THE percentage of adults in Barnsley who smoke has fallen to 18.2 per cent following the biggest reduction seen in years, Barnsley Council says.
Of those who do smoke, 6.4 per cent are undergoing treatment to quit which exceeds the four per cent target set by the council.
The figures are found in the latest quarterly performance report due to be presented to councillors on Barnsley Council’s ruling cabinet on Wednesday.
It says ‘great progress’ is being made towards the council’s priority to create a ‘smoke free generation’.
The report analyses progress on a number of priorities set out in its own corporate plan.
The report also highlights that:
- 11 businesses relocated to Barnsley bringing with them 91 jobs and more than £10.3m of private sector investment.
- 57.9 per cent of care leavers aged 19 to 21 are now in education, employment and/or training.
- Almost 1.8m people visited the town centre 66,486 more than this time last year.
- 275 new homes have been built, and 43 empty houses returned to use through the empty homes scheme.
- 2,771 residents have engaged in volunteering within their local community including 620 new volunteers.
- Waste diverted from landfill has increased to 97.4 per cent.
The council’s Digital Champions have provided digital support to 2,283 residents helping them to access more council services online and an impressive 55.6 percent of all contact with the council was made online.
Coun Alan Gardiner said: “Our quarter one report 2018/19 showcases some very encouraging progress and sets a real precedent as we drive through quarter two. We’ve hit the ground running and already achieved a great deal.
“We welcomed an incredible 324,362 visitors over the last three months contributing an estimated £6.98m to our visitor economy.
“We hosted stage two of the prestigious Tour de Yorkshire attracting 26,000 spectators we put Barnsley on the map and showed the world what we’re made of.
“The report shows that we’ve significantly reduced the number of permanent admissions to residential and nursing care and we’ve completed 77 per cent of adult social care reviews within the relevant timescales a big improvement from 53 per cent this time last year.
“We’ve carried out 39.6 per cent of children’s social care assessments within 20 days, exceeding national and regional averages. This is a real improvement and demonstrates our hard work to protect the most vulnerable.
“Equally important, the report identifies those areas requiring greater attention so we can make improvements to close the gap between where we are and where we want to be. For instance, the report reveals that we need to reduce the number of alcohol related admissions to hospital, so a programme of work has been developed to tackle the availability, affordability and acceptability of alcohol.
“From our progress so far along with support from our partners and communities, I’m confident we’ll continue to improve and get to where we want to be.
“I’m excited to see what the future holds as we strive towards a brighter future, a better Barnsley.”
