COUNCIL RANKED SECOND MOST PRODUCTIVE IN ENGLAND

A national productivity assessment has ranked Wokingham Borough Council second out of 149 councils in England, placing it among the most productive performing local authorities in the country.

The result comes from the Impower Productivity Index, which measures how effectively councils use their budgets to run services and support local communities. The council’s move from fifth place last year to second this year shows how it’s consistently improving how it works, supports its residents and how money is used.

The index uses publicly available data to look at performance across areas including housing, homelessness, waste and recycling, children’s social care, adult social care and high needs, covering around 70 per cent of local government spending.

Councils are compared against similar authorities to remove natural advantages. The assessment shows how well and efficiently services are being delivered, but it does not reflect the level of funding councils receive.

Susan Parsonage, chief executive of Wokingham Borough Council, said:

“This ranking reflects a strong and positive culture across the organisation, with teams working in a focused, practical and efficient way.

“We’re always looking for better ways to work, learning from what we do well and making improvements so we can provide the best possible value and service for our residents.”

Cllr Stephen Conway, leader of Wokingham Borough Council, said: “We’re proud to be ranked as one of the most productive councils in the country, and this result is a real credit to the hard work and commitment of our council officers.

“We’ll continue to work as productively as possible while managing ongoing financial pressures, making sure we meet the needs of those who rely on our services most.”

The result comes at a time when the council is facing the worst government funding deal its ever had, making productivity and value for money more important than ever.