BUNTINGFORD Town Council has been awarded Quality status by the Hertfordshire Association of Parish and Town Councils. Mayor Cllr John Noades was presented with the award on Tuesday by Derek Farquharson, the chairman of Herts accreditation panel. He s

BUNTINGFORD Town Council has been awarded Quality status by the Hertfordshire Association of Parish and Town Councils.

Mayor Cllr John Noades was presented with the award on Tuesday by Derek Farquharson, the chairman of Herts accreditation panel.

He said: "I was honoured to receive the award on behalf of the town council."

The town council received the award after demonstrating that it has met the standards expected from an effective, representative and active town council.

Town clerk Jill Jones, who prepared a vast amount of the paper work in applying for the award, said: "It was a thorough and lengthy process.

"We had a lot of criteria to fill such as having a clean audit and the council had to be at least 80 per cent elected - ours was 100 per cent.

"We also had to show that we were engaging with the community and prove that we were capable of taking on the services dissolved to us.

"We are absolutely delighted with the award, it has taken a year to complete but it is something that we really wanted."

The council will now be able to take on a stronger role in the community as well as working more closely with partners in the delivery of local services.