Council performance
We're committed to providing high quality services which are value for money. To achieve this it's important that we actively manage our performance.
Council priorities
The Forest of Dean District Council Plan 2024-2028 sets out our vision for the District. It outlines the areas in which the Council, along with our partners, will work to improve the quality of life for our residents, as well as addressing the climate emergency.
The three priorities for the Forest of Dean District Council from 2024 to 2028 are:
- Thriving communities: We want to support local communities and help them grow so that we can work together to respond to the challenges and opportunities posed by the climate and nature emergencies.
- Decarbonisation and Nature Recovery: Protect and enhance the natural environment and be on target to be carbon neutral by 2030.
- Sustainable Economy: To improve the Forest of Dean economy while encouraging businesses to be environmentally sustainable and protecting the wellbeing of residents.
These priorities are of equal importance. Each priority contains five strategies that provide more detail on how we will achieve them. We believe they will shape the Forest of Dean and offer residents and businesses the opportunities to flourish and grow, whilst protecting the beauty and heritage of the district’s natural environment. Further details for these strategies can be found in the document above.
Performance management of services
Data about the performance of services is collected each quarter to allow us to actively manage our performance.
Corporate Peer Challenge - 2025
Forest of Dean District Council has recently undertaken a Corporate Peer Challenge in October 2024. This is something offered by the Local Government Association to all councils at no cost every five years.
A Corporate Peer Challenge is a tried and trusted method of improvement, providing the Council with a robust and effective improvement tool which is owned and delivered by the sector, for the sector.
Upon undertaking the Corporate Peer Challenge, a set of recommendations were provided by peers and this has been used to produce the below Action Plan to help deliver improvements where necessary.
Following the Corporate Peer Challenge in October 2024, the Local Government Association returned in September 2025 to carry out a Progress Review. The review found that Forest of Dean District Council has made strong progress, with all recommended actions either completed or underway, and praised the Council’s commitment to delivery, partnership working and staff wellbeing. The final report recognises the positive culture developing across the organisation and the Council’s continued focus on creating thriving communities for the Forest of Dean.
You can read the full LGA Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan and Progress Review report below.
DELTA Disabled Facilities Grants Scorecard
The DELTA Disabled Facilities Grants Scorecard provides an annual overview of Forest of Dean District Council’s performance in delivering Disabled Facilities Grants. It summarises key measures such as the number of completed adaptations, who receives support and the time taken to progress cases from application through to completion.
Developed by Foundations using statutory DELTA returns submitted by each local authority, the scorecard offers a balanced and accessible assessment of service performance, highlighting areas of strong delivery as well as emerging pressures.
DELTA is the primary online platform used by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for collecting statistical data and grant information, providing a single, centralised system for submissions.
In 2024–25, Forest of Dean performed strongly against national comparators, ranking within the top 13.4% of local authorities for delivery times. This reflects effective case‑flow management and a sustained focus on timely outcomes for residents with mobility or independence needs.
For full context, the current and previous years’ DELTA DFG Scorecards should be reviewed together, as they provide a clear picture of performance trends and the impact of improvement activity over time.