ValueAdding.com is offering its web-based benchmarking site to all local authorities at no cost. We are starting with Waste Services but over time plan to include all services and build a comparison of collection costs for every £1,000 of revenue collected.

To receive your username and password to contribute and share with your peers, just send an email to benchmaster@valueadding.com - we will only provide access to the benchmarking site to valid .gov.uk email addresses.

All contributions will be anonymous but will be referenced by the type of council (e.g. county, unitary, second-tier) – contacts may be made but only when specifically permitted by both parties. We will never use individual data without specific permission.

We hope that offering this service will encourage councils to implement fair but firm charging for services that customers want and hence reduce the level of enforced cost cutting.