The Council's recent Performance and Risk Management Report has shown an overall improvement with 73 percent of its performance indicators meeting targets set from April 2010 to September 2010, and more indicators showing improved performance compared to preceding years, across all of the Council's Corporate Priorities.

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 introduction of innovative schemes to reduce carbon emissions, including solar panels on the Council Office roof to supplement domestic hot water provision
• Reducing CO2 emissions from the Council vehicle fleet
• Reducing the amount of residual household waste and increasing recycling rates
• Substantially increasing the number of fixed penalty notices issued by 300% to improve the quality of the local environment and town centres
• Continuing reductions in the levels of serious acquisitive crime, assault with injury and incidents of criminal damage

The Economy

• An increased number of participants on intervention schemes; events and coaching sessions run by Regeneration and LEGI such as; LEO coaching sessions, Outreach Coaching, Aim Higher Scheme, Women in Enterprise Forum
• Securing funding from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust to support and deliver the Women in Enterprise Project across Ashfield, Mansfield and Bolsover
• Progress with town centre improvement schemes including mechanisms to secure improvement funding
• Increasing the number of business start ups being supported and the levels of businesses assisted through support initiatives

People and Communities

• Reducing the number of households living in temporary accommodation – which has been helped by the introduction of the Sanctuary Scheme
• An asset transfer gateway process has been completed and is being used to guide further project development, assisting communities to take control of important local facilities in a sustainable way
• Support for physical activity and wellbeing in the District have exceeded targets for participation during the year, and there has been successful bringing together of communities through the delivery of a focussed programme of community events
• The delivery of thermal comfort improvement works

Council Services

• Re-accreditation of Pest Control and Customer Services to Customer Excellence Award
• The achievement of the Member Development Charter has demonstrated commitment to improving the effectiveness of member contributions
• Opportunities for improvements and efficiencies in procurement have been identified
• A continuing reduction in the time taken to process housing benefit new claims

Councillor Trevor Locke said: “We have worked hard to restructure the Council and the way it provides services and it gives me great pleasure to see improvements, especially in this difficult current economic climate. I’m very pleased with the performance.”

Ashfield District Council Deputy Leader John Wilmott added: “This improvement is excellent, however, it is something which we must continue and improve upon even further.”