Best Value Inspection Report: Spelthorne

17th March 2025

Spelthorne Borough Council has received the letter from the Minister which outlines the next steps for the authority

In February 2023, Spelthorne Council received a letter from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (here – dated 3 February 2023) outlining concerns about Spelthorne’s debt.

In May 2024, Spelthorne Borough Council (SBC) received a Best Value Inspection letter (here – dated 8 May 2024) from the previous government to inform the authority that an independent inspection would be undertaken to review the Council to seek assurance that it is complying with its Best Value Duty. This followed concerns raised by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities around Spelthorne’s levels of debt and borrowing.

In past years, central government actively encouraged local authorities to find innovative ways of raising revenue, and between 2016 and 2018 the previous Spelthorne Borough Council Administration responded by borrowing directly from the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) to purchase a commercial property portfolio and generate income^[1] to support and protect local services^[2].

SBC have now received the Best Value Inspection report and recommendations which can be read in full HERE. During the review, councillors and officers worked with the inspection team in an open and transparent way, sharing many documents and providing dedicated briefings and presentations to the team.

Some of the recommendations overlap with the findings of a recent external audit report, in response to which the Council is formulating a strong and cohesive action plan^[3] with progress having already been made in many areas. A breakdown of these recommendations and the audit action plan are available on the SBC website here.

Today SBC has received the letter (here, dated 17 March 2025) from the Minister which outlines the next steps for this authority. Whilst this authority takes pride in delivering services for its residents and businesses (see 2024 Resident survey results), it nevertheless recognises that there are now immediate and key actions that need to take place prior to local government reorganisation becoming effective in this Borough.

Leader of Spelthorne Borough Council, Cllr Joanne Sexton, said, “This Group Administration has faced a challenging time and has been actively pursuing the right solution to manage the historical debt that it has inherited. We have met with the Local Government Minister from central government, and we have agreed to work in partnership to take decisive action in the remaining time we have before local government reorganisation is implemented.
In just over one year, we will see new unitary authorities emerge, initially in a shadow form, before Spelthorne is expected to lose its sovereignty in 2027. Across the whole of Surrey there are significant financial pressures, with a £5.6 billion debt, which is why these proactive steps are necessary for Spelthorne to position itself to take an active approach to reducing our debt. Our pledge remains that we will always put residents at the heart of everything we do”

Deputy Leader of Spelthorne Borough Council, Cllr Chris Bateson, said, “We understand the seriousness of the report’s recommendations and acknowledge the full implications for our authority. Whilst many financial concerns were historically inherited, this administration continues to demonstrate that we have a solid track record of delivering services for our residents and that we are well positioned to drive forward these recommendations. We will work together in partnership with colleagues from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in the best interest of residents in Spelthorne.”