|
Council does the double, winning two beacon awards! |
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has done the double by being named as a ‘beacon council’ twice for excellence and innovation, at an Oscar-style national awards ceremony in London last night (Tuesday 20 March).
The council was chosen as setting a shining example to other councils across the country in not one but two areas: preventing and tackling anti-social behaviour and promoting sustainable communities through the planning process.
Sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government and run by the Improvement and Development Agency, the Beacon Award scheme recognises excellence and innovation in local government. It gives high performing councils the opportunity and funding to share what they do well with other authorities and their partners across the country.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council is one of only a handful of local authorities to win two Beacon Awards in the same year.
This is the third time that Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has been awarded the prestigious Beacon Status, as it was named as a ‘beacon council’ for affordable housing in 2005.
The council's deputy leader Cllr Harry Robinson, who was at the ceremony at the Royal Horticultural Halls, said: “The fact that we have been awarded two Beacon status awards at the same time is well-deserved national recognition for the high quality of services we provide. We have a great team of councillors, officers and partners working together in both of these areas, which reflect key priorities of the council to ensure our communities are strong and safe.
“Getting beacon status for the third time and twice in one year puts us well and truly on the map as an excellent and innovative council with a national reputation. It is proof of our commitment to do the very best for the borough in services that make a real difference to peoples’ lives.”
Council Chief Executive Gordon Holdcroft said: “I am so proud of our organisation and of our partners who helped us to achieve these two awards. This makes us a national leader in another two areas that are important in the council plan and the community plan for the borough.”
Angela Smith, Minister for Local Government, said: “I would like to congratulate all the authorities that have been awarded Beacon status this year. You really are our local champions who have demonstrated service excellence, innovation and determination to share your expertise and act as a catalyst for improvements in other authorities too.
“The real prize of the Beacon scheme is the improvements to public services that everyone relies on day-by-day. This year we have a comprehensive group of Beacons that I hope will be proud to share their knowledge and excellence across the country across a wide range of public services.”
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s bid in the ‘preventing and tackling anti-social behaviour’ highlighted the innovative work the council does together with the police, fire service, other partners and local communities to tackle problems and make local neighbourhoods safer.
The ‘building sustainable communities through the planning process’ bid, focused on work that the council has done, and will be doing in the future, to develop a framework for creating a truly sustainable borough, with the wider community and partners being at the heart of its approach
 |
Subscribe to this comment's feed
|