St Ives Town Council have been awarded the Quality Gold Award by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).

It is the only council in Cornwall to be accredited as a Quality Gold Council and one of only 50 of the 10,000 councils in the country.

NALC explains that: “The Quality Gold Award demonstrates a council is at the forefront of best practice and achieves excellence in governance, community leadership and council development.

“Quality Gold councils provide leadership for their communities, bring people together, have excellent business planning processes, ensuring value for money as well as constantly seek new innovations and opportunities to improve. They highlight the very best we, as a sector, can achieve for our communities.”

Mayor of St Ives Councillor Johnnie Wells said: “We are a Gold Standard council! The councillors, give up their time for free to make St Ives the best place it can be. Something we wouldn't be able to do without the help and support of our, now officially, Gold Standard officers, and Clerk, Lou.

“I am chuffed to be part of a council who are actually getting stuff done in St Ives. Thank you all for your time and hard work... This is definitely one of the proudest moments of my mayor life so far...’

Councillor Tony Harris, Chair of Finance & General Purposes Committee said: “This award has been made to fewer than 1 per cent of all councils in England, and represents a sustainable and rapid improvement journey for St Ives Town Council over the last 5 years.

“I am immensely proud of my fellow councillors and our team of brilliant staff for making this dream a reality.”