Council gets three stars for providing value for money
Herefordshire Council has been awarded “three stars” by the Audit Commission, which, in its annual inspection determined that the authority manages its budgets well and delivers value for money for local people.
The commission, which assesses the performance of public services, reported that Herefordshire is “performing well”.
The council was recognised for making its financial information more transparent and accessible for residents, having produced a “good summary annual review of the accounts, which is in an easy to read format”.
The council also won praise for developing a robust plan for how it manages its finances in the medium term and links this to the overall strategy of the authority, supporting service priorities and actively managing risk.
“It’s a great achievement for Herefordshire to be awarded three out of a possible four stars by the Audit Commission,” said director of resources Sonia Rees, “especially as the assessment criteria get tougher each year.
“There are areas in which we can improve to help us gain a four star rating in the future but overall the judgment shows the council is strong on money management, has healthy reserves and a robust financial strategy”.
The council’s business transformation programme – Herefordshire Connects – is starting to take effect in terms of planning for and achieving better value for money in some council services.
The inspectors also found that the programme is bringing significant improvements in customer service, such as the Info Shop service in Kington, Ross, Ledbury, Leominster, Bromyard and Hereford.
The council is also seeking further efficiency savings to support a number of high priority schemes like the Rotherwas Relief Road and the Ross Flood Alleviation Scheme.
Councillor Mike Wilson, cabinet member for resources, said: “The council’s financial plans are designed to maintain an affordable council tax, protect the vulnerable and manage spending.
“It has created new reserves to help meet the funding pressures affecting all public services in the future and agreed contingencies in social care, winter road maintenance and waste disposal.
“Herefordshire works hard to manage its finances. It is not a well-resourced council and is always under pressure to deliver the services that people need over a large, sparsely populated area, so it is good news that we are recognised as managing our resources well and providing services that represent good value”.
