Performance award on the cards

The title of most ‘Most Improved Council of the Year’ could be coming to Oldham.

The authority has been shortlisted for the accolade by a prestigious professional journal.

Oldham Council could take the title in London in March after reaching the last eight in the Local Government Chronicle Awards 2011.

The journal is aimed at high-level local authority officers and the prestigious awards are the Local Government equivalent of the Oscars.

Oldham’s submission highlighted a number of important improvements between October, 2009, and September this year.

These include:

::Go!Oldham – Summer activities which encouraged physical activities and reduced youth anti-social behaviour incidents by 27 per cent in 2009 and 14.9 per cent in 2010.

::The Borough’s ‘Lifelong Learning Service’ ranked as England’s best;

::An independently-rated outstanding Fostering Service.

::Delivering 207 new affordable homes – up from 60 in 2008/9.

::Recognised as having the cleanest streets in Greater Manchester and awarded ‘Best Town Centre’ in North West in Bloom, 2009.

::More than doubling the amount of waste recycled to over 40 per cent in 18 months.

::Slashing the number of homeless people by more than 90 per cent in five years;

::Performing well in social care inspections.

::The third authority in England to achieve the Silver ‘Food for Life’ Catering Mark for healthy and climate-friendly school meals.

::Cutting processing times for benefits claims from 16.6 days in 2008/9 to just 10.14 days by 2010.

Councillor Howard Sykes, the Council Leader, said: “We are absolutely delighted.

“This is recognition from our peers that the borough is going from strength to strength and that clear improvements are being made at Oldham Council.

“We are a fast-changing local authority – and we have already come a long way – but there is still much to be done.

“We do not take any of these achievements for granted and are committed to an even faster pace of progress.

“I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to our staff and partners who together – even amidst a tough and challenging economic climate – remain focussed on working smarter to provide excellent and value for money services to citizens.”

Oldham is competing against Cornwall, Harrow, Lincolnshire, North East Derbyshire, Surrey, and Torridge councils, plus the London Development Agency.

Judges will visit Oldham and the other authorities in the New Year. The winners will be unveiled at the LGC Awards dinner on March 23.