Tories lower standards to meet targets" - Brooks

1.26.04pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 3rd Jul 2007

Lib Dem Leader Jeff Brooks has revealed that the Tories who run West Berkshire Council are lowering the standards in order to make sure they meet targets in their performance management reports.

In a report due to come before the council's Executive members later this week (Thursday 5th July), a total of 35 areas have been flagged up with a red traffic light, indicating serious concerns and problems. These 'problem' areas make up nearly 20% of the councils indicators.

Councillor Brooks explained his concerns ahead of Thursday's meeting:

"Frankly it is unacceptable that 20% of targets set for the council to meet are foundering on a red warning light. It is even worse that the proposed remedies for many of the targets are simply to move the goalposts so that they can be more easily met. For example when satisfaction rates with waste collections in West Berkshire fell 2.5% short of the expected target, the response is to lower the target by 2.5%, not to try and improve the service by 2.5%. The Tories are short-changing the West Berkshire public by not delivering high quality services."

Councillor Brooks will also be using Thursday night's meeting to press the Tories for explanations as to why there has been an extra 69 employees taken on at the Council in the past six months.

"This is a rate of about 5 new employees a fortnight at a council run by the same Conservatives who claimed they would reduce staff turnover and not endlessly recruit new employees. How long can they hope to keep this up for?"