A flagship growth agenda is causing "emerging anxiety" among some council staff in Bexley as “major challenges” loom for the borough, according to a new report.

Council bosses from around the country visited Bexley Council to review how it was operating, and found that while it was mostly positive, there are weaknesses.

According to recently published feedback, some staff are beginning to have concerns the council’s growth agenda – tipped to bring 30,000 homes and 17,000 jobs by 2050 – will not be supported by vital infrastructure such as transport.

The council agreed its major strategy last year, focussing on developing the north of the borough.

Inspectors said it was an incredible achievement that "absolutely everybody" they met with supported the plans for growth, but added that some concern had begun to grow. 

According to a feedback report, set to go before the council’s cabinet next week: “Anxieties are emerging that growth will be at the expense of quality of life in Bexley. 

"These anxieties, which are not particularly significant yet, exist in the minds of some of the staff, elected members and partners that we met.

"Major challenges are looming already around Sadiq Khan’s London Plan and the securing of vital infrastructure.

“The council is committed to taking people with it in relation to the growth agenda but there are weaknesses currently in community engagement.”

The council was praised for its leadership, finance management and “tremendous ambition” by the council bossess, who visited by invitation. 

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However, the report also highlights some problems with scrutiny at the council.

It explains: “There is universal acknowledgement across the council and partners that overview and scrutiny is not effective.

“A number of far less positive aspects are also in evidence and the situation is worse than overview and scrutiny simply not being effective – the impact of it is actually a detrimental one and swift action is required.”

The report praised the arrival of the council’s chief executive, who resigned from her role earlier this year, saying that a “major shift in culture” was delivered under her tenure.

In response to the report, council leader Teresa O’Neill admitted that scrutiny needs improvement.

Cllr O’Neill said: “We have made good progress with this since the council elections in May. We now have smaller, more energised, committees and three new chairmen.

“They will be helping to review our spending and focusing on the issues where we can make most difference to the lives of local people. We will keep the new arrangements under review to make sure they are effective.

“As far as our growth strategy is concerned, the review team commented positively on the fact that everybody they met were supportive of our ambitions.

“With the focus of growth shifting to the east of London, we are working hard to explain why it is so important that we manage growth so that it benefits local people.”

Daniel Francis, leader of the Bexley Labour group, said the report highlighted concerns that the opposition had been raising for some time.

He said: “With regard to the council’s governance, the report highlights that significant work needs to be undertaken for councillors to be effectively scrutinising itself and partners.

“Sadly the Conservatives have far too often allowed their private arguments to be aired at scrutiny committees and the report highlights that behaviours at scrutiny committees are having a damaging impact on the reputation of the administration.

“While the council has commenced work to implement the findings of the review, the council has not shared the report with Labour councillors prior to this week or briefed them on the measures being implemented as a result of its findings, which leaves serious questions as to whether the administration has learnt from the review and is involving all councillors in its governance.”