6 August 2008, 08/176
Plans to improve Council services set out
Plans to improve Council services and hit
tough targets in the year ahead are set out in a new document that
is now available for the people of West Lancs.
The Corporate Performance Plan, shows how
West Lancs District Council intends to continue to improve the
quality of services for local people while keeping costs as low as
possible.
The plan also looks back at the previous 12 months and shows how the
Council has beaten 96 of its targets and improved performance in
114 areas of work.
Councillor David Westley, portfolio holder for
performance management, said: “We are already officially rated as
an ‘excellent’ council and the new performance plan shows that we
really are going from strength to strength, making further
improvements and providing better services for local people while
keeping costs down.
“We know, though, that we must be even better.
There are areas of work where we need to make improvements and we
are determined that we will do better in the coming year.”
Some of the Council’s main achievements over
the last year are:
· Around 43% of household waste is being
recycled or composted rather than going to landfill – an increase
from 38% in the previous year and an improvement on the 41%
target.
· Fly-tipping has been cut by more than a
third and the Council beat its target to
deal with fly-tips, clearing up 100% in an average of 1.37
days.
· 543 new jobs were created through
Council projects, exceeding the target of 400.
· Crime was cut by almost a quarter –
beating the target – and five new CCTV cameras were installed to
help fight crime and the fear of crime.
Some of the areas where improvements did not
hit targets included providing affordable housing and reducing
staff sickness levels. These areas will be the focus for
improvement in the coming year along with a raft of objectives
including:
- Increasing waste recycling further, to
hit the 50% target by 2010.
- Further reductions in crime to make
people feel even safer.
- Reducing costs and providing even
better value for money.
The Corporate Performance Plan is also
available on CD, and in other formats on request - email
peter.hamlin@westlancsdc.gov.uk or
visit the Corporate Performance Plan page.
Related information
> Strategies and plans
> Performance and priorities
> Service
standards