Barking and Dagenham Council has been commended for its progress, creativity, and leadership following a recent Local Government Association (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge. The independent review, which took place in October 2025, highlighted the council’s strong performance and commitment to continuous improvement.
The LGA Peer Team described Barking and Dagenham as “an innovative and creative council that is well respected by its partners”, noting its leadership on regeneration and delivery of new housing, which has helped avoid soaring temporary accommodation costs seen elsewhere. The report also praised the council’s ability to leverage grant funding and partnerships, and its strong community-facing work.
Key achievements highlighted by the review include:
- Innovation and creativity - a clear commitment to driving change and improvement
- Community engagement - strong partnerships and co-production with residents
- Punching above its weight - a lean council tackling deep-rooted challenges with passion and purpose
- Opportunities for the future - a young, diverse population offering huge opportunities for the future
- Staff commitment - colleagues praised for their approachability and going above and beyond for residents
- Service improvement - positive improvement trajectory in housing and children’s services, with excellence in school outcomes
- Regeneration impact - transformative projects like Barking Riverside and Dagenham East delivering real benefits
- Financial resilience – a stronger position than many councils, while preparing for future challenges
- Strong performance management - a robust corporate performance management framework
Councillor Dominic Twomey, Leader of the Council, said: “The peer review is a cornerstone of sector-led improvement, and we’re grateful to the review team for their time, insight, and support in helping us do the best we can for our residents.
“We were proud to showcase our work, and even prouder to hear the strengths the team highlighted - from our innovative and creative approach, strong community partnerships, and regeneration vision to the commitment and passion of our staff.
“We’re a lean council tackling deep‑rooted challenges with purpose, and our young, diverse population offers huge opportunities for the future. While we know there is always more to do and welcome recommendations as part of our continued improvement journey, this review confirms we’re on the right track and have strong foundations in place to keep improving and delivering for our community.”
The full report can be viewed here. In accordance with the LGA process, the council will now publish an action plan in response to the report’s recommendations and will work closely with the LGA to monitor progress over the next year.