Ashfield District Council say improvements are being made

The announcement comes after the council’s recent year end performance revealed an overall improvement in most areas while overall spending has decreased.

The council’s corporate plan measures its progress in a number of key areas which aim to improve people’s quality of life.

Some of the priorities include cutting crime, ensuring that people can get affordable housing, boosting the economy and improving the environment.

The latest figures, which are published in a cabinet report, reveal that improvements have been made in most areas over the financial year 2012/13 compared to the previous year 2011/12.

Significant improvements have been made to the time it takes to process planning applications while the number of empty homes brought back into long-term use has more than doubled.

The figures also show that the number of children living in poverty had decreased, while disabled people taking part in council-run sports programmes has increased from 135 to 393.

Incidents of criminal damage and anti-social behaviour reported to the police have also decreased compared to last year.

Deputy council leader John Wilmott said: “These figures highlight areas of good performance and most importantly, shows how the authority has achieved significant improvements whilst reducing spending.

“We will continue to challenge areas where performance could be improved and identify activity which will help to further deliver against the priorities.”

His comments were echoed by Coun Warren Nuttall.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting earlier this month Coun Nuttall said that the authority had come on ‘in leaps and bounds’.

However, the report also indicates that the number of jobs created has gone down compared to last year, while the overall occupancy rate for markets has decreased from just over 62 per cent to 52 per cent. The number of days it takes to process benefit claims has increased from 11 day to 16.

•Do you agree that council services have improved? Contact reporter Catherine Allen on Mansfield 450302 or email [email protected].