Collection

Statutory best value inspections and interventions in England

Details of statutory best value inspections and interventions of local authorities in England (present and past).

Local authorities in England, including combined authorities and combined county authorities, have a statutory duty to “make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which its functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness”. This is known as the Best Value Duty and is defined in Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1999 (the 1999 Act).

The Secretary of State has powers under section 10 of the 1999 Act to appoint a person to carry out an inspection into an authority’s compliance with the Best Value Duty.

Where the Secretary of State is satisfied that an authority is failing to carry out its functions in compliance with the Best Value Duty, section 15 of the 1999 Act provides powers for the Secretary of State to intervene on a statutory basis in that authority.

This page collates the details of statutory best value inspections and interventions of local authorities in England (present and past).

It also provides all statutory best value guidance issued under section 26 of the Local Government Act 1999. Local authorities, including combined authorities and combined county authorities in England, are required to have regard to this guidance.

Current statutory interventions

Current statutory inspections

Previous statutory interventions

Statutory best value guidance

Lessons learned from previous statutory interventions

Published 8 May 2024