Lower tax and top rated council services
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
07/02/2008
The quality of services at Hammersmith and Fulham Council has received the top rating of four stars by the Audit Commission – for the second year in a row.
The good news comes as residents also look set to benefit from a second 3 per cent tax cut, if a budget council meeting votes in favour of proposals later this month.
In a second report, the annual residents’ survey shows that last year’s tax cut has proved popular with 51 per cent saying the council provides good value for money up from just 35 per cent in 2006. Residents also say the council is efficient and well run and is working to make the area safer.
“The Audit Commission’s rating is excellent confirmation of how well the council is run,” said Councillor Stephen Greenhalgh, Leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council. “But what matters to me far more is what residents think and the survey’s results reflect the continuing improvements we are making.
“We are the only council in Britain to have falling tax combined with growing residents’ satisfaction and top marks from the governments’ official watchdog. This is fantastic news and re-affirms my belief that we are on the right track.”
The official Audit Commission report, which was issued today, says, “H&F Council continues to deliver improvements in priority areas such as adult social care, including support for older people with mental health problems, children and young people’s services, and recycling and waste collection services.
“More than two-thirds of performance indicators have improved since last year which is above the national average. The council continues to improve its use of resources, provides good value for money and has a sustained focus on performance management and procurement. The council is ambitious, has strong governance arrangements and has the capacity to deliver continuous improvements in services that matter to local people.”
Meanwhile figures from the Annual Residents’ Survey show that overall, 73 per cent of people agree H&F is making the local area a better place to live, compared to 72 per cent in 2006.
“Three out of four people are happy with the area as place to live,” said Councillor Greenhalgh. “That is good, but rest assured we will not be resting on our laurels.
“By making H&F a borough of opportunity, we are planning to invest more than £100 million in our schools, we want to help more people on the property ladder through our affordable homes programme and we want to encourage regeneration. This is about making an already great borough even better.”
The number of people who believe the council is efficient and well run has jumped from 54 per cent in 2006 to 64 per cent in 2007. There is a similar ten point rise in the number of people who think the council is trustworthy, jumping to 68 per cent.
Satisfaction with recycling facilities has also taken a massive leap from 55 per cent in 2006 to 68 per cent in 2007.
The survey, which was conducted between September and October 2007, was compiled from a postal survey. In total 1355 responses were received.
-Ends.-
NOTES TO EDITOR:
4 star councils
Hammersmith & Fulham
Barnet
Bexley
Camden
Kensington & Chelsea
Lewisham
Sutton
Wandsworth
Westminster
3 star councils
Barking & Dagenham
Brent
Bromley
Croydon
Ealing
Enfield
Greenwich
Hackney
Haringey
Havering
Hounslow
Islington
Lambeth
Merton
Newham
Redbridge
Richmond
Kingston
Southwark
Tower Hamlets
Waltham Forest
2 star councils
Harrow
Hillingdon
