Flintshire County Council has made good progress in the way it is run and in the performance of a number of key services according to the annual report of its external regulators. The conclusions of the Wales Audit Office in its ‘Annual Letter’ “are largely positive and show that the Council is continuing to build on the progress made in recent years”.
The full Council heard a presentation from its regulators at a meeting in December. The Council has further improved its business systems which has in turn supported the achievement of a high proportion of its key service performance targets. The report highlights strong performance in waste management and a substantial improvement in the development control function. In recognising the improvements in the housing maintenance function the report notes that further improvement is required. The report also notes that the inspectorate Estyn found that improvement prospects in the local education authority services were generally good.
The report advises of the challenging future for public finances and notes that the Council will need to be clear about its priorities in the face of difficult decisions over public spending.
PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Council’s external auditors, approved the Council’s annual accounts for 2008-09 without qualification.
The Council sees the report as a positive endorsement of its improving corporate governance and overall performance.
