30 May 2003
Councils will be forced to 'run to stand still' if the Audit Commission's proposals for reassessing the performance league tables are implemented, the Local Government Association has warned.
The LGA has voiced its opposition to plans governing the review of Comprehensive Performance Assessments, scheduled for later this year. LGA chair Sir Jeremy Beecham said the plans 'limited the opportunity' to acknowledge performance improvements.
'The proposals will mask the true extent of improvement, leaving many councils running to stand still,' he warned. 'The raising of the threshold could mean some local authorities not being eligible for the better grade they deserve.'
The New Local Government Network also expressed concern over the proposal not to allow authorities to request a further corporate assessment.
But CIPFA said that, except in exceptional circumstances, there should be demonstrable service improvements before corporate assessments are carried out.
PFmay2003
