Scotland’s local authority watchdog said the council has demonstrated an improvement of many of its services.

Residents are more satisfied with their council services than the Scottish average. Many services are improving, particularly in the council’s priority areas such as household waste recycling and care services

But national data suggests around one third of services are declining and some are performing below the Scottish average.

In a new report published today, the Accounts Commission said the council must now demonstrate it has plans in place to tackle underperforming areas.

Deputy chair Elma Murray said: “Whilst the council has made many steady improvements, it needs to tackle underperforming services. The council can do this by developing action plans from its own evaluation and performance reports. It can also build on excellent existing partnerships and demonstrate how its engagement with communities influences decisions about services and budgets.

“An ambitious new way of working more closely with citizens and communities, the ‘Perth and Kinross Offer’, has the potential to achieve considerable change in how services are designed and delivered. This will require significant drive and commitment from the council to ensure they reap the full benefits of this new initiative.”