It means they qualify for significantly lighter inspection, bringing substantial savings in both time and money.

Almost three times the number of councils have moved up a performance category as have fallen, with 56 rated 'good' and 26 rated 'excellent'.

Local authorities are responsible for many areas of provision and have particularly improved in education, social care services, and housing.

How do you rate your local council? Do you get value for money? Send us your views.

This debate is now closed. Thank you for your e-mails. The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:

I can't believe that Milton Keynes Council deserve any grading except "awful". We will have to suffer yet another Council Tax increase of many times the rate of inflation while services are cut. And what do the politicians (of all parties) do? Nothing except bicker amongst themselves and blame everyone else for their incompetence and mistakes - past and present.
Paul, Milton Keynes, England

My council can not be classed as 'good' or 'excellent'. I think my council has to do many more other thing than people services. Hope that my council will learn from other council whose score is good or excellent.
Krishna Acharya, Hounslow, UK

I have to phone them to collect my rubbish Matt, Lambeth, London

Lambeth are absolutely awful. I have to phone them to collect my rubbish, they have double charged me for council tax, and then wonder why I'm getting so annoyed with them when I have to contact them. What's worse is they are actually better than they used to be.
Matt, Lambeth, London

I think a key issue is the fact that for most people the Council Tax is almost double what is actually reported. This is because you have already paid tax on this amount at source. Governments lower income tax by a couple of percent then raise council tax by ten times that and get away with it. Time to sort the whole lot out.
Russ H, Harrogate, N Yorks

I don't rate Edinburgh City Council highly having seen the new slum tenement flats they have allowed to be thrown up around Leith. When will they start listening to council/housing association tenants and build them the bungalows they all want.
Anonymous, Edinburgh Scotland

Give us back our local democracy, then it will be worth assessing councils. Jenny, Camden UK

Give us back our local democracy, then it will be worth assessing councils. Recent central government "reforms" have diminished local input and accountability. There's a drive to centralise power in this country which makes it very hard to provide efficient services on a local level.
Jenny, Camden UK

My Borough was rated weak for the second year and I am not surprised. I am the first to moan about them, but I am looking forward to working for them after Christmas - I will put my money where my mouth is!
Mark, London

Rubbish is collected every week, the bus services are good, there are rundown council estates but there are initiatives in place to make Plymouth a better place. Give the city 5 years and it will be middle of the table.
Chris, Plymouth, UK

I'll be convinced the 25% council tax hike was justified when I see teachers & firemen getting better wages. Phil, Runnymede Borough Council

They're not bad, but I've seen a wider variety of substances being recycled elsewhere. I waited 18 months to rent a lockup garage during which time my car got vandalised twice (and although drivable is now worthless). I'll be convinced the 25% council tax hike was justified when I see teachers & firemen getting better wages.
Phil, Runnymede Borough Council

Whatever you think of your council's performance, if you don't exercise your right to vote, without a good reason, what right do you then have to criticise?
John Murray, Chester, UK

"Now I will tell you the answer to my question. It is this. The party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power." Not Dudley MBC but the words of that great visionary George Orwell. Never a truer word said in fiction. Or was it?
Pete, Kingswinford

I pay exorbitant amounts of Council Tax and I have no idea what for. Steven Forrester, UK

My local council is a con. I pay exorbitant amounts of Council Tax and I have no idea what for. Most of it seems to be allocated to a range of single-issue organisations that have little or nothing to do with providing services to Council Tax payers.
Steven Forrester, UK

I'm not surprised that North Tyneside council is rated as poor and has not improved on last year. I have been waiting for a replacement wheeled bin for eight weeks now since mine went missing and so far no prospect of one in the near future. There are so many issues that they need to address clearly the environment is way down the list
Kathryn, North Tyneside, UK

I was recently summoned to appear in court for non payment of council tax, I received no reminders, and no warning letters, just a summons. The reason was the council had lost my payments, due to providing an incorrect reference number. I didn't get an apology either. I hope their Auditors are more lenient than those I have experienced. And I hope they audit for good manners as well. I will add that my town is always Litter Free, the binmen are great and we have the best kept roads I have seen in the UK.
Peter, Pembrokeshire

If any private company put its prices up at the same rate as the council puts its rates up they would soon be out of business. Perhaps more council services need outsourcing to private companies.
John, High Wycombe

Councillors should be held more accountable to how money is spent Duncan, Bournemouth

RUBBISH - money is thrown away on pointless exercise that only benefits the councillors and officers. Councils should be run non-politically and in the interest of the town. Recently a whip was employed over a local venue (Winter Gardens) decisions were not made on what is good for the town only by what the leader of the council and what party was in power. Councillors should be held more accountable to how money is spent and if under review it is wasted they should be removed from office.
Duncan, Bournemouth

My garbage is taken away every week. I don't get stabbed very often. I haven't seen anyone's house burned down recently. I guess they are doing a good job but, as mentioned already, it is quite expensive!
Anon, Isleworth, UK

I work in Camden where about the only efficient thing is the parking attendants who leap out of nowhere if you dare stop for thirty seconds.
Brian W, Chelmsford, UK

No surprises that Hackney Council is yet again right at the bottom of the pile. It is unacceptable that this Council is allowed to provide such sub-standard services - why is this being tolerated? I had the misfortune of living in Hackney for four years - never again - it was absolutely filthy - abandoned cars and piles of rubbish everywhere.
Nicky, England

I have found Swindon BC very helpful when I have contacted them and the new library in Highworth is first rate. What is wrong is the whole concept of the Council Tax which stinks and the huge increases recently are not excusable.
Philip Greig, Swindon UK

Audits are excellent for finding out how good someone is at being audited. Ray G, London, England

Audits are excellent for finding out how good someone is at being audited. It is satisfying to know that most local councils are good at documenting procedures, even though they provide a lousy service.
Ray G, London, England

I was in the Kingston upon Thames council building yesterday investigating a local planning issue and was most impressed. Wonderfully restored old building, adjacent to very modern council offices. Lots of information and helpful people, very clean smart offices and I even got offered a mince pie. Great. But mostly I was rather impressed at the very smart IT equipment that seemed to be on every desk, I bet that lot didn't come cheap. FYI my council tax comes in at nearly 1,000 pounds for a small flat.
Tim, London UK

As a single person paying a discounted (albeit expensive) rate, I must say that where I live they do a good job, it's the people that actually live there that keep the place dirty. We have pavement sweepers twice a day and when I get home in the evening they are filthy yet again. They must feel like they are in a vicious circle.
JC, Seven Sisters, London

I am being truthful when I say it appears more money goes into the council buildings and premises than actually into the community. Richard Sweetman, Winsford England

I am being truthful when I say it appears more money goes into the council buildings and premises than actually into the community. Strangely I live in a street where yes they felt fit to replace the paths but in the process removed the lighting.
Richard Sweetman, Winsford England

My local council, Rushcliffe, provides a good service. Bins are collected, hopefully there'll be more recycling soon and the streets are relatively clean, and they consult with the residents to ask if we're prepared to pay more for increased services and a better environment. My real concern is that the government are constantly cutting it's subsidies to councils, therefore forcing them to increase council taxes, and then threatening to cap them!
John Richards, Nottingham, UK

The ratings mean nothing without reference to the level of Council Tax charged. No council that puts its taxes up by several times that rate of inflation every year can be judged as "excellent"
Dave Marriott, Long Eaton

Wigan Council - excellent? Are there two Wigan's in the UK? Because they certainly aren't referring to my local authority. Grubby streets, useless (and dangerous) bus lanes and traffic calming "pillows", inept road planning and councillors steeped in political dogma - and those are the good bits!
JR, Wigan, England

My council tax includes items like "street cleaning" yet I have to pick my way past slippery leaves that fell three weeks ago. Jon, England

My council tax includes items like "street cleaning" yet I have to pick my way past slippery leaves that fell three weeks ago. Council tax rises yet things don't get done, apparently due to lack of funds.
Jon, England

Not good. We pay a lot in council tax and its due to go up again next year by a considerable amount. The dustmen regularly have disputes. - I can't see what we get for our money
Sanchia, Hove

My local council is superb at allowing roads to fall into disrepair. It is, by far, one of the most efficient councils at increasing and collecting the council tax.
David, Kent, UK

They are pretty good at going on junkets and catering for tourists, but when it comes to looking after their voters most of them couldn't seem to care less. Richie Bisset, Edinburgh, UK

They are pretty good at going on junkets and catering for tourists, but when it comes to looking after their voters most of them couldn't seem to care less. For example council tax bands haven't changed in 11 years meaning that to get the cheapest band your house has to be under �40,000 in a town where the average house price is about �110,000 and the cheapest you can get anything for is about �45,000. Services are terrible too.
Richie Bisset, Edinburgh, UK

In a word.. Expensive!
Graham, Witney, Oxfordshire

Judging by the amount council tax has been increased by, anything less than absolutely exemplary performance would be unacceptable.
Dean, UK

Croydon Council - the functions that the council itself performs are fine. The outsourced functions are very poor. Individual councillors that I have called on act very quickly.
Mike, Croydon, Surrey

My local council is generally pretty good at removing abandoned cars and emptying bins. In other areas their efficiency is less impressive - when someone vandalised a bus shelter they sent someone who put some stripy tape across where the glass used to be. When I called them to suggest that next time the person in question might clear up the broken glass while they were there it was clear nobody had thought of that.
John B, UK

The Taxes keep going up yet I struggle to find any real examples of the money being put to good use! Northing improves!
Shane Glass, Winchester

Wandsworth are an excellent council. The council tax is low, the streets are swept and the rubbish is cleared. Matt, Wandsworth England

Wandsworth are an excellent council. The council tax is low, the streets are swept and the rubbish is cleared. Parking costs are high though.
Matt, Wandsworth England

I have no complaints about my local council services, (Hunts). My street is regularly swept, all of the street lights work, we have regular rubbish collections, and the pavements are maintained as are the roads. The council keeps in contact with regular news letters and questionnaires. So overall I am happy with my council.
Susan, UK

Council accounts should be more rigorous than a private company and published in totality. People have the option whether to put their money in a private company but for council tax you have no option. Therefore we should all get to see how much each department spends, and a full breakdown of how that spending is allocated within each department. The level of waste that would invariably be revealed would be so shocking that I can never see this kind of openness ever coming into existence.
Sam Gibson, Aberdeen, UK

They do much better than central government because they are run by real people. Tim, Bath, England

They do much better than central government because they are run by real people who, whilst they may make mistakes, are motivated by a real desire to make things better for local people. This compares to the mad megalomania which characterises the national governments that we have had in local years.
Tim, Bath, England

Bin collection 7am Tuesday; Road Sweeper 1pm Wednesday; Pavement Sweeper 3pm Wednesday; Litter Picker 4pm Wednesday. Result: no litter in Lincoln. Street Light replaced before I even got chance to report it. Result: we can see in Lincoln. New cycle lanes. Result: Reduced traffic in Lincoln. Also new dual carriageway opened 4 months ahead of schedule. We are very happy with our current service and I would not mind paying extra if it means things improve even more!
Chris H, UK

Generally good but I would like to see more recycling and green initiatives.
Jon Crosbie, Portsmouth, Hampshire

I think I get pretty good service but I pay through the nose for it Ellen, Tandridge, Easy Surrey

I think I get pretty good service but I pay through the nose for it. It would be nice to see more recycling schemes and more consultation over town planning.
Ellen, Tandridge, Easy Surrey

Having used part of the social services team this year I would rate them as excellent. However, I would rate the refuse collectors as rubbish. Every week I have to clear up refuse they leave behind when emptying the green bins and recycling boxes.
Peter Watling, London Borough of Harrow.

Appalling! Here we are being threatened with Council Tax rises, while we have been told that they will no longer be taking all our rubbish. They have issued green wheelie bins - but not for recyclables, they will now only take what fits in one of these bins. Our recycling bin is a small black plastic 'tank'; we can't even put in all recyclables. WE are being asked to pay more for a reduced poor service
Russell Smith, Chippenham, Wiltshire

Our local council, Gedling Borough Council has in my opinion, since I first moved here in 1976, always been efficient with the services it offers. The library facilities are excellent and parking in local areas is free. Also the dustbin men always come on time and never leave us out at Christmas time!
Pat Ward, Gedling Borough Council, Nottingham

I am convinced that there is a significant amount of wastage by town, district and county councils. Chris S, Yeteley, UK

Generally the services I receive are ok (for �1590 p.a. they should be), however I am convinced that there is a significant amount of wastage by town, district and county councils, not to mention the inflation busting pay rises to council members. Things like the "Glossy" magazines issued by the various levels of administration should be scrapped, and a clearer statement of accounts should be published. Local council spending is not transparent enough.
Chris S, Yeteley, UK

The fact that Hull City Council has been threatened with being replaced by a Government "hit squad" says it all. They are a disgrace. I for one will never waste my time voting in another local council election.
Howard, Hull, UK

This place is an untidy hole, awful roads, bad paths, litter everywhere and a bin service full of jobs-worth workers. Hemel Hempstead is a dive, don't bother coming here!
Barrie, Hemel Hempstead

The streets and pavements are filthy, the roads haven't been swept in months, and there are mountains of bin bags everywhere on bin day. Other than that they seem to do a good job. Just wish they would issue wheelie bins and clean up a bit more often.
George Garratt, Wickford, Essex

My councils (Cheshire/Congleton) seem to do an ok job. The bins are reliably emptied. The library is clean and well stocked, the streets are clean. However I despair of them ever making a decision on the horrendous traffic congestion at M6-J17. They seem to be able to run existing services quite well, but anything new or something that requires a change completely stumps them. Overall 7/10, would be higher but for terrible traffic policies, which are more reactive than pro-active.
Martin, England

My childhood council (Enfield) recycles more often, cleans the streets more vigorously, and is generally more civic-minded in spite of cuts. Henry, London, England

Waltham Forest just about rate average, while my childhood council (Enfield) recycles more often, cleans the streets more vigorously and is generally more civic-minded in spite of cuts. I resent council tax rises to sponsor housing department strikes, which happened for the second year running, last month.
Henry, London, England

I think the Salford city council are very good. I have not once had a problem which they have not solved.
Craig, Salford, UK

I have no idea whether I get good value for money from my council or not, but do know that councillors have considerably more responsibility than MP's yet they are basically unpaid (save for expenses which are a nice top up to too many councillor's retirement income). This means that our council representatives comprise mainly of people of advancing years with time on their hands, which severely restricts the talent that might otherwise be attracted to running our public services.
Steve, UK

Very Clever! How they can justify taking so much council tax for so little service in return is genius. I can only assume that rolls of red tape are very, very expensive.
Olli., London

I don't know whether my local council is good, bad or indifferent. Richard, UK

I don't know whether my local council is good, bad or indifferent. I just want to know where all the money goes.
Richard, UK

What a great year for Thurrock Council! They increased Council Tax last year by a huge amount and only managed to be 'fair' in last years report. This year let's increase the tax by 20% and achieve a 'weak' status this year. It's time to change things with local authorities and make them more accountable to the public. After all, its our money they are wasting.
George, Grays

Considering our Council Tax (Medway) has gone up by 22% over the last year or so, and is expected to rise by another 18% next year, one might expect an improvement in services. But no, we have ever-dirtier streets, appalling road surfaces and a general malaise in the local government. They can still find plenty of money to waste on road-humps all over the place though. It�s a scandal.
Derrick, Rochester, Kent, UK