PR 247

PERFORMANCE PLAN WEBSITE LAUNCHED

Hampshire residents will now be able to monitor how well their County Council is delivering key services by logging on to a new performance website.

The Performance Plan website gives an extensive overview of Hampshire County Council plans and targets for the services it provides and an assessment of how well they are delivered so that county councillors and staff can access this information in an easy-to-navigate site. As part of our commitment to open government we are making the site accessible to local residents, complementing the sumary information that is published annually in the Spring edition of the County Council's flagship magazine `Hampshire Now'.

As Hampshire County Council has been rated an excellent authority, Government only requires the council to produce two plans a year - one on the Community Strategy and the other being the performance plan. The website will be an important tool in helping the local auditor maintain a view on how well the County Council is performing overall.

It is hoped that people will find it easier to navigate around the site, rather than having to plough through a vast paper document. Throughout the site people can email their comments or questions about the information provided.

The website will be continually updated so that the information supplied is current and accurate.

Commenting, Councillor Ken Thornber, Leader of Hampshire County Council, said: "A key aim of the County Council is to continuously improve the way we deliver services to the public. We are constantly looking at ways to modernise services to ensure greater focus on the needs and choices of Hampshire residents, local businesses and visitors.

"E-government plays a large part in the County Council's modernisation agenda and will be used to provide the public and our staff and members with simpler access to our services and giving them choices in how they want to deal with us. This new website is yet another way that information about how well our `excellent' services are performing can be accessed."

To access the Performance Plan website, log on to www.hants.gov.uk/bestvalue

ENDS

For further information please contact: Vanessa Burton on 01962 847367

vanessa.burton@hants.gov.uk

30/06/2003