Harlow Council tonight approved its Best Value Performance Plan for 2005 to 2006. For the first time in the council's history, the council - jointly run by the Liberal Democrats together with Labour - has clearly identified its priorities based on independent community research.

The Plan sets targets for the council's performance from now for the next three years. In the debate, Liberal Democrat leader Chris Millington commented on some of the events of the past year, which are reflected in the Plan. The Water Gardens development has won more regional and national awards; the council is shortly to introduce choice based lettings to give more choice to council tenants being offered a home; and the joint funding of police community support officers is helping to tackle anti-social behaviour in the town. Cllr Millington said:

"In the last year, the average time taken to remove fly tipping has been cut from 0.88 days to 0.60 days. Our recycling rate has reached 21 per cent for the first time. Council staff sickness absence has reduced from 14.99 days a year to 9.46 days. Collection of business rates has risen from 95.80 per cent to 99.43 per cent. And we have reduced the number of empty council homes from 240 to 160."

All three parties on the council voted to support the Plan, which will be published on the council's web site in due course.