ST HELENS has been highlighted as providing some of the best public services. Government statistics show that the council provide first-class services across a wide range.

As well as outperforming its Merseyside counterparts in many areas, it also beat many others across the country according to local authority performance indicators.

St Helens tops the Merseyside council league table with 16.2 per cent of over-75s being helped to live independently at home. It also has the second lowest percentage of tenants owing more than 13 weeks rent across Merseyside (just 3.9 per cent) while, with 96 per cent, St Helens collected the second highest percentage of Council Tax due.

For people moving house there was also good news that a massive 99.9 per cent of searches were carried out within 10 working days. The percentage of new claims for rent allowances, processed within 14 days has risen from 26.5 to 75 per cent and the cost of administering each benefit has fallen from £62.86 to £55.86. The percentage of pedestrian crossings with facilities for disabled people has gone up from 12.3 to 18.03.

The average time taken to remove fly tips has been reduced from 29 days to just eight and the number of respite care nights provided or funded by the council has almost doubled from 7,964 to 13,073. The figures also reveal that St Helens processed 87 per cent of benefit claims in 14 days while 85.9 per cent of good premises were inspected. Average time to re-let dwellings was 6.1 weeks.

Council leader Dave Watts says: "The figures are independently published by the Audit Commission and endorsed by the Government so it's a double tribute to the council and its employees who work hard to provide first-class services for our customers."

Despite difficult times with ever-decreasing grants from Government, Councillor Watts said St Helens would continue to build on its services despite a £6.9-million shortfall in grant aid.

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