Failing Council Under Scrutiny - Improve now or lose your powers, says watchdog

3.26.09pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 10th Jul 2003

This is the headline from the front page of the Kent and Sussex Courier on Friday 31 January 2003. The report added:

"Tunbridge Wells Borough Council must improve its services or face the embarrassment of having its powers taken away after a scathing assessment by an influential watchdog". The independent Audit Commission produced this report.The poor quality of the services was also confirmed in the latest survey of local residents. The number of residents who considered that "the Council's overall level of service fell short of expectations" almost doubled between 1999 and 2002.

Make no mistake; responsibility for this shambles rests wholly with the Conservative administration, which has controlled the Council since 1998. When the Liberal Democrats were in control, Tunbridge Wells was (according to the annual review by the Independent on Sunday) in the top 15% of the most efficient Councils in the country. In less than five years of Conservative control the quality of services provided by the Council has declined dramatically.