The Beacons, now in their final year, promote celebrating innovation, excellence and quality local services among councils, focusing on the issues of the moment. This year's awards recognised groundbreaking work in supporting the local economy, community cohesion and better quality housing among other key issues. The winning councils will and pass on their knowledge and expertise to even more councils, promoting best practice across the country.
Congratulating the winning authorities, Communities Minister Sadiq Khan said:
"My congratulations go out to all this year's winners. These authorities are the top performers in their field, setting the standard for innovation, service excellence and improvement. With the added emphasis on economic recovery in this year's Beacons, the winners are ideally placed to share their knowledge and skills to improve the sector as a whole.
"The Beacons are about showcasing the very best in service delivery, and in this, their final year, we really have seen some exceptional examples, from outstanding work to build cohesive communities to building quality homes for the future. Each and every one of the shortlisted authorities are delivering the real improvements that matter most to the people they serve, a real achievement in these tough economic times.
A new award scheme is set to build on the success of the Beacons in the coming year. Currently advertising for Chair and Vice Chair positions, more detail of the scheme will be announced in due course. The full list of this years Beacon authorities can be found at: http://www.beacons.idea.gov.uk
