High Peak Borough Council

High Peak Borough Council has been awarded a consumer grading of C2 by the Regulator of Social Housing - one of the first Councils to receive a rating following the Regulator's powers coming into force on 1 April this year. The Regulator was created to ensure a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver quality homes and services for current and future tenants by regulating landlords to drive improvements in how they operate. The Council was inspected against its customer service standards that state the outcomes landlords must deliver against. A C2 rating - the second highest available - means that the Council is delivering most of the requirements and identifies some areas where improvement is needed. The Regulator highlighted that outcomes across the main health and safety compliance areas are good and that an effective, efficient and timely repairs service that performs above our service standards consistently is being delivered. Council Leader, Councillor Anthony Mckeown, said: "This is a fantastic result for our first grading, especially given how recently the Regulator introduced the inspection regime to Councils. "It's reassuring that the investments we have been making to improve the quality and safety of homes, together with the improvements to our repairs service through the creation of Alliance Norse, has been recognised by the Regulator. "We are looking forward to working with the Regulator, our tenants and partners to demonstrate how we have made changes in areas where further improvements have been highlighted, along with continuing to improve and develop the service overall." Areas identified for improvement include improving and sustaining the recent investment the Council has made in tenant engagement by implementing the actions we have set in place. It also highlighted the need to ensure our complaint handling gives tenants sufficient opportunity to report complaints, and how the Council resolves and learns from the information provided. The Regulator recognised that work was already underway to improve these areas. Fiona Sloman, Executive Councillor for Housing, added: "This result is testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff and partner agencies in ensuring our homes and communities are managed proactively and effectively."

'Well managed' Council delivers 'high performing, low cost' services An independent review has found that High Peak Borough Council is a high-performing, performance-focused organisation that delivers low cost, value for money services. In February, the Council and its Strategic Alliance partner Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, invited a team of local government professionals to review its operations and performance as part of the Local Government Association's (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge process. This latest review took place two years after a previous review. Councillors and officers from the LGA joined forces to review both Councils, highlight areas of good practice, and identify areas for improvement and ongoing support. The report from this year's exercise has now been released. It reflects the previous conclusion that the Council has been well managed for many years and that the Alliance is 'impressive and continues to be effective'. It identifies the Council's strengths in financial management and governance. It finds that the Borough Plan clearly demonstrates the Council's ambitions and understanding of the challenges facing its communities. The report also praises the 'culture of delivering quality' and notes that when the Council 'does something, it does it well'. It also flags the potential for the Council and its partners to go on and achieve even more. Leader of the Council, Councillor Anthony Mckeown, said: "The Council wants to be able to improve how we can serve our residents and we are delighted with the review team's excellent findings from their February visit. "This latest review builds on the very positive findings of two years ago and, pleasingly, reports the strengths that they identified then remain strengths now. "We're always interested in hearing suggestions for improvement and learning, particularly from experienced peers and the LGA, and we've set out the actions that are already underway to address the review team's suggestions so that we use what we've learnt to the benefit of everybody in the High Peak. "I'd like to thank the review team, our councillors, staff and partners for giving their time to help us continue to deliver excellent services for all our communities." Other key findings highlighted in the report include: *Good working relationships with County, Town and Parish Councils and the Derbyshire Leaders Board - the Council is engaging well to bring about the best outcomes for its communities *The positive impact of council controlled companies - Alliance Environmental Services and Alliance Norse - on service delivery and on generating additional capacity and efficiencies *Strong, productive relationships between councillors and officers *Good understanding of the challenges faced and the decisions that must be made around growth and housing and the balance with the natural world Read the full report and the Council's action plan: https://lnkd.in/e9YYtpU5

🚨 #JOBALERT: Head of Assets - Staffordshire Moorlands District Council & High Peak Borough Council - You will manage and act as lead advisor on all asset management functions and will be instrumental in leading on the development of the Councils’ asset strategies, forging the development of effective internal and external networks. Please follow the link 👇 for more information and to Apply Now.  https://lnkd.in/eSJP3AvN

If you're looking for a new challenge post the bank holiday - you've still got time to apply for a number of roles we currently have. We are looking for a new Executive Director covering community services as detailed below, along with a head of assets and a principal policy officer dealing with communication issues - details for these are other roles are available at https://lnkd.in/eCFc5hn

Perfect weather to visit our Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) project at Buxton Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre with Simon Allaway and some of our Executive Cllrs, including Anthony Mckeown, Damien Greenhalgh Jean Todd. Excellent progress has been made with the PV installation and not too long before the air source heat pumps are installed. Impressive to see the modern PV’s contrast with the grade 2 listed Octagon Hall in the background…a great showcase of how old and new can coexist successfully. This project is funded by High Peak Borough Council and the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme Salix, project management by Parkwood Project Management, with Leisure Energy as principal contractor. #leisure #transformation #decarbonisation #carbonneutral

Commissioning Officer (Parks & Open Spaces)    Permanent Contract Full time: 37 hours per week Salary - AG5: £30,296- £33,024 plus essential car user allowance Location: Leek & Buxton- Agile working applicable This is an exciting time to work for Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and High Peak Borough Council (The Alliance) as we are committed to improving parks and open spaces for the benefit of residents and visitors. Set in the context of new or emerging strategies covering Parks and Green Spaces, Biodiversity, Climate Change and Nature Recovery, the successful candidate will work to commission services and develop projects across horticultural, grounds maintenance services and facilities which maintain or improve satisfaction, usage and visitor numbers. We are seeking an enthusiastic candidate who has detailed knowledge and practical experience of horticultural and grounds maintenance services and in particular, a track record of driving continuous improvement to public parks and open spaces, recreational facilities and other related areas included within the scope of this position. Overseeing effective contract monitoring practices and procedures is an important aspect of the role as the successful candidate will be responsible for monitoring several key Council contracts, as well as working closely with the service providers to maintain and improve standards. The successful candidate will also be required to represent The Alliance at meetings with internal and external stakeholders i.e. service users, other Council services, clients, consultants, contractors and other working groups; therefore strong advocacy, interpersonal and communication skills are essential for this role. A knowledge of relevant legislation, government guidance and policies would be an advantage. For an informal discussion regarding this job please contact: Robert.wilks@highpeak.gov.uk For further details including how to apply, please goto https://lnkd.in/eFi8adaR Closing date: Midday Monday 18th December 2023 Interviews to be held: 8th January 2024

The Space now available for community use Revitalising Buxton is one the key priorities for High Peak Borough Council – and finding new, innovative and diverse uses for vacant shop units is one of the ways of doing just that.   Unit 25 in The Springs, the former Track and Trail shop, is now vacant and the Council is making it available for community and small business use on a temporary basis whilst the wider plans for the town centre are being developed.   The Space is now available for local community groups, artists and cultural groups to host workshops, exhibitions and pop-up galleries.   Council Leader, Councillor Anthony Mckeown, said: “Town centres are changing, and we need to ensure our plans respond to those changes so that our high streets continue to be places for people to live, work and play.   “We’re currently working to refine the proposals for revitalising Buxton before bringing proposals back to the public for their views.   “In the meantime, we want to create opportunities for community groups and business pop-ups to have a presence on the high street to help generate colour, interest and additional reasons for people to come to the town.   “That’s why we’re making what we’re calling The Space – in the unit formerly occupied by Track and Trail – available for rent. Anyone interested in using it can scan the QR code on the poster in the window, and there’s more information on our website.”   Like many town centres across the country, Buxton has been impacted by the Covid pandemic, changing shopping habits and the closure of some high street names.    Work to revitalise the town, and to celebrate its heritage and culture, is already taking place. The projects to restore historic shopfronts at Fitzgerald’s and Ponden Homes are now complete and the missing Grade II* listed urn on the Slopes has now been reinstated.   The cultural consortium is delivering a programme of social and cultural events to attract locals and visitors.   To support the good work already taking place, the Council’s plans include providingnew homes and new commercial, leisure and food and drink opportunities, to createspaces that people want to meet and spend time in and extend activities beyond the 9 to 5 day.   Councillor Damien Greenhalgh, Deputy Leader and Executive Councillor for Regeneration, Tourism and Leisure, said: “We want our high streets and town centres to thrive and attracting new and diverse uses is the way to do that.   “Encouraging community groups and small businesses to occupy units like The Space on a short term, temporary basis will keep our high streets vibrant as well as providing welcome opportunities for individuals and groups that might not otherwise be able to be on the high street.   Watch Councillor Mckeown talking about The Space below or find out more on our website. #RevitalisingBuxton #Buxton #FHSF