23 May 2008
An offer the Chairman couldn't refuse.
When the Chairman of Wealden District Council was invited to present a hard-earned Charter Mark award to the Council's Waste and Commercial Service, she received an offer she couldn't refuse: a chance to sample the award-winning service first hand.
Arriving at 6 am at the Council's Jarvis Brook depot, Cllr Chantal Wilson donned a florescent safety coat and joined a refuse team on a landfill collection in one of the district's towns.
" My morning out was an eye-opener. The crews worked non-stop and kept up an exhausting pace but remained cheerful throughout. They knew exactly where to find every bin and also remembered where to return it!" said Cllr Wilson, describing her day on the rounds.
A typical three person refuse crew may empty and return up to 1400 wheelie bins in a shift.
Waste and Commercial Service was one four Wealden services which achieved Charter Mark status - Cabinet Office award for excellence in public service - earlier this year.
"Residents pay their council tax. It is important that we provide the best service possible. The Charter Mark scheme, which involves a thorough assessment of services by an external assessor, makes sure we keep on our toes when it comes to meeting public expectations," said Councillor Norman Buck, Cabinet member for Change Management. "It's not just about providing an excellent service to customers. It's about promoting choice, treating everybody fairly, continually developing our services and making effective and imaginative use of our resources in doing so.
"We want all our services to meet the Charter Mark's national standard."
Waste and Commercial Services do more than just collect the district's landfill and recycling refuse and empty cess pits. It cleans streets and tackles environmental crimes such as fly tipping, graffiti and abandoned vehicles; and carries out repairs to council property.
Wealden's Customer Service and Systems, Human Resources, Democratic and Legal Services and Planning Policy Service were also awarded Charter Mark status earlier this year. They join Planning and Building Control, Public Health and Community Development and Wealden's Financial Services which received Charter Marks last year.
