Lib Dems call for more detail on Audit Commission verdict on Shepway District Council being worst in the country

Shepway Lib Dem Councillor Tim Prater has written to District Auditor Andy Mack to provide more information on the Audit Commission assessment that Shepway Council is the least improved District Council in the country, ranked 388th out of 388.

"I note in your Annual Audit and Inspection Letter of March 2009 for Shepway District Council that you say:

"'[Shepway] Council has not improved as much as others and was ranked 388 out of 388 authorities for the percentage of performance indicators that improved between 2006/07 and 2007/08. In addition service quality was well below the average for all district councils, with only 15 per cent of performance indicators in the best 25 per cent of performance nationally.'

"Please could you point me to the ranked list of authorities (presumably district) that this point refers to, and clarify which performance indicators are used in making this assessment?"

Cheriton Councillor Tim Prater commented:

"This assessment is a devastating critique of Shepway Council's improvement in the last 2 years. To be officially branded as the least improved district council in the country tears apart Conservative claims that they are improving things. Local residents need to see this assessment set aside those of other councils, and the Conservative leadership of the Council need to explain why they are getting things so badly wrong.

"In an honourable organisation, Shepway Council's leadership would resign for this assessment. They should - but I have no doubt they will not, and continue to bluster about how well they are doing. They aren't making the improvements - and now the Audit Commission has told them so."