On 10 February 2026, the Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness announced that ministers have appointed inspectors to undertake a Best Value Inspection of Bedford Borough Council’s compliance with the Best Value Duty, under Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1999.
The inspectors
The inspection is being conducted by:
- Paul Najsarek (Lead Inspector). Paul is a senior public sector leader with more than 30 years’ experience across local government and health. He is a Non‑Executive Director of the South East London Integrated Care Board, a former Chief Executive of Ealing Council, and has previously served as Best Value Lead Inspector at Warrington Borough Council.
- Margaret Lee OBE (Assistant Inspector). Margaret is a senior local government finance leader and former Section 151 Officer at Essex County Council, with extensive experience of interventions and Best Value inspections. This includes most recently serving as Commissioner for Finance at Nottingham City Council.
Inspectors have been appointed until June 2026.
The inspection
The inspection will assess the Council’s compliance with the Best Value Duty, which sets the requirement that councils make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way their functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
The inspection will also consider the findings and recommendations arising from the Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge and progress review, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) review, and the external auditor's (KPMG) update report to Bedford Borough Council’s Audit Committee meeting on 27 November 2025, alongside an assessment of the Council’s progress and capacity to deliver improvement.
The Council will be assessed using the core themes set out in the statutory guidance on Best Value Standards and Intervention, including:
- Leadership
- Governance
- Culture
- Use of resources
- Service delivery
- Partnerships and community engagement
Your views
Residents, service users, local partners and Council staff are invited to share their views to support the inspection.
The inspection team can be contacted by email at BedfordBVI@communities.gov.uk.
Documents and links relating to the Best Value Inspection of Bedford Borough Council:
Inspection update April 2026
Since the inspection was announced on 10 February 2026, inspectors have met with a number of Members and officers across the Council and considered a wide range of documents. The inspection team are continuing conversations in the Council and engaging with a range of local partners, before moving towards the later stages of the inspection and considering the evidence gathered.
Paul Najsarek (Lead Inspector) and Margaret Lee OBE (Assistant Inspector) were joined on 31 March by an additional inspector, Tasnim Shawkat, to support with the rest of the process:
- Tasnim Shawkat (Assistant Inspector) currently works as the Director of Corporate Services and Governance for London Borough of Bromley, a role which includes Monitoring Officer responsibilities. From her career as a senior leader in local government, she has extensive experience of leading change, and developing and implementing policies and strategies, including turnaround programmes and performance improvement. Most recently, she has brought her Monitoring Officer expertise to the Best Value Inspection of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority.
All inspectors are appointed by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government until June 2026. By the end of the inspection, inspectors will submit a report with their findings and recommendations to the Secretary of State, for his consideration.
The inspection team would like to pass on their sincere thanks to everyone who has taken the time to reach out to them so far.