As well as being named the winner of the Driving Growth award, the council took home the top title of Council of Year at the 22nd annual awards ceremony, which was held at Grosvenor House, London on 21 March.
The award was presented to the council that successfully demonstrated “combining significant public service improvement and reform with budget cuts and efficiency savings”. Entries were judged on several factors including leadership, community engagement, and addressing challenges such as housing and an ageing population.
The Driving Growth Award recognises the council’s ambitions for the future and the role of helping local businesses to prosper.
Councillor Darren Rodwell, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, said: “This is a wonderful accolade not just for me but for more than 2,900 staff – from street cleaners and school cooks, through to councillors, officers and our partner organisations.
“These people, many of who live in the borough, have really made a positive difference to the lives of around 210,000 residents in Barking and Dagenham. To see their work recognised in this way, and to beat the competition we did, is a real honour and testament to our vision.
“While I will be the first to hold my hands up and admit we might not always get things right, this award shows we are a council that is going in the right direction and we will continue to do our best to improve the lives of our residents.”
Tags: Barking and Dagenham, Darren Rodwell
