Row as city is given a two star rating

Feb 22 2007

BIRMINGHAM City Council is barely meeting minimum requirements while Sandwell remains "inadequate" for the second year running, official inspectors have warned.

But other West Midlands authorities are providing a good service to residents, an official report revealed today.

The annual league tables for local authorities are based on inspections of environmental services, housing and social services for children and the elderly.

Inspectors also look at financial management and whether authorities offer good value for money.

Birmingham received three stars out of four for its children's services and environmental services, which means it is "performing well" in those areas.

But it received only two stars, a rating of "adequate", for housing and services for the elderly.

The city council's over-all rating was two stars, which means it is meeting minimum standards.

Hall Green Labour MP Steve McCabe said the Conservative and Liberal Democrat partnership running the council lacked ambition.

He said: "What appals me is that they seem to think this result is one worth celebrating.

"They don't have the ambition or the leadership to give the people of Birmingham the service they deserve.

"Being adequate is not good enough."

Sandwell Council received only one star for children's services, which means it is officially classed as inadequate, and achieved an overall rating of just one star.

Dudley, Solihull, Walsall, Warwickshire and Wolverhampton also received three stars, the same as last year.

Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Worcestershire councils all received four stars which means they are "performing strongly", making them among the best in the country.

The ratings, known as Comprehensive Performance Assessments, were compiled by the Audit Commission - the official watchdog for public services.

Michael O'Higgins, the Commission's chairman, warned there was "a clear challenge to the small number of councils at the lower end of the scale that they really must pull out all the stops to emulate the achievements of their peers."