Milton Keynes City Council – Progress Review

The council undertook an LGA Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC) during March 2025 and promptly published the full report with an action plan. 

The Progress Review is an integral part of the Corporate Peer Challenge process.  Taking place approximately ten months after the CPC, it is designed to provide space for the council’s senior leadership to:

• Receive feedback from peers on the early progress made by the council against the CPC recommendations and the council’s RAG rated CPC Action Plan. 
• Consider peers’ reflections on any new opportunities or challenges that may have arisen since the peer team were ‘on-site’ including any further support needs
• Discuss any early impact or learning from the progress made to date 

The LGA would like to thank Milton Keynes City Council for their commitment to sector led improvement. This Progress Review was the next step in an ongoing, open and close relationship that the council has with LGA sector support.

The Progress Review at Milton Keynes City Council took place (virtually) on 23 February 2026. 

The Progress Review focussed on each of the recommendations from the Corporate Peer Challenge, under the following theme headings: 

• Member development
• Leadership of place
• Workforce
• Continuous improvement and financial management

For this Progress Review, a smaller peer team was involved than for the original CPC. The following members of the original CPC team were involved: 

• Susan Parsonage, Chief Executive, Wokingham Borough Council 
• Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, Leader, Bury Council
• Cllr Joe Harris, Gloucestershire County Council 
• Nick Searle, Peer Challenge Manager, Local Government Association

On their return to the council, the peer team welcomed the substantial progress the council had made against all their CPC recommendations, with particular progress made in strengthening its overview and scrutiny function, ensuring robust preparations for the all-out elections in May 2026, and deepening engagement with the Voluntary and Community Sector. Overall, peers felt that Milton Keynes City Council continues to be a well-run authority.

The council informed the peer team that their CPC recommendations had been helpful and had prompted constructive dialogue not only within the council, but, crucially with external partners too. This has resulted in a more upbeat organisation, with increased confidence to meet the challenges it faces – indeed the peer team found that the council has solid foundations in place to support continued improvement and innovation. Nevertheless, with both the all-out elections and the Leader stepping down in May 2026, the council faces a potentially significant period of change, and it is encouraged to reflect on how it will maintain stability and continuity of strategic direction during this time.

As the peers experienced during the original CPC, they welcomed the honesty and engagement shown by everyone they spoke to throughout the progress review.

Out of the CPC’s nine recommendations, the council’s RAG rated action plan reported that 100 per cent of actions are completed or are progressed. More detailed feedback on each thematic area is set out below.

3.1 Member development

• Recommendation 2: Improve your Overview and Scrutiny function.
• Recommendation 3: In preparation for all out elections in 2026, ensure your councillor training offer for statutory committees is ready for a potential new intake and improve councillor uptake of training.
• Recommendation 4: Ensure the casework processes reflect councillor and officer requirements
• Recommendation 5: Make the role of senior councillors in outward facing communications more prominent 

The council has made a concerted effort to strengthen its overview and scrutiny function. For example, the ‘call-in’ procedures have been formally revised to allow pre-decision scrutiny to be more effectively utilised. These changes align with arrangements in other high-performing councils, reducing both the number of call-ins and the uncertainty associated with them. The council has also reformed its scrutiny committee model, establishing an informal coordination panel to provide clear direction, accountability, and greater visibility of decisions and work programmes. A work programme was agreed in June 2025. In addition, targeted training has been delivered: scrutiny chairs in September 2025, scrutiny councillors in October 2025, and directors, assistant directors, and heads of service took part in a scrutiny best practice workshop in October 2025.

Despite these welcome improvements, peers felt there remains scope to further strengthen overview and scrutiny. In particular, they encourage the council to consider the following next steps: continually assess whether scrutiny is sufficiently in-depth to influence decision-making; encourage scrutiny chairs to take a more active role in driving the scrutiny agenda; maximise participation in training sessions; ensure Cabinet consistently engage with scrutiny; and continue to utilise external resources and training to support this development.

Ahead of the May 2026 elections, the council has put in place preparations for a potential new intake of councillors. The new Councillor Training and Development Strategy, adopted by the council in November 2025, has led to the development of an induction programme set to begin in May 2026. Additional funding has been allocated to cover anticipated training costs, and scrutiny chairs have reviewed the existing training sessions, with new guidance documents developed to support their work. While peers welcome the wide range of training opportunities available, peers heard that the uptake of courses remains below potential. The council is therefore encouraged to ensure sufficient participant engagement while keeping its training offer under regular review. 

Since the peer challenge, significant improvements have been made to casework. A new management structure has been implemented, separating complaints from customer services, which has increased management capacity. Councillor casework is now regularly reviewed by the Corporate Leadership Team, ensuring strong management oversight. The monthly cross-party councillor working group has enabled councillors to contribute directly to shaping the council’s approach to casework, helping to ensure it meets their needs, with the new casework system being rolled out in February 2026. Although it is still early, initial feedback indicates it is working well, with any teething problems being addressed promptly. With resident expectations rising, it is particularly important that the casework system continues to operate effectively and fulfils councillor requirements. 

During the corporate peer challenge, the peer team encouraged Cabinet members to feature more prominently in external communications. In response to this recommendation, the council has implemented a range of measures including adopting a refreshed approach to media releases, with regularly updated, media-ready photographs of Cabinet Members to facilitate coverage. Cabinet Members have also increased their visibility by actively attending a wide range of engagements and community events. In addition, the profile of Cabinet members — along with that of councillors — has been strengthened through more prominent features in internal employee communications, such as photos in One Council, the weekly newsletter, video appearances on The Update, the monthly live broadcast, and across the council’s digital screen network. Peers welcome the significant progress made in this area with outward facing communications now being much more reflective of the politically led nature of the council.

3.2 Leadership of place

• Recommendation 1: Building on the success of achieving city status and in light of your devolution ambitions, do more on marketing the great progress made by the city and the council to residents and wider audiences.
• Recommendation 8: Prepare the organisation and partners for the more challenging financial environment across the Integrated Care Board in the context of a very significant financial deficit, whilst maintaining the positive attributes and culture of the place partnership

During their original CPC visit, peers identified an opportunity for the council to strengthen how it proactively showcases its many achievements to residents and external stakeholders. On their return, peers were pleased to see progress in this area. For example, the council has launched a ‘Paid for by Growth’ campaign to highlight how developer contributions are funding essential amenities, and this has achieved strong external recognition. In addition, the council has produced a new ‘Invest Milton Keynes’ video and investment prospectus, and its presence at UKREiiF highlighted the city’s strengths and opportunities for potential investors. Across these initiatives, there is a consistent and coherent narrative communicating what Milton Keynes has to offer. Peers encourage the council to maintain this momentum.

Across the country Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are being reorganised to reduce costs and streamline commissioning functions. As part of this, from 1 April 2026 the existing Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB will merge into a new ‘Central East ICB’, covering Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. 

The council has proactively engaged in the design and development of the new arrangements, with the chief executive appointed to the emerging structure. The council has also taken the lead in establishing a strengthened partnership with Luton Council, Bedford Borough Council, and Central Bedfordshire Council. Together, they have agreed a more collaborative approach with the ICB to deliver an effective joint response for children with high and escalating needs. This initiative, known as Focused 40, is already demonstrating promising early results. 

Peers heard that the operational parts of the ICB are working well and encourage the council to sustain this strong working relationship. However, peers remain cautious that the new, larger ICB structure presents a genuine risk that the council’s ability to influence the strategic direction may become more challenging.

3.3 Workforce

• Recommendation 9: On succession planning, develop the Workplace for Everyone work to ensure opportunities for progression are helping increase the diversity of the senior team.

The council continues to embrace equality, diversity and inclusion, with senior leaders proactively championing the ‘Workplace for Everyone’ initiative. The initiative remains highly valued by staff, evidenced by the high levels of staff attending the successful ‘Workplace for Everyone’ action week in July 2025. The event focused on progression and career development. Following this event the ‘Workplace for Everyone’ action plan was completed in September 2025. The peer team also heard about other initiatives that support equality, diversity and inclusion, notably the new reverse mentoring scheme, which has been very well received. 

Peers welcome that the council has reviewed its approach to recruitment and ensured it reflects good practice. The council is encouraged to continue its proactive approach to diversity, actively using recruitment opportunities to ensure its senior team is representative of the wider workforce and community.

Peers heard that the council is introducing a discounted annual leave purchase scheme, called ‘More time for you’, enabling employees to buy additional annual leave on top of their standard entitlement. Although the scheme is in its early stages of implementation, peers heard that it has been positively received by staff. Hundreds of employees were surveyed and provided feedback, with the engagement process itself viewed as constructive and well received. Peers are keen to observe its ongoing impact, to provide learning for the wider sector.

3.4 Continuous improvement and financial management

• Recommendation 6: Consider how, as you develop the stability strategy, you involve councillors, your workforce and their representatives
• Recommendation 7: Lead a conversation with the Community and Voluntary Sector on developing future strategies, with one eye on the financial pressures the council faces

The local government sector continues to face a challenging financial environment, and this is true for Milton Keynes City Council as well. Despite this, peers observed that the council has maintained a robust approach to financial planning and management, which will continue to serve it well. Nevertheless, savings targets are likely to fluctuate, making it essential that the council preserves the integrity of its savings programme amid increasing complexity in service delivery and ongoing financial pressures.

In response to these significant financial pressures and rising demand for key services, the council developed the ‘Changing because we have to’ strategy. The strategy was consulted on with residents before being formally adopted as Cabinet policy in June 2025. The strategy sets out the following three ‘must do’s’:

1. Become a highly productive organisation
2. Use evidence to improve service impact
3. Only do things ourselves where it makes sense.

Peers found that there is robust programme governance in place, led by a Programme Board chaired by the chief executive, which meets monthly. The Board includes HR and Communications experts, and oversees eight projects, each sponsored by a member of the Corporate Leadership Team. Strong employee engagement was evident, with the deputy chief executive appointed as champion for colleague involvement. Most projects bring together subject experts, wider colleagues, and trade union representatives. Peers heard that staff value the networking opportunities this creates and feel well informed about the programme, describing communication as open and transparent. Councillors are engaged through the Budget and Resources Scrutiny Committee.

The council has deepened its engagement with the Community and Voluntary Sector (CVS), particularly in exploring how services could be delivered differently in response to the financial pressures it faces. This engagement included carrying out a mapping exercise to gain a comprehensive understanding of the council’s current work with the CVS. In October 2025, an event brought together CVS representatives to discuss their potential contributions to the ‘Changing because we have to’ strategy. Looking forward, peers encourage the council to translate these discussions into practical service delivery, for example through targeted roundtables on worklessness.

The council has reviewed how to improve aspects of its customer services function, including removing the customer services email and introducing a new customer contact form in November 2025. Peers heard that unstructured email communication had previously generated significant demand failure and was resource-intensive to manage. The new system has led to a notable reduction in customer demand and increased use of the ‘report-it’ forms, resulting in a marked shift in customer channel usage and faster response times to enquiries. Peers were interested to learn that future plans focus on further enhancing the customer experience through the replacement of the current Customer Relationship Management system, wider deployment of AI, and the implementation of similar solutions across the council to better manage customer demand.

The LGA would like to thank Milton Keynes City Council for undertaking an LGA CPC Progress Review. 

We appreciate that senior managerial and political leadership will want to reflect on these findings and suggestions in order to determine how the organisation wishes to take things forward.

Under the umbrella of LGA sector-led improvement, there is an on-going offer of support to councils. The LGA is well placed to provide additional support, advice and guidance on a number of the areas identified for development and improvement and we would be happy to discuss this.

William Brooks (Principal Adviser – South East) is the main point of contact between the authority and the Local Government Association (LGA) and their e-mail address is [email protected]