. Organisational and place leadership - does the council provide effective local leadership? Are there good relationships with partner organisations and local communities?
• 3. Governance and culture - Are there clear and robust governance arrangements? Is there a culture of challenge and scrutiny?
• 4. Financial planning and management - Does the council have a grip on its current financial position? Does the council have a strategy and a plan to address its financial challenges? What is the relative financial resilience of the council? 
• 5. Capacity for improvement - Is the organisation able to bring about the improvements it needs, including delivering on locally identified priorities? Does the council have the capacity to improve?

As part of the five core areas outlined above, every CPC has a strong focus on financial sustainability, performance, governance, and assurance.

The peer challenge process

Peer challenges are designed to support improvement, not inspection. They are not intended to provide a detailed or technical assessment of plans and proposals. Instead, the peer team uses its experience and knowledge of local government to reflect on the information shared with them, the things they observe, and the material they review. 

To prepare, the peer team looks at a range of documents and information to understand the council and the challenges it is facing. This includes a position statement prepared by the council before the visit, which sets out the local context and highlights areas for the team to focus on. The preparation also involves reviewing an LGA Finance briefing (based on public reports from the council’s website) and an LGA performance report that shows benchmarking data across a range of measures. The performance report is produced using the LGA’s local area benchmarking tool, LG Inform.

The peer team then spends three or four days at the council. During this time, they gather evidence, information, and views by meeting with council staff, councillors, and external stakeholders. This helps them build a rounded picture of the council’s strengths and areas for improvement.