On Wednesday I was interviewed by the Inspectors as part of Bury Council’s Comprehensive Performance Assessment. This is the inspection undertaken on behalf of Government to determine how the Council is performing. I was interviewed as one of the Opposition Party leaders on the Council.

The inspectors will obviously ask different things to different people, with me as a Councillor they were particularly interested in discussing issues around the council’s decision making process, how we set our priorities and how we involve local people.

Although obviously we’re in opposition in Bury, I had some good things to say about how the Council operates:

- the way that the council reaches out to key partners such as the Police and the Primary Care Trust (PCT), and in particular how these are working at an area level with the Local Area Partnerships. These have only been going for nine months now, but in Prestwich we’re making a great start in the local partners working together to make Prestwich a better place.

- the way that the Council involves all Parties in its strategic decision making process. Opposition parties are involved in the Executive Committee (as “non-portfolio” members) and participate in the annual strategic planning process. In many ways this makes Bury unusual, but I certainly feel its something to be celebrated.

Presumably at some point the Inspectors will report on how Bury Council is doing. I know a lot of Council Officers have put a lot of effort into making sure that the Borough does achieve  - so good luck!

Tim