BOLTON Council has again been named as one of the best-performing local authorities in the country after retaining its four-star rating.

The council has achieved the top mark in its annual Audit Commission inspection for the fifth year running.

It is one of only four councils in Greater Manchester to win four stars which puts it in the top third of councils in the country.

Four-star status gives the council greater influence in shaping local government policy nationally and more freedom to spend money on services most needed by residents.

Council leader, Cllr Cliff Morris, said: "This is great news for Bolton, placing the council once again among the top tier of local authorities in the country at a time when the assessments are becoming more thorough and stringent.

"The latest results demonstrate that we are providing value-for-money and, along with our partners, consistently delivering real improvements to the quality of life for local people. We plan to deliver better services and even more improvements in the years to come."

The Audit Commission carried out a Comprehensive Performance Assessment of 150 metropolitan boroughs, county councils and unitary councils.

Inspectors gave Bolton scores of between four - the highest achievable - and zero for different aspects of its work.

They took into account the views of around 4,000 households through a "user-satisfaction survey".

The inspection included a corporate assessment of how well the council was run and its achievements, for which it scored four stars.

It scored three for its use of resources and maintained its four stars for delivery of benefits and adults social care.

Housing provision, which gained three stars last year, was awarded four.

Three-star scores were maintained for services for children and young people, including schools; culture, which includes libraries and leisure centres; and the environment, which includes waste collection, transport and planning.

The commission's report said the council was "improving well" and continued to "improve the quality of services for local residents, delivering improvements which local people notice, with notable performance in reducing crime and addressing inequalities between communities."

The report added that "noticeable improvements in economic growth and regeneration are raising prosperity levels and opening up new opportunities for local residents."

It said the "overall costs for key services demonstrate good value for money" compared to other councils providing similar levels and standards of services.

And it recognised that the council had made £5 million of additional efficiency savings above Government targets over the last two years.