2011–12 was a challenging year for Cumbria County Council. We have faced unprecedented pressures on our budget and this presented many new challenges about how we use our resources to deliver our priorities.

Despite having to make difficult choices, we remain committed to our customers and continue to deliver high quality services in the most efficient ways possible, either through joint working across our directorates or in partnership with other organisations in Cumbria.

The purpose of this annual report is to highlight a selection of our recent achievements that show how we have risen to the unprecedented challenges presented to us, and to demonstrate that despite significant challenges, we continue to deliver good quality services that positively impact on the quality of life for people and communities in Cumbria.

Our Council Plan 2011–14 set out what we are seeking to achieve for Cumbria. Focusing on our four aspirations for Cumbria and our underpinning aim to be as effective and efficient as possible, this report describes the progress that the council has made in the first year of the three year Council Plan timeframe.