Front-line service delivery recognised in report

Helping prepare land for new housing in Chesterton, Knutton and Newcastle town centre, working on job creation at Chatterley Valley West and opening Castle car park are among the council’s achievements in the last 12 months.

At the same time the council has kept streets clean, addressed anti-social behaviour and brought 23 empty homes back into use, while delivering managed accommodation to reduce homelessness, built new football changing rooms at The Wammy, and launched the Civic Pride initiative across the borough.

Simon Tagg, Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, said:

We have a duty to deliver good value-for-money services to our residents and this report shows the many ways we’re making a positive difference to our communities.
 

It’s based on facts and figures which show that we are providing good-quality day-to-day services locally, successfully attracting millions of pounds of Government investment in the area and changing Newcastle’s landscape with hundreds of new homes.”

In the last 12 months the report notes:

• the council’s legal action on behalf of residents to pressure the operators of Walleys Quarry;
• Government’s decision to award an additional £1.5 million of funding for 24 projects in the borough after the council’s successful delivery of £4.8 million of other schemes;
• successful working with Staffordshire Police and other partners to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour;
• a growing membership at the J2 leisure centre;
• using Town Deal money to support the Keele in Town development for teaching residents new skills;
• and supporting a new circular bus route linking university, with communities and business parks.

Statistics in the report include that the median house price is £195,200; 76.5 5 per cent of working age residents were economically active; and the borough’s population is calculated at 127,700.

Simon Tagg added:

Last year an independent review of the council by the Local Government Association praised our strong leadership and financial stability, and this report shows that we are continuing to meet those high standards.

 

Despite investing in our services and the increasing cost of resources, our budget is balanced and I am proud that we continue to deliver good front-line services cost-effectively.”

He added:

The Government wants to force through the reorganisation of Local Government, but I see no convincing argument that this would mean cheaper, better services for residents, or provide more accountability for taxpayers.

 

Nor is there any explanation of how we would pick up the bill for Stoke-on-Trent’s substantial financial problems, if we were forced into a merger with the city.

 

This fact-based report is more evidence that the current system delivers well for residents in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme.”