THERE was good and not so good news for Waverley Borough Council in recently released figures relating to performance.

Council tax collection rates within Waverley are among the top 10 in the country — for the second year running — but some aspects of the service it offers its tennants have been criticised.

With regard to council tax, 99.3 percent of tax was collected — the same figure as the previous financial year, making it the joint fourth performing council.

Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford is pleased to see improvements being made. He said: "The money collected is spent on essential public services and unpaid tax creates a burden on those who do pay."

A spokesperson for the borough council added: "This reflects the hard work carried out by Waverley's finance department and council tax staff. We would like to thank to Waverley's council tax payers who have made this possible.

On the housing front, though, a report from the Audit Commission claims Waverley offers its tenants a one star service, with some aspects in the worst 25 per cent of the country.

The report into the council's programmed and cyclical maintenance service and responsive repairs, was discussed at Tuesday's meeting of the overview and scrutiny committee.

The reports says Waverley provides a "fair service with promising prospects for improvement", but a number of areas came in for criticism.

Participation with tenants is considered weak, particularly with younger tenants; there is a lack of clear service standards and the council does not know fully what is required to meet the government's 'decent homes standard'.

Administration is more bureaucratic than it needs to be, because the council's computer system is not used effectively, the report argues.

Councils score up to three stars for an excellent service (zero for poor). Prospects for improvement are rated excellent, promising, uncertain or poor.

Although some aspects of the service faired poorly, others scored well. There is high customer satisfaction and a helpful staff. Non urgent repairs are completed quickly and void properties are repaired and re-let comparatively quickly.

The Kilnfields redevelopment scheme impres-sed the commission, as an imaginative and successful approach to property improvement.

Waverley officers defended themselves from some of these criticisms at Tuesday's meeting.

Head of housing, David January, said: "Parts of the report were unfair as a number of the concerns were already being addressed."

Councillors had questions for the officers, but it was agreed that they would be raised at a housing workshop later in the year.