Praise for Kingston Council

13.03.06

Every council comes in for a bit of stick – not least in local papers. So it can be difficult for residents to assess their council – especially compared to the past and to other councils.

It’s made even harder because of the unfair way Government funds councils: council tax can be a poor comparator, when Government gives residents in Kensington and Chelsea over twice the council grant subsidy Kingston gets for each resident: such a low grant inevitably means higher local tax. 

The only way to get a balanced picture is to see what independent watchdogs like the Audit Commission say, or what local residents tell pollsters like MORI. 

Watchdogs look at core local services like street cleaning, schools, recycling, social work in child protection and the elderly, housing and so on.

You may be surprised that THREE independent watchdogs have all recently praised Kingston Council. Since 2002, the evidence shows real progress. Their independent verdict is, Kingston Council is "highly performing" and "improving well".

Key council services like education and social services account for around 80% of Kingston’s total budget. On these two, Kingston was one of only 4 councils in England to receive top marks.

MORI finds a 13% increase in resident satisfaction in our Council, since the Liberal Democrats took over.

Good news rarely makes headlines. Complex issues like how council contracts have been better managed never do. That’s why these independent assessments are so vital.