A NEW report has ranked Denbighshire county council amongst the best performing local authorities in Wales.

The Public Accountability Measures 2017-18 published by Data Cymru, on behalf of the Welsh Local Government Association, the cross-party organisation that promotes local government and local democracy in Wales and gives it a voice on the national stage, shows that Denbighshire county council ranks sixth out of 22 local authorities.

The data enables councils to present their performance to the public which in turn allows the public to hold them to account.

The councils are judged based on their performance in a number of key areas including corporate services, education, environmental services, housing, leisure and culture, planning, highway services and public protection.

Waste and social care are typically included in the report but data for these sectors has not yet been published by the Welsh Government.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Denbighshire council’s lead member for finance, performance and strategic assets, said: “This data shows that despite the challenging environment within which local government continues to operate, the council is working hard to provide the best possible service to our residents.

“Denbighshire ranks second in Wales for sickness absence amongst its staff, second for the most food establishments that meet hygiene standards, and third for highway cleanliness.”

“We returned 52 empty homes into use, ranking us fourth in Wales, and library use is among the best in Wales with just over 529,000 visits in 2017-18.

"Leisure visits also rank highly, at more than 852,000.

“We will continue to build on this performance to ensure that we serve the residents of the county.”

Last year the council adopted its Corporate Plan to create a "significant and lasting difference" to the people and communities of Denbighshire and to improve the services available.

The plan will see a proposed investment of £135 million and aims to support young people, protect the environment, create resilient and connected communities, and improve housing across the county.