Audit Highlights Council Progress

A report by the Accounts Commission has praised Scottish Borders Council’s progress in improving its operations. However, it has also highlighted a gap which remains between its ambitions and current performance.

The authority was praised for its effective leadership, scrutiny and transparent decision making. The report said work still needed to be done on issues such as customer care and the deteriorating performance in handling planning applications.

Commission chairman Alistair MacNish said SBC had invested significantly in response to previous reports. “Scottish Borders is an ambitious council that is realistic about its strengths and weaknesses,” he said.

The commission said the council had made major strides in a number of areas. “The council now needs to build on these to raise the quality of the services it delivers to its people,” he said. “In doing so, the council needs to focus on its capacity to deliver its own very ambitious improvement programme. There is currently a gap between the council’s current performance and its aspirations.”

The report has been welcomed by SBC leader David Parker. “This report gives a measure of how far we have come as a council,” he said. “It confirms the achievements and success of the radical changes we have made to the business over the last four years. It acknowledges that this council is ambitious and impatient for even more improvement.”

SBC chief executive David Hume said the study showed the authority was on the “right course”. “We are well aware of the areas we need to address to achieve our goals for the future,” he said. “I am confident that we have the determination to continue our journey towards being the best council in Scotland.”

The authority was the subject of highly critical reports in 2001 and 2002 after an education department overspend of £3.9m.