Southwark's Getting Better Under the Lib Dems

12.01.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 5th Aug 2004

Lib Dem-run Southwark Council has officially been rated as a "good" local authority. In an Audit Commission report issued today the council is credited with huge improvements - these improvements have all taken place under the new Lib Dem council.

In just 18 months, Southwark Council has made an amazing leap of two places in the Audit Commission's Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA). And, the commission says the Lib Dem council is set to continue to improve.

The commission first assessed Southwark in December 2002 as "weak", an assessment that reflected the position inherited from the previous Labour council. Southwark progressed to "fair" in 2003 and, in the latest assessment, has now been judged overall as "good".

Leader of Southwark Council, Councillor Nick Stanton, said: "This verdict from the Audit Commission proves what we've been saying for the last two years - that Southwark is getting better under the Liberal Democrats.

"Labour Southwark lacked ambition and residents got used to second-rate services - the Lib Dems felt that our residents deserved much better. "Weak" to "Good" in just 18 months is testimony to the work we've been doing on the ground as well as inside the Council.

"We don't want to stop there though - we think we can make even Southwark better and the commission thinks so too."

The commission praised Southwark for its huge progress especially given the huge challenges faced in such an inner-London area. In particular, it praised the council for its 'Cleaner, Greener, Safer' agenda including visibly cleaner streets, fewer robberies, burglaries, vehicle and hate crimes and the opening of two new city academies.

Southwark's achievements have already been recognised by a number of other outside organisations. In March the council was runner-up in the LGC awards for most improved council and in April it was awarded its first Beacon Award by the government for its role within the Safer Southwark Partnership.

Notes

1. CPA is part of a rolling programme that allows residents to see how their councils are run and how they are serving communities. Overall judgement ratings are excellent, good, fair, weak and poor.