A new report by the Wales Audit Office confirms that Gwynedd Council has firm foundations in place and an attitude exists within the Council which means it is in a good position to deal with the type of change it will inevitably face over the next few years.
When questioned by Gwynedd Council’s Principal Scrutiny Committee, Huw Lloyd Jones from the Wales Audit Office said that although it’s early days in various fields, the Council is facing the need to change and that key building blocks are already in place to achieve this change.
Harry Thomas, Gwynedd Council’s Chief Executive welcomed the content of the report by declaring that the most recent information about the Council’s performance shows that the Council has made good progress on its way to achieving its main improvements and performance indicators during 2009/10. The Council reached 67% of the targets that were set for its key indicators and completed 81% of the important improvements it had committed to.
Harry Thomas said: “Another independent analysis by Wales Local Government Data Unit shows that the Council’s performance has improved. The 163 national indicators show that the Council’s performance is good, with our performance in 23.3% of the indicators showing that we were amongst the best when compared with the “family” – that is a group of councils which are recognised as those with similar features, making a meaningful comparison – compared with 17.4% in 2008/09. Also there are four less performance indicators in the lowest quarter, where improvement is needed.
“It’s a credit to all Council staff that we have performed so well during what is a very difficult time, where we have made savings of £14 million over the last four years. Improving during such a challenging time is something to take pride in. Unfortunately, because of the national financial situation, we will have to continue to be more creative and efficient to ensure the best for the people of Gwynedd.”
Councillor Dyfed Edwards, Gwynedd Council Leader, said that he was very pleased to receive such a positive independent report.
He added: “We know that the future will be extremely difficult and that we must have the right attitude so that we can manage the challenge we face. The Council must change constantly in order to ensure that the people of Gwynedd continue to receive vital services but not necessarily in the same way as in the past. This is something that we must do in partnership with the county’s residents.”
