ROSSENDALE Council is still failing to meet a fifth of its performance targets.

The council is under performing in processing benefit claims, providing disabled access at buildings, collecting business rates and paying invoices on time.

It is also below target in recycling household waste and prosecuting benefit cheats.

The council is to monitor below-standard areas, and senior managers will set out an action plan to ensure departments come up to scratch within the next year.

The report comes just a month after the council celebrated being rated "good" in latest government ratings after being branded worst in the country last year.

Lesley Noble, head of policy and performance manage-ment, will present the figures to the performance scrutiny management committee tomorrow.

She said: "The majority of targets, 80 per cent, are achieved or exceeded, which is a 17 per cent increase on the same time last year.."

Council leader Duncan Ruddick said: "Our performance is a lot better than the past few years but it is still by no means perfect.

""We can't achieve perfection overnight but the council staff are working hard to deliver great things."