Bath & North East Somerset Council’s annual performance report for the financial year 2013/14 shows that it is delivering on its commitments to local people.
This has been achieved while freezing Council Tax for a third consecutive year, and protecting front line services whilst saving almost £12m – mainly in back office costs.
The report provides a snapshot of progress and looks ahead to future plans to benefit local residents.
Highlights include:
- Health and wellbeing in Bath & North East Somerset is generally good. 84% of residents report high levels of life satisfaction, one of the highest in the country and life expectancy is two years above the national average and gradually increasing.
- Nine out of 10 children attend good or outstanding schools, and regularly achieve some of the best results in the country with almost two thirds achieving 5 A* to C grades at GCSE.
- Bath & North East Somerset has the top performing Council in the South West for GCSE results and is in the top third of councils nationally.
- The Council helped some of the most vulnerable people cope with the impacts of Welfare Reform. This includes administering funds of £500,000 in discretionary housing payments to help 422 households meet their housing costs and managing the local Welfare Support Grant.
- There has been investment in a number of crucial regeneration schemes, from the £34m scheme to revitalise the economy in Keynsham to upgrading the road network in Radstock.
- 89% of customers said were very satisfied with the overall service they received in the Council’s One Stop Shops, while ongoing surveys shows the majority of customers think the Council’s standard of customer service is excellent.
- The Council commitment to creating neighbourhoods that people feel proud to live in is being delivered through green energy schemes. 1.5m kilowatt hours of energy a year is being saved through a ground-breaking LED street lighting scheme, and a further £1m has been secured from Government to assist people to become more energy efficient at home.
- The recycling service goes from strength to strength with the introduction of a new kerbside collection for waste electrical and electronic equipment and a residents’ permit scheme at Recycling Centres to prioritise local waste.
- Connecting Families supported 215 families with the most complex needs across B&NES. The initiative supports families with multiple complex needs to receive the services they need to change and improve their lives. 100% of families involved say they felt listened to and kept informed by their key worker.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Paul Crossley, said: “We have delivered almost three quarters of our commitments and promises and are well on the way to delivering the rest.
“We recognise that there is more to be done; significant health inequalities still exist across the area, we still have a relatively low wage economy and houses are among the most expensive in the country but this report demonstrates the real progress we are making to tackle these issues and others that matter to local people.
“Our local economy is rebalancing after the worst effects of the recession. In partnership with the other West of England councils, we plan to create a further 5,000 new jobs locally, through investment across our area.
“These will contribute to creating new job opportunities, supporting our local retailers, who are the lifeblood of our towns and communities, and delivering more affordable housing.”
You can see the report at www.bathnes.gov.uk/annualperformancereport.
