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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.
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Council
|
Inspection rating
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Prospects for improvement
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Craven District Council
|
Good
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Promising
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Harrogate Borough Council
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Good
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Promising
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North Yorkshire County Council
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Good
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Promising
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Richmondshire District Council
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Good
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Promising
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Ryedale District Council
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Good
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Promising
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Scarborough Borough Council
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Good
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Promising
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Selby District Council
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Fair
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Promising
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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.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT TONY COX ON 0113 251 6654
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