Hampshire wins Legal Services category at MJ Awards 2012
Hampshire County Council has won the Legal Services category at this year’s Municipal Journal Awards for its work in helping to deliver an improved bus transport scheme.
The citation said: “By fighting off a determined challenge through to the Supreme Court in the remarkably short time of 16 months the team enabled the tight timetable for the project to be met.”
Forest of Dean District Council was also highly commended. Its citation said: “Judges were impressed with the range of work undertaken by this small but highly focused team and how it has worked closely in partnerships to help improve council services, help regenerate the local economy and protect the district's environment.”
Other finalists in the legal services category were: Birmingham City Council; the London Borough of Enfield; Glasgow City Council; and the London Borough of Merton.
Four others were commended: Plymouth City Council; the Public Law Partnership (of Essex, Suffolk and other authorities); Thurrock BC; and the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
The main award of the night – Best Achieving Council – went to Sunderland City Council.
The judges said that the authority “has long been a high performing council, and its significant achievements, often unsung ones, have deservedly made it an all-round winner for the Best Achieving Council of 2012.”
The judges also praised Sunderland’s leadership on economic growth and its ability to recognise when to lead and when to partner and support.
Winners of other categories included:
- Children’s Services: Glasgow City Council
- Delivering Better Outcomes: Waltham Forest Council
- Democratic Services: Enfield Council
- Innovative Procurement: Waltham Forest Council
- Most Transformed Property Portfolio: Cheshire West and Cheshire Council
- Public Private Partnerships: Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority
- Public Protection: Forest of Dean District Council
- Redefining Quality in Adult Services: Plymouth City Council
- Shared Services: Cheshire West and Chester and Halton Borough Councils.
Philip Hoult