Wirral compared with councils in North West
Compared with the 23 councils in North West.
- Residents
- 329,896 (mid-2025)
- Band D council tax
- £2,501 a year in 2026-27, including police, fire and parish charges
Where Wirral sits
6
measures in the bottom quarter
3
measures below the middle
5
measures in the top half
Wirral compares worst with councils in North West on:
- prevention cases ending with a home secured (22nd of 22; 1st is highest)
- new EHC plans issued within 20 weeks (22nd of 23; 1st is highest)
- upheld complaints per 100,000 residents (21st of 23; 1st is lowest)
It compares best on:
- families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more (1st of 23; 1st is lowest)
- households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households (7th of 23; 1st is lowest)
- relief cases ending with a home secured (8th of 22; 1st is highest)
SEND assessments
Education, health and care plans set out support for children with special educational needs. The law says a new plan should be issued within 20 weeks.
| Measure | Wirral | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks 2025 | 8.2% | 55.0% | Bottom quarter 22nd of 23 |
Ombudsman complaints
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints the council's own complaints process has not resolved. Upheld means the Ombudsman found the council at fault.
| Measure | Wirral | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upheld complaints per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 7.3 | 3.7 | Bottom quarter 21st of 23 | |
| Complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 35.2 | 34.9 | Below the middle 13th of 23 | |
| Upheld complaints about children's services per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about special educational needs per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about homelessness per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld cases the council had already put right 2025-26 | 16.7% | 16.7% | Top half 9th of 19 | |
| Ombudsman remedies delivered on time 2025-26 | 81.8% | 79.3% | Top half 7th of 18 |
Council housing
From the tenant survey and performance figures every council landlord reports to the Regulator of Social Housing. Only councils that still own council homes are included.
| Measure | Wirral | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenants satisfied with the overall service 2024-25 | No figure | 74.8% | No council homes | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is well maintained 2024-25 | No figure | 73.8% | No council homes | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is safe 2024-25 | No figure | 77.1% | No council homes | |
| Tenants who say the council listens and acts 2024-25 | No figure | 66.1% | No council homes | |
| Non-emergency repairs done within target time 2024-25 | No figure | 82.0% | No council homes | |
| Council homes failing the Decent Homes Standard 2024-25 | No figure | 0.0% | No council homes | |
| Stage 1 housing complaints answered in time 2024-25 | No figure | 98.7% | No council homes |
Council tax
How much of the year's council tax bills the council collected by 31 March.
| Measure | Wirral | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council tax collected in the year it was due 2025-26 | 93.2% | 94.2% | Below the middle 17th of 23 |
Streets and waste
Fly-tipping the council recorded, how often it took enforcement action, and how much household waste was recycled.
| Measure | Wirral | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents 2024-25 | 24.2 | 13.4 | Bottom quarter 18th of 23 | |
| Enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents 2024-25 | 50.9 | 66.9 | Below the middle 14th of 23 | |
| Household waste reused, recycled or composted 2023-24 | 32.4% | 47.3% | Bottom quarter 19th of 23 |
Homelessness
Temporary accommodation and the outcomes of homelessness cases, from the council's statutory returns.
| Measure | Wirral | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households January to March 2026 | 1.3 | 1.7 | Top half 7th of 23 | |
| Families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more January to March 2026 | 0.0% | 1.4% | Top half 1st of 23 | |
| Prevention cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 38.6% | 52.2% | Bottom quarter 22nd of 22 | |
| Relief cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 36.0% | 33.3% | Top half 8th of 22 |
Website
An automated test of the council website's accessibility.
| Measure | Wirral | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website accessibility score October 2026 | 81.2% | 94.2% | Bottom quarter 21st of 23 |
What the council spends
Net spending per resident in 2025-26, after fees, charges and specific grants, not counting schools. Spending more is not better or worse on its own. Negative highways figures come from parking income.
| Service | Wirral | Median | Rank, highest first | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's social care | £322 | £351 | 14th of 22 | |
| Adult social care | £546 | £495 | 6th of 22 | |
| Public health | £125 | £91 | 3rd of 22 | |
| Housing (general fund) | £48 | £34 | 4th of 22 | |
| Environmental and regulatory | £57 | £69 | 16th of 22 | |
| Highways and transport | £35 | £32 | 9th of 22 | |
| Culture and leisure | £50 | £51 | 12th of 22 | |
| Planning and development | £26 | £27 | 12th of 22 | |
| Central services | £62 | £56 | 7th of 22 | |
| All services excluding schools | £1,270 | £1,258 | 10th of 22 |
Children's services inspection
Ofsted rated Wirral’s children's services requires improvement at its last full inspection, in September 2023.
- Outstanding
- 1 of the 23 councils in North West
- Good
- 10 of the 23 councils in North West
- Requires improvement
- 7 of the 23 councils in North West, including Wirral
- Inadequate
- 5 of the 23 councils in North West
Over time
Wirral against the median of councils in North West.
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
By calendar year.
- Wirral: 8.2%
- Median (councils in North West): 55.0%
Upheld Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents
Using the latest population estimate for every year.
- Wirral: 7.3
- Median (councils in North West): 3.7
Household waste recycling rate
Reused, recycled or composted.
- Wirral: 32.4%
- Median (councils in North West): 47.3%
Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents
As recorded by the council.
- Wirral: 24.2
- Median (councils in North West): 13.4
How to read these figures
Position 1 is the best in the group. The bottom quarter is shown in red, below the middle in yellow and the top half in green. Councils with the same figure share a position.
In each chart, every mark is a council in England and the large dot is Wirral. Councils in the group you are comparing with are darker. The dashed line is the group's median.