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The Councils recent Performance and Risk Management Report has shown an overall improvement of 22 percent of its performance indicators from April 2009 to March 2010.

This improvement has happened through a number of key achievements:

The Environment

• The District has five Green Flag Award winning parks, the highest number of any District Council in the region

• The Councils consolidation of park and open space management has resulted in £230,000 of savings whilst ensuring that service quality remains high.

• Waste reduction messages were successfully delivered to each property in the District including calendars to maximise recycling.

• A Green Space Strategy has been implemented to manage the delivery of improved facilities and amenities in the District.

The Economy

• The Enterprise Academy project is now being delivered in partnership in Mansfield and Bolsover to encourage enterprise and entrepreneurship amongst school age children. There has been an excellent take up across Ashfield with approximately seven schools, fifteen teachers and 650 students taking part in the programme.

• Activity is on track for delivery of Town Centre Masterplans. This includes exciting developments to revitalise the precinct in Kirkby Town Centre involving the development of the proposed Morrisons supermarket.

• The Hucknall Town Centre Masterplan is complete which sets out the key priority projects for the regeneration of the town.

• The Aim Higher is focussed upon encouraging undergraduates to return to the district to work in local businesses. The scheme has supported 25 undergraduates and 20 local businesses since 2009.

People and Communities

• An asset transfer gateway process has been established and is being used to guide further project development, assisting communities to take control of important local facilities in a sustainable way.

• There have been improvements in consultations with the public, including the completion of two major Local Development Framework consultations, innovative approaches to consulting with secondary schools externally, and further improvements in the coordination of consultations.

• Support for physical activity and wellbeing in the District have exceeded targets for participation during the year.

• The Ambitious in Ashfield annual event is aimed at raising aspirations and broadening the horizons of local young people in respect of their future career and employment options.  It has an emphasis upon improving their entrepreneurial ethos. The scheme supports over 1,200 secondary school students from seven schools each year.

• The Women in Enterprise project, aims to raise confidence and aspiration, by providing a structured flexible local programme of support for women who may be considering training, employment or self-employment as a future option. Over the next 12 months plans include support for 60 women.

Council Services

• Reviews of support services including; administration, printing, postal, legal and recruitment services have been completed.

• Efficiencies have been delivered through service shaping, and service reviews in Planning, Waste Management and Caretaking.

• The achievement of the Member Development Charter has demonstrated commitment to improving the effectiveness of member contributions.

 

Ashfield District Council Leader John Knight commented “I am delighted to see that Ashfield is moving forward and this has been officially recognised. We have worked hard to re-structure the Council and the way it provides its services against a nightmare of inherited financial obligations. We have made a good constructive start but there is much more to do and we are far from complacent.”