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Majority of targets achieved but improvements still needed at district council





However, the report also said that some child protection measures and grant approval processes must be improved.
The report, for the year to March this year, was based on council targets, set each financial year in order to improve or maintain its performance and focus on achieving objectives set out in the council strategy.
Overall, West Berkshire Council met 76 per cent of its targets, with several areas significantly exceeding expectations.
The number of empty homes brought back into use exceeded its target by more than 200 per cent, with 93 now being occupied compared to a target of 30, while 77 per cent of people in short-term accommodation were moved into independent living accommodation, compared to a target of 60 per cent.
The number of domestic burglaries went down from 83 between April 2012 and March 2013, to 47 in the most recent financial year, while the number of antisocial behaviour incidents had decreased by seven per cent, to 409.
The report also showed that footfall in Newbury town centre had increased by four per cent since October.
However it was not all good news for the district. The council was found to be too slow in carrying out some child protection reviews, with seven per cent not responded to within a specified period.
This was attributed to issues in “timeliness” for one member of staff which has now been addressed, according to communities director Rachael Wardell.
The council was also three per cent below its target of responding to high priority disabled facilities grants within nine weeks of the receipt of an application, while the number of elderly patients receiving reablement and rehabilitation services at home within 91 days after being discharged from hospital had reduced by six per cent on the previous year.
Meanwhile, footfall in Thatcham had reduced by eight per cent since the previous October, and footfall in Hungerford town centre had fallen by three per cent.



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