Council services are getting the thumbs-up from the public, but local authorities could still do better, according to new figures from the Audit Commission.The Best value user satisfaction survey 2006-7 revealed that the number of people satisfied with the overall service provided by single or upper-tier councils had dropped slightly by 2% from 2003-4, to 51%. But the number of people satisfied with recycling had risen by 5% to 66%, and the rates for those satisfied with keeping land clear of litter and waste had jumped by 9%, to 64%. Local Government Association chairman Lord Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, said councils needed to do more to promote the services they offered to the public. ‘While unpopular, services such as council tax demands and parking tickets are clearly branded,' said Lord Bruce-Lockhart. ‘We are still witnessing important services, such as street cleaning, environmental services and recycling, in some areas, carrying no mention of the local authority.' The Corporation of London scored the highest overall rating in the country with 79%, while Kensington & Chelsea LBC came second, with 77%, and 19 of the capital's 33 local authorities were in the top half of the survey results. Said London Councils chairman, Merrick Cockell. ‘However, while our residents are more satisfied with their council services than elsewhere in the country, London's boroughs will not rest on their laurels.' Wolverhampton City Council's satisfaction rates for recycling leapt from 51% in 2003/4 to 72% in the current survey. Eight out of 10 residents in the borough of Camden said they were getting a better service, and 54% of residents said they were satisfied with services at Norfolk CC, a 6% increase from the last survey.
