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Delivering for residents: Guildford Borough Council marks one year of meaningful progress

Delivering for residents: Guildford Borough Council marks one year of meaningful progress

At a meeting of Full Council last night (29 July) Guildford Borough Council discussed the significant progress made over the past six months in delivering its Improvement Plan, a key initiative to strengthen governance, improve services, and ensure the Council continues to meet its `Best Value’ duty.

This latest report outlined the progress made over the past six months and was accompanied by the Independent Assurance Panel’s second assessment.

While progress is encouraging, the Council recognises that delivering meaningful change requires sustained effort, collaboration, and focus. Housing, contract management and ongoing governance improvement remain the Council’s key focus.  The Council is resolute in their ambition to serve residents, communities, businesses, and staff as a resilient and high-performing council.

In speaking at the Full Council meeting, Chair of the Independent Assurance Panel, Andrew Flockhart, said: “The panel believes the Council’s Improvement Plan remains fit for purpose, with good progress made in key areas. This has helped the Council plan and deliver improvements more effectively. While the risk to delivering Best Value has reduced, significant challenges remain particularly around the demands of Local Government Reorganisation in Surrey. The Council is clearly improving, but there is still a tremendous amount of work to do to fully deliver the Plan’s objectives.”

Commenting on the Improvement Plan, Councillor Julia McShane, Leader of the Council said:
“Our Improvement Plan is about delivering meaningful change for our residents, making services more responsive, homes safer, and communication clearer. We’re closely monitoring its progress, especially as wider changes in local government across Surrey continue to take shape. The work we’re doing now will help define how local services are delivered in the future.

“I’m grateful to the Independent Assurance Panel for their continued support and scrutiny during the first year of delivery. Their insight helps us stay focused on what matters most to our communities.

“Our Corporate Delivery Plan, approved in May, sets out the key projects we’re delivering this year. It’s shaped by careful planning and aligned with our budget, so residents and businesses can see clearly what we’re working on, why it matters, and how we’re making it happen.

“This is about being open, honest, and accountable. It’s our commitment to you, to deliver services that are not only strategic and achievable, but that make a real difference in people’s lives. And while there’s more to do, I want to thank every resident who’s shared their experience, challenged us to do better, and helped shape the journey we’re on.”

The Panel will continue to meet with the Council to review progress with the Improvement Plan and to provide advice on the work the Council is undertaking to deliver the Plan. The Panel will present a further report to the Council at its meeting in December 2025.

***Notes to Editor***

Strategic direction strengthened
Clear strategic direction has been established in Housing, Procurement, and the Collaboration Programme, all aligned with the Council’s Corporate Strategy and Delivery Plan.

Governance improvements delivered
The Council has implemented further governance enhancements, including a comprehensive Constitution Review, strengthened committee structures, increased resourcing, and targeted training across the organisation.

Operational model refined
Internal changes to the Council’s operating model have been made to better serve residents, incorporating recommendations from external reviews and best practice in Housing and IT.

Financial management strengthened
The Council has set a balanced budget, closed its accounts on time for the second consecutive year, and received positive feedback from Internal Audit on its financial processes.

Housing service progress
Major project milestones have been delivered, relationships with the Tenant Engagement Group have been strengthened, and internal culture within the Housing Service is improving.

Robust framework for improvement
The Improvement Plan’s governance framework received a ‘Substantial Assurance’ rating from Internal Audit, reflecting the Council’s commitment to transparency and accountability.


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Press contact: Stephanie Maynard – email Stephanie.Maynard@guildford.gov.uk