Conservative County is Tops Again

Conservative-led Hampshire County Council has won four stars in the latest evaluation of county and unitary authorities, the Audit Commission announced this month.

Four stars is the maximum awarded to any local authority and is the equivalence of being rated excellent in the former inspection regime. Hampshire had been rated excellent in previous assessments.

"This is a brilliant achievement," said Frederick Allgood, county councillor for Winchester Southern Parishes. "The independent Audit Commission had indicated it was raising the bar in the new assessment programme to make sure the standards are more demanding. Hampshire has come through with flying colours."

The assessment applied only to county councils in England and to unitary authorities. District councils including Winchester will be assessed next year. Currently Winchester is rated only as fair.