Wandsworth and H&F quit CAA
Author: ConservativeHome - Dec 4, 2009
Two high performing, low tax, councils have slammed the Audit Commission’s new assessment regime, which they say has proved costly and ineffective.
The west London boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) and Wandsworth will stop wasting endless hours on serving the commission’s new Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA).
Last year a huge amount of management time – equivalent to £200,000 per authority was spent on providing the Audit Commission with information. In addition, the Commission had the nerve to charge each council more than £100,000 for ‘audit costs’.
Both councils are among the highest performers in the country and have officially achieved the top ranking possible for the quality of their services under the new CAA system.
Wandsworth has the lowest council tax in Britain and H&F Council’s plans to cut council tax by 3% for a fourth year in a row are generating some of the highest residents’ approval ratings in the UK.
The two elite councils say the costly and bureaucratic nature of complying with Audit Commission demands is not a good use of taxpayers’ money in an age when budgets are being squeezed. They argue that the oppressive and pointless CAA regime hinders councils’ ability to deliver leaner and better quality services.
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