Highlights include:

• Waste: Bridgend’s record in minimising the percentage of waste that is sent to landfill continues to be amongst the best in Wales. Bridgend is also one of only two Welsh authorities making significant use of waste to recover heat and power.
• Fly tipping: Bridgend is still one of the top performing authorities for its speed in clearing fly tipping and took enforcement action in 36.41 per cent of fly tipping cases, compared with the Welsh average of only 8.07 per cent.
• Highways: Bridgend is among the top three Welsh councils in the standards of cleanliness of its highways and other land.
• Benefits: Bridgend is one of the top four Welsh authorities in processing new housing benefit and council tax claims.
• Invoices: 97 per cent of undisputed invoices were paid within 30 days, the joint best in Wales. The Welsh average is 88 per cent.
• Inspections: At 100 per cent, Bridgend is top for carrying out its statutory duties on inspecting high-risk businesses. Elsewhere, the council’s support for older people in the community, residential care and nursing homes continues to improve. It is also one of the better authorities for delivering a disabled facilities grant which helps towards the cost of adapting a disabled person’s home to enable them to continue to live there.

Today’s PIs show that the percentage of looked after children with permanent care plans improved substantially from 50 per cent in 2007/08 to 78 per cent in 2008/09. However the average time to complete core assessments is still below the national average. Real progress has been made in Children’s Services in the last 12 months, which led to special measures being lifted by the Welsh Assembly Government. A robust plan continues to be in place to maintain progress.

Only a very low proportion of young people now leave school without an approved external qualification, in line with the good progress which has been made in the last three years. The ratio for Bridgend is now much better than the Welsh average.

Councillor Mel Nott, the leader of Bridgend County Borough Council, says today’s data shows the authority is continuing to make steady progress as it works towards its vision of becoming the council providing the best local services in Wales..

He said: “This kind of data is extremely important for residents, elected members and staff because it presents a clear picture of where we do well as an authority and where we must look to do even better.

“The encouraging news from today’s statistics is that we are an improving council, and I am really proud that in some services we are amongst the very best. That can only be good news for our residents for whom we work so hard.”

Councillor Nott added: “I am particularly pleased that this data shows how seriously we take our environmental commitments, and how keen we are to support the local economy by the speedy processing of our invoices and our council tax and benefits claims.

“But there will be no complacency in the areas where we do well. Similarly we will be looking closely at where we can improve and examining measures to make that happen.

“On behalf of the Cabinet I would like to thank all our staff who are working hard to help deliver improving services for the residents of Bridgend County Borough.”