AS a family, we moved to Redditch from the North West in 1986.

We were struck by the high quality of Redditch's road system, the amazing number of trees, very good shopping centre, new hospital, apparently a number of good schools, excellent access to road, rail and airport links and the surrounding attractive countryside.

The leisure facilities were below par - an old fashioned swimming baths - but the local newspaper was reporting the council as stating a major redevelopment of the Abbey Stadium site was "imminent".

Twenty years later, the transport, environment and shopping facilities are still excellent.

But we now have a lot more information, from independent inspections, about our council ("fair" ie below average); our county council ("four star" ie excellent) our hospital ("one star" ie below average and services under threat); our schools ( most middle and high schools below - in a number of cases well below - county and national averages in SATS, GCSEs and A levels ie poor, but having to manage with one of the lowest levels of Government funding in the country, despite having a Government minister for our MP); a police force which is one of the most effective in the country ie top class (but which the Government is now proposing to abolish); and our leisure facilities (a recent Government survey placed Redditch eighth from bottom of about 500 councils in England, Scotland and Wales and actually bottom in urban areas ie appalling).

We have recently had the latest instalment in the Abbey Stadium saga.

Despite a root and branch rejection of the council plan, which was 20 years in the making, a spokesperson and our MP remains "confident".

The council employs more than 1,000 people, a much higher number than nearly all other councils serving similar populations but with one of the highest levels of sickness absence.

Yet, almost uniquely compared to the other local authorities, council members have for many years chosen not to appoint a chief executive to help provide the leadership to take both the management of the council and the town forward.

While the council does not provide our education service (county council), police service (West Mercia Police Authority) and health services (NHS), it is the single most important organisation in the town and should be leading the community by both delivering high quality, cost-effective services itself and ensuring other public bodies do likewise.

The facts show there has been widespread but consistent failure to do either.

The building blocks for a vibrant, successful town are still there and we now have a member of the Cabinet for our MP.

The redirection of Government funding to Scotland and the North East in recent years bodes well.

But the evidence seems clear that our MP and council, both councillors and employees, need to raise their game substantially if the public sector infrastructure is to fully make its essential contribution to raising the overall quality of life for the people of Redditch.

STEPHEN WARD

Address supplied