Lib-Dem led Lambeth is London's most improved council, report finds

6.25.31pm GMT Fri 28th Jan 2005

Lambeth's Lib Dem-led council comes in for major praise from the recent Audit Commission report for the way in which it has turned around the borough since taking over from Labour in 2002. A jump of 11 points in Lambeth's score this year has made it the most-improved London borough.

These independent reports are produced every other year for councils across the country so that you can see whether you are getting value for money from your council. The report found that key services had improved since 2002 - when the Lib Dems took over. Above all, it had plenty of good things to say about the way in which council functioning and finances had improved.

'The council's functioning has improved through focused leadership, strong management, financial stability, and effective partnerships,' it said. 'These provide a foundation for continued improvement of services.'

The 'strong leadership' of senior councillors was also praised. 'Working relationships between senior councillors and managers are very good,' it found. It also said there was now greater political stability - a welcome change following the years of Labour infighting.

The report found special praise for the way in which council finances had been put on a firmer footing. 'The council has improved its financial position, enabling it to move from crisis management to an approach based on planning over the medium to long term.'

This is what the report had to say about selected areas:

*Crime: ''Working in partnership the council has helped to reduce street crime in 2002/03 by 36 per cent and in 2003/04 by a further 12 per cent.'

*Education: There has been sustainable improvement in a number of areas… The provisional exam results for 2004 are continuing to show a trend of improvement.'

*Social Services: 'The council continues to perform well in relation to older people,' the report found, and added that a better service was also being received in child protection.

*Housing Management: 'Service performance is improving.'

*Environment: 'Performance measures show improvement since 2002.' Lambeth is now the fourth-best borough in London for street cleaning.

*Getting in touch: 'The new Lambeth service centre has greatly improved access to the council by phone. For example, housing and environment front line services have been reallocated to the centre and calls answered have risen from 83 per cent to 95 per cent in the first six months.'

The report recognised that Lambeth still had a long way to go in reaching a really good level of service provision. Putting things straight after long years of Labour neglect is not an easy task - but the report makes one thing clear: thanks to the Liberal Democrats' sound management, Lambeth is now in a far better position than ever it was to go on making improvements. Above all, the right attitude goes a long way. 'The council is ambitious for the borough,' the report says. 'There is now a much greater degree of trust among partners that the borough will deliver what it has signed up to.'