Royal Borough Council's performance and spending plans

The Council continues to perform very strongly. External assessors recognise the Council’s services as amongst the very best in the country, reflected in the Audit Commission’s annual star ratings. The Council also holds the top AAA rating for its financial standing from the internationally recognised Standard and Poors credit rating agency.

The Council is one of only thirteen in the country to achieve the highest possible score for its overall performance and a top rating for ‘Improving Strongly’.

Its children’s services are assessed as outstanding, and it has the highest possible score for its Benefits service, its corporate performance, its children and young people’s services, and for how well it uses resources.

The table below summarises the Council’s Audit Commission scores, published on its website at www.audit-commission.gov.uk/cpa.

Our performance and spending plans


Corporate Assessment	4
Use of resources	4
Benefits	4
Children and young people	4
Culture	2
Environment	3
Housing	3
Social Care (adults)	3
Direction of travel – Improving Strongly

Even more importantly, local people too rate the Council highly, with 77 per cent of residents who responded to a national Audit Commission survey expressing satisfaction with the Council – the second highest of any local authority nationwide.

This is a good base, but the Council is determined to continue moving forward, with a programme of improvements in services and in seeking out value for money.

The Council is committed to listening to the views of residents - including young people - and local businesses, and to delivering really good services that will make the borough a better place in which to live, work and visit.

top of page

What we spend

The Council will be spending £508 million in 2008/09 on a wide range of local services such as schools, social services, highways and waste collection.

Our budget requirement, after taking into account fee income and Government funding totalling £330 million, is £178 million. The £178 million budget requirement is met from Government formula grant of £103 million and Council Tax of £75 million.

The Council also collects over £30 million on behalf of the Greater London Authority to pay for London wide services, such as the Metropolitan Police.

top of page

The Council's Services – a snapshot

Family and Children's Services

Over 200 places in four nursery schools/children’s centres
10,600 places in 28 primary and four secondary schools
Eight children’s centres, 12 play centres and four youth/activity centres
Care of over 150 children looked after by the Council or in Guardianships and support for 125 children leaving care
Kensington Central Library and five branch libraries

Housing, Health and Adult Social Care

Over 2,000 older people receiving home care or support, living in residential homes or living in supported accommodation
Over 1,500 adults provided with care or support due to illness or impairment
Over 21,000 residents issued with a Freedom Pass
2,000 plus members of the Taxicard Service
3,500 people in Supporting People Services
19,000 environmental health inspections and enforcement actions
Over 9,600 noise and nuisance service requests

Planning and Borough Development

Processing of 1,500 Building Regulation applications
Processing of 3,200 planning applications and 1,200 enforcement cases
Care of 8,000 street trees

Transport, Environment and Leisure Services

Collection of over 65,000 tonnes of refuse from 86,000 homes, over 26 per cent of which is recycled
Cleansing of 460km of pavements and roads
Management of eight major parks and 100 smaller open spaces
42,000 tickets sold for 44 performances at Opera Holland Park
Four museums and galleries with 33,000 visitors
Issue and monitoring of 1,000 premises licenses
Two car parks, 38,000 residents’ parking permits and 19,000 parking bay suspensions each year

Corporate Services

Management of 86,000 Council Tax Accounts
Processing of 21,000 benefits claims
Processing of 5,000 land charge searches
Management of over 300 commercial properties
130 Police Community Support Officers

Local Taxes