Borough Life Spring 2006: Watchdog grants top notch four star rating
Wigan Council has been ranked one of the country’s very best local authorities – for the FOURTH year running.
Independent watchdog the Audit Commission has given Wigan a four star rating – the highest score possible under its annual assessment of council performance.
For the past three years the commission has judged Wigan to be an ‘excellent’ council: this year the description of the scores has changed but the message remains the same – Wigan is in the premier league of local government.
For the first time the commission has also introduced what is calls a ‘direction of travel’ verdict, aimed at showing how well it thinks councils will improve in future years. Wigan is classed as ‘improving well’.
Council chief executive Joyce Redfearn said she was pleased with the result in her first year with Wigan.
She added: “The public’s expectations of councils and the services they provide are continuously rising, and we have to improve to meet them.
“We are not complacent. There are always things we can do better and we continue to work at them.
“But for Wigan to retain its top status for the fourth year is a real achievement, especially when set against considerable financial pressures.”
There was further good news recently when the independent district auditor’s annual report on the council said: “There are some very good outcomes for local people, whilst being amongst the lowest spending councils… there is a commitment to delivering services that represent value for money.”