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Inspectors praise Harrogate's waste management
service
The waste management service provided by
Harrogate Borough Council is 'good' and has
'promosing' prospects for improvement, according to an independent
report released today by the Audit Commission.
The Audit Commission inspection team gave the service
two stars out of a possible three because the Council
provides an effective refuse collection service, and streets and
open spaces are cleaned to a high standard. Local people are
generally satisfied with the service.
The Audit Commission senior manager Mark Kirkham
, said:
'The Council has maintained low volumes of household
waste and has invested effectively in the waste recycling
service. Streets and open spaces are cleaned to a high
standard by high frequency cleansing, supported by an effective
balance of education and enforcement of waste activities. The
Council has also been effective in reducing its own
waste.'
The inspectors found that:
·
Aims for the service are clearly defined and
targets are generally challenging.
·
The Council provides an effective refuse collection service
and streets and open spaces are cleaned to a high
standard.
·
Increased kerbside collection of recyclables has contributed
to the increasing level of recycling and the Council has committed
investment to achieve recycling levels of 30 per cent.
However:
·
The partnership with North Yorkshire County Council, the City
of York and the other North Yorkshire district councils has not
been wholly effective.
To help the service improve, inspectors made a number of
recommendations for the Council to consider, including:
·
The Council should ensure it achieves a value for money waste
service which reflects the quality required by local
residents.
·
The Council should ensure it provides a consistent level of
service within and across the
district.
The Council's waste management service is provided by
the Department of Health and Housing. It
has a net budget for 2005/06 of £4 million and 130
staff. It includes refuse collection, recycling, waste disposal,
street cleansing, environmental education and
enforcement.
Copies of the report are available from
Harrogate Borough Council or on the Audit
Commission website at www.audit-commission.gov.uk.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
This inspection was one of seven carried out across North
Yorkshire, which included the County Council and the six district
councils. The following table gives a summary of the scores for all
councils.
The Audit Commission is an independent watchdog responsible
for ensuring that public money is spent economically, efficiently
and effectively. Our remit covers more than 11,000 bodies which
between them spend nearly £180 billion of public money each
year.
We are active in local government, health, housing,
criminal justice and fire and rescue services and consequently have
objective evidence on the overall impact of public services on
users.
In addition to making sure that taxpayers receive value for
money, our aim is to provide impartial information on the quality
of public services. We also act as a force for improvement by
providing practical recommendations and spreading best
practice.
We are committed to working in partnership with other
regulators and to ensuring that our own activities also represent
value for the taxpayer.
Further details about the Commission can be obtained from
its web site
www.audit-commission.gov.uk FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT TONY COX ON 0113 251
6654
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